Work Text:
''I can't just wait it out, I'm going crazy here.'' Henry says, clutching his favourite pillow to his chest as tightly as he can. His head is resting on Bea's shoulder, and his eyes are red and exhausted.
Bea smiles at him softly, ''Well, you have air miles. Go to DC. Get your man.''
~~~
Maybe Henry should have let Shaan take him a little further in. His equerry is following close behind in the car, but Henry just couldn't sit there anymore. He is nearly there, he can see the White house and he is yelling for Shaan to stop before he can even register what he is doing. He lets his emotions take charge and block out all rational thought. His mind keeps up a very helpful loop of alex alex alex alex until he can't think straight for the life of him. God, he could never think straight anymore. Alex makes him lose all composure, reducing him to a lovesick, incomprehensible shell of a man.
The rain is heavy and, despite only running for a few minutes, Henry is completely soaked to the bone. The cold bites into his skin and his hoodie clings to him uncomfortably. Heavy. Everything is so heavy and Henry can't breathe.
As soon as the White House entrance is within his eyeline, it occurs to him how ridiculous this all was. He is about to storm a fucking mansion. The residence of the goddamn President of the United States, all because Henry had to go and fuck up the single best thing that has ever happened to him in his entire life. His stupidity astounds him even now as he takes the first step up towards the towering door. It makes Henry feel so small. He did this. It is all his fault, so who is he to come barging in here in the middle of the night, upending Alex's life once again when all Henry did was ruin it to begin with? This in itself is such a stupid idea, and yet...Henry can't bring himself to stop. Call him selfish, fucking sue him; he needs to say what he needs to say.
What exactly is it that he needs to say?
I'm sorry.
I've made a mistake.
Please, don't leave.
I love you.
So many words Henry has circulating around his head at any given moment, beautiful and articulated like a form of art, and yet he cannot find the right combination to truly portray his feelings- his sorrow for what he had done. He knows he could easily turn back; that Shaan is probably right behind him, hoping for Henry to change his mind, to just get on a plane and wrap Henry in his bubble wrap again. Though, Henry supposes it is never really him that they want to protect.
He has been hidden like he was something to be ashamed of for far too long. Like his mere existence is a burden to the throne and everything related to it. Alex has never been ashamed of him. Not once. He makes Henry feel...truly alive. For the first time in his life. And he is not about to let it all go.
His vision comes back into focus as he takes the final step to the door. He feels like he's lived his entire life just to arrive at this moment. Nothing has ever felt so important. There is no fear, no uncertainty when Henry thinks of the fact that this could fix everything- and that he could have Alex back. Henry is not usually the type to be selfish like that...but he can't bring himself to care right now. Nothing is as important as this moment.
He raises his hand to knock on the expensive wood. It's an absurd gesture.
The door swings open. Amy stands behind it with her usual aura of professionalism, looking at Henry with an unreadable expression. Henry is already opening his mouth to speak, to explain himself, when Amy's features suddenly soften. Her posture relaxes slightly.
''Zahra has already called me. Everything is arranged.'' She says, voice unbearably neutral.
Henry can't help the surprise that flickers across his face, ''Oh. So...does that mean Alex knows I'm here?''
''No.'' Amy shakes her head. ''Only me. I'll go get him for you.''
''Thank you.'' Henry wills himself not to cry. He tries with no avail to tame the ever growing waves of emotions assaulting his chest. Amy turns away, leaving Henry to stand in the empty doorway. He hears Shaan coming up behind him but he pays no attention to the footsteps. He can hardly focus with the pressure squeezing at his already battered lungs, stealing any precious air as quickly as it comes.
In for four, out for four...in for four, out for four
What if Alex doesn't want to see him? What if Henry is too late? He should have fought earlier, he should have called ahead of time and begged Alex to just hear him out. If he is wishing for things, he never should have run away in the first place. God, he is such an idiot. He has ruined this, he can feel it ingrained in his bones.
Then Alex is walking down the stairs. He looks confused and shocked and in awe all at once and Henry can't handle it, he can't-
Then he can breathe again. Santal 33 clouds his senses so abruptly that his knees weaken, his heart skipping a beat at the comforting scent. It's so Alex that he forgets what he's there for, what he needs to say.
''Henry? What are you doing here?''
Henry just stares for a moment. He drinks in Alex's appearance like he's a dying man, letting the reality crash against him like harsh waves in a rainstorm. He lets Alex's presence weaken him, relax him in that way that only Alex has ever been able to, even when they're fighting. Which they never have. Not until Henry fucked it all up.
Alex's eyebrows crease in worry, eyes raking down Henry's soaked body. He steps forward and pulls Henry in by his arms, the touch sparking Henry's skin alight, ''Jesus, did you run here?''
''I needed to talk to you.'' Henry's voice wavers. Alex's hands are still on him and Henry has every urge to lean into them and never let go, but he forces himself to make eye contact instead. A sharp twang resonates through his chest when he sees the pain in Alex's eyes reflected in his own. He put that there. He's the reason Alex feels like that.
''You mean after you vanished in the middle of the night without saying a single word? Or after ignoring my calls and texts for a week?'' Alex snaps. Henry's eyes screw shut involuntarily. He deserves that.
Henry takes a shaky breath in, grip tightening on Alex's ridiculously soft hoodie. He gazes into devastatingly gorgeous brown eyes, getting momentarily lost in the haze of them before finally opening his mouth to speak. He could feel his heartbeat so prominently against his ribs, he wondered for a moment if this is what dying felt like. Every moment was a bit like dying with Alex.
"I have no excuse." Henry shakes his head, "I thought I did, I really, really did, but...I was just being a coward."
"You're not a coward." Alex cuts in immediately, voice firm.
Henry laughs wetly, ''You're not real. Alex, you're so not...I need to tell you something.''
''I'm listening.'' Alex was probably going for a defensive tone, but it came out all soft and gentle. Henry wanted to melt into it and die. He slides his hands up Alex's arms and onto his face, cupping it with both hands. Alex flinches from Henry's cold skin and opens his mouth to talk, but Henry cuts him off immediately.
''No, listen...I need to say this to you.'' He says reverently, ''The entire flight here I was trying to find those perfect, magical words with which I could portray my emotions, but I realise now that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what I say or do, because at the end of the day, I just want you to know how much I love you.''
A small gasp gets stuck in Alex's throat. His eyes get wet but Henry keeps going.
''I love you so much, Alex Claremont-Diaz. I was too scared to say it before but fuck...you do things to me that I will never be able to explain. You look at me like I'm something worth looking at. You love me like I am someone worth loving. I never thought I deserved any of that. I never even thought I would get to experience that. And you have every right to hate me for the rest of your life. While I do not expect you to take me back, I had to tell you. I would have never been able to live with myself if I didn't. And above all, I am sorry...I am so, so sorry, Alex.''
Somewhere during that speech, Henry has inched closer and closer to Alex. Now their lips are half an inch apart and Henry can feel every quick breath that comes out of this beautiful human's lips and, by God, he can't breathe. He wants to inhale Alex- breathe him in until he replaces all the oxygen inside Henry's body. Alex presses his forehead to Henry's. They clutch onto each other and yet Henry doesn't dare let hope fill his heart, knowing Alex is about to ask him to leave. Henry doesn't have a right to be heartbroken. He made Alex suffer for a week, made him cry until Nora had to tell Pez to talk to Henry. That phone conversation destroyed Henry more than he'd like to admit.
''Henry...'' Alex breathes out, his voice barely there. It sounds wrecked in the best possible way. It takes everything Henry has to not pull Alex in and kiss him until they're both gasping for air.
''Forgive me? My darling, my love..."My heart is, and always will be, yours."'' Henry is whispering now. He lets his lips skim over Alex's before pulling them back, waiting for the inevitable rejection. He waits for that stab in his heart almost desperately, wanting to get the pain over and done with. He'll cry himself to sleep tonight and maybe the next twenty nights after that, but at least Alex will have known. Alex will have known how much Henry adores him.
''Jesus fucking Christ.'' Alex whispers right back- and then they're kissing. Alex pulls Henry right into his own body. His lips demand for closeness, taking back what is his. Henry is so surprised for a moment that he forgets to kiss back, but his brain catches up quick. Tears stream down his cheeks as slides a hand up into Alex's hair, letting his fingers tighten around the soft strands. God, one week without this is far too long. One second without this is far too long.
They kiss for what feels like two seconds and two hours at the same time. Henry has no intention of pulling away any time soon, but then Alex is retreating just enough to be able to catch his breath, and Henry tangles his fingers in his boyfriend's jumper instead. It's so soft and smells so much like Santal 33 that Henry buries his face in it. He inhales until it clouds all his senses.
''I'm so sorry...'' He says again. He feels Alex's soft sob before he hears it.
''Please stop fucking saying that. I forgave you as soon as you walked through the door.''
''Oh.'' Henry breathes out. He can't tell whether he's laughing or crying.
''You're such an idiot.'' Alex tilts his chin up gently, brown eyes suddenly meeting blue. Henry immediately drowns in them.
''I love you, Alex. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner.''
''I love you, too, you absolute sap.'' Alex rolls his eyes. They're both crying and it's wonderful and Henry is just about to go in for another kiss when-
''My God, you two are so melodramatic.'' Ellen says from her place by the door. She's staring at them, seemingly affronted, with a cup of coffee in one hand. Nora walks out of the door, finally seeing her window to flee upstairs.
''Genuinely. Utterly disgusting.'' She deadpans. Her hood is drawn over her head and she looks so fed up, but Alex can see the ghost of a smile on her features. He's then grinning and laughing harder than he has all week as he pulls Henry into his side.
''Hey, come on, that's not very nice. At least I have a boyfriend!'' He yells after Nora.
''Yeah, well, SO DO I!'' She yells back. Henry hides his blush in Alex's chest, laughing in spite of himself.
''I'm very happy for you two.'' Ellen raises her cup of coffee at them. ''Now take it upstairs.''
Giggling and so very much in love, Henry and Alex scramble upstairs, stealing soft kisses from each other along the way. Henry shoves Alex against the door as soon as the door is closed, but Alex pulls away from him gently.
''Darling- '' Henry starts, incredibly affronted.
''Not until we get you out of these clothes, baby. You're fucking freezing.'' Alex says. He's already across the room and rummaging through his wardrobe. Henry looks down at himself, almost realising for the first time just how cold he was. He lifts his hoodie and shirt over his head in one motion. When Alex turns back, he has to bite back a gasp.
''You're so annoying.'' He groans. He throws a hoodie hard in Henry's direction, laughing when it hits the blond in the face. The laugh Henry lets out in response sets a fire alight in Alex's stomach.
''Me?! You're the one who just threw a hoodie at a prince.''
''Yeah, Prince Dickhead.''
''Right, listen here, you cretin- ''
And then they're kissing and laughing and pushing each other onto the bed and everything feels so incredible...Henry allows the feeling to completely wash over him. He pours everything he has into each kiss he leaves on Alex's lips.
''You deserve everything, Alexander.'' Henry confesses, pulling Alex's bottom lip back with his teeth, ''I want to give you everything I have. If you'll still have me.''
Alex smiles widely. His eyes are sparking with love and Henry can see himself reflected in those gorgeous, dark pupils.
''I'm all yours, Your Royal Highness.''