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Simon’s idea is a little insane, but he saw the suggestion on Instagram - clearly a joke - and was so excited by it that Henry couldn’t say no.
So here he is with JP - Simon’s brother and best man - Liam, Robert, Maggie, and Leandra at a bar in SoHo. And Simon is out with Pez, Bea, and the rest of Henry’s friends in this odd little reverse bachelor party thing, or whatever. A fun twist on the norm because Simon loves things like that and Henry loves Simon.
“Alex is coming,” Liam announces, smile on his face as he tucks his phone back into his pocket. He takes a beer from the bucket on the table. “His flight just got in so he’s dumping his stuff at the hotel and coming right over.”
Right. Alex. Simon, Liam and Alex all played lacrosse together in college, and Alex has flown in for this party and the wedding. Which most people have, really, including Henry and Simon.
Simon had known Henry’s mum wouldn’t travel far, and insisted they bring the wedding to her. It’s so terribly sweet, even if Henry would have much rather gotten married in New York, where they live.
Henry has had three drinks when this man with glowing brown skin and a linen shirt unbuttoned too low starts towards the table. It’s a gay bar, and they’re a group of attractive people, so this isn’t the first person who’s approached them.
He’s the first one who looks like that.
Henry is staring and trying not to, and then Liam says, “Alex!” and gets up out of his seat.
Those two share a hug that’s incredibly intimate and familiar, which makes sense given what Henry knows about their relationship and the things they’ve done together.
Christ, he’d always thought Liam was a bit of a fool for it, but now looking at Alex, he can’t even blame him.
“Henry!” Alex calls out boisterously, coming ‘round the high top table and putting his arms around Henry as though this isn’t their first time meeting. “Good to meet you! Sorry I’m late. This is fucking cute.”
His fingers brush Henry’s temple when he takes the silly little crown off Henry’s head, then drops it back on.
“Er. Thanks. Thank you for coming.”
Alex grins at him and blinks lashes that cannot possibly be natural, and says, “Wouldn’t miss it, babe.”
Pez calls Henry that all the time. It feels very, very different. Perhaps because in all the years Henry and Pez have known one another, Henry has never wanted to shag him.
He can see Alex’s nipples and a rather slutty and attractive tattoo across his collarbone, words Henry can’t read at the moment. Henry would like to say he isn’t that easy, but it would be a lie and everyone would probably know it.
And Alex keeps his arm around Henry. So.
“Seems like I need to catch up. You’re all pink.” He touches the back of his finger to Henry’s cheek, which doesn’t help anything at all, thank you.
Liam laughs and rolls his eyes. “Don’t flirt with the groom.”
Alex steals Liam’s beer, takes a swig - still grinning as he does it, somehow - and sounds cocky as he replies, “Why not?”
Liam flushes, which Henry has never actually seen him do, and Alex says he needs something stronger and ambles off towards the bar.
Leandra shakes her head fondly and says, “He should come with a warning,” and Henry truly wonders why he didn’t.
… … …
Alex takes a deep breath when he’s at the bar. Henry is hotter in person than he was in the engagement photos Alex saw on Instagram, which is saying a lot. When he’d messaged Liam about it and asked how Simon found someone who looked like Henry, Liam had ignored the question and just talked about how happy he was for them.
Which is like, fine, except Alex doesn’t like Simon as anyone’s partner.
It’s weird. Maybe. He doesn’t know. Simon is fine. He’s just…he’s not the most sincere person Alex has ever met, and in college he was a bigger flirt than Alex is. Which makes sense, sort of, because Alex didn’t come into his confidence until he didn’t have the weight of perfectionism tying him down anymore. Switched from working towards a career in law and politics to one teaching about it, and with that let go of a ton of the expectations he realized were like, killing him.
Simon works for a huge firm and spends time helping corporations make more money. Liam at least works as legal counsel for a cybersecurity startup that just IPOd. Alex is happy for him.
Alex shouldn’t have an opinion on who this Henry guy is with, but Alex knows there are better options out there, and yeah, that’s a shitty thing to think about someone you consider a friend. It’s telling that Alex hasn’t met Henry in New York, where they all live, isn’t it? But, fuck, he’s also flown into London to go to Simon’s wedding.
The thing is, Henry is hot. Alex has read everything Henry has written and thinks he’s fucking brilliant. Henry is kind of exactly Alex’s type. Hot and smart. It’s at least a good fucking starting off point.
Weeks ago, Liam told Alex not to do anything stupid. Like he knew that one look at Henry would make him act like he had nothing to lose.
Liam has a really annoying habit of being correct.
He lets some good-looking guy at the bar buy him a shot, then takes his glass of whiskey and beer back to the table where his friends and Henry are. Alex is excited to spend time with these people on what is essentially a holiday.
He still goes right for the open seat next to Henry and slides into it, slips his arm around Henry’s seat for balance and asks, “So what have I missed?”
… … …
Alex smells good enough that Henry has a bloody horrific thought, considering he’s getting married in four days.
He’s also warm and vibrant and inviting and so kind and delightful Henry can’t possibly stop looking at him.
“Take this away from me,” he says, pushing the glass of champagne across the table. Maggie laughs, takes it, and drinks the rest as if it’s a shot.
JP left when he proclaimed he was too drunk to be in a gay bar and made a rather funny joke about a sexuality crisis not being on his agenda for the evening. JP is lovely and the kind of ally Henry likes, who can make jokes like that and not have them sound homophobic.
The way Alex had chuckled next to him and looked down at the table had been…really something.
Under Pressure starts playing in the bar, and most people shout their excitement, except Alex, who says, “Oh, fuck yes,” and gets up, grabs Henry by the wrist, and drags him off to the dance floor.
Henry hasn’t felt this electric in ages. He stuffs it down, raises his arms, dances and ignores that he is not good at it. When he opens his eyes, all the group, save Robert, are around him, scream singing the lyrics.
“Fun!” Alex says in Henry’s ear, their sweaty bodies coming too close to one another not to touch. Henry dares to slide his hand across the small of Alex’s back, pulling away only when Alex shifts, hips moving, and his shirt rides up so Henry is touching skin.
Liam, always sensible, takes Henry by the elbow, smiling like he knows a secret, and tugs him away from Alex. Henry doesn’t bother pouting.
Alex is not someone he can have. Not someone he should want.
“What do you think Simon is doing?”
Liam laughs. “He’s with Pez. Who could actually even guess?”
Alex leaves the dance floor. Henry only watches him go for a moment. He rejoins Robert at the table and knocks back a drink and then watches Henry too closely for two more songs.
… … …
It’s so much cooler outside than it is in there. Christ. Alex was sweaty from travel and the weird London heatwave before he even arrived. He forgot there’s like, no AC in this country.
He’s drinking from a bottle of water and eavesdropping on the people outside smoking when Henry comes out, little GROOM crown askew, brow furrowed but evening out when he spots Alex.
“There you are.”
Alex gives him a lopsided grin. “Here I am.” Henry leans back against the brick wall. “Having fun, groom-to-be?”
Henry hesitates. “Yes.” Alex wants to ask more. Someone walks by and looks him up and down, so he makes eye contact with them because they’re hot. “Why have we never met?”
Alex shrugs, passes the water bottle to Henry in case he needs some. “Better question for Simon, probably.”
“Hm.” Henry takes a sip, then hands it back. “Perhaps he knows you flirt with everyone and didn’t want you to flirt with me.”
A laugh is surprised out of him at how bold Henry’s being. He said that like a fucking invitation, and Alex…
Henry’s probably the most beautiful person Alex has ever seen, honestly. He’s having a lot of complicated feelings about missing his chance.
“You getting married probably won’t stop me.”
“Jesus,” Henry breathes, then takes a step back. “Are you like this with everyone?”
“No.”
Henry looks confused, even though Alex is being very clear. “Alex.”
Alex shrugs his shoulder, pushes off the wall and stands up straight.
“I’m just being honest. You wanna go back inside?” Henry nods his head, looking a little dazed, and Alex tries so hard to be a good person, but he also asks, “Why Simon?”
Henry looks irritated for the first time all night, narrows his eyes and everything, then storms off back into the bar.
Alex doesn’t need Henry to like him.
Right?
… … ..
He’s watching Alex on the dance floor making out with a tall guy in short shorts.
Liam says, “Henry,” like a warning, and he doesn’t like that.
“What?”
Liam tilts his head. “This is just the Alex effect. We’ve all been there. Simon liked him until Alex and I hooked up.”
Henry looks over at Liam.
This is news to him.
“What?”
Liam purses his lips, realizing his mistake. “I thought you knew.”
Henry shakes his head feebly and forces himself not to look back at where that man is pressing his cock into Alex’s hips.
“Nothing ever happened,” Liam continues. Then adds, “Simon’s not his type.”
Henry will blame both the amount and variety of alcohol he’s had for how he asks, “What is?”
Liam tilts his head like Henry’s missing something obvious.
Henry is not missing something obvious. He is tall and blond. Liam is tall and blond. The man on the dance floor is tall and blond.
“He’s very…animated,” Henry says.
Liam laughs. “Animated. Yeah. We’ll go with that.” Liam knocks Henry’s elbow with his own. “Fun to look at, though.”
Henry looks.
“I’m getting married.” Liam seems to understand what’s happening here, and turns to Henry, treating this with the level of intensity he ought to, considering. “I shouldn’t be thinking of someone else this way.”
“You’re allowed to be attracted to other people, Henry,” he says carefully, like he’s not telling the whole story. “You don’t even know Alex.”
That’s true. He doesn’t. He knows only what he’s heard from Liam and from Simon. He knows that Alex is incredibly generous, and very smart, and a good lover. He knows Alex lives with his sister and her wife in the city, and volunteers on weekends coaching a youth lacrosse team. He knows Alex is a good cook.
He knows Alex is handsome, and warm, and what it’s like to have his full attention.
The issue isn’t that Henry doesn’t know Alex. The issue is he wants to.
… … …
The jet lag hits him like a ton of bricks sometime around 1am when there’s a whole discussion on whose hotel they should go to for late night food and drunken conversation. Alex is buzzed enough to know he needs to eat something, but that if he eats too much he’ll feel like shit in the morning. He’s also texting the group chat with Nora and June and trying not to fucking panic about how much he likes Henry.
“I’m gonna call it,” he announces. They’re all standing on the sidewalk and Henry’s crown is around his wrist instead of on his head. He’s unbuttoned another button on his shirt.
Henry looks at him, sadness in his eyes, and Alex almost caves. It’s a lot more effective than Maggie and Leandra loudly booing him.
“So soon?” Henry asks.
Alex laughs. JP and Robert have already left. Alex thinks they’re hooking up but not telling anyone. That’s not the point.
“I’m really tired.”
“Nothing falafel won’t cure,” Henry argues, which is fucking adorable and doesn’t work, until Henry presses a firm hand to the small of Alex’s back and says, “You can’t leave yet. I won’t allow it.”
Alex ignores Liam’s gaze and relaxes into Henry’s touch.
“Okay, baby. Lead the way.”
The falafel is good. As good as Henry had promised. It’s annoying, almost. He’s also watching Maggie wipe tahini from Leandra’s lip, and Liam and Henry are sharing a soda, and Alex really needs to go if there’s any hope in hell of him getting any decent sleep. And yet all he can do is watch Henry and fucking wonder what it would’ve been like if they’d met first.
Everyone tabs Alex as this flirt who doesn’t know what he wants, but that isn’t true. At least it’s not anymore. He’s not naive enough to think he can offer Henry more than Simon can. He’s known the guy like, four hours. People just tend to think Alex doesn’t want anything serious, doesn’t know how to go after it.
He’d try, if Henry wasn’t already with someone else.
Suddenly Liam is making a disappointed whining sound, and Maggie and Leandra are hugging Henry goodbye and telling him they’ll see him at the wedding. Alex is smiling watching it. He can’t believe these folks all know one another better than he knows Henry.
He has a vague idea of why Simon might not have introduced them before now, but also Alex doesn’t want to think of his friend like that. As someone so jealous or worried.
So now it’s just Liam, Henry, and Alex. And Alex lets Liam stand between them as they walk. Henry seems happy - flushed and smiling, the kind of drunk that makes everything vivid and fun. Alex feels mostly sober. He thinks Liam stopped drinking a couple hours ago. Fucking responsible. Alex kind of wishes they could just settle for one another.
But that’s not what either of them wants.
Alex wants…
“I can’t believe you’re getting married.”
Henry laughs and shakes his head. “Sometimes I can’t, either. There was a whole period of my life where being out and having this felt impossible.”
Alex can’t relate to that. “Simon’s good to you?”
Liam stops walking and says, “What the hell, Alex?” in this sort of hissing tone like Alex is being a prick.
“I’ve never seen them together,” he argues.
Henry, anyway, just says, “Yes, he is,” and it sounds sort of soft and sad, and Alex has at least nine followup questions he isn’t going to ask but wants to. “What about you?”
Alex freezes. “What about me?”
“You’re successful, intelligent, and attractive.”
Liam goes, “Jesus Christ,” under his breath. Alex wants to tell him to shut the fuck up.
Henry continues, “Surely there are people who interest you.”
Oh, fuck.
This is…this is all just a whole terrible idea.
Alex says, “Yeah,” and Henry won’t stop looking at him.
Liam hails a cab and asks if Alex is taking this one or if Henry wants to get in. Liam practically shoves Alex into the open door.
They say their goodbyes and as the car pulls away from the curb, Alex reflects on the fact that maybe Simon knew all along that Alex would like Henry this much. That it wasn’t about Henry liking Alex at all, but the other way around. Simon has always been smart like that. Well, ever since he found out about Alex and Liam and started looking at Alex like he had him all figured out.
Alex can’t fucking deal with this.
He falls face first onto his hotel bed and wakes up with his alarm going off in his hand and the regret of falling asleep naked atop the duvet.
… … …
“How was Alex?” Simon asks over the lip of his coffee cup. Henry’s nursing a horrible headache and the leftover taste of garlic in his mouth.
“What do you mean?”
Simon smiles at him knowingly. “Did he do his whole Alex thing?”
Yes.
“I’m not sure what that is. He was very fun and charming. Met some bloke at the bar. Paid for everyone’s falafel.”
Simon grins. “Yeah. That’s Alex.”
Frankly, Henry was rather hoping none of it was real.
“We had a fun night.” What else is he supposed to say? “I’m surprised you don’t spend more time of him at home?”
Simon shrugs. “I mean, it’s a little weird.”
“Why?”
Simon turns to refill his mug, says far too nonchalantly, “If it wasn’t you, I’d want it to be him.”
Henry stands there staring until Simon turns back around. He doesn’t seem to realize what he’s said. Or maybe Henry is taking it too seriously. Jesus Christ, is everyone in love with Alex? Is he truly that charming or is it all just an act?
Henry knows how difficult it was for Simon to fall for him - Henry had been in love with him for two months before Simon could say it back. The fact that Simon seems to be so sure and confident about how he feels about Alex is jarring at best and insulting at worst.
Henry doesn’t want to feel like anyone’s second choice. He’s never felt that way with Simon.
It’s absolutely delusional of him to think that was not at all how Alex made him feel, or how Alex looked at him, or how Alex touched him.
Henry’s entire relationship cannot fall apart because of one pretty man with a penchant for flirting with anyone who catches his eye.
Simon goes off to shower, and Henry sits with his tea and thinks about all this.
It doesn’t even feel like it’s all about Alex.
But Christ, it’s also entirely about Alex.
… … …
Alex spent yesterday drinking seven flat whites, wandering around the tourist areas, and avoiding his friends. Not to be an asshole, but just because he needs a break.
He wanders the V&A and then goes for a Sunday roast at a random pub that’s got a sandwich board outside with a special written in chalk.
He eats alone, has a beer, and flirts with the woman serving him. But he feels a little empty and he hates it.
Liam tracks him down in the evening and they go for a walk together along the Thames. Liam buys them lemonade from a little vendor near one of the bridges and Alex is fucking dying to say he feels some kind of draw to the man their friend is marrying, but he can’t do that. He’s a good person. He doesn’t know Henry. This is all stupid. He should go home.
He climbs into his hotel bed after showering the day away. He watches history documentaries and checks his emails and when Simon texts the group chat wanting a rundown of how everyone spent their days, Alex writes a list so he’ll look like he’s making the most of it, not pulling away from the group so he can avoid any fucking questions.
Liam had asked him flat out what it was about Henry that Alex had liked so much.
Alex had a list for that, too. Liam told him to bury it.
Alex is trying.
He’s also trying to sleep at like, 4:00am, and failing because of jet lag and caffeine consumption, when someone knocks on his hotel room door. The only person who knows where he’s staying is Liam, who loves sleep more than any person Alex has ever met, but wilder things have happened than…
If he’d known it wasn’t Liam, he would have put on pants.
“Henry.”
“I’m sorry.”
Alex pulls the door open wide, then says, “Shit, I thought you were…Sorry. Come in. Give me a sec.”
He turns around and the door closes, and since he’s the only one staying in the room, he has his suitcase open and sitting on the only chair in the room. The bed is unmade because Alex was just in it, so he scrambles to move his suitcase and then realizes only when he sees how Henry is looking at him that he probably should have prioritized pants.
He pulls some on, then says, “What’s up?” which sounds fucking ridiculous, honestly, but like, it’s the middle of the night and this is a man he’s only met once and hasn’t stopped thinking about since.
“I have to ask you an absolutely ridiculous question. I’m sorry in advance.”
Alex furrows his brows, confused. “Okay?”
Henry takes a deep breath and looks right at Alex.
“Is there any world in which you would ever want to be with Simon?”
Alex feels the reaction he has. It’s all over his face. This is an insane question.
“No?” Shit. Needs to be more firm. “No. Simon is my friend. What the fuck?” Henry deflates a little. Alex can’t believe this is the thing Henry came here for. “Why would you ask me that?”
“He told me if he wasn’t with me, he’d want to be with you.”
Alex is tired and emotional and Henry is so hot.
“Funny. If you weren’t with him, I’d want to be with you.”
Henry blinks at him. “What?”
“What?” Henry comes closer. Which is nice and fine and good, except there’s still a ring on Henry’s finger, and Alex isn’t a terrible person.
He’s not that terrible.
“We don’t know each other.”
“Yeah,” Alex says, then shrugs. “Hate that.”
Henry lets out a little puff of air and his eyes soften. They’re standing close to each other and the lighting is dim, and Alex is so fucking tempted.
“I don’t know what to do with the fact that he seems hung up on you. Maybe I’m making something out of nothing.”
Oh. Okay. So they’re moving on. That’s probably good.
“Maybe.”
“Or maybe I’m projecting.” Alex’s heart races. His brows go up. “Because the moment I saw you, I felt—“ He stops himself. Alex is selfish and wants him to keep going. “I understand where Simon is coming from, I suppose.”
Alex is half dressed and so fucking into Henry. If Henry was single, Alex wouldn’t hesitate.
“Same,” he says. Henry lets out that little laugh again. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come.”
“What do you mean?” Henry asks, brow furrowed adorably because he’s confused.
His voice sounds strained when he says, “It’s gonna suck watching you marry someone else, even if I am happy for you. One that got away, or something.”
Henry swallows. Henry looks at Alex’s mouth. Henry also looks at Alex’s bare torso and takes a breath.
“I need to go.”
Alex nods. He’s said way too much. They both have, probably.
Maybe Alex shouldn’t go to the wedding.
At the door, Henry turns around, checks Alex out one last time, and then leaves without saying anything more.
Alex falls into bed smiling and wonders why he feels this way. He has no more of Henry now than he did before.
… … …
That delicate tattoo just under Alex’s collarbone is in cursive and reads, I can only hope so.
Henry flies back to New York in business class. the upgrade was a gift from his mother for following his heart. Simon left two days ago. Henry knows - because Simon texted him earlier today - that Simon has completely moved out. Going to live with JP for a bit while the renovation of flat they were meant to move into together on the Upper East Side is completed.
When Liam gave Henry Alex’s number, he’d said, “I hope y'all don’t make me regret this.”
The first time they meet for coffee, they find a shady spot in Prospect Park and Alex is wearing a hat from the US Open and a white tee shirt and looks so bloody gorgeous it’s truly distracting.
Henry learns, on the evening of the first dinner they have together, that Alex’s tattoo is a quote from The West Wing. He talks about the path his life was on previously and how he’d probably still be on it if the state of American politics was a little more like that show. Henry goes home and watches the first three episodes with no breaks and thinks he understands.
Henry hasn’t enjoyed getting to know anyone this much in his whole life. And that’s all they’re doing. They’re not dating. They haven’t kissed. Henry is still reconciling the fact that he thought he would be married by now. Alex is patient. Is beautiful. Isn’t as much of a flirt as everyone made it seem.
Well. Rather, Alex is only flirting with Henry and no one else. He’s made it clear what he wants, what his intentions are, and that he’s willing to wait to have Henry.
It’s lovely. Henry doesn’t question a single thing about it.
He also doesn’t know what he’s going to say when people ask how they met.
Liam meets them for drinks one night and doesn’t say anything about them, but looks terribly amused. And when Henry’s coming back from the washroom, he overhears Liam say, "Thought I was gonna have a heart attack at that bachelor party.”
“Why?” Henry asks, settling back into his seat. Liam’s cheeks turn a little pink.
“I’m not trying to say I told you so, but I literally told Pez that the shit was gonna hit the fan when you two met.”
“Why?” Henry repeats, laughing this time.
Liam sips his drink and looks at Alex. “Alex is a slutty little guy who learned everything he could about you before you met, and I knew once he experienced a single conversation with you, he’d be a whole problem about it.”
Alex grins and presses his knee against Henry’s under the table.
“Joke’s on you,” he drawls. “All it took was seeing him. Didn’t even need to talk.”
“That’s true. You were quite thirsty from the moment you walked in,” Henry teases.
It makes Alex wink at him.
Liam, across the table, rolls his eyes and mutters something about them being annoying even though they’re not together.
Henry adores it, really. Knows they’re going to change that soon. Doesn’t feel the need to rush.