Archive of Our Own

Henry rummaged through the boxes in the basement, frowning as he found everything he expected except for one specific hoodie.

"Alex!" he shouted in the direction of the stairs. It was packed in the boxes, he knows it was. He remembers putting it in there. And he doesn't remember taking it out.

He turned as he shouted again, managing "Al--" before he realized Alex was bounding down the stairs with an amount of energy no man should have after a wedding followed by a week of unpacking. "Have you seen my--"

Henry stopped, staring at the binder Alex held out, the words "Road Trip" in bold lettering over top of a…. "What is that," Henry asked, "and why is there a cartoon beaver on it?"

"This," Alex said, "is the rest of our honeymoon."

Henry reached out to take the binder, but Alex quickly pulled it away, hiding it behind his back. "Nope," Alex said. "No spoilers."

"Spoilers?"

Alex nodded. "Spoilers. All you need to know is we ride at dawn."

Henry cocked an eyebrow. "Dawn?" Alex rarely saw dawn unless he'd been up long enough to see it before passing out.

"Don't look at me like that," Alex said with a grin. "I can get up when I have to."

Henry laughed as he pulled his husband into his arms. "Darling, I have no doubt of that." Henry leaned in for a kiss, slipping his arms around Alex's back, just managing to get his hand on the binder before Alex stepped back.

"Nice try, Wales," Alex said. "But no spoilers."

Henry heaved an overly-dramatic sigh. Before Alex, Henry had been someone who hated surprises, seeing as how they were generally unpleasant. Then again, Henry had been a lot of things before Alex. Happy had rarely been one of them.

"All right, then," Henry said. "Keep your secrets. But you'll need to tell me what to pack."

"Already packed," Alex said. "Everything we need is in the Jeep."

"Would everything we need happen to include my blue hoodie?"

That grin was really going to be the death of Henry one day. "I guess you'll find out."

***

"Henry…."

Alex's voice was soft in Henry's ear. "Mmmm," Henry said, reaching back blindly to pull Alex closer.

"No, no, no," Alex said, moving away. "Time to get up."

"Timesit?" Henry grumbled.

"Seven thirty. Time to get up and get on the road."

Henry burrowed down in the covers. "Too early."

"There's a whole thermos of Earl Grey waiting for you." Alex said in a sing-song voice.

Henry sighed and pushed the covers back. "I suppose if you can be up at this hour, I can too." Not that he hadn't been up at all hours in far too many time zones in the past, but part of the point of stepping back was to avoid that.

He opened his eyes and took one look at the excitement on Alex's face. "All right," Henry said. "Let's go."

***

Alex steadfastly refused to give Henry so much as a hint. Henry had expected as much, but bugging him about it was half the fun. Henry really didn't care where they ended up as long as he was with Alex.

They'd been driving for about half an hour when Alex pulled off the interstate. A sign with the cartoon beaver from the binder and the word "Buc-ees" loomed large over a sea of gas pumps and the largest gas station/convenience store Henry had ever seen.

As they pulled in, the beaver was everywhere.

"What in the world is this place?" Henry asked, as Alex pulled up to a pump.

"This," Alex said with a wide, happy grin, "Is a Buc-ee's."

"So I gathered." Henry looked around again. "Does it have its own postal code?"

"Zip code," Alex said, as he got out of the Jeep. "And no, it's not that big. There are bigger ones."

"I had to wear swim trunks and a t-shirt for a gas station?"

Alex put the gas nozzle into the Jeep. "This is just the first stop," he said.

Which was not helpful at all, so Henry just watched as Alex filled up the tank before hopping back in. Instead of heading back towards the interstate, however, he pulled forward into a parking space outside the store.

"Come on," Alex said, as he got out of the Jeep.

Henry followed Alex inside, blinking at the large, inflatable beaver just inside the doors. "I think it's too early for this."

"Nah," Alex said with a laugh. "We're early enough to get breakfast."

The store was surprisingly busy for it to be so early in the morning. Henry followed Alex through the people to the back, pausing only to stare a moment at some workers shouting randomly as they cooked.

"I recommend the brisket egg taco," Alex said, as they stopped at the counter. "Or one of the burritos. Or a kolache."

"I've had a kolache before."

Alex laughed. "Let me guess, in Europe?"

"Yes."

"Not quite the same, trust me."

Henry chose the kolache as well as a breakfast taco, eying Alex's 'Beast Burrito' dubiously, which just made Alex laugh again. "Don't worry," Alex said. "I won't be able to eat the whole thing, not if I want to survive our plans today. It's just a thing."

Making a mental note to ask later, Henry followed Alex to the dizzying selection of drinks, opting for a Coke, since he had no idea what half the options were. They went to the registers, then out to the Jeep. Henry got in, but Alex just set his food in his seat and said, "Be right back."

Henry shrugged, then started on his taco, which was surprisingly delicious. The brisket shouldn't have worked with the eggs, but somehow it was a perfect match. He was almost finished with it when Alex returned, a bag and a cooler with the Buc-ee's beaver logo on the side in hand. He put both in the back, then hopped back into the driver's seat.

As he pulled back out onto the interstate, burrito in hand, Alex glanced over at Henry, who was working his way through his kolache. "How's the food?"

"Indescribable," Henry said, unable to stop a small smile from lifting the corners of his mouth.

"I knew it!" Alex's laugh was infectious, and Henry couldn't help but join in. "You loved it."

Henry shrugged, still smiling, though. "It was acceptable."

"Right. You keep telling yourself that, H."

***

Their next stop was marked with a sign that said "Son's Blue River Camp." Alex pulled into a parking place and killed the engine. "We're here," he said, grabbing the cooler and bag from the back of the Jeep, as well as another bag from his duffle.

They made it two steps inside the door before a loud, "Alex!" rang out.

"Hey, Marco!" Alex called out, as a man about their age came over and gave Alex a hug. Henry followed the gist of their conversation in Spanish until Alex turned to introduce them. "Marco, this is my husband, Henry. Henry, this is Marco, who was the second best lacrosse player in Texas when we were kids."

"Second best?" Marco sounded offended, but didn't look like he really meant it. "What, Liam was better than me?"

Alex laughed, bumping against Marco's arm. "Funny. I didn't know you'd branched out into comedy in addition to this place."

Marco rolled his eyes at Alex, then held out a hand to Henry. "Nice to meet you," he said. "Though I'm questioning your sanity in agreeing to marry this guy."

"Yes, well, honestly, I do the same thing at times."

Marco laughed. "Ahora lo entiendo," he said to Alex.

"Basta!" Alex said, laughing. "Everything ready?"

"Yup." Marco led them outside to where two large inner tubes lay by the river, a smaller one with a sort of cloth basket beside them. "You know the drill," he said. "Pick you up at the end in a few hours. Have a great time!"

Marco went back inside. "Ever been tubing?" Alex asked.

"You must know that I have not."

"Figured, but it's polite to ask, or so I've been told."

Henry looked at the tube, then the river. "I'm assuming that we get in those and float down the river," he said. "But what's the other one for?"

"This." Alex held up the cooler. "Drinks and river snacks."

"I hope there is some sunscreen in there as well."

Alex shook his head. "Like I would trust your skin to the 8 SPF Buc-ee's sells?" He pulled a 100 SPF spray out of the bag he'd had in his duffle. "Take your shirt off."

"Some of my favorite words from you and yet the location…."

"Okay, okay, don't make me do something in public we'd both regret. Seriously, I want to make sure you get slathered with this stuff."

Henry took his shirt off and let Alex spray sunscreen to his heart's content, even lifting up the legs of his swim trunks a bit to make sure he was fully covered. When Alex was satisfied, he put the sunscreen back in its sealed bag and then in the cooler. "So we can make sure you stay covered," he said. "Come on, let's get in the water."

The water was cool and comfortable for as early as it was. The smaller tube turned out to be for the cooler, which Alex tethered to his own tube so it wouldn't float away. Soon the camp faded away and it was just the peace and quiet of the river lapping at their tubes and around their hands and feet.

"This is really quite lovely," Henry said, smiling over at Alex.

"Right? We used to do this a few times a summer when I was a kid," Alex said, lying back on his tube and looking up at the sun. " Mom and Dad would shuffle us into the car, stop at Buc-ee's on the way, and get us out here on the river before it got too busy. It was great--no phones, no aides trying to get them to do something. Just the four of us."

Ah. "That sounds like it was a lot of fun," Henry said softly.

"Yeah."

There was a twist to the corner of Alex's mouth that Henry didn't like, but he didn't know quite what he could do about it. He knew how much baggage Alex carried from childhood, and he knew he couldn't fix it. All he could do was make here and now better.

"Hey," Henry said, holding out a hand, which Alex took quickly. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

Alex gave him a warm smile. "Thanks for coming with me." He gave Henry's hand a squeeze before letting go. "Okay, snacks time."

"Snacks? I'm still full from breakfast."

"These are small," Alex said. "They won't take up much room."

He pulled two waters out of the cooler, handing one to Henry, who placed it in the handy drink holder attached to the tube, before handing him a bag. "Beaver Nuggets?" Henry read, looking at Alex. "What are Beaver Nuggets?"

"They're what God intended popcorn to be." Alex pulled one out of his own bag and popped it in his mouth. "Try it."

Henry did, taking care not to get any water in the bag. "Hm…" he said, chewing slowly, but already reaching in the bag again. "I may need to try a few more to be sure."

Alex's laugh ringing off the river banks was worth the extra exercise Henry was clearly going to need to survive this trip.

***

After their leisurely ride down the river, they checked into a B&B Alex booked with a private cottage and cleaned up for dinner, followed by Honkey Tonk Thursday at Gruene Hall.

"June and I used to come here once in a while," Alex said, picking at the label of his beer. "The music was always good, and it was a nice escape from…everything."

Henry put his hand over Alex's and gave him a smile. "So, Honkey Tonk Thursday?"

Alex wrinkled his nose. "God, that sounds so many kinds of wrong in your accent," he said, laughing. "But yeah, it's a great way to experience a lot of good music in one night. Plus, I like that it benefits a mental health organization, especially one for musicians since a lot of them can barely get even the most urgent health care in this country, let alone mental health assistance."

Sometimes it still blew Henry away, the way Alex cared so much. How thoughtful he could be, not just to Henry, but to so many others. "Hey," Henry said, giving Alex's hand a squeeze. "Maybe you could teach me that dance they're doing out there?"

Alex lit up like Christmas had come early. "You don't have to ask me twice," he said, grabbing Henry's hand and pulling him towards the dance floor.

***

Their start the next day was thankfully a little later. Henry would have gladly spent a few more days at that cottage, but he was also excited to see what was next up in the binder.

He should have guessed before he saw the giant Buc-ee's sign.

When they headed for the back of the store this time, though, Alex said, "Don't eat too much. Save room for lunch."

Henry raised an eyebrow, but got no further information. He went for a different kolache and grabbed another Coke. "So, uh, where were those nugget things?" he asked Alex as he put the lid on his drink.

"I knew you liked them!" Alex was practically giddy as he pulled Henry over to an aisle with far too many different flavor choices of beaver nuggets. Henry got some of the regular ones, as well as cinnamon sugar, because it reminded him of Alex, and white cheddar, just for the variety.

"You also have to try the jerky," Alex said, pulling him in another direction.

"Jerky?" Henry asked.

"Dried meat--don't worry, it tastes way better than it sounds, I promise."

Henry stopped in front of a large wall with a selection of jerky that made the nuggets selection look modest. "Pick one for me?" he said, finally.

"I'll do better than that," Alex said. "I'll pick three."

"While you do that," Henry said, "I'm just going to go see if they sell Tums."

***

A little later, they pulled up to what looked like a small, red house with a big sign over the door that said Riley's Pit Barbeque. The inside of the place reminded Henry of some of the best dive restaurants with the best food he'd ever had.

"Smells incredible," Henry said as they neared the door.

"Yeah, this place has some amazing food."

It was still on the early side for lunch, so there were only a couple of people inside. Alex and Henry ordered enough food for about three meals and took the food to a table over in the corner.

The food was every bit as good as promised. "How did you find this place?" Henry asked.

Alex cut his brisket with far more attention than it really needed. "Lacross games," he said, giving Henry a fleeting glance under his lashes. "We'd load up at Buc-ee's in the morning for games, but then on the way home we'd stop at barbeque places, and this was the one we came to the most."

He looked around, a soft smile on his face. "A lot of good memories here. Especially after…after dad left, and there weren't as many great memories at home."

Henry looked around, imagining a teenage Alex at different tables, poking fun at Liam, replaying his own highlight reels from the day, and generally being an obnoxious little shit of a teenage boy. The juxtaposition between the carefree little boy Henry had gotten to know a little better on the river with the injured teen Alex had been here was a little jarring, but it helped slot more pieces into place in the puzzle of Alex Claremont-Diaz.

Henry squeezed Alex's hand. "Thanks for sharing this place with me."

Alex gave Henry a smile and squeezed his hand back as he put another piece of brisket in his mouth.

***

The B&B this time looked like Henry's idea of a true southern home, complete with a wrap around porch. His jaw dropped when he walked inside and saw the library on the other side of reception.

"Go check out the books," Alex said, giving him a playful shove. "I'll get us checked in."

Henry was lost in the bookshelves when Alex's voice sounded behind him. "See anything you like?"

Henry turned, stalking his way over to the door. "Now that you mention it," he said, pulling Alex in for a kiss.

"I was talking about books," Alex said, after a moment, his lips barely brushing Henry's.

Henry let out a mock sigh. "I guess that means the honeymoon is over?"

"Dick," Alex said, leaning in for another kiss. "I'm trying to make a nice, romantic gesture here."

Henry couldn't have kept the smile off his face if he tried. "I mean, I can think of a lot of romantic gestures involving my di--"

"Henry!" Alex slapped a hand over Henry's mouth. "In front of the books? How could you!"

"All right," Henry said, when Alex removed his hand. "Should I choose a book then?"

Alex shrugged. "I figured maybe we could lay by the pool, do a little swimming, laze around like a couple of honeymooners for the afternoon."

"That sounds lovely." Henry grabbed one of the books, one he'd been meaning to re-read for a while. "Lead the way, then, darling."

***

After an afternoon at the pool, Alex reheated some of their leftovers from Riley's. They ate them in the kitchenette before going back to their room. "This," Alex said, pointing at the giant tub off to one side of the room, "is the reason I picked this room."

"Because you wanted a tub you could drown in?"

"No." Alex started unbuttoning his shirt slowly, eyes on Henry. "Because I wanted one big enough that we could both soak in."

"Oh." Henry's hands moved of their own accord to his own buttons. "That was a most excellent plan."

***

The next morning brought a pre-dawn departure and their first return trip to the same Buc-ees. Henry went straight for the back, ordering two kolaches for himself and a breakfast burrito for Alex and grabbing them drinks while Alex went on a "secret mission" around the store.

Henry wasn't even allowed to check out with Alex, meeting him instead by the Jeep, where he'd already stored the cooler in the back.

"I have successfully foraged for our breakfast," Henry teased, holding up his bag.

"My husband, the great provider!" Alex leaned in for a kiss before letting Henry go and hopping behind the wheel. "Let's get moving!"

The sun was just starting to lighten the sky when Alex pulled over by a sign that read Luckenbach, Texas where "everybody's somebody" 1.2 Miles straight ahead on right. "Come on," Alex said, jumping out of the car.

Henry followed, bewildered, as Alex pulled him in close, arm behind Henry's back, phone held out for a selfie. "Ugh," Alex said, after a moment, handing the phone to Henry. "I can't get the whole sign in. Your arms are longer. You do it."

Henry took the phone and snapped a few pictures, handing the phone back to Alex, who headed back to the Jeep. When they pulled away from the sign, Alex gave Henry a quick, smiling glance. "And now, we have to do this."

He tapped on his phone a few times and a song started up. Henry frowned through the first few lines until the line "Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas…" came up. He was about to make a comment when a set of lyrics caught him up short.

So baby, let's sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
And in your high society, you cry all day

It was so similar to the situation they'd been in when they'd decided to just say fuck it all and move to Texas. Henry didn't know quite what to say, so he just reached over and took Alex's hand, pulling it up to his lips for a kiss before setting in for the rest of the drive.

***

About an hour later, Alex pulled into a parking lot bearing the sign Enchanted Rock.

"This," Alex said, as he shut off the engine, "is why I told you to wear the good tennis shoes."

"You mean my trainers?" Henry teased.

Alex rolled his eyes. "You are so annoying," he said, but his grin told a different story. "Come on, London Boy, let's go."

Henry found himself sprayed with more sunscreen than was surely necessary. "Nope," Alex said, when Henry voiced that thought. "You will thank me later."

He balked at the floppy hat Alex tossed at him, but Alex just raised an eyebrow until Henry put it on. "I look like Jack Black in Jumanji," he said as he put the hat on.

"Baby, trust me when I say the last person on Earth you look like is Jack Black."

Henry laughed as Alex took his hand, backpack with the Buc-ees logo on it already strapped onto his back, and led the way to the base of a giant rock.

"So this rock is enchanted?" Henry asked.

"Nah, the Native Americans just thought it was. They saw lights and heard noises from it and decided obviously it was inhabited by ghosts." Alex flashed him a smile. "The noises were just the rock expanding and contracting with the huge temperature differences between night and day. But it's not like they had modern science to know any different. Also," Alex added, "it's not technically a rock. It's a batholith."

"A batholith?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah, it happens when a lot of magma rises up and cools and then it gets exposed by erosion. It took millions of years for this to get here."

He was looking at the rock, but Henry could only stare at Alex until he finally turned his head. "What?" Alex said.

"Nothing." Henry pulled him into a quick kiss. "I just love it when you're a nerd."

Alex laughed, squeezing Henry's hand. "So does that mean I should tell you about how the name 'batholith' comes from the ancient Greek words bathús, meaning 'deep', and líthos, meaning 'stone'?"

"Darling, no dirty talk in front of the big rock."

"Batholith," Alex corrected, lips an inch away from Henry's.

"Sorry, batholith." Henry leaned in for another kiss.

Alex pulled away after that, tugging on Henry's hand and pulling him forward. "Come on, we've got to hurry to get up there before the sun finishes rising."

They made it to the top in time to see the most beautiful part of the sunrise, seated close together on the top of the rock, Alex's head on Henry's shoulder. Once the sun was up, Alex opened his backpack, which turned out to double as a cooler, and brought out Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, chips and drinks.

"I know it's a little early for lunch, but considering how long we've been up and that climb, I think we've earned it."

The sandwich was delicious, but Henry's focus was more on how Alex looked around the skyline with an expression that held more than just the wonder at its beauty. Henry nudged him. "So what is it about this place?"

The smile Alex flashed him was tinged with something a little sad. "I used to come up here a lot the summer Dad first got the lake house. I was still angry with him for leaving if he was just going to buy a place here anyway, and I was dealing with a lot of shit besides that. It was a good place to think. Clear my head."

Every time Henry though he couldn't love Alex more, the man just proved him wrong. "It's beautiful," Henry said softly.

"Yeah." Alex's smile was more real this time. "It is."

***

Henry recognized the road to the next destination long before they arrived, but he would never say no to spending time with Alex at his family's lake house.

"I thought we could spend a couple of days here," Alex said when he shut off the Jeep. "Just us."

The house had been a bittersweet place for Henry years ago, the place he'd run away from the most important relationship in his life, where he'd broken Alex's heart along with his own. But they'd long since made up for those memories with better ones.

After a little swimming and a long, luxurious shower together, Alex laid out a romantic dinner, complete with candlelight. "What, were you tired of jerky?" Henry teased as he tucked into the excellent steak, cooked to perfection.

"There's a joke about jerking there, but I think I might be too tired to find it."

"Sorry? You can't find a joke?" Henry said, his mock surprise a little over the top. "Shall I alert the media?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Shut up, you."

"No, seriously, I think this warrants going immediately to bed as soon as we finish dinner."

Alex's face lit up. "Oh, well, if you insist," he said, sliding his hand over Henry's and starting up his arm.

"Eat, you cretin."

"I mean, I can put other meat in my--"

"Your food," Henry said, voice a little strangled. "Quickly."

Alex grinned, but he started eating much faster, so Henry took the win.

***

They spent a lazy day and half at the lake house before leaving in the afternoon to head back towards Austin. "What, no Buc-ees?" Henry asked as they got on the highway.

"Sadly, no, there isn't one close by." Alex flashed him a grin. "But don't worry, there are plenty close enough to us that we can visit any time you like."

Henry thought of the nuggets he'd stashed away. "I'm sure we'll be fine…for a while."

Alex's smirk said volumes.

***

When Alex drove into Austin proper, Henry realized their trip wasn't quite over. Alex drove confidently through the streets before pulling into a parking place in front of Antonelli's Cheese Shop. "Be right back," he said, jumping out of the Jeep and jogging into the store.

He was back in just a few minutes, a bag in hand that he stored in the Buc-ee's backpack. "One more stop," he said, reversing out of the lot back onto the street.

They pulled into Covert Park about twenty minutes later. Alex parked and got out of the Jeep, grabbing the backpack before running around to grab Henry's hand. "Come on, let's get up there before the sun sets."

They climbed the stone steps to be treated to an amazing view of the city. Alex found a quiet spot away from the others there to view the sunset, laid out a blanket, and dropped onto it, patting the spot next to him. "Join me?"

Henry did so gladly, watching as Alex pulled a large charcuterie board's worth of meat and cheeses out of the backpack, along with a thermos and two cups.

"Alcohol's not allowed up here," Alex said. "So I got us tea."

He poured Henry's first, the tantalizing smell of Earl Grey tingling Henry's nose immediately. "I feel incredibly spoiled," Henry said as he watched Alex fix the tea exactly as Henry liked it.

"Good." Alex handed him the cup. "You should be spoiled. You deserve it."

Henry pulled Alex into a kiss before taking a sip of the tea. "Perfect," Henry said on a sigh.

"What, the tea or me?"

"Both," Henry replied instantly, stealing another kiss.

"Yeah, well," Alex said, "the sunset will be, too."

He was right. The sun bathed Austin in beautiful, fiery colors until it faded away, leaving the twinkling lights of the city behind, along with the battery operated lantern Alex had set up to see the food.

"Whe mom decided to run for office," Alex said, looking out at the city, "she brought June and me up here and explained that behind every one of those lights was a person who needed someone to stand up for them. And that's why she was running, to help keep every light on and make sure they shone brightly."

He gave Henry a wry smile. "It made a bigger impression on me than June, I think. Even now, there's just something about all the good we've done for everyone behind each one of those lights that just…."

Alex shrugged and ducked his head. Henry reached for him immediately, hand soft against Alex's cheek as he guided Alex to face him. "I think your mother would say you've done rather well by them."

Even in the dim light, Alex's smile was brighter than any of the lights below.

***

They pulled into their driveway in the quiet darkness. Henry helped Alex take their bags inside, the domestic normalcy of working to unpack and put things in the laundry as special as the trip had been, in its own way.

Alex pulled out the binder last, holding it against his chest. Henry had seen it several times during the trip, but had never been allowed a peek inside.

Now, however, Alex handed it over to him. Henry opened it to find their routes, but after each page there was a sealed bag with a three hole punch. Inside each bag was mementos of their trip. Coasters from Gruene Hall, a napkin from Riley's, a number of things bearing the Buc-ee's logo. There were small pictures, too, shots Henry recognized from their selfies, which Alex had apparently managed to print out without Henry noticing.

"This is beautiful," Henry said, flipping through the pages. "Though I notice there are lot of empty pages at the end."

"Those aren't empty pages," Alex said. "Those are the future family road trips."

Henry closed the book, pressing it against his chest for a moment before looking back at Alex.

“Future family road trips?”

“Yeah.” Alex’s smile went a little shy. “Someday.”

Henry looked down at the empty pages, then around at the home they’d spent the week putting together.

“And I suppose you’ve already begun planning them.”

Alex scoffed. “Of course not.”

Henry raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, there might be a tiny spreadsheet…with a few tabs….”

Henry laughed and pulled his husband in for a kiss.

---
END