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It started off as a simple accident.
Something that didn’t mean to happen.
Something that happened out of pure rush and hurry.
Alex didn’t mean to put Henry’s sweater on.
It just sorta happened.
Now, as Alex runs out of his and Henry’s shared apartment, thermos in hand, he doesn’t notice the different texture of his sweater.
He shouldn’t have to.
But when he sits down for his class, someone next to him notices.
“Nice sweater,” they say. They're a close class friend that Alex sometimes partners up with because they're the next best person in the room that actually cares to get the assignment done on time.
Alex looks down to finally look at what he’s wearing.
It’s a dark blue sweater that, Alex is now noting, is a little bigger than what he’s used to. The sleeves seem to feel longer, and the collar feels looser.
“Ah shit.” Alex mutters to himself.
Henry shouldn’t mind, right?
Him and Henry have gotten close over the past few months they've been sharing a home together.
They talk almost every day, and they have weekly movie nights that sometimes end up with them cuddling and abandoning the movie all together, talking in hushed voices about nothing in particular.
“I-uh,” Alex doesn’t quite know what to say, it’s not new, from what he knows, and it isn’t even his. “Thanks?” It comes out as more of a question, but the person doesn’t seem to notice as they nod.
Alex should move on from it, but for some reason, he just can’t let go of the fact that he's wearing Henry's sweater.
He doesn't take it off until he gets home, making sure Henry doesn’t see him when he puts it back in his room.
He doesn’t mean to, he seriously doesn’t. But if he wanders into Henry’s room the next day to fetch one of his sweaters, no, he absolutely doesn’t.
It's not his fault that they somehow always smell like clean linen and grass even though they share the same detergent.
Like, literally, how is that even possible?
So what if it helps him focus better in class? Sue him.
"Can you please stop?" Nora says. She has been writing on her computer for the past 30 minutes and is currently sitting across from Alex in the library.
"Stop what?" Alex asks, bring his nose and mouth out from the inside of the hoodie.
"You've been aggressively smelling your hoodie for the past 30 minutes we've been here. Is there some hidden treasure you're trying to sniff out under there, or something?" She says, smiling at her own idiotic joke.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Alex mumbles, sliding down in his chair so the only thing Nora can see behind his laptop is the top of his head.
"Sure, and that's your first cup of coffee." She deadpans, narrowing her eyes behind her screen to look more intimidating. She abuses this look when she wants to get an answer out of someone, specifically Alex, and it's working.
"Okay," he says, giving in, "I may or may not have stolen this from Henry." He sighs, preparing for the loud noises of surprise that is most definitely going to come out of Nora's mouth.
"You what? Why? For how long? Does Henry know? Are you guys finally together-?" Nora sputters, getting cut off by Alex.
"Hush, will you?" Alex springs up in his seat to get closer to Nora.
"First of all, what do you mean by finally getting together?" He asks, slapping his hands on the table loud enough to get his point across, but quiet enough so the people around them won't stare.
"Oh, well, it isn't exactly a secret that you've been pinning on him for the last few months." Nora shrugs, like it's the most obvious conclusion ever.
"No, I have not!" He hissed, "What makes you think I'm pinning on him?"
"Well, you seem to never go anywhere beside your classes without him, you stare at him like he invented the universe himself, you always talk about him, and now this! Sharing clothes? Really? How could you not classify this as pinning?" She says promptly.
Alex blinks at her, giving her time to say anything else before he groans, stretching his arms across the table and letting his head hit the table.
"Nothing is happening." He mutters pathetically.
Nora lets out a sympathetic hum, patting Alex's arm before resuming back to her work.
Alex peaks up to look at Nora as she types.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm here, but I really need to get this done and I only have 2 more pages to do." Nora says, all the while still looking at her screen.
Alex groans again and slides back into his seat.
"Like I said, nothing's going on."
Nora raises an eyebrow and glances at Alex for a few moments before looking back to her computer. "But you want something to happen." She says, it doesn't sound like she's asking him, it's more of telling him what he's been thinking.
"I-" Alex sighs, "yeah, I think so? I mean-" he sits up again, "he's really nice, and kind, and cares about if I've eaten when I stay in my room for more than 5 consecutive hours."
Nora hums, "And? Why are you so scared of liking him?" She asks, still typing.
Alex plays with the hoodie strings as he thinks.
Why is he so afraid of admitting to himself that he likes his roommate more than just a friend?
"I don't want him to think I'm too much." He finally says.
Nora stops typing and fully looks at him.
Alex, still looking down, continues talking, "If I admit to myself that I like Henry, in more than just a friend way, I'm scared that my emotions will be too big for him, and he'll run away or something."
"Oh, Alex," Nora whispers, making him glimpse up at her. She has a sad expression on her face, one that's understanding and yet, still not knowing.
What she says next is completely unregarded as someone plops into the seat next to Alex.
”Hey, sorry I missed so much of our study; my professor kept me.” Henry informs, looking over to Nora then smiling at Alex.
”Oh, hey Henry,” Alex says, quickly looking over to Nora for her to get the hint and not say another word.
”How was class?” He asks, watching as Henry takes out a notebook and his laptop.
Henry shrugs, “Eh, same old same old.” He laughs as he opens his computer and types in his password, “I have a writing due next week so that’s what I’ll be doing.”
Alex hums and leans on his palm as he continues to stare at Henry.
Nora coughs to hide her laugh as she kicks one of Alex’s legs from under the table.
Alex yelps and is about to complain about doing absolutely nothing before Nora gives him a look that says; I’m 100 percent right about whatever I said a few moments ago, and he stops.
Alex straightens his posture and grumbles a whatever before continuing on his work that he should have completed almost an hour ago.
It's the third day of sneaking into Henry's room to steal one of his sweaters.
Henry, luckily, hasn't noticed that some of his sweaters go missing one day and magically appear the next.
Alex has pointedly not told Henry that he has been wearing his sweaters. It seems that Henry doesn't even notice that Alex isn't wearing his own clothes when they meet in the library and study together. Or even when they go to the cafe together and walk to their separate classes.
Soon three days turns into four, then five, and by the time Alex can comprehend it, it's been 2 weeks of him wearing Henry's sweaters.
As a silent celebration, Alex wanted to wear the first hoodie that started all of this. But the problem is.. he can't find it.
He has looked in Henry's room, Henry's closet, his own room and closet, the living room, kitchen, and the laundry room. But still, nothing.
Alex is pacing the apartment like a madman trying to find it, he's about to be late to his class but he's really determined to try and find it before it's too late.
"I can't find one of Henry's sweaters," Alex says as he throws his phone on the coffee table and crouches to look under the couch to see if the hoodie slid beneath it.
"Alex," June starts, "just wear one of his other ones."
Alex groans and stands up, he doesn't know why he's making this such a big deal, he could easily go back into Henry's room and get a different sweater.
"But it's the 2-week anniversary." He says, like that sums it up for June.
"So?"
"So, I want to wear it for memories." Alex quickly picks up his phone from the table and strides into Henry's room. Alex has approximately 5 minutes before he has to leave the apartment or he's going to be late.
It's quiet on the other end of the line for a few moments before June speaks again, "Can't you ask Henry where it is?" She asks.
"No, he doesn't even know I'm wearing them." Alex admits as he flips through all of Henry's sweaters, he honestly should tell him soon, it's been 2 weeks of him sneaking around stealing Henry's clothes without his permission.
June makes a surprised sound, "What?" He asks, confused by his sister's response, or lack thereof.
"I assumed you guys were doing this cute, little thing that couples do." Alex can hear June shrug, "My bad."
"Why does everyone think we're together?" Alex shouts in frustration as he swiftly turns away from Henry's closet and walks back into the hall.
"Well, you guys are always connected by the hip, you're always ogling at him when he's not looking, you guys know each other's drink order, and now you're wearing his clothes! It's like you can't go one day without being connected to him in some way." June avers.
Alex scoffs, "Tell you what, if I can go a full 24-hours without even mentioning Henry and wear my own clothes, you owe me a free coffee of my choice." He says as he walks into his room to grab is own hoodie.
June hums, "And if you lose?" She asks expectedly.
"Then I'll admit that I'm-"
"Codependent on Henry?"
Alex sighs and rolls his eyes, "Yes, that I'm codependent on Henry." He smiles.
"We have a deal."
Alex is, thankfully, not late to his class.
But for some reason it feels like something is missing.
As he walks, he double, triple, checks to see if he has everything and he does.
He feels naked and exposed even as he's wearing sweatpants and a thick hoodie.
It bugs him the whole time he's in class, but he still gets his work done, even if he doesn't feel so confident about his answers.
By the time his class is over, he feels an itch in his brain that something is not right, but he has no idea what.
He sits down in their designated table in the library to hopefully get some work done before he has to go to his next class.
As Alex does his work, he feels jittery and uneasy. Alex opts he just needs more coffee.
Packing his stuff to head over to the student coffee machines, he spots Henry talking to, presumably, a class friend.
Alex completely forgets about getting coffee as he walks over to his favourite person.
"Hey Henry!" Alex waves as he settles next to him, bumping their shoulders together.
"Oh, Alex, hello." Henry smiles, "What are you doing here?" He looks down and an expression crosses his face before he looks back up to Alex and returns back to normal. What was that about?
"I was going to get coffee when I saw you," Alex bounces on his heels, feeling somewhat energized, "wanted to say hi. What are you doing?"
"I was going to get tea myself when I bumped into Caden." Henry gestures towards the other guy standing in front of them.
Caden greets himself and hold out a hand for Alex to take.
Alex, being the respectful person he is, takes Caden's hand and shakes it.
"He's in the poetry club with me and a few other people." Henry explains.
"That's pretty cool, have you shown him any of your poetry?" Alex asks Henry but before he can answer Alex faces Caden and says, "His writing is so good, truly a work of art." Henry scoffs, blushing. "What?" Alex turns back to him.
Henry itches the top of his nose, "Nothing," he says smiling, "did you want to join us?"
Alex lights up and is about to say yes but he remembers the work he needs to get done and the class he has in an hour..
"Ah, I'm sorry." Before Alex can say anything else, Henry shakes his head and starts talking.
"Don't apologize. I'll see you when you get home?" Henry says as he steps away from Alex and more towards Caden.
"Uh, yeah, you know it." Alex says, smiling when Caden flashes his pearly whites at him.
Alex feels uneasy in his stomach.
He must really need coffee.
As Alex's last class of the day comes to an end, he couldn't be more ready to go home and be with his best friend.
See, Alex is totally not codependent on Henry.
He is fully capable of doing things on his own and be a functional human being without Henry around.
Alex just isn't used to not seeing him for this long. Yeah, it's only been 4 hours which, in theory, isn't that long. But long enough to have some withdrawals. Nora, the funny person she is, calls them Henry withdrawals.
Alex basically runs home, excited to jump into Henry's arm and not do anything else for the rest of the day.
That dream gets quickly crushed when Alex walks into the apartment of doom and despair.
The blond isn't there to greet him, the only thing there is David curled up on the couch, sleeping soundly.
"Henry?" Alex walks around their apartment and steps into Henry's room. He's not there, it looks the same from when he left.
Alex quickly texts Henry a: Hey where are u?
Hopeful to get a response in the next few minutes, he decides he might as well study.
Soon, minutes turn to hours and Alex turns from calm to worried.
Who can he call? He made a bet with June to not mention Henry all day to basically anyone. He can't even get the comfort of putting one of Henry's hoodies on.
Alex sighs, he texted Henry a few more times before calling it quits, only to pick up his phone again and make a quick call, one that Henry didn't answer.
It's been 2 hours since Alex got back home and found no one here.
He has gotten a good chunk of work done and he's proud of himself, the only thing that would make this day better is Henry and he hasn't been able to reach him for almost 6 hours.
Alex is so close to caving in and calling June about this.
Alex groans loudly, "What do I do David?"
David, who has been drifting in and out of sleep, is staring up at Alex from the bottom of the couch and wags his tail.
"Do you want to go outside?" He says excitedly, watching as David wags his tail faster and walks around Alex hurriedly as he gets up from the couch.
Alex grabs David's collar and leash and crouches down to put them on the beagle before sliding his shoes on and walking out the door.
The walk doesn't last long as for David just wanted to do his business and Alex just really wants to be in the same proximity as Henry, wherever he is.
An hour later, Alex crumbles.
He marches into Henry's room and picks up the first hoodie he sees on Henry's bed, putting it on in one clean motion and inhaling the scent as he calls the person that was keeping him away from this.
"June, I can't do this." He says as he combs his fingers through his curls.
"What's the matter?" She asks, an amused tone in her voice.
"Henry has been gone for 3 hours and I don't know where he is." Alex pushes himself on the countertop in the kitchen, he should probably eat something, he thinks to himself, he hasn't had a proper meal since lunch and that was a PB&J with a side of blueberries.
"So, the coconut has finally cracked." Is all June says.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I lost, whoop-fucking-do." Alex sets his phone down next to him and leans his head down on both of his hands.
"That means you have to admit you are codependent on Henry." June says happily.
Alex sighs, "Fine, okay, I may be a little codependent on him, but so what? He's codependent on me too!" He stops and thinks, "Right?" He asks tentatively.
"I'd say so, yeah." June agrees.
"Right, so, I still have no idea where he is though." Alex knowledges.
"That's very true-"
Alex turns around swiftly when he hears keys jingling together and the front door opening.
"Alex!" It's, of course, Henry.
"I am so sorry, I just saw your messages because I had my phone on do not disturb and for some reason it didn't push send and I was at a meeting with my poetry club and we went out and I didn't realize how late it was until I was walking home and-" Henry cuts himself off when he sees the look on Alex's face, it's soft and calm as he walks over to him.
"I'm sorry," Henry whispers, "I said I'd see you when you got home and I completely lied to you." Henry swallows and shakes his head.
"Henry," Alex looks down and interlocks their hands together, "It was a mistake, it's okay." Alex shrugs, "Yeah, I was worried about you but I'm okay now, I'm just glad that nothing bad happened to you." They both smile.
"Hi Henry!"
Alex looks behind him and realizes that June is still on call with him.
"Hi June," Henry says softly, at the same time, Alex shouts, "You're still here?"
Henry and June laugh, June's gets clipped off when Alex hangs up on her.
Henry looks down and a soft expression takes over his face.
Alex looks down with him and, oh fuck.
"Oh, uhm," Henry totally noticed the hoodie, it literally says Oxford on the front of it.
"I can totally explain-"
"Alex," Henry cuts him off, "tell me to shut up if I got the complete wrong idea but, are you wearing my hoodie?" He asks, a hint of sarcasm somewhere in his question.
"Maybe?" Alex drags, getting an unimpressed look from Henry in return.
"Okay, yes, it is. But I can explain!" Alex is quick to defend himself as to why, exactly, he has Henry's clothes on.
All Henry does is smile at him, leaning to sit on top of the same counter Alex was on a few minutes ago.
"Please do, because you have been driving me mad for 2 weeks straight." He says in amusement.
"You- huh?"
So, that must mean..
"You've known this whole time?" Alex gaps as Henry nods.
"You really thought I wouldn't notice you wearing my clothes?" Henry asks astonishly.
"I-" Alex shakes his head and waves his hands in front of him dramatically, "Okay, the first time was an accident, honestly, and then I just kept going into your room while you were in class because it helped me focus better and you didn't say anything, so I thought you didn't see any difference." Alex explains, painstakingly looking Henry in his eyes as he admits what has been eating away at him for weeks.
"And I may be a little - wait no - definitely, deeply, codependent on you and that's why it feels like a part of me is missing when I'm away from you or, recently, don't have one of your hoodies or sweaters on." Alex takes a deep breath, letting oxygen fill his lungs before he exhales slowly.
Henry's eyes soften and a light smile is splayed on his face as he beckons Alex to come here.
As he steps in front of Henry, he wraps his arms around Alex's shoulders and brings them into a hug.
Humming, Alex sinks into it, diving headfirst into the smell and feel of Henry.
Alex's arms are around Henry's waist as he squeezes tighter, bringing Henry impossibly closer.
"If it makes you feel any better," Henry mutters in Alex's chest, "I feel the same way."
Alex, despite how much he wants to keep hugging Henry, pulls away to look at him.
"Really?" He asks, slightly embarrassed by the anxiety prominent in his voice.
Henry nods his head, "Yeah," he says, voice barely a whisper.
Alex looks down at Henry's waist, watching as his hands move slightly up and down every time Henry breaths, "So, I was just thinking-" he blurts out, getting cut off by Henry.
"I was wondering if you-"
They both stop and look at each other.
"You can go-" Henry starts.
"No, you-"
"No-"
"Please," Alex taps his fingers on Henry's waist, "you go."
Henry smiles and shakes his head slowly, "I was wondering if you be amendable to watch something in the living room?"
"Amendable, really?" Alex laughs, "Who even says that?"
"I'll have you know amendable is a perfectly appropriate word that people still use." Henry informs, sliding his hands so they rest on Alex's arms.
They both stare at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing, "Come on, your highness." Alex says, moving so he can reach out and hold Henry's hand as they walk to the couch.
As they sit down, they're as close as they were when they were in the kitchen; shoulders overlapping, hands still clasped together, and, if Alex really wanted to, he could rest his head on top of Henry's. Only if he wanted to though, which he definitely does but he can't help but think they need to continue talking.
"I was thinking-" He starts.
"That's never good." Henry cuts in.
"Fuck off," Alex teases, moving so he's looking directly at Henry, "I was thinking about what you said earlier."
Henry also turns, "I have said a lot of things," he smiles, "be more specific?"
"If you knew I was wearing your sweaters; why didn't you say anything?"
Henry takes a long moment to think, making Alex slightly more anxious than he needs to be, especially as a law student.
"When I first noticed you wearing my clothes," Henry starts, tone indifferent then how they were speaking to each other moments before, it's serious. "I didn't think anything of it. I have taken note of the absence of my sweater when I got home from my first class; I needed to grab a few papers that I had clumsy forgotten on my desk and when I left my room, I saw my dark blue sweater wasn't on the couch." Henry takes a breath and swallows; Alex does the same.
"I had just thought maybe I had misplaced it but when I came home the next time; there it was." He smiles at Alex, "Then, the next day when I came into the library to study with you and Nora-"
"You saw me wearing another one of your hoodies." Alex finishes, nodding, putting two pieces to the puzzle together. But the puzzle isn't finished yet.
Henry nods too. "Okay, so, why didn't you call me out about it?" Alex asks, rivet by the facial expressions Henry does as he thinks.
"I honestly didn't mind." He shrugs, tone softer, "I mean, you weren't tearing them apart or anything, and-" Henry scoffs, "I-It's silly." He shakes his head.
Alex is even more interested, "What? No, it's not." He reassures, "It can't be sillier than stealing other people's clothes because you find comfort in them."
"You find comfort in me?" Henry, to Alex's dismay, sounds perplexed.
"Uh," Alex looks around them, they are basically cuddling at this point, "yeah, I definitely do. Are you saying you don't feel that way about me?"
Henry's quick to respond, "Oh I definitely do as well."
They smile at each other for a few seconds before Alex looks down and clears his throat, "So, you were about to say something else?" He pushes.
"Ah, well," Henry looks briefly next to him, "I actually prefer you in my clothes." He looks back at Alex to see his expression and he isn't disappointed. Alex looks.. soft. He has a look of fondness in his eyes that speaks louder than words, an up-turned smile that is brighter than any light Henry has ever seen, and he speaks in the most wonderful of symphonies when he tells Henry he too, also prefers himself in Henry's clothes.
Without knowing, Henry moves so close to Alex he can just about count each lash on his eyes, each movement Alex does as he cups Henry's face and asks him if this is okay.
Henry just nods, lost in deep brown eyes.
He opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out, only a weak sort of noise as he looks down from Alex's lips to his eyes, an impulsive movement.
Henry is lost in a reverie when Alex leans down and puts his lips on Henry's.
It's a quick move, Alex is swift to return to where he was, a test.
Henry, as fast as it was, thinks he imagined it. But when he unforgivably kisses Alex again it comes to him that it wasn't a sweven he had made up, it was something much better than that, it was real.
They kiss and kiss and kiss and kiss and kiss each other until there’s no more air left in them, and they have to break apart.
"So," Alex says after a few short breaths, "you're saying I should wear your clothes more?"
Henry feels like he's on a cloud. "Yes," he breathes out.
Alex reconnects their lips and it catches Henry off guard making them both smile so much, they're basically not even kissing anymore. But still, they don't move and when they calm down, they continue until they're both tired and yawning more than kissing.
One year later...
Alex is so, so late.
He woke up 10 minutes after his first alarm went off and his second one, the one for when he needs to leave, is about to go off in less than 5 minutes.
"Henry!" He yells, scattering a few pieces of clothing on the floor has he looks through his closet.
"Yes, Darling." Henry peaks his head in Alex's room. Well, more-so their room now after they got together and abandoned Henry's room. (They later turn it into a guest room and move all of Henry's stuff in with Alex's.)
"I can't find one of your hoodies." Alex just about whines, he's desperate, okay?
"What do you mean?" Henry walks next to Alex, "There's a whole closet filled with them." He points at all of the different sweaters and hoodies in the small room.
"Yes, I know that, but I'm looking for the pink and white one. You know, the one I wore the day after we started dating." Alex keeps looking, throwing more clothes on the floor.
"Love," Henry attempts, "Darling," he says when Alex continues flipping through the hangers.
"Alex," Henry says firmly, putting a soft hand on the back of his shoulder.
Alex turns around and sighs, too much, he's making a big deal out of nothing.
"Don't you remember?" Alex turns his head to the side and thinks. After a short while, he shakes his head.
Henry smiles at him, "You folded it up and put it on top of your bag, so you didn't forget." He reminds Alex.
Alex basically lights up, "How did I forget? Of course! Thank you, baby." He peppers Henry's face with kisses and runs out the door, shouting a quick 'I love you!' as he leaves.
Henry stands there for a few minutes, smiling like an absolute idiot. No matter how many times Alex kisses him, he will always feel this way. He'll always feel warm and content and all around loved.
And that's all that really matters, right?