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Henry can’t deal with it any longer.
He hasn’t blocked the number yet, but only because he figured Alex would stop calling eventually.
But he hasn’t. It’s been four days since he arrived back from Texas. In those four days Alex has called four times. Henry didn’t answer any of them.
Alex has sent him seven texts and one e-mail. Henry hasn’t read any of them.
He should’ve known Alex wouldn’t stop. That’s not something Alex does. And Henry reaching out simply for some ridiculous facade of closure is out of the question. The only way this will stop is if he’s no longer distracted.
He doesn’t look at the phone as he blocks Alex’s number. But afterwards he can’t look away from the contact.
ACD🤠
It didn’t say that the last time he had looked at it. Henry is as impersonal with his phone contacts as he is with everything else; and he didn’t make an exception for Alex, even as their relationship deepened.
Alex must have got his hands on Henry’s phone sometime this past weekend and changed the number. Henry barely looked at his phone during the entire trip to the lake house. He didn’t need to.
How can that little cowboy be smiling?
Henry doesn’t plan on deleting Alex’s number entirely, but it can’t stay like that. The little smiling face will taunt him forever if he doesn’t change something.
Without really thinking about what he’s doing, he types: Alex❤️
His eyes focus the heart emoji that he typed without even realising. He’s never used emojis in his life. Not even when he texts Pez or Bea.
Things like that, silly though they may seem, he wants to reserve for the ones he truly loves.
What have I done?
He loves Alex. He’s loved Alex for years. First it was from afar, but as they grew closer it became more. Alex brought him to life; both his body and his soul. With Alex he’d found passion, freedom, belonging, and most importantly of all, love.
Just like Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, Henry’s heart is and always will be Alex’s.
Not only momentarily. Forever.
And Alex loves him too. Henry knows he does. He heard the whispered confession on Alex’s lips, even if he never got to say it aloud.
Whether the Crown would let him be with Alex is one thing. It’s as good as impossible, but if by some miraculous alignment of the stars, they have a chance, Henry will never forgive himself if he’s the reason he lost the one person who means everything to him.
He unblocks the number and waits for Alex’s next call.
“He’s probably just busy,” Bea assures him. “Plus, you know, different time zones.”
Henry didn’t get another text or call for the rest of that day. He tried calling Alex when he woke up the next morning, but got no answer.
And now it’s lunchtime and he still hasn’t heard anything. It’s early morning in Washington, so Alex won’t be asleep.
Could he somehow sense what Henry had done?
Henry had his number blocked for less than a minute. Had Alex called during that one minute and then given up completely?
No, that wasn’t Alex.
“He’s stopped trying to talk to me,” he tells Bea. “It doesn’t matter why. I’ve lost him. And it’s all my fault.
“No it’s not, Hen.”
“It is though,” he sighs. “I’m the one who walked away. And I didn’t even say goodbye.”
Bea, to her credit, stays quiet. He’s right, and she can’t pretend otherwise.
“I love him, so much,” he whispers helplessly. “What do I do?”
Why is he asking that? He knows what will happen. Bea knows what will happen.
He will live a hollow life, playing the part of the country’s favourite prince. He will smile for cameras and attend mindless charity events. He will marry someone he will never love and be forever on standby should anything happen to Philip.
He will live a life that will mean nothing, knowing that he briefly had a life that meant everything.
And he will have no one but himself to blame.
“Isn't it obvious?” Bea says. “Go to America. Get your man.”
It’s night when he arrives in DC.
And it’s raining. How very romantic comedy.
Getting in to the White House seems shockingly simple. Somebody here must know he was coming, but for whatever reason, Henry expected a little more pushback. Yet they pass through the gates without even a moment’s hesitation from the people there.
Nobody had said anything to him on the plane; silent for the nine hour trip across the Atlantic, bar the one time where Henry was asked if he wanted something to eat.
He was too anxious to eat anything.
The PPOs stay by the car once they’ve parked, and Henry goes on ahead with Shaan.
They’re heading towards the building on the east; the same way he entered the White House the last time he was here, all those months ago for the dinner with the Prime Minister.
Except if he makes it to Alex’s bedroom tonight, he’ll be completely uninvited.
Possibly unwanted.
Henry shakes his head firmly; he can’t think about that now.
Zahra is waiting for them at the door. She’s wearing the same expression she was wearing that morning after the DNC. So she’s almost certainly annoyed.
Unless she really does look like this all the time. Henry wouldn’t put it past her.
“You owe me big time,” she snaps at Shaan, who bristles. Then she turns her attention to Henry.
“I will say this once, and only once: you better make this count sir,” she tells him. “He’s been driving everyone crazy these last few days. Do you have any idea how miserable he’s been?”
Henry stays silent. It won’t make a difference. If he says yes she’ll tell him he’s broken Alex’s heart. If he says no she’ll tell him he’s broken Alex’s heart.
He knows Zahra cares about Alex even if she hates showing it. The fact that she is showing it now means this is more serious that he thought. And that breaks his heart.
“He gave me his phone,” she tells Henry. “He couldn’t handle anymore silence from you.”
He winces, but knows better than to mention to her that he tried to call Alex.
“I meant it before and I mean it now - I will end you. You hurt him any further and I won’t hesitate to personally flay you – regardless of what that means for me.”
Henry was terrified when she threatened him that morning at the hotel, because it felt so unnecessarily cruel. But if she’s willing to threaten him because of what he did to Alex, he’ll take it.
He deserves it.
“The Secret Service knows you’re here,” she finishes with a sigh. “You’re clear to go Your Royal Highness.”
He doesn’t think she’ll appreciate a ‘thank you’, so he nods and continues forward into the building.
As Zahra promised the Secret Service wave him through with nothing more than a question about if he knows where he needs to go.
He tells them he does and heads towards the lift.
How do the floors work over here again?
He needs to get to the Second Floor; that’s what Alex told him. He presses the ② and hopes he won’t be sent any higher than where he needs to go.
When the doors open he recognises where he is from the night of the Prime Minister’s dinner. He exhales slowly and walks out of the lift and into the hall.
He’s painfully aware of how loud he is. Alex and his entire family are here, fast asleep, and he’s sneaking in, like Prince Charming here to awaken Sleeping Beauty.
Oh, the irony.
He continues on. The East bedroom, that was it. That’s where he needs to go.
He’s shocked at how well he remembers the layout of this building. Or he would be, if he wasn’t so focused on getting to Alex.
And then, suddenly, he’s there.
It’s just a door. Just like the one opposite it and all the others he’s passed. But everything is different because behind it is Alex.
Henry knocks carefully on the door.
It’s dark inside but after a moment he thinks he sees a light being turned on, and then footsteps, and then Alex opens the door.
“W-what are you…?”
He looks groggy - Henry probably woke him - but his expression changes quickly to one of shock. Henry can’t tell if he’s angry, or overjoyed; but right now, all he needs is for Alex to let him inside.
To hear him out.
“Please,” his voice is soft; pleading. “Can I talk to you?”
Alex’s face doesn’t change, but he nods and steps backwards to let him enter.
“What the hell?” he shouts as soon as the door’s closed. Henry winces inwardly, but Alex doesn’t appear to notice. Henry’s pretty sure Alex doesn’t remember his mother is sleeping right down the hall. His mother who also happens to be the President of the United States.
“You run off without a word,” Alex continues, his voice softer, but still uncomfortably loud. “You don’t answer my texts or calls, and then show up unannounced in the middle of the night for…”
He waves his arms and waits for Henry to finish the sentence; give him an answer.
But Henry can’t get his mouth to make a sound.
He still tries his best to hold himself together; he knows Alex’s anger is justified. Henry did leave him in the middle of the night, without a word; he ignored enough calls that Alex gave up. Alex was probably just about to start moving on without Henry in his life.
And Henry’s probably made it worse by being here at all.
But he is here. And neither of them can go back.
“Please, just hear me out,” his voice is desperate. “I’ll go if you want nothing to do with me afterwards, as long as you’ll listen.”
Please, don’t let it come to that.
“Okay, start talking,” Alex says firmly.
“I…
Tears fill Henry’s eyes and his voice seems to disappear again. He can’t make himself do anything. He hates it. He burst into the building with so much purpose and now he’s a shaking, snivelling, rain-soaked mess.
Then suddenly he’s pulled into a giant, tight hug.
And he breaks.
“I’m sorry,” he sobs into Alex’s neck. “I’m so, so, sorry.”
“Hey,” Alex whispers. All traces of anger are gone now. He should be even angrier. He wanted an explanation and Henry can’t even give him a full sentence. “Shhh. It’s okay.”
Maybe it’s because now he’s with Alex again that all the fight has drained out of him. He’s here in Alex’s arms and he doesn’t need to fight anymore.
He doesn’t know how long it will last, but right now, he’s home.
“Do you still want to listen to me?”
Henry feels Alex nod. “I do,” he says. “I will. Just breathe, okay?”
Henry doesn’t know how long they stand there, him blubbering the same simple apology over and over while Alex whispers assurances and rubs his back.
“You don’t need to be sorry,” Alex pulls back and cups Henry’s face in his hands. He’s still dripping wet, which means Alex is too; but he clearly doesn’t care. “You understand?”
Henry nods, but doesn’t feel any better. Of course he should be sorry. Alex wants an explanation and Henry still hasn’t been able to give him one.
He finds it hard to believe that Alex truly believes he hasn’t done anything wrong.
“I understand why you did it,” Alex says softly. It’s as if he can see Henry’s thoughts.
“Really?”
“Well, not completely. But I understand it wasn’t really to hurt me. Even if it did,” Alex replies. “So don’t apologise. You do that enough already when you have no reason to.”
Henry snorts softly as Alex leads him over to the couch. He sits down and chokes out another: “I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you,” Alex sits down next to him. “Just please, talk to me. Tell me, why are you here?”
For the first time since he burst in here, Henry really looks at Alex. There are dark rings under his eyes, which now look bloodshot. And – Henry hopes with all his heart that he’s imagining this – he looks thinner.
Still strong and beautiful and perfect; but also completely shattered.
Henry feels his heart break a little more.
He inhales. This is it. Why is it so hard? He crossed the ocean and broke into one of the most famous and secure buildings in America, but sitting here, in front of the man who holds his soul in his hands, Henry’s faltering.
“Did something happen?” Alex prompts. “Because I kind of got the feeling you never wanted to see me again.”
“That was the plan,” Henry says, his voice weary. “But not because I didn’t want that. I wanted it so badly.”
He looks back at Alex and amends his statement. “I want it so badly.”
Now or never. And he’s come too far for it to be never.
“I love you Alex,” he blurts. His voice seems so loud, but it can’t be louder than it was five seconds ago. “God, I love you so much. You make me feel…”
happy. safe. loved. like I matter. like a real person; not a prince.
“…everything.”
Alex leans forward and kisses him, slowly and deeply. Henry’s hands instinctively move to Alex’s neck, and then his hair. Alex’s arms encircle his waist and he shifts and draws Henry fully into his lap.
“I was never allowed to have this,” Henry’s clutching him tightly, one hand still in the curls at Alex’s nape and the other resting on his hip. “If past experience is anything to go by, I’m not allowed to have anyone I’d actually want. I’m not allowed to choose my happy ending. The best I can hope for is to be happy with the one they’ll let me have.”
Alex’s blinks slowly; those beautiful eyelashes brushing the top of his cheeks. His eyes are full of sadness, as if everything the Crown forbade Henry from having and doing and wanting were in physically front of him, and not simply visible through the pain in Henry’s face.
“I thought this would be fine if it was unrequited.”
He sighs deeply, and Alex offers him a watery smile. They both knew that casual had always been impossible.
“But then at the lake… I wanted to hear those words so much,” he continues, his eyes never moving from Alex’s. “I’m sorry I left before you could say them.”
“No more apologies, okay?” Alex says firmly.
Henry shakes his head.
“I know you keep telling me not to apologise - that I didn’t do anything wrong,” he says. “But I did. It was the wrong thing. For everyone.”
Alex opens his mouth to argue – like usual – but Henry holds up his hand.
“Let this be my mistake.”
Alex nods silently, before cupping Henry’s chin and pulling him closer.
“Would you like me to say those words now?”
Henry nods.
“I love you,” Alex’s voice is so quiet, yet Henry doesn’t think he’s ever heard it be stronger. “I love you so much more than I thought was possible. Henry, I love you more than anyone and anything else.”
Henry looks down and sees the key around Alex’s neck. Without thinking he reaches out and holds it; running his fingers along the grooves.
It’s the key to Alex’s home, but it’s the key to Henry’s heart.
“I made the worst mistake of my life; leaving like that,” he says. “I never wanted it to end. Which is why I was convinced I had to end it.”
He raises his head and looks into Alex’s eyes.
“Please, tell me I haven’t ruined everything.” He’s still absentmindedly playing with the key. He feels Alex’s hand cover his own, stroking circles on his thumb. “Please tell me this isn’t over.”
It’s interesting that he’s the one asking this question. Alex has already forgiven him. Alex has love and support from everyone he knows. It’s Henry’s life that will hold them back.
“It’s not sweetheart,” Alex assures him. “I’m not letting you get away again.”
“Then I won’t leave again,” Henry promises. “Ever.”
“This week was hell for me,” Alex continues. “I was this close to flying to London to win you back.”
“Save me from my tower, you mean?” Henry scoffs.
“No.” Alex replies firmly. “That’s not what I mean at all. You don’t need saving. You’re the bravest person I know.”
If it were anyone other than Alex telling him this, Henry wouldn’t believe it. But it’s Alex, who knows him in ways no one else ever could or ever will. And with the intensity of his gaze, Henry has no choice other than to believe him.
“You stormed the fucking White House for me,” Alex laughs. “And you were brave long before that.”
“Alex, I’m terrified.”
Now that he’s with Alex again; now that everything is good – even for only this current moment – Henry’s earlier worries have returned. He knows it’s going to be an uphill battle, and he knows he’s ready to fight.
But he doesn’t know how to do it.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he continues softly. “I don’t really trust myself.”
“Well, I trust you,” Alex says. “Do you trust me?”
Henry nods. “Completely.”
Alex smiles at him. “Then everything’s going to be fine,” he promises.
Eventually they leave the now half soaked couch, and Henry dries off as best he can in the ensuite.
“Feeling better?” Alex asks when Henry emerges, wearing the T-Shirt and tracksuit pants Alex gave him that - surprising to him - fit.
He sits down next to Alex on the bed. “Much”
“Me too,” Alex laces his fingers through Henry’s, and they both lean forward until their foreheads are touching.
“Do you want to try and get some sleep?” Alex asks.
He’s so tired, and Alex clearly is too. It would be so simple to shed their clothes and snuggle under the covers of Alex’s bed until morning.
It’s what they should do.
And yet…
It’s not that he doesn’t want to lose any time with Alex, which will happen if they fall asleep; though that does cross his mind. No, he wants to do something with Alex. Something specific…
“What is it, baby?” Alex gives him a smile
“I just always had this dream,” Henry sighs. “There’s a museum that my father would take me to when I was a kid. I always dreamed of taking someone I loved there. We would be alone together. Just us… dancing…”
He can see it in his mind’s eye, swaying with Alex in the moonlight. He dreamed of taking Alex there, he realises. Alex and love are synonymous for him.
They have been for a while now.
Alex looks pensive. Then he stands up, and offers his hand out to Henry.
“Come with me.”
Alex sneaks Henry out of his bedroom and into the lift. They sneak across the floor below, heading east until Alex opens the door at the very end of the hall.
The room is large; probably as long as the entire side of the building, and completely empty. Like a ballroom.
“What are we…?”
“I know it’s not this museum of yours,” Alex says. “But…”
Henry hears music start in the background. Alex is placing his phone on a table by the wall.
“Dance with me?”
He holds his hands out and Henry doesn’t hesitate before he curls into him. His hands snake over Alex’s shoulders, while Alex’s hands wrap around his waist; and gently, they start moving in time to the music.
Henry lets himself get lost in the moment. What happened even an hour ago fades away. All he’s aware of his Alex. How he feels being with the man he loves, the man who’s making his dream come true.
He’s not the Prince. Alex isn’t the President’s son. In this moment they’re just two people in love, swaying gently in each other’s arms.
It’s not everything Henry dreamed it would be.
It’s more.
“Will you give me time?” he whispers into Alex’s shoulder. “I want this – you – so badly, but…”
“Of course,” Alex turns his head and kisses Henry’s palm. “As much time as you need.”
“Thank you,” he replies. “I promise I’ll do everything I can; because if there's any legacy for me on this earth, I want it to be true.”
Alex is true. And Henry doesn’t want the world to think anything else.
“And when it’s all over and they write the history of my life, I want it to include you,” he continues. “And my love for you.”
Alex has tears in his eyes as he smiles at Henry, a silent promise that together, they will make history.
Neither notice the song has finished.
“Was that everything you wanted?” Alex asks when they get back to his bedroom. His hands are still firmly around Henry’s waist.
“And more,” Henry leans forward and kisses him. “Because it was real.”
Alex blinks slowly, looking at Henry like he hung the moon.
Henry hopes he looks equally enamoured, because knowing he’s the reason behind Alex’s current expression makes him realise just how real this is. This isn’t some vague, one-sided dream. It’s clear, it’s mutual, and it’s happening right now.
He’s done something he never imagined possible: made someone happy, just by being who he is. Made Alex happy just by being who he is.
“I’d love for you to take me to that museum sometime,” Alex whispers.
“I will,” Henry promises. “Next time you’re over there with me.”
“Now then,” Alex blinks again, and this time Henry can see just how exhausted he is. “Bed?”
“Bed.” Henry agrees.
Without removing his hands from Alex’s neck, he steers them in that direction. They roll over and over until their clothes are thrown on the floor and the giggles between their kisses turn to sighs. When their eyes meet, all Henry sees is the love he feels for Alex reflected back at him, and when their lips meet it’s like a benediction; like the first moment in the rest of their lives.
“I can’t believe I did that,” Henry pants.
Alex laughs. “I’ve heard make-up sex can be some of the best.”
“Not that, you menace,” Henry shoves him playfully. It had indeed been incredible, but his physical relationship with Alex will never hold a candle to how he feels in his heart.
“I mean that I can still barely believed I crossed the Atlantic and broke into the White House,” he insists.
“I can,” Alex smiles. “You’re capable of so much more than you believe sweetheart.”
“You’re worth it,” Henry says softly. “It was hell for me this week too; and when you didn’t call me back…”
“You called me?”
Henry nods. “When I realised how big a mistake I made…”
“I gave Zahra my phone,” Alex says. “There wasn’t anyone I needed to call – other than you – and I couldn’t handle seeing another rejection.”
“I know,” Henry nods. “She told me.”
“I’m sorry,” Alex continues rambling. “If I’d known I –”
Henry puts a finger to Alex’s lips. “No apologies tonight, remember?”
Alex takes his hand and kisses his knuckles, one by one.
Henry sighs and shuffles closer, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder. Alex whispers “I love you,” into his ear, and Henry can’t remember the last time he felt this at peace.
Henry is disorientated when he opens his eyes. The room looks different; the colour of the walls is wrong and the door is in a different place and the light doesn’t look the same.
But the biggest difference is someone is holding him, and it’s too firm and insistent to be David. Henry tenses for a moment until the past twenty-four hours come back to him.
He’s at the White House. He flew over to America repair things with Alex after he left him behind in Texas last week. Alex forgave him. They went dancing. They had what might have been the most magical sex of Henry’s entire life.
It’s Alex in the bed, and he’s clutching him so tight because he can’t bear waking up alone again.
Henry still feels a stab of guilt, but he relaxes. He has no intention of going anywhere.
He doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring. He doesn’t even know what will happen after Alex wakes up. But they’re together. They’ve promised each other that they’ll fight for it to stay that way.
There is hope.
Neither of them has made a move to leave the bed since they woke up. Time disappears for Henry when he’s with Alex, so that could have happened five minutes ago, or five hours ago.
It is probably a good thing, because neither of them has any clothes on.
“I don’t, um, have any other clothes with me.” Henry admits. He’d been so focused on getting to Alex as soon as possible that he didn’t pack, well, anything.
He feels far more embarrassed about this than he should. Alex has already seen him naked. Alex has already seen him naked in the past twelve hours.
And Alex already gave him some clothes, so he’ll have something to wear. But something about wearing another person’s clothes makes him feel so vulnerable. And while it becomes easier with every moment he spends with Alex, it’s still a feeling he’s getting used to.
“Don’t worry baby,” Alex says. “We’ll find you something. And we can wash what you were wearing last night.”
Henry smiles.
“Or…we can do things that don’t require clothes at all,” Alex adds, trailing his finger up Henry’s arm.
“Oh?” Henry rolls his eyes dramatically.
“Oh indeed,” Alex pushes him onto his back and bends over to kiss him. Henry involuntarily raises his arms and pulls Alex closer. His mouth opens and the kiss deepens and…
knock knock
Alex groans and pulls back. Sorry he mouths.
The knock makes Henry sigh in frustration, but the voice outside makes him freeze.
“Baby?”
It’s Alex’s mother.
Alex’s eyes are wide, but he sits up. “Don’t hide,” he whispers to Henry. “Unless you want to.”
Henry’s enormously grateful, just to hear that. Alex is proud to have him as a boyfriend and won’t hide him from his family. But he knows Henry might not be ready.
And even though Henry is ready for those closest them to know, this is the worst possible time. Being caught by your boyfriend’s mother is one thing. Being caught naked by your boyfriend’s mother is something else.
Being caught naked by your boyfriend’s mother who is also the President of the United States is yet another thing entirely.
“Honey?”
“Coming,” Alex calls. He slides off the bed and into his pyjama shorts. He doesn’t bother with a top.
“Everything okay?” he asks mother when he opens the door.
From where he’s lying in the bed, Henry can only see Alex. He doesn’t look particularly nervous; unlike the morning Zahra caught them: mad pandemonium ending with him coming out of a literal closet.
“Yes, everything’s fine, honey,” she assures Alex. “I just wanted to see if you were okay; especially because of what happened last night.”
Henry freezes again. She knows about him being here.
He really shouldn’t be surprised. Shaan had obviously spoken with Zahra to get Henry inside the building, so obviously the President would know; but he can’t tell from her tone of voice how she feels about this.
He scoots across the bed as quietly as he can. He’s not going to hide. Especially since she already knows he’s here. He may as well face the music now.
“You look better than you’ve been all week,” Alex’s mother continues. “Did you finally get some sleep?”
Henry pulls the T-Shirt over his head and crawls out of the bed as silently as he can manage. Alex hasn’t slept since he left him in Texas last week?
It makes his heart break.
He slowly comes up to stand behind Alex.
“I’m sorry Madam President, about everything.”
He rubs his eyes and looks up at her. He’s standing there, in front of the President of the United States in nothing but his boxers and Alex’s T-Shirt, with bed ruffled hair.
It’s scarier than that day in the hotel for so many reasons.
He is immensely grateful for what Zahra did last night, but this is different from being chewed out like he was a six-year-old who didn’t want to go to bed.
The woman in front of him isn’t just the President.
She’s Alex’s mother.
He doesn’t care about the President, not really; but he really wants Alex’s mother to like him.
“I… I just made the biggest mistake of my life last week,” he continues. “I had to fix it.”
Please don’t do anything,” Alex begs. “This was hard enough for him and I didn’t know…”
Oh god. Alex wants to take the blame for him. He can’t let that happen.
He told Alex that running away needed to be his mistake; and he needs to be the one to bear the consequences. And that includes this.
“I’m not going to do anything,” the President sighs. Her expression is a mixture of amusement and frustration. “Let’s face it, doing anything would be another PR nightmare. And the two of you are already successful enough at causing those.”
Henry locks eyes with Alex, who shares an almost identical look of guilt. Not just for their past scandals, but the ones that will inevitably come in the future. When the world at large finally knows about them, it will absolutely cause shockwaves that will affect their lives, and the lives of everyone they know and care about.
But if Henry can storm the White House, he can handle this.
“Is it forever?” Alex’s mother asks him.
“It’s forever,” he nods.
She turns to Henry, a smile on her lips. Henry smiles back. He thinks he’s passed the test.
“Thank you for loving him,” she says. “Will you be staying for breakfast, Your Royal Highness?”
Two days later, they say goodbye to each other.
They had barely spent any time apart since that first morning. They had walked down to the linden tree where they’d kissed for the first time on New Year’s Eve. They had sat in the Rose Garden for afternoon tea.
They had spent far too much time in bed.
Everyone was so nice to Henry. The president insisted he call her Ellen and made sure to talk to him at breakfast both mornings. Nora came by to join in the family tradition of pizza night in the game room.
It was the first time Henry had experienced things like this in a very long time. True family time ended when his father died.
Zahra never apologised for that morning in the hotel, but she did give him a smile once or twice. Henry considered that progress.
Alex eventually took him down to the bowling alley; bragging from the beginning about his perfect nose hit.
He was wildly exaggerating of course. Honestly, he was almost abysmal. But Henry didn’t care. He loved every second of it. It was like karaoke night all over again. Pure, ridiculous freedom with the man he loved.
Standing on the tarmac, neither of them say anything.
They don’t know when they’ll next see each other. The election isn’t that far away, and Henry’s sure he will have plenty of events on his schedule when he gets back to London.
It’s back to emails and phone calls for the foreseeable future.
But at least there is a future.
And for the first time in years, Henry truly feels like he’s not alone.
He had always been jealous of Alex for having such a strong support network; but he knows that he now has that too. Being with Alex means Alex’s family are on his side now.
“I love you,” Alex whispers, enveloping him in a hug. “I completely fucking love you.”
“I love you too,” Henry whispers back. “So, so much.”
Alex lets him go, then reaches into his shirt and pulls the chain up over his neck, and drops the key into Henry’s hand.
“I noticed you touching it that first night,” he tells Henry. “Keep it. Think of me.”
Henry smiles as he puts it on and lets the key fall right over his heart. If it wasn’t the key to his heart before, it is now.
He pulls his signet ring off his finger and holds it out to Alex. “If you take this.”
As Alex takes the ring, Henry can see tears at the corners of his eyes.
“Thank you for fighting for me,” Alex whispers as he slips the ring on. “For us.”
“And you, for not giving up on me,” Henry replies. “Not giving up on us. Thank you.”
With one final, quick kiss, he boards the plane.
Henry looks out the window until he can no longer see Alex. Then he holds the key tightly until the plane touches down in England.