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roseharpermaxwell · 4 months

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RWRB FirstPrince Smut Favorite Recs

I thought about sorting these further, but there's so much overlap. Click below for a compilation of favorites! Among other things, you'll find some praise, glasses, lingerie, competency, piercings, somnophilia...maybe a cheeky threesome or two.

Meet Me In The Middle by @clottedcreamfudge. M, 1k. Henry is sitting at the table, scribbling something in a familiar notebook with one hand, while he does a Rubik's Cube with the other.

He's. Doing a Rubik's Cube. With one hand. He's not even looking at it. Alex isn't prepared for this. He thinks he might have dropped his jacket, but he can't say for sure, because he can't feel his fucking hands.

As long as you're with me, you'll be just fine. by barthelme. E, 1k. Henry has a history of falling into what Alex affectionately calls a ‘dick coma’ when he’s getting fucked just right. His eyes roll back and his eyes close and his pleads for Alex to fuck him harder, right there, yes, etc. turn into guttural moans and maybe,maybe, once or twice he has drooled. Not a lot, but enough for Alex to give him shit about it and whatever, it’s not a big deal.

second finger to the right, and straight on til morning by @cheesecurdsgravyandfries. E, 1.2k. "Sweetheart, where's my prostate?"

or, 1286 words of irredeemable porn wherein Henry makes Alex come really hard. Twice.

Temperature's Up, 'Bout to Erupt by @sparklepocalypse. E, 1.2k. Alex’s senses spark with the taste of Henry’s tongue, the smell of leather and sweat, and the feeling of their bodies pressed together from knee to chest. Through Henry’s shirt, the small of his back is a hot, shuddering plane beneath Alex’s palm, and Alex wants.

Volume Control by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. E, 1.5k. Prompt Fulfillment: I need someone to write a FirstPrince fic where Henry overhears Alex saying "Henry is so annoying I can't stand him" so Henry says "kneel then" and it short circuits Alex's brain.

Modification to the map of you by colorfulmoniker. E, 1.6k. Henry comes back from a month-long trip with his ear pierced, and Alex has no idea.

only bought these shorts so you can take them off by buttercupblues. E, 1.6k. alex accidentally buys a pair of short shorts, but when he discovers he likes them, he buys more. henry's brain short circuits.

this night just can't end by ironwords. E, 1.6k. Henry, beautiful, wonderful Henry, instantly pulls Alex off his dick—by his hair, a move Alex finds just as arousing as whatever the fuck just happened—breathing out an apology before asking if he’s alright.

Alex takes stock of himself. His jaw kind of hurts, but that’s not anything out of the ordinary, and he’s panting, mouth full of drool he has to take a second to swallow, and– Oh. His underwear is sticky. His underwear is sticky. Hesitantly, he rolls his hips against the mattress and immediately hisses and stops as the sensitivity hits.

Did he just–

“Did you just come in your pants?” Henry asks.

kiss it better by lem0nademouth. E, 1.7k. Alex had a long day. Henry is fine with making it a long night.

has been rough (kinky!) by @lem0nademouth. E, 1.8k. Henry tries lingerie. Alex has...feelings.

the one in which everything is the same, but Alex has piercings and Henry has no idea by Poutini. E, 2k. Henry's brain goes momentarily offline when he clocks it - the hard, round metal of a barbell, positioned horizontally, piercing Alex’s tongue. He lets his tongue trace around each end, and he can feel the curve of Alex’s smile as he realizes what Henry has just discovered.

“Find something interesting, sweetheart?” he murmurs against Henry’s lips when they finally pull apart for air.

Give Me Your Confession by Mags (sparklepocalypse). E, 2k. He stares at the photo and makes an incoherent sound. He blinks. Blinks again. But the photo is still there, and in it, Henry, love of his life, man of his dreams, his heart’s greatest desire…

Henry is wearing a confident sneer and leather. Fucking. Pants.

in control of what i do (and i love the way you move) by countingto15. E, 2.2k. “You’ve been teasing me all night,” Henry says, one hand creeping down Alex’s side. “Dancing up against me.”

“That’s just how I move, corazón.” Henry’s hand reaches Alex’s hip, and Alex narrows his eyes mischievously. “It’s not all about you.”

Henry’s fingers tighten around Alex’s hip. “Don’t test me,” he whispers.

Biting his lip, Alex curls a strand of Henry’s hair around his finger.

“Hmm. Testing you’s kind of fun, though.”

warm from the inside out by @cricketnationrise. E, 2.2k. “Can I pull you away from what I’m sure is fascinating research for a bit of a break?”

“Mmm, depends on what kind of break,” Alex teases. “Tax law is pretty captivating.”

“I was thinking,” Henry begins slowly, smudging kisses from Alex’s shoulder and up his neck, “that the break could go something like this.”

Trick Rider by @orchidscript. T, 2.5k. Alex stepped up into Henry’s side, pressed the center of his hips to the rise of Henry’s denim-clad thigh. His light fingers trailed along the small of Henry’s back, chin perched on his shoulder as he watched the dance floor. “C’mon, baby. That could be us.”

“Love,” Henry whispered as he pressed back against his boyfriend. He wrapped an arm around Alex’s waist as he swiveled his hips, adding pressure. “That is us.”

a demonstrable fact, or Alex makes an assumption and Henry makes it all better by Poutini. E, 2.6k. Alex’s view becomes jumbled as Henry keeps his phone in one hand and leans far over, reaching to open his nightside table drawer. There’s a flash of David, curled up at the foot of the bed, a glimpse of a stack of books next to a lamp, fuzzy socks in the open drawer and -

an open box of condoms?

Uh.

Alex feels ill.

oh, honey, pray to me between the sheets by captainegg. E, 2.8k. Henry comes home after being away for three weeks and Alex is very eager to welcome him home properly.

I love it when you call by clottedcreamfudge. E, 3k. "I'm really fucking angry that other people are looking at your collar bones," Alex admits. "Tween girls and very confused boys everywhere are looking at them and swooning over them, and I'm annoyed about it." Henry's quiet again for a moment, and when he speaks his tone is low and private; it's his bedroom voice, the absolute fucker, and Alex is weak all over again.

"Alex, have you been swooning over my collar bones?" If by 'swooning', Henry means 'getting well on the way to a raging hard-on', the answer is 'absolutely,’ but Alex would rather swallow his own tongue than admit that.

a quick study by @whimsymanaged. E, 3k. Alex is new to bisexuality, and he turns to a friend for some guidance.

attention by @jackwolfes. E, 3.1k. “Hello, darling,” he replied, “Making friends?”

“Always,” he said, “Pedro’s nice.”

“And touchy.”

“Jealous?”

Study Buddies by Jaistiel. E, 3.3k. "Take my cock in your mouth, Alex." The words were said breathlessly, as if Henry had never desired to say anything more and wasn't quite sure he was allowed. "But don't suck. Don't lick. Don't swallow. Just hold me on your tongue until I tell you otherwise."

You'll be Glowing, Chasing Shadows Away by Mags (sparklepocalypse). E, 3.3k. In the weeks leading up to Alex’s eighteenth birthday, he spends hours meticulously crafting a list of things that adults are legally permitted to do, and minors are not. It takes nearly twice as long to decide which items to sidebar, so he can narrow the list down to a manageable number. Finally, he’s left with four: 1. register to vote; 2. buy a lottery ticket; 3. get a tattoo; 4. go to the adult novelty shop.

(Or, five times Alex tries something he's seen on the internet, and one time he involves Henry.)

Rabbit Hole by TuppingLiberty. E, 3.6k. Some sort of non-famous au, don't worry, there's not really a plot.

Alex has been going down a research rabbit hole for hours and Henry comes to rescue him.

thank you for your service by Anonymous. E. 3.7k. “Yeah,” Alex said, “Yes-”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir,” he gasped, and Henry smiled, slow and laced with honey.

Alex has energy to burn. Henry knows how to help. Alex accepts it like a good boy should.

and i'll lay right down in my favorite place by mangotarts. E, 3.9k. “Speaking of your boyfriend, all you mentioned was that Alex was watching some show then made some off-hand comment but it wasn’t so off-hand if it’s what landed us here, was it?”

Henry clears his throat. “Um, yes, that’s right. He’s been obsessed with this one television series that’s set in seventeenth-century England. I watched a few episodes with him the other night and I will admit, the plot is rather captivating.” Henry glances at Bea and sees that he has all of her attention. He continues, nerves starting to settle into his body when he recalls what Alex said. “We were both immersed in an episode when he suddenly blurted out how good I’d look in the attire of that era.”

in which henry takes alex's supposed off-hand comment into consideration and alex is. well, alex is unprepared for the repercussions of his words.

Baby, You're Gonna Lose Your Own Game by @affectionatelyrs. E, 4k. Alex thinks he understands why people get stupid, impulsive tattoos like their ex’s name now if the sudden urge to etch the word darling onto his hip in permanent ink is anything to go by.

So, yeah, Alex supposes. Henry may still be maddening, but his mouth? His voice? Maybe it was always hot, actually, and the irritation he previously felt was just thinly veiled complete and utter attraction. That would check out. Hate has always been a multifaceted word, after all.

Or, Alex decides that he wants to fuck the British out of Henry while watching him speak at a gala

Body Count Baby! by orestespdf. E, 4.2k. “Okay,” Henry says eventually. “What do you want to know?”

Alex raises an eyebrow. A small smile plays on his lips. “Can I ask you anything?”

“Within reason, you hellion.”

Alex flops back down and grins, a new vigor running through him. He rubs his hands together, clearly thinking hard. When he finally looks back at Henry, his smile has turned mischievous. “Am I the best you’ve ever had? Like, has anyone been better than me?”

Henry and Alex talk about how many people they've been with.

that look in your blue eyes, it makes me lose my mind. by seafloor. E, 4.2k. Alex Claremont-Diaz, on discovering the wonder that is Henry Fox’s mouth. And what the man wants to do with it.

// an ode to Henry’s beautiful lips, basically.

Dirty Looks by clottedcreamfudge. E, 4.3k. "You… Alex. You're wearing glasses."

"That Oxford education hasn't failed you yet, Hen," Alex drawls, marking his place and closing the book so he can slide it onto the desk. He then has no choice but to look up from his chair, and what he sees when he does is -

Well. It's something.

Henry sees Alex in his glasses. He apparently has a few feelings about them.

Wrap Me Up, Unfold Me by @sparklepocalypse. E, 4.3k. After the Kensington confrontation, Henry gets on the plane with Alex.

(Or, Henry and Alex join the Mile High Club in filthy, spectacular fashion.)

sometimes we break so beautiful by Anonymous. E, 4.4k. It’s his own damn fault; Alex knows this.

It’s his fault for having everyone over for a small birthday party only to spend the evening whispering filthy things to Henry when no one was looking. (And when they were looking, because it’s his goddamn birthday and he can be as inappropriate with his boyfriend as he fucking wants to be.) It’s his fault for pushing Henry, for bratting off with antagonistic words like ‘what are you going to do about it—give me birthday spankings?’ and ‘do you actually think you could put me in my place? Because I’d like to see you try.’ It’s his fault for taunting Henry by suggestively licking the birthday candles, for doing anything he could possibly do to bring attention to his mouth, to his ass, to his fingers.

It's his fault that he’s now on their bed, lying on top of Henry, arms stretched out in front of him on either side of Henry's head and wrists tied to the headboard.

Talk About A Puppet Monarchy by largepeachicedtea. E, 4.5k. Alex has a proposition. Henry is all too happy to take it like a champ.

it's you (it's always been you) by @coffeecatsme. E, 4.7k. “You mean to tell me you named your vibrator after another man because you thought the pun would be funny?”

Alex names his vibrator after Han Solo and Henry gets jealous.

I just wanna tell you that you're really pretty (boy) by Anonymous. E, 4.8k. “I can’t believe you just called me weatherboy, oh my god-”

“And what would you prefer I called you?”

“Alex, ideally,” he muttered, and Henry laughed.

---

Henry discovers a new way to get under Alex’s skin, in the best possible way.

you paint dreamscapes on the wall by @littlemisskittentoes. E, 5.1k. “Fuck, H. What are you? A damn vampire?”

And Henry loved this too. The way the fire in Alex never quite went out, just smoldered down to embers. He didn’t think he’d ever quite get used to Alex’s wit, his sheer audacity to taunt and pick at him. But Henry was sure he never wanted to, anyway. He loved that that audacity snuck through the cracks of following orders, and waiting in positions. In between the begging, and Alex only ever finishing with permission dripping from Henry’s lips, it was still there. And Christ, if it wasn’t the single-most precious thing Henry had been gifted the honor of experiencing.

or, Alex is in his own head too much of the time. But Henry can always bring him back.

it doesn't make sense, but still by @smc-27. E, 5.2k. He’s not going to say that his desire to sleep with men exclusively in an anonymous capacity is because no man he’s ever slept with has lived up to the feeling he had with this one.

handprints & good grips. by seafloor. E, 5.7k. Henry and Alex have some fun on the way to a party.

a prince and a president by citydreaming. E, 5.8k. “Alex I’ve met your mum, lots of times in fact. You were there for most of them, remember?” Henry says, snapping Alex’s attention back to his phone.

Alex barks out a laugh at that because no, that’s not what happened at all.

“Baby that wasn’t my mom, that was the fucking President. And she met Prince Henry, not you, not my Henry.”

“Your Henry huh?”

“Yes, he has a dog with a stupid name, horrendous taste in pyjamas and the blandest collection of ties I’ve ever laid eyes on, but he’s aside from that he’s pretty fucking hot.”

OR: before the election is won, henry flies to texas to spend the week with alex.

Something New by AHistoricDistraction. E, 6.2k. After the first few times he bottoms for Henry, Alex has realized something new about himself. But before he's willing to bring it up to Henry, he needs to figure out what exactly it IS. So Alex does what he does best: research.

Gunpowder & Chocolate by Angelic_Disaster. E, 6.2k. Henry was used to spending his heats alone, he was more than content with his toys but then Alex (Alex, oh, Alex, always stupid, handsome Alex) had to come and ruin him.

Or, alternative summary: Henry is in heat, and Alex gets so horny through the phone that he gets on the first plane towards the U.K. to fuck Henry into oblivion.

Feels Like Home by @indomitable-love. E, 6.4k. 'Henry takes David out into the garden while Alex tidies up in the kitchen, putting away the dishes still on the drying rack from the morning. He’s not turned the main light on. He’s just carefully putting things away by the dim spotlight. He doesn’t need the light – it’s like muscle memory, so easy and natural he could do it blindfolded, and it’s all so domestic it makes Henry’s heart leap and turn in ways he didn’t know it could.'

making the headlines by @stardisnight, @athousandrooms, @villiageidiot. E, 6.5k. For no other reason than sheer boredom, Alex decides to set up a Google alert for the exact phrase "HRH Prince Henry." When Henry asks why, he quite literally cannot come up with a reason for the decision. He just… wants to.

Also: five times Alex overreacted to a Google alert (and one time Henry did)

it's a scene (and we're out here in plain sight) by @annnesbonny. E, 7.3k. "I don’t want us to be in the press for anything other than how good I am at polo, and how charming you look in that shirt.”

Henry just wants the Fifth Annual Okonjo Foundation Polo Match to run smoothly, but that's harder than it seems.

snakeskin. by seafloor. E, 7.3k. Henry Fox, on embracing his softness, overcoming familial abuse, and being unapologetically queer.

get fucked (or die trying) by @rmd-writes. E, 7.5k. Alex has a paper to write, but he's been procrastinating. When Henry leaves the house to give him space to actually write the damn thing – distraction free – Alex learns the true meaning of procrastination.

jump in with your heart first by @dumbpeachjuice. E, 7.5k. Pez sets it up. Some guy from work, he says. Gorgeous, too smart for his own good, a mouth that will get him into trouble.

Henry raises an eyebrow.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Pez sings, wearing a smirk, “the answer is yes.”

The Key to My Body series by Mags (sparklepocalypse). E, 8.2k.

It started with a Red, White & Royal Blue rimming fic, that expanded to a sex marathon... that expanded to include a second rimming fic... because Henry and Alex are never going to not be completely into one another and willing to do all the things sexually.

you handle it beautifully by @hypnostheory. E, 9.7k. “And I may have an idea for the libido problem too.”

Henry sighs. “I don’t think this has risen to the level of therapy just because I can’t get hard.”

“First off, nothing has to rise to the level of therapy, there’s no threshold for misery,” Alex says, parroting the words his therapist has told him about half a million times. “But no, I wasn’t thinking about therapy.” Henry raises a brow. “I was thinking we try party drugs.”

Alex, discovering Henry is having a hard time getting out of his head enough to enjoy sex, has a clear solution: recreational drug use! While on the road to self-discovery and self-actualization, Henry surprises Alex more than once.

(3 times Henry surprised Alex + 1 time Alex shocked him right back)

five times alex and henry tried something kinky (and one time they didn't) by @omgcmere. E, 10k. Alex knew Henry loved his stupid fucking dirty talk, but if he were pressed to admit it, he loved it too, especially knowing that they were doing something they very much weren't supposed to—and that even though it wouldn't be the same scandal it once was, it would still be a fucking shock to someone's delicate sensibilities and most likely get them in a lot of trouble.

What Alex loved most was that Henry got off on this shit as much as he did, too.

five times Alex and Henry tried something kinky, and one time they didn't

this type of love isn’t rational, it’s physical. by seafloor. E, 10k. Society collapsed in the early 1980s. The weather controls humanity, and the ruling class controls the people.

Amidst it all, two boys find time to meet up.

ocean waves. by seafloor. E, 10k. Henry Fox wakes up with a toothache one morning, and has a lot of feelings about certain things for days afterwards.

Wildest Dreams series by @myheartalivewrites. E, 13k. Once Alex has pulled out, Henry turns over to face him. He strokes the hair softly away from his face and Alex smiles at him.

“So… that happened again.”

Henry leans forward and kisses him on the forehead. “Indeed.”

There’s a sort of thoughtful pause, where Henry can see Alex working to pull together the right words. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you that… thirsty?”

“Oh, bugger off,” Henry says, but he’s laughing. It’s a fair description.

“No, but I mean it. You were like… urgent. It was hot.”

“It felt hot. I liked waking up like that. With you up against me, trying to have your way with me.”

Set in and around the Henry bonus chapter, this is a story about Henry and Alex’s hectic schedules, family appearances etc. pulling them apart, and about what starts to happen between them, in the quiet of night: their sleeping bodies turning to each other, finding their sweet spots and opening up. And Alex and Henry learning a lot about each other in the process

Twice the speed (of you and me) by myheartalive. E, 17k. “Hey. So, you know Pez?” Alex asks bluntly. No easy way into this, he’s decided.

Henry looks up from his phone, frowning. “My best mate?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Alex has an idea.

let him be soft (let him be mine) by @congee4lunch. E, 18k. “I’m always cute,” Alex kisses the mole on Henry’s cheekbone.

“Yeah? Does your work wife tell you that?” Henry grumbles.

“I don’t have a work wife,” Alex breathes out, smiling against his mouth. “Why need one when I got the real deal waiting at home for me,” He licks at the mole on Henry’s upper lip. “All pretty and mine for the taking?”

in which henry wants to be alex's wife, in so many words. alex wants all that and more. their relationship ebbs and flows.

the only thing on my mind series by HypnosTheory. E, 31k. Piercer!Alex teaches Henry about the inner workings of BDSM in mid-90s New York.

More Amour by surveycorpsjean. E, 45k. Alex discovers something in Henry's closet that changes everything.

I only tag an author once per post, but I'm still figuring out firstprince author handles. If you see one I may not know or find a broken link, please give me a heads up!

Master List of RWRB FirstPrince Recs

Master List of Recommendations

#firstprince #rwrb fic recs #rwrb #alex x henry #red white & royal blue

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myteavsricochet · 3 months

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latest fanfictions read (firstprince edition):

forehead kisses.

Movie nights had become a weekly tradition for Alex and Henry.

As per usual, the movie Henry had chosen had Alex slowly dozing off next to him, his body relaxing onto the couch. He feels Henry grab the blanket and place it over him, and then-

Well, then, Henry’s fingers begin carding through his hair, and Alex doesn’t know what the fuck to do. It’s evident Henry doesn’t know he’s awake, but the touch feels… nice. Safe. Comforting in a way he didn’t realize he needed.

And then… well. And then.

Henry leans down and kisses his forehead, and his entire fucking world tips on its axis.

tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Collage, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Humor, Roommates, Forehead Kisses, Bisexuality, bisexual awakening, Alex is really dense, Nora is exhausted, First Kiss

when you know, you know

With shaky hands, Henry pulls out the ring from the box, looking at Alex with tearful eyes that he adores so much. Asks, "Alex, darling, will you marry me?"

Alex lets out a watery laugh, swiping an arm across his face to get rid of the rapidly falling tears. He kneels down to cup Henry's face and brushes his thumbs across his cheekbones softly.

"Baby. Don't you remember?" Alex whispers, leaning their foreheads together. "We're already married."

or,

Alex "marries" his best friend when he's six-years-old. It just takes some time for them to fall in love, but they get there.

tags: Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, not kidding it's so fluffy, Getting Together, Feelings Realization, Pining, Mutual Pining, Jealous Alex Claremont-Diaz, Protective Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alternate Universe, Roommates, Growing Up Together, Idiots in Love

When you smile, I am overcome

Alex smiles into kisses, and Henry notices. It’s a bit of an issue.

tags: Post-Canon, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Kissing, so much kissing!, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, They love each other so much!, Canon - Movie, Canon Compliant

(this fic was inspired by one of my posts 🥲🥲❤️‍🩹)

Your lips on the collar of my shirt

What happened after karaoke. Inspired by Alex’s lipstick printed shirt.

notes: this fic is referenced in when you smile, I am overcome. Please read that before or after if you want more fluff and sweet kisses.

tags: Canon - Movie, Canon Compliant, Missing Scene, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Kissing, drunk henry

something weird happened (that might change my life)

Exactly how much wine has he had tonight? He wasn’t sure what to think or how to react, only the sudden realisation that he had to stay really still because if he moved and Henry realised what his fingers were doing, tangling like that in his curls, he might stop, and Alex was quickly becoming aware that he didn’t think he wanted that to happen.

So, he forces his eyes back to the screen and tries to focus once again on Princess Leia and Han Solo instead of on Henry Fox. It doesn’t work. He wants so badly to lean into Henry’s body, encourage his fingers to keep moving through his hair … across his cheek, down the curve of his neck ... Suddenly, he’s wondering what Henry’s tongue would feel like on his skin, tracing the lines of his hipbones, licking stripes along the mounds of his thighs ... His mind jerks him back to the room and to reality. What the fuck?

Oblivious Alex mistakes Henry for a pillow, things escalate from there.

Based on that one Reddit post.

tags: Roommates, Alex has a sexual awakening, After he mistakes Henry for a cushion, Shower Sex, Rimming, Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, Explicit Sexual Content, Bisexual Disaster Alex Claremont-Diaz, POV Alternating, Explicit Language

Giving Yourself Grace

Isabella is very young, and Alex is home alone with her for the first time while Henry is away for the shelter. He learns some dark truths about himself when he struggles to help Isabella.

tags: Canon Compliant, Future Fic, Alex and Henry are Girl Dads, crying baby, Stressed Parents, Neurodivergent Alex Claremont-Diaz, Alex Claremont-Diaz Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Henry gives him that hug but good

darling, you're the one i want

"Henry, thank God.” Alex’s voice is slurred so much that it takes Henry a few seconds to put the words together, and even then all thoughts of the date escape his mind. He frowns.

“Everything okay?”

“No. Yes. I don’t—it’s okay, baby, I’m not mad.” Alex takes a shaky breath and Henry swears he hears a sob from the background, small and desperate, carving out whatever’s left of his heart. “It’s fine. It’ll be fine, just… Andres is sick.”

Or, the one in which Alex has to cancel a date because his son is sick, and Henry shows up for the two of them anyway.

Part 2 of in paper rings, in picture frames, in latte art

tags: Alternative Universe, Single parents, Kid fic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Sickfic, Single Dad Alex Claremont-Diaz

when he walks in (i am loved)

Henry has chores. They’re chores he’s allocated to himself, ones he loves to do in his free time, when he’s home alone. But he can’t keep thinking about Alex, what he did to him this morning, and it proves to be a distraction.

or, henry gets well fucked and well loved

tags: Post-Canon, ousewife henry ftw, Top Alex Claremont-Diaz, Bottom Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Dom/sub Undertones, henry has a bit of a size kink, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Anal Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Morning Sex, Aftercare, dabbles into subspace, gratuitous use of petnames, this is just porn with little plot, Domestic Fluff

i'll show you every version

Alex and Henry are joined at the hip. the world takes notice.

king of my heart, body, and soul

“Did you finally find what you so rudely abandoned me for?” Henry says with a pout.

“Hush, you big baby,” Alex chides as he fiddles with the object in his hand. It’s a tube of… lipstick?

or: in the midst of sleepy delirium, alex writes the word “king” in red lipstick on henry’s chest and they go a smidge insane over it.

tags: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Sleepy Sex, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Wet & Messy, inappropriate use of lipstick

born a restless child

Henry’s heart nearly gives out at the sound of Alex’s bedroom door opening. He jumps and then winces, thinking that he might have jostled Alex. But if an intruder is breaking into Alex’s home, he would want Alex to be awake for that.

The intruder in question is Alex’s five-year-old daughter, Ellie.

And she’s crying.

or: when Alex's daughter has a nightmare, his new boyfriend henry makes the cautious decision to comfort her.

tags: Not Canon Compliant, Single Parent Alex Claremont-Diaz, Nightmares, Comfort, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Family Fluff

in the blur

‘It really was a beautiful speech,’ he says, glancing towards her. She’s in a pair of leggings and a faded UT Austin sweatshirt, hair piled into a bun and her eyes rimmed with dark circles. She's barely slept, still worrying about Alex. There’s a mug of steaming tea in front of her, and one clasped in Henry’s hands.

She shrugs. ‘I was just trying to think about, you know.' She waves her arm in the air. 'What the two of you mean to people, what he means too.’

---

After his speech, Alex falls asleep. Henry takes the opportunity to talk to June.

tags: Missing Scene, Sibling bonding, Conversations, Found Family, Big Sisters

of smoke trails

Alex is more than happy to accompany a visiting group of twenty third graders on a school trip to the White House. But escaping electrical fires was not among the learning points of this trip. And to make matters worse, one of the students is marked missing during the evacuation.

Armed with a fire extinguisher and the suit on his back, Alex dives back into the building without a second thought. Henry, already evacuated and standing on the lawn, can’t do anything but watch as his boyfriend disappears through the heavy smoke.

tags: Major Character Injury, Fires, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt Alex Claremont-Diaz, Worried Henry Fox-Mounchristen-Windsor, Whump, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Field Trip, Established Relationship, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Angst, Fluff and Angst

you can see it with the lights out

Alex thinks of the water. Of feeling like he might never reach the surface, might never reach Henry. But Henry is here; Alex remembers falling asleep in the glow of his presence, and beneath his shaking fingers, Henry’s chest is warm and his heart is beating steadily and Henry is here.

Alex is afraid, but Henry is here.

tags: nightmare fic, Alex Claremont-Diaz Has Abandonment Issues, Alex Claremont-Diaz Needs a Hug, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Loves Alex Claremont-Diaz, Location: The Lake House (Red White & Royal Blue), Henry comforts Alex, Hurt/Comfort, Mostly Hurt/Comfort

wanting

It slammed into him with the force of a semi truck out of the blue on a random Tuesday in July. the AC was out; they were sprawled out in the living room in nothing but their boxers, complaining about the heat and threatening to off their landlord in a million different ways. Alex was on the floor, Henry was on the couch, one leg draped over the back, his arms thrown up over his head. Henry had said something; something absurd and hilarious and Alex can’t for the life of him remember what it was, because all he remembers is lifting his head off the floor, and catching sight of that shining head of golden hair caught in a sunbeam and thinking—

And thinking.

God, I love him.

tags: Love Confessions, Frottage, Longing, Pining

The Domestication of Household Spiders

"How thick do you think I am, exactly?”

Alex mumbles something under his breath that sounds like, “Got away with it this long, didn’t I?”

Henry’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “I’m sorry, are you bragging about lying to me?”

After a long pause, Alex says, “...No.” slowly.

“Hm. Thought not.”

In which Henry can’t recognise the sound of his own boyfriend’s voice, Alex isn’t as good of a liar as he thinks he is, and living with a superhero is both exactly, and not at all, what Henry thought it would be.

tags: Alternate Universe - Spider-Man Fusion, Spider-Man Identity Reveal, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Lawyer!Alex, Spider-Man!Alex, Concerned!Henry, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Bliss, Secret Identity, Injury Recovery, Mental Health Issues, Established Relationship, Cute David the Beagle (Red White & Royal Blue), Moving In Together, POV Henry

Burnt Offering

He just needs to get through washing his hair. Simple.

Except washing his hair has never been simple. It’s the polar opposite, actually.

The more he thinks about the task set out in front of him, the more daunting and impossible it feels. His limbs feel like lead and the weight of the hot water pouring over him makes his head buzz.

But Alex can do this. He’s done it before. A shower after a long lacrosse game or that one time he had the flu and had to stop three times to sit under the water and collect himself.

He can handle a little finals week exhaustion. He has to.

---

Or, Alex’s hair care routine is elaborate, he struggles to let Henry help him, and he learns some important things about receiving love through service.

icy keys & heated skin.

Alex discovers something in the bedroom. Something involving icy cold keys and flushed feverish skin.

or Henry likes the key a little too much, and Alex finds out.

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb fanfic #firstprince #firstprince fanfic #alex claremont diaz #henry fox #taylor zakhar perez #nicholas galitzine

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onpurposeilovehimonpurpose · 8 months

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Happy Monthiversary Red, White & Royal Blue! Featuring 30 Images I love from the movie. An incomplete list of reasons why I love this movie.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

How this looks like cake layers.

This shared 'sibling look', that says so much about Henry & Bea's relationship.

Nora being the BEST friend and support to Alex, who looks so completely terrified and makes what happens later slightly more understandable.

How they look at one another from the very start.

Their faces here.

This isn't how Henry ever imagined his ass would end up on Alex's face.

All three of these images in this picture, Henry ass up, Alex getting hit in the face by cake, and the absolute 'oh shit' / bad puppy expressions on their faces.

The bisexual sky when flying our guy Alex and being all foreshadowy and stuff.

I love Amy so much and how she is a constant support of Alex and Henry's relationship. And I love their friendship.

That Alex hugged Shaan and Shaan probably actually needed that hug.

Alex popping a fear boner and Henry looking so Bond-like.

The tension and chemistry is so palpable.

How Henry feels after Alex confessed that he hoped Henry would help him and then didn't.

Henry's bitmoji and Alex's amusement.

The way Pez's words for Nora were everything Henry was thinking about Alex.

Henry looking so small and yet somehow Bond-like again.

Their absolute joy and the way Alex is so focused on Henry.

Henry imagining who he would be.

The hands and teeth.

How Alex loved him all along and wasn't ever willing to let Henry go. Also, Alex stretching is so hot.

This look when he sees Henry.

Henry realizing that he can have Alex. Even if only momentarily, he gets to have one of his dreams.

The teeth and hands and complete hunger for one another.

Their joy and just sharing their humor.

Henry knowing that he will have a stiffy all night.

The hair grabbing again.

Smiling toothy kisses.

Looking at one another.

His hand in his hair, and everything!

Henry staring at their hands, and knowing it's already more, no matter what he's about to say.

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #firstprince #rwrb movie #nicholas galitzine #taylor zakhar perez #red white royal blue #rwrb film #alex claremont diaz #hrh prince henry #henry x alex #RW&RB #RWRB Monthiversary

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soulofapatrick · 8 months

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Baby Steps - Henry Fox x Male Reader

Summary: You wake to Henry in your room, having flown overnight to surprise you

Words: 2.1k

Warnings: fluff; the fluffiest shit ive written for a while

Y/N’s POV

I’m stirred awake by the soft, lingering pressure of familiar lips on mine. At first, I’m enveloped in the sensation of their plump softness, and for a moment, I think I must be dreaming. The kiss is gentle yet undeniably passionate, a perfect blend of love and longing that I’ve come to recognise as uniquely Henry’s.

As my senses slowly awaken, I become aware of the delicate dance of his fingers across my cheek, tracing a path as tender as a whispered promise. It’s then that I open my eyes and my heart leaps in my chest as he’s here, leaning over me with a soft smile gracing those dreamy lips. Henry’s eyes, a shade of deep, stormy blue, lock onto mine with an intensity that takes my breath away. His honey hair falls in disarray around his face, adding to the allure of the tousled morning look he wears so effortlessly. Those plump, soft lips I had initially mistaken for a dream are now inches away, just waiting for another kiss, another taste of the love that binds us.

I’m blinking again, still not actually sure he’s here, but when I open my eyes he’s still leaning ver me with an amused glint in his eyes. I raise a hand, my fingers trembling with disbelief, and with a mixture of caution and longing, I cup his cheek. The warmth of his skin against my palm is undeniably real, and the way he leans into the touch with a soft sigh. I can feel the subtle roughness of his morning stubble, the texture of his skin so familiar and comforting. My thumb grazes those plump, soft lips, the sensation electric. It sends a jolt of desire through me but, it’s more than just desire; it’s the tangible proof that Henry is here with me, that I’m not trapped in some wistful dream.

I can no longer deny the reality of the situation. This isn’t a dream. This is Henry: my love, my anchor, my prince, here in the Whitehouse.

Overwhelmed with emotions, I can’t contain my joy any longer. I reach out and grab Henry’s shoulders, yanking him down into a hug that has him letting out a surprised sound as he loses his balance and falls onto of me. He chuckles, a warm and melodious sound, as he hides his face in the crook of my neck, breath tickling my skin as he nuzzles against me. His laughter is music to my ears, a soothing balm to my heart. His nose is cold against my neck but I don’t care because he’s in my arms and he’s laughing. We’re wrapped up in each other, two souls intertwined in a world that often demands so much of us.

Without a word, his hands roam any bare skin he can reach above the duvet, drawing a soft groan from me as we can’t right now. Alex and June are going to come bugging me about breakfast soon as Mum likes to have meals together because we’re still family even if we’re the now the Presidential family.

“Hen, we can’t-“ I’m cut off by a pounding at the door.

“Come on Mouse! Breakfast! I’m starving.” Alex’s voice rings through and Henry huffs lightly, warm breath tickling my neck.

“Go ahead, give me a few minutes!” I call back as Henry wriggles his way off of me and back to his feet, “I need to get dressed!”

“TMI!” Alex makes a fake vomiting sound before I hear him move on to June’s door.

Suddenly, the duvet is ripped off me, Henry with a cheeky grin on his face but eyes telling a different story as he realises I’m completely naked. I want to cover myself up but the way he’s looking at me makes me stay there, raising myself to my elbows and just watching his expression. It’s a gaze that feels like a warm embrace, as if he’s holding me with his eyes alone.

As I watch him watch me, I notice the subtle changes in his expressions. There’s a flicker of amusement in his eyes, as if he’s delighting in some secret joke that only the two of us share. It makes me feel shy, as if I’m being examined under a magnifying glass, my vulnerability and desires laid bare for him.

But it’s not just amusement; there’s a hunger in his gaze too, a longing that’s mirrored in the way his pupils dilate ever so slightly. It’s the look of someone who can’t get enough of the person they love, as if he’s seeing me anew, every time, with the sam wonder and affection.

Henry’s gaze holds me captive, and I can’t help it when my cheeks heat up under the weight of his attention. It’s as if I’m a work of art, and he’s a devoted enthusiast, lost in the beauty of what he sees before him. In this moment, I feel truly seen and cherished, and it fills me with a warmth that goes beyond worlds - a feeling that I am the most precious masterpiece in his world. It has me sitting up and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed for him to slot himself between them like he belongs there, his finger hooking under my chin to make me look up at him and I think I forget how to breathe.

“I want to tell Mom.” It slips from me before I’ve processed it and instead of going into what Pez calls his cocoon phase his soft smile brightens and the corners of his eyes crinkle with joy, “I want to hold you and kiss you whenever I like. For as long as you need, the walls of the Whitehouse will hold our secret but Henry…” I reach for his hands, “I love you.”

The moment those three words leave my lips, myriad of emotions play across Henry’s features like a fleeting storm. First, there’s joy, a radiant burst of happiness that lights up his eyes. Them fear flickers by briefly, a shadow of worry for what his grandma will say about him choosing love over his royal duties. Pain follow, a reminder of the sacrifices we’ll have to make to keep our love hidden until he’s ready to tell the world but I would wait forever for him. But as quickly as the pain appears, it’s replaced by something stronger - bliss. It’s a deep, overwhelming happiness, a promise of the love we share and the future we’ve chosen together.

Without a word, Henry leans down, his lips brushing softly against mine. It’s a kiss filled with tenderness and reassurance, a silent affirmation of his love for me, and as we kiss, the worries and pressures of the outside world seem to fade into the background.

However, our peaceful moment is interrupted by the buzzing of my phone on the nightstand. I pull away reluctantly, breaking the kiss with a soft sigh, already knowing it’s Alex as Henry moves to my wardrobe and begins to rifle through it. As predicted Alex leaves me a voice note telling me to hurry up or he’s drowning me in the pool next time we go swimming. Very mature.

I watch Henry reach into my wardrobe, his fingers gliding over the familiar clothes that have become a part of both of our lives. He has an air of confidence and ease as he selects a few items for me to wear.

First, he pulls out a pair of boxers from the drawers before grabbing some skinny jeans of mine that he’s complimented my ass in before. With a self-satisfied nod he’s heading back to the bed where I’m sat and handing them to me before pulling the polo shirt he’s wearing over his head. It’s his very famous riding shirt: the red and white checkered one with ‘Kensington Polo’ written across is and I don’t think twice about taking it.

While I dress he goes back to my wardrobe and finds my favourite tee shirt, pulling it over his head and I can’t stop the giddy feeling when I see him raise the sleeve to his nose and inhale. The look of love and peace on his face as his eyes flutters shut has my heart clenching and my cheeks heating up. It’s moments like these that remind me of the depth of his feelings, of the way he cherishes even the smallest part of me like my clothes.

I finish dressing quickly, my heart still dancing with the warmth of Henry’s presence. He suggests we head down to breakfast, and I just nod in agreement. My phone begins to buzz again, but this time, I can hardly focus on it as Henry is holding his hand out for me to hold, fingers extended in a silent invitation. Without hesitation, I reach out, our fingers interlacing effortlessly. My heart skips a beat at the simple yet profound gesture.

We arrive at the dining room where my family is already gathered. My mom, the President, sits at the head of the table, her usual air of authority softened by the presence of the loved ones. Dad, Alex, June and Nora are all chatting and laughing as they wait for me. For us.

I can’t help but swallow hard, my heart racing as I prepare to face the inevitable questions and scrutiny. But, as I glance at Henry, his grip on my hand remains steady, his expression almost more anxious than I feel. It’s a silent reminder that we’re in this together, facing whatever challenges that come our way one at a time. But together.

Mom looks up from her place at the head of the table, and her eyes widen in surprise as she spits Henry beside me. Her Texan accent warms her voice as she greets us, her eyes falling to our interlocked hands, “I was wondering who the extra place was for.” She says, tone warm and loving. Her eyes hold a hint of curiosity but also deep affection and nothing short of love and support.

I can’t help but exhale a sigh of relief as I witness her reaction. It’s as if a weight has been lifted, and I feel a newfound sense of ease in her presence.

Dad’s the next to notice, ever the embodiment of warmth and hospitality, rises from his seat and starts to extend his hand to Henry. But, as he seems my hand in Henry’s, his face breaks into a warm and loving smile before he’s pulling Henry into a heartfelt hug that has Henry letting out a surprised sound.

“Welcome to the family, son.” Dad says, voice filled with genuine warmth and acceptance. It’s a moment that fills me with overwhelming gratitude and Henry’s stormy blue eyes shine with tears as we sit in our seats between Dad and Alex.

Nora, always perceptive and sharp, giggles excitedly from her seat opposite me when I place my hand on Henry’s leg and squeeze reassuringly. She turns to Alex and June, her eyes dancing with mirth, “I told you so!” She just about cackles, voice triumphant, “Pay up, pay up. I knew they’d end up together.”

“Shut up.” Alex throws a note across the table, barely missing the jam and Mom just rolls her eyes as Nora snatches it up and holds it to the light to check if it’s real.

Henry’s leaning close to me, lips practically brushing my ear and he murmurs, “I love you too.” My heart swells with affections and I can’t resist the urge any longer. I turn to towards him, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. It’s sweet and tender, a silent reaffirmation of our love admits the laughter and teasing.

Alex, always the jokester, pretends to gag dramatically, earning an exaggerated fake vomiting motion from him. Mom playfully scolds him, smacking him gently with the newspaper while I kick him under the table, dragging a sharp cry of pain and a playful glare from him.

But, in this moment, surrounded by my loving family, Henry’s presence beside me, and the shared laughter at the breakfast table, I know deep down that everything is going to be okay for us. We’ll take baby steps and I don’t care how long I have to wait for Henry to be ready. I’d kill for him. I want him to be written into the my history when historians write about me. I want them to know that this man, currently laughing at a joke Dad is telling is the love of my life and will always be.

┈ ✁✃✁✃✁✃✁✃✁ ┈

Red White and Royal Blue Masterlist

New Tag List Form

TAGS: @clarks-letterman @spencer-reids-wife

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three-drink-amy · 1 month

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Thanks to @kiwiana-writes @strandnreyes and @orchidscript for the tags!

“Okay,” Henry says, not sure what else to say. “So I shouldn’t feel a bit ridiculous asking for tighter security?”

Alex shakes his head as his fingers tangle through Henry’s hair. “No. In fact, it’s not even going to be something you ask for. We’re just going to do it.” Alex shrugs, looking down at Henry with a half-grin. “So, there you go. It’s not you asking for it. It’s me. I’m tightening the ranks and I’m going to tell Shaan that for the time being, you don’t need to be doing any visits.”

“I don’t know if that’s necessary.”

“You don’t like them anyway.”

Henry smiles to himself. Alex does know him so well. It’s almost mind boggling at times. He didn’t realize he’d given so much of himself to Alex before he even meant to. “True,” Henry admits, chuckling. Alex laughs with him. “But it would get me out of Kensington.”

The comment sobers Alex’s expression. He rubs his hand along Henry’s chest. “Well, then I’ll leave that up to you. But, Henry, right now you probably have more say in what happens than you usually do. If you want to avoid your duties or whatever,” Alex says in a mocking voice, “then you probably have the power to make that happen right now. If you want to fuck off to Bora Bora or somewhere remote where no one can reach you, then we’ll do that. But if normalcy is what you want, we can make sure everything is safe and you’re protected.”

“Well, Bora Bora sounds good. I’m assuming my bodyguard would have to accompany me?”

Alex laughs, his head tilted back. “You bet. Just you and me in one of those little huts over the water? Sounds pretty fucking perfect.”

No pressure tagging: @everwitch-magiks @indomitable-love @clottedcreamfudge @indestructibleheart @cha-melodius @rmd-writes @welcometololaland @liminalmemories21 @dumbpeachjuice @bonheur-cafe

#wip wednesday #bodyguard AU

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agostobuwan · 3 months

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a kiss

firstprince | Alex is having a little trouble trying to convince himself that his New Year's kiss with Henry didn't mean anything

1.4k words, rwrb-compliant

read on ao3

—

It’s been a week since the White House Trio rang in the New Year, and Alex is still thinking about it. He tells Nora and June that it didn’t mean anything. It was just a kiss. A silly, little kiss. Between two bros. Bros, homies, buddies who kiss. The best of bros and close personal friends, according to the conjoined efforts of the White House and Buckingham Palace.

It’s absolutely fine. He had that weird thing with Liam in high school, and that didn’t mean anything. Right? Right.

He’s still having trouble convincing himself, though.

So what if Henry kissed him at his New Year’s Eve party. So what if he grabbed his hair and touched his face in a way that made his legs turn to jelly. So what if he tasted like mint and expensive champagne. So what if his lips felt so plush and soft against his mouth, like he uses fucking lip scrubs and chapstick religiously. So what if he kissed him back. So what if he kind of, maybe, liked it? So what.

He still hates him, the smug, snobby son of a bitch. It’s all Henry’s fault that he’s spiraling in the first place, so yes, he definitely does hate him, don’t get it twisted.

It’s been a week, and he just wants Henry to talk to him. He’s been having a lot of one-sided conversations with himself on their text thread, and he hates to say it, but it’s getting a little lonely and sad. Alex is very big on confrontation—he’s an aspiring lawyer, after all—so this whole ghosting situation isn’t going to cut it. He’s itching to do something about it, something drastic, maybe, but June thinks flying across the Atlantic to kiss Henry senseless might be a bit of an overkill.

Oh, and yeah, that’s been a recent development. He’s pretty sure he isn’t entirely straight. Probably bisexual, and he wants to kiss Henry now. Preferably against a wall, but he’ll take anything he can get. That is, if he can actually get the guy to talk to him. He knows the PM’s dinner is coming up at the end of the month, so he’s going to need to pull something together before then.

Nora gives him a seventy-seven percent success rate and a forty-five percent chance that it might just all backfire on him, and Alex accuses her of having no faith in him at all. She just laughs and pats his head like he’s some kind of fucking child, and he has to wonder why he’s friends with her in the first place.

School distracts him enough that he doesn’t need to think too much about Henry and his preferred way of dealing with things—also known as, running away—but at night, when it is just him and his thoughts (and his trusty right hand), that’s when things get a little tricky (and a bit sticky).

January flies by, and suddenly, it’s the night of the PM’s dinner. Alex is antsy and swipes a flute of champagne to keep himself from spiraling even more than he already is. He anxiously keeps glancing over at the door, jumping every time a new arrival is announced.

“Looking for someone?”

Alex nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of his sister’s voice. When he turns to her, she has a stupid fucking grin on her face, like she knows something that he doesn’t, and he isn’t dumb enough to doubt that. June is the eldest and the wisest out of the Claremont-Diaz siblings, and she always seems to have a leg-up on Alex every single damn time.

“Fucking Christ, you need a bell.”

June laughs and plucks the champagne out his hands and takes a sip of her own.

“Hey! Get your own.”

“Sure, but only if you stop looking at the door every twenty seconds. You look like you’re about to pass out, Little Bit.”

Alex scowls at the nickname and snatches the glass out of June’s hand, finishing it off before she even has the chance to steal it back.

June rolls her eyes and rests her hands placatingly on her brother’s shoulders. “Dude, you need to calm the fuck down. Dinner hasn’t even started yet, and I can already smell the BO radiating off of you.”

He instinctively lifts an arm and takes a subtle whiff of his pit. “What- Oh, god. Do I stink?”

“Alex,” she stresses, giving his shoulders a squeeze. “I’m just fucking with you.”

“Oh, fuck you, June.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just calm down, will you? He’ll be here soon. So until then, just go around and do what you do best. Schmoozing and looking cute. Just don’t get into any arguments, though. You can do that after Mom’s re-elected.” She gives him a little shove, sending him into the light crowd of international and domestic dignitaries already forming. He gives her the finger behind his back and heads off.

He decides to make his way over to the open bar for something stronger than champagne when he’s stopped by none other than Miguel Ramos. God, he probably needs to start double-fisting to get through the evening. He hides his grimace behind a well-practiced smile and tries his best to keep up with the conversation without looking too distracted. His ears pick up Texas strategy in the midst of all his droning, and he fails to hide his surprise. Miguel says that he has his sources like it’s some kind of acceptable explanation, and Alex suddenly has the urge to smack the smirk off his face.

He doesn’t have the chance to do it, however, because they’re announcing His Royal Highness’ arrival, and Henry is walking—more like, sauntering in and looking far too good in a suit and bowtie. Kissing Henry becomes a need more than a want at this point.

He leaves Miguel before the guy can get another word in edgewise and heads over to Amy with a simple request. It takes some sly maneuvering, but the Red Room is his best chance to actually have a private conversation with Henry.

Alex is just a bundle of nerves as he waits for Henry to step into the room. He knows he’s being ridiculous, but he thinks the portrait of Alexander Hamilton is judging him. He has half a mind to flip the painting over so he won’t have his beady eyes looking at him anymore, because he doesn’t need another white man questioning his life choices. He nearly considers it, too, but that’s just insane. He should be thinking about what he’s going to say to Henry, not United States historical figures and how their ghosts are probably judging for being so stupid. If they weren’t racist and homophobic first.

Okay, shut up, brain.

Before he has a chance to even pretend to look normal, the door is already opening, and in steps Henry, gliding in like the fucking angel he is. It should infuriate him, because no one should be looking that beautiful, but he sees Henry, and all the words he’s planned to say leave his brain in an instant. He is dumbfounded.

“Look, Alex. I’m so-”

“Shut up. Stop talking.” He crosses the room in two long strides and pulls Henry into his arms, and before his brain resets and he can start thinking again, he is slamming their mouths together.

Then, Henry pushes him away.

“Wait a minute.”

While Henry’s having his own crisis a few feet away, Nora’s analytical numbers flash across his brain, reeling through his mind like a broken record. Seventy-seven. Forty-five. Seventy-seven. Forty-five. Seventy-seven. Forty-five.

Oh, fuck. They’re kissing again.

Henry drags him in by the lapels of his dinner jacket, and Alex eagerly follows. Their lips meet again, the kiss hurried and driven by the heat burning under their skin. Everything zeroes in on that moment, and all he can think about is the curve of his lips, all soft and supple, the way his hips fit perfectly under his hands, the solid weight of his body against his.

Alex presses him into the wall. Fuck Hamilton and his judgy stare. He slots himself between his thick, sinful thighs, and drags a leg up to wrap around his waist. He twists his hips slightly just, and he groans into Henry’s mouth when he feels just how hard he is in his trousers. He’s hard, too, and it takes everything in him not to cum in his underwear.

God, he just wants to do bad, very bad things to this man, and he’s pretty sure Henry will let him. Now he just has to figure out how to get him up to his room.

One-hundred percent success rate. Eat shit, Nora.

#alex & henry's infinite playlist #firstprince #firstprince fic #alex x henry #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #rwrb #rwrb fic #red white and royal blue #my fic #Spotify

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anincompletelist · 4 months

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wip wednesday :D

hey guys! taking a bit of a brain break today but wanted to upload this little guy that I wrote yesterday for boxer!alex which is coming along nicely!

thank you so much to @firenati0n @kiwiana-writes @getmehighonmagic @cricketnationrise @littlemisskittentoes @zwiazdziarka @leojfitz @theprinceandagcd @wordsofhoneydew for the lovely tags, I can't wait to go through and read all of the things y'all are working on!!!!!!!! I hope you're all doing well! <3

without further ado!

“And on the other end of the ring, kicking ass and most definitely not giving a fuck about taking any names, our very own Brooklyn native and all-around undefeated fan favorite— the one, the only, A-C-D!”

As if it were possible, the room gets even louder. The cheering morphs into something more uniform and less chaotic, a clear and chorused A-C-D ringing out amongst fistbumps and waving posters.

The spotlight flashes and Henry’s fully propped up on his toes to get a glimpse of the other door, his breath caught in his throat as he waits along with the rest of them.

The first thing Henry sees is black curly hair, bobbing its way through the crowd at a leisurely pace. It’s nearly graceful the way long, partially gloved fingers curl around the thick rope and propel a lithe, toned body onto the platform, the complexion of his skin tone devastatingly more flattered by the lighting than his opponents. Although, Henry muses to himself, that may just be the fact that it doesn’t seem like he’s faking any of it.

They both look strong and definitely capable of winning a fight. But where his opponent had only smirks and phony bravado, ACD doesn’t need to posture himself up to make a statement.

Henry’s eyes are glued to him. There’s a black robe resting on his shoulders and tied loosely at the waist, seemingly made of silk that Henry can almost feel underneath his fingertips. Someone comes up behind him and swiftly removes it, his entire chest, rippling abdomen, and sprawling back exposed for all to see. With a practiced hand, ACD straps on his boxing gloves.

OPEN TAG as per usual but also! @affectionatelyrs @nocoastposts @luainthewild @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @bigassbowlingballhead @matherines @whimsymanaged @priincebutt @firstsprinces @myheartalivewrites @rmd-writes @iboatedhere @xthelastknownsurvivorx @msmarvelouswinchester

#wips

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firenati0n · 4 months

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year in review: favorite lines! :) <3

hello hello! I was tagged by the lovely @anincompletelist in this adorable tag game where we share our top favorite segments from our published fics and/or wips! :)

I only have one published fic LOL so here are some of my favorite pieces from that and three out of four wips right now (four is buck wild to me considering i had zero like ten days ajflakjfds).

i saved some of my real faves for y'all to read in worm fic (i didn't want to spoil my favorite paragraph at the end LOL). I have linked the fic as well as the tags with wip snips :)

from our world, mine and his alone (the midnight train to go)

Deep breath in. “By the way. Digging the cardigan, Henry. Very…” He rifled through his extensive vocab for literally any appropriate adjective. Refined? Boring. Professional? Practical, but also boring. “Very…?” Henry raised an eyebrow, long fingers wrapped around a cup of tea. Earl Grey, Henry had said a while ago, but Alex couldn't be sure. He had been terribly distracted by said fingers, wondering where else those fingers could— What Alex’s distracted, useless worms in his left temporal lobe decided to supply him with as a response was: “Slutty-English-Literature-professor core.” Alex was going to jump off the train. He was going to change his name. He was going to get a lobotomy, as a treat. “Excuse me?!” Henry sputtered into his tea, turning red alarmingly quickly. His sexy-librarian cardigan was collateral damage, tea splattered down the front.

from the full spectrum of human emotion (WIP, The Proposal (2009 movie) AU, eta 2024):

And selfishly, he’s pretty fucking scared for his career trajectory if it doesn’t work out. He can’t start over, he can’t. His resume can’t take it, and neither can his ego. He can already hear Oscar clicking his tongue and shaking his head, practically taste the disappointment in Ellen’s pitied gaze and outstretched hand. He absolutely cannot give them the silver bullet that goes clean through his erratic heart and wrenches him back home. He loves Austin, breathes it, and yet…and yet. He just can’t return, not when he’s so close. He still has so much to prove, so much to hold up to the sky and say I’m here, I can take it, I did it, I’m good enough. It almost swallows him whole—his overwhelming love for his family, his nostalgia for the Texas sun. But it’s just not enough to—

from queerano de bergerac (WIP, Cyrano / The Half of It (2020 movie) AU, eta 2024):

“Amber, everyone thinks you’re pretty, it is an objective fact. Irrefutable, even.” “Aw, Henry! That’s so nice of you to say, thank you.” She flashes him a genuine smile. She’s sweet, Henry is loath to admit. “You’re welcome. But. This letter…we need to workshop it a bit. Make it more personal? More about who Alex is as a person, and not who we see him as. What’s below the surface? What are his hidden depths that you are willing to explore? How do you show you’re in love, not just tell?” Amber raises an eyebrow. “Okay. How do I do that?” She sniffs. “I thought I was being so obvious when I asked if he had lunch plans.” “...You asked him if he had lunch plans during our…one lunch period at school?” “Okay, fine! I’m not the best with fancy words like you, Mr. Future English Literature Major.”

from untitled continuation of worm fic (WIP, eta 2024):

If Alex could land Henry's phone number (a bit forcefully, if he remembered Henry's tone correctly) using sheer fucking charisma, he could nail a date with the guy. Easy peasy. Except. Except for the fact that Alex's brain seemed to rapidly degrade in every conceivable way when faced with Henry's fairytale hair and anime-worthy blue eyes. Henry's presence was lethal for every ounce of Alex's grey matter. With every blink of his doe eyes, Henry obliterated another one of Alex's (already fucking limited!) brain worms. They would writhe in agony, unable to shake the vicelike grip of Henry's charisma, doomed to a slow and sensual death. Alex was so fucked, and not in the fun, safe, and lubed way.

no pressure tagging @ninzied @inexplicablymine @anincompletelist @myheartalivewrites @suseagull04 @priincebutt @sparklepocalypse @kiwiana-writes @onward--upward @nocoastposts @user-anakin @wordsofhoneydew @littlemisskittentoes @happiness-of-the-pursuit @matherines @lizzie-bennetdarcy @celeritas2997 @sherryvalli @gayrootvegetable @ssmtskw @affectionatelyrs @tinyarmedtrex @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @14carrotghoul @orchidscript @rmd-writes @dustratcentral @eusuntgratie @magicandarchery @leaves-of-laurelin @songliili @cricketnationrise @msmarvelouswinchester @leojfitz @dragonflylady77 @cha-melodius and open tag for anyone else wishing to share! have fun :)

xoxo roops

#tag game #fave #roop writes #rwrb #rwrb fic #fic: tfsohe #fic: worm fic #fic: queerano

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rmd-writes · 8 months

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seven sentence inspiration weekend

(on Monday)

thanks for the tags @orchidscript @jesuisici33 @hippolotamus @carlos-in-glasses @heartstringsduet @lemonlyman-dotcom @reyesstrand @strandnreyes @cha-melodius @taralaurel @welcometololaland @three-drink-amy! As always, your snippets make my Monday morning commute much more fun and they’re in the queue! 💖

today I have the banner and a little snippet from a fic that I hope to have finished and posted sometime this week:

Alex lifts his head and grins. “You like that, sweetheart?” he asks knowingly, rolling his hips again.

He’s got his arms braced on either side of Henry’s head, looking down at Henry with dark, sparkling eyes and his mouth curved into a lopsided smile before raking his lower lip through his teeth. Alex’s curls have fallen forward into his face and at this angle, so close, he’s devastating. Instead of answering him, Henry tugs at the chain around Alex’s neck with one hand, pulling him down for a kiss. He gives in, sliding one hand into Henry’s hair as he kisses him deeply, letting Henry take what he needs. But when Henry brings his hands down to massage Alex’s arse, canting his own hips upwards in search of friction, Alex pulls away, hovering above Henry.

Yes, some of you will recognise that title as being something from one Carlos Reyes. Once again, @howtosingit has saved me from myself and given me a title for this fic. But you all need to know that Brian somehow managed to do that less than a minute after I sent him maybe one sentence that was the start of a summary of the vibes of the fic and was still typing the rest of my message ?!?? I don’t understand how, some serious magic is at play and I’m eternally grateful I get to benefit from it 💖

not sure who’s done this already, but maybe @nontoxic-writes @lilythesilly @rosedavid @indomitable-love @kiwiana-writes @djdangerlove @liminalmemories21 @goodways want to share?

#inspiration weekend #seven sentence sunday #rmd writes: rwrb wip #RWRB fic #firstprince fic #the key that unlocked me

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duchessdepolignaca03 · 2 months

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several sentences Sunday - except its 500 filthy crack words

It wouldn't be a Several Sentences Sunday if I wasn't posting on technically Monday morning, and if it wasn't much longer than several sentences. Thank you for the tag @onthewaytosomewhere @sparklepocalypse @priincebutt @hgejfmw-hgejhsf and @taste-thewaste. I'm not going to tag anyone else because its MONDAY.

I seriously contemplated posting some bullets for my interview assignment just to troll/bore everyone. But after my work computer died, I decided to put my brain to better, less productive uses. And this is what happened to answer the question: What if Alex is a journalist who is tasked with confirming a scoop that Prince Henry is gay as a maypole?

It's 500 words. I don't know if there's more to this. Probably not. So I'm going to post it here and decide whether to post it on A03 later.

Warning: EXPLICIT and Spicy! This is the spiritual sequel to "Pull It, Sir, Prize" I suppose, with far less gloriously unhinged vocabulary.

This is the story of how Alex Claremont-Diaz found himself doing a Grand Plie at the end of a kitchen island in Kensington Palace, eating the deliciously majestic ass of His Royal Highness, Prince Henry of Wales.

HRH is making the most obscene sounds as he fellates a cornetto, licking it from cone tip to the top of the rapidly disappearing mound of strawberry ice cream. Alex watches from his vantage view between the Prince’s legs, though his view is partially obscured by the enormity of the Prince’s cock. His Royal Cock (HRC, for short), by the way, is wet with precum and Alex’s saliva from when Alex was the one doing the fellating. The HRC, not the cornetto - the latter of which is objectively less delicious than the former.

Alex’s own WCC (Working Class Cock), is sadly helpless and lacking for friction besides the kiss of the cold marble. It twitches when HRH starts lewdly licking the cornetto drippings from his unexpectedly and hornifingly muscular forearm. Alex squeezes his glutes to steady himself, but they are burning with effort, especially as they are already slightly sore from the brutal spanking HRH had given him in the backseat of his opulent Rolls-Royce.

Better speed this up, he thinks, before he comes untouched or his knees and glutes give out from the uncomfortable position. He presses down on HRH’s prostate with his finger as he licks broad stripes with the flat of his tongue along HRH’s perineum, giving him some dizzying internal and external stimulation. He’d found the Royal P-Spot a while ago, but stimulated it sparingly out of a desire not to see the cornetto flung into his hair by the overly aroused Prince.

It’s clear he’s made the right call when the cornetto does get flung across the room as HRH’s orgasm rips through him, HRH shouting obscenities that only makes Alex work harder, like the sadist he is. When he’s come down enough, HRH wipes the cum off his own belly with the flat of his palm, then shoves that hand through Alex’s curls, gripping tightly and pulling Alex up to face him. Rude. And filthy. Turns out Alex liked that.

“So, does this confirm you’re gay then?” Alex asks, grinning cockily. How HRH still manages to look imperious is beyond him, especially when he barely seems able to catch his breath. Alex takes a moment to wipe his face with a wet-wipe and rinse out his mouth with some whitewash. They learned from Round Two. Breath smelling minty fresh, he walks to the other end of the kitchen island to place an upside down kiss on HRH’s “dictionary definition of dick-sucking” lips.

“I’m still not sure. I think I’ll need at least four more go-rounds to make sure before we put it on the record.” “Four rounds? Let’s make it five. For the sake of journalistic integrity.” “Well, in that case, if it’s for the sake of journalistic integrity, we should make it at least ten sex sessions, and two romantic dates. We’re going to get you that Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism, baby.”

“Deal.”

#rwrb #henry/alex #several sentences sunday #rwrb fic #rwrb fanfic #henry mountchristen windsor #firstprince #prince henry rwrb #absolute filth #rwrb au #smutty crack #I don't even know what this #is there more to this?#who knows?#should I post it on Ao3?

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maxbegone · 8 months

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If you honestly think this is going to be seven sentences, you don’t know me by now! Happy late Sunday/early Monday, I hope the week treats you well ♥️

Alex misses being extroverted, but he knows he can never be too cautious. In this world, it’s all about protecting what you have.

He stands, propping the end of the rifle through the window of the watchtower. Finger on the trigger, safety off, looking through the sight.

“Take another step, and you each get one between your eyes,” he calls out to them warningly.

They stop short, hands raising.

“What do you want?”

“We—we didn’t know this area was occupied,” one of them says. He has a heavy British accent and he’s handsome under the wear and tear of whatever it is they’ve been through. “We’re just trying to find a way through.”

“Yeah, well the only way through is back that way if you don’t want trouble.” Alex gestures with the rifle. “Sorry.”

“Listen, mate, we’ve been walking for three days. We’re just looking for a place to kip that isn’t in the woods.” He smiles a little. “I swear.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah.” The man smiles weakly. “We were with a group, but you know how it is out there.”

Alex’s brow furrows. “Can’t say I do too well anymore. Now what do y’all actually want?” He asks, keeping his aim steady.

Alex could shoot the cap off a glass bottle a hundred paces away and not shatter the damn thing, no questions asked. June could do it almost double.

“A place to sleep,” the same man reiterates. “That’s all. Listen, my name is Percy. My mate here is Henry. We don’t have anything to trade, but we’ve been walking for days and we’re just trying to find some shelter.”

For the first time in a long time, Alex hesitates.

He shouldn’t, but at his core he’s a people person, and even several years into a scarce world hasn’t seemed to fix that. Outside of his core community of himself, June, the three of their parents, Nora, and Raf, he hasn’t seen many people. Who has nowadays? And this excludes Zahra and Shaan who pop in and out every few weeks.

The world went to shit, people either retreated or died, and Alex’s family took the farmland Leo’s uncle left to him back in the early nineties.

They thrive, but they do so with who they have and who they can trust. Everyone else has been turned away at the gate or given what they needed and sent on their way. They have been very lucky not to get ambushed in the years since. Raf believes it’s because no one would be dumb enough to go through that much wilderness and up that steep a hill to do so. Ellen thinks it’s pure luck.

He studies them both from his vantage point: heavy-looking backpacks, mud-covered boots and well-worn clothes, they’re both dirty. There’s something different about them though, and Alex can’t quite put his finger on it. He looks from Percy to the other man, Henry, and finds himself immediately stilling. He has windswept blond hair that looks like it hasn’t been cut in quite a while, a gash on his cheek and some bruising under his eye. Alex catches his gaze, finding it impossible not to hold it for a few long beats at least.

“You can search us! We don’t have any weapons,” Henry pipes up. He’s British, too, and his voice is rich and melodic, despite how it wavers. Alex finds himself wanting to hear more.

Jesus fucking Christ, what is this shit?

“None? Out there?” They both shake their heads. He’s not sure he fully buys it. “Are y’all insane?”

“It’s stupid,” Percy admits. “Others had them, we were protected. We’ve been scrounging off rations of rations since.”

“Where were you headed?”

“Niagara. There’s a safe haven there.”

Alex huffs an inaudible laugh. “Yeah, lots of rumors about those.”

“Can’t be sure about much,” Henry says in lieu of agreement, and Percy nods.

“But it was our best option. We started off in Manhattan.”

Jesus. Alex sighs. He keeps the rifle pointed on them as he picks up his walkie. It chirps to life. “Gonna need some help at the gate, bug.”

“Roger dodger.”

Alex turns his attention back to the two men. “Don’t move,” he commands. “I’m coming down.”

He slings the rifle onto his back, pockets his walkie and makes the climb down the ladder, keeping them in sight as best he can.

He fixes his hat as he strides over, and the closer he gets, the more he begins to see. Percy looks off, unwell, but he’s standing tall and cooperative, expression affixed in something between friendly and neutral. Henry looks better, by comparison, but not by much. He’s certainly taken a few hits, at least physically.

“We’re gonna wait for backup,” Alex tells them both. He keeps his rifle at ease, but stares at them in a way that keeps them frozen to the spot. “Anything funny happens and that’s it.”

They both nod, and Percy says, “Noted.”

It takes about five minutes or so for June to arrive from her part of the property, hair pulled back into a high ponytail and a hand over the revolver in the holster on her waist. “We got company?”

“Could be friendlies,” Alex tells her, dropping his voice, but June’s mouth pulls to the side, protective nature coming out. “Looking for refuge for the night.”

“Gotta play it safe. Sorry, y’all.” She looks at them both and tilts her head up toward the sky. “Storm’s brewing, too.”

“Let’s hurry this up, then. Drop your bags,” Alex instructs. “Arms out.”

#seven sentence sunday #except I definitely didn’t follow those rules #RWRB #rwrb fic #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #percy okonjo #june claremont diaz

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pitiplush · 28 days

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Hey there!!

I was wondering if you could help me out a little bit! I already saw that you don't sell your crochet patterns, so I won't ask about that, but I was wondering if you had any tips or tricks for making dolls like the large Alex and Henry you made!

I'm a senior in college and I have a thesis project that I have to make. I'm considering making a crochet stop-motion animation for it!

Do you have any methods or tutorials you follow in order to make them so poseable and detailed? I noticed in the WIP photos that they have a wire skeleton! I'm also super impressed by the clothing and hair!

If you don't have any tips or anything, that's alright! I understand! I just thought I'd ask! 🙂

Hi! Of course, I'm going to try to explain everything to the best of my abilities ☺️ If you have more doubts afterwards, you can message me anytime you want!

I can't really point you to any tutorials because at this point I just do my own thing and in the case of Alex and Henry I designed the body pattern taking into consideration that the clothes will be independent pieces. Most patterns that I've seen directly crochet the body as if it is wearing the clothes, like, for example if you want your doll to wear a red sweater, the torso and arms are crocheted in red. I think that's easier and the results are nice as well. My chibi amigurumis are crocheted like that, they have less mobility because they're really small, but that same technique in a bigger amigurumi will give you both the mobility and the advantage of not having to crochet so many pieces.

Now some tips for the mobility:

— A wire skeleton, as you've mentioned! It's not a perfect solution because sometimes the wire isn't strong enough to keep weird poses, but it helps! This video tutorial is in Spanish, but it's really visual and it shows how to add a wire skeleton. Honestly it was the best video that I saw back in the day, when I was looking for tutorials for this same thing.

— You can use pipe cleaners instead of wire as well, although they're weaker.

— Don't stuff the arms.

— Not too much stuffing on the legs/waist so there's enough room when you pose the amigurumi. Just a little bit less, enough for the piece to be firm but have mobility. If your legs are thin, don't stuff them, like with the arms.

— Now, another perk to crocheting the body as if it was already clothed is that it helps with mobility too. More layers of clothing means the movement will be more hindered.

— Crochet the head as an independent piece. I'll put on a couple of pics so it's easier to understand, but basically what you need to do is, once you've reached your desired width for the neck, keep crocheting rounds with the exact same amount of stitches until you have a tube. When finished, make sure to stuff it very tightly (or put pipe cleaners inside) and close it. After that, to crochet the head, start by creating a similar tube, so the neck tube fits inside the head tube. Once you've got the size you need for your tube it's only a matter of crocheting the rest of the head as you would normally.

(I'm deeply sorry for that awful, awful drawing, I just thought it would help illustrate my point better but I'm not especially good at drawing on my phone)

— Use pins and skewers (like the ones for food). You can edit them out afterwards and that's probably the best tip because an amigurumi is a plushie and its mobility is never going to be really great 😅

These photos are unedited, that's why they're so dark but ANYWAYS, see the skewers on their backs in the first photo? And the pin keeping their hands together in the second? Think of them as aids for your purpose. Alex and Henry can stand on their own if you manage to find the perfect balance but oooof it IS frustrating. The amount of times I've managed to pose one and just then the other falls flat on his little face... AWFUL.

And for the clothes... it depends a bit on what you're crocheting I guess????? Although I highly recommend to not be like me and get obsessed with making everything in a single piece, sometimes it works better when the details are crocheted apart and then sewn or glued to the main piece. Like for example, for the jackets, the body is one piece and the neck is a different one, I just sewn them together with a row of single crochets.

Also most of the time the easier way to do something is the best way. Since crochet have certain limitations, it's important to keep in mind that sometimes it's better to simplify. This depends on the size of the amigurumi and the size of the piece, but yep, as one of my uni professors used to say: parsimoooooooony (or follow the Ockham's razor).

Another thing!!! Learn some basic embroidery techniques and how to do surface slip stitches, they can go a long way to make a piece seem more detailed! And use other materials like felt too!

I can't think of anything else right now. I tried to be as clear as I could but it's kinda hard to explain all of this when English is not your first language 😅 Anyway, I hope you find these tips interesting and you can always ask me again anytime!

#ask me #ask me anything #amigurumi #crafts #fiber art #crochetblr #pitiplush

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avacoleman · 3 months

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when the lights go out || a firstprince fic

summary: Henry Fox’s career is in crisis and his dating life isn’t faring much better either. After a chance encounter with a charming man becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons, Henry throws himself into his next assignment: writing the memoir of a beloved C-list actor. Henry, however, knows Alex best for the role he played as his random, awkward one-night stand. Henry enters their professional partnership keen on keeping their relationship just that. But after Henry confesses that their hookup was less than spectacular, Alex concots an arrangement that Henry is unable to resist. In addition to ghostwriting Alex’s life story, Henry will teach him a thing or two about satisfying a man. As they spend months out on the road together, they must decide if the connection between them is yet another story worth telling.

chapter 7/8 || rated e || read on ao3 updates every tues. and fri. *

Los Angeles, CA Day 1 They trade one sunny coast for another and Henry has mixed emotions, the likes of which he’s never experienced before. It all, as usual, is linked to his uncertainty over what comes next. He can now count on one hand the amount of days he has left in Alex’s company. He feels grateful for the time they’ve been able to share, but knowing that he’d soon have to part ways has made this all so bittersweet. Henry supposes he’s become spoiled on this tour by Alex’s company, the knowledge that there was always another city to accompany him to. The cold hard fact that this was officially the end of the line settled like an uncomfortable weight on his chest any time he allowed himself to dwell on it. He tries to cling to the good where he can.

Even after a delayed flight out of Miami, Henry saw the upside to it, getting more one-on-one time with Alex as they hung around the gate, trading music and stories back and forth. For all of the physical elements they’d breached while out on the road, it was this genuine friendship with Alex that Henry loved the most.

It’s been a bit uncanny though just how easily they’ve slipped back into a normal routine with each other after that night of their final lesson in Miami. They haven’t spoken about it since; neither of them has even come close to crossing that line now that they’ve finished with Alex’s syllabus. Henry figures that’s probably for the best. Safer even.

They head straight to the Crescent Valley lot from the airport after making it out of the absolute labyrinth of LAX with just enough time to spare.

Seeing the cast together again is a treat and Henry enjoys every bit of watching them film B-roll for the special. Henry wishes Pez could see it all now, but he reminds himself that his best friend will join him during the actual reunion. Alex had been gracious again and secured a spot for Pez alongside him.

Henry sits back and watches the photoshoot the cast does on different sets from the show, admiring their ability to go through outfit changes and touch ups to their hair and makeup. They take it all in stride and it allows them to wrap within a few hours.

It’s a surreal feeling after that to be alone with Alex again, to have him all to himself and journeying back to his place. Henry can admit he’s curious what home in L.A. looks like to Alex, this man who he’s known to be such a nomad over the last three months.

Alex’s condo is a gorgeous unit with floor to ceiling glass windows that bathe the entire space with natural light.

“I bought this at the start of season three,” Alex says as they stand now in the kitchen.

Henry cranes his neck back to take in the high ceilings.

“It’s more space than I really needed at the time. Hell, even now. But I don’t know. I just kinda fell in love with it.”

“I can see why. It’s incredible, Alex. Truly,” he replies, looking at Alex again.

Alex smiles. “I gotta say, it’s kind of trippy seeing you here.”

Henry laughs. “How so?”

Alex shrugs and takes a seat on one of the stools at the large island in the center of the space. Henry takes a seat beside him, their bodies turning toward each other. They're close enough that their knees just about touch.

“I guess after spending three months in hotels, it’s surreal having you in my actual place. It’s nice though, don’t get me wrong. It’s really freaking nice. You got to see my home in Austin and now here. It’s like the last puzzle piece snapping into place, you know?”

Henry doesn’t actually know what to do with that statement. He wishes he could actually fit into the grand scheme of Alex’s life, that he could be an essential piece to complete the picture.

Alex grows quiet, his eyes a bit soft. He rests a hand on Henry’s knee. His thumb brushes back and forth lightly, his lips parting. It’s been days since Alex has touched him this intimately before. It’s downright jarring and confusing how sudden this all feels.

Henry tenses and moves back.

“I think we should stop,” Henry blurts out.

Alex’s face falls for a moment before he schools his features as he pulls away.

“Oh.”

Henry sighs and rises from the stool, tucking his hands in his pockets.

“It’s just that we’ve tackled everything. There’s nothing left on the syllabus. I go home in a few days and with that, we’ll be back on our own coasts for good. I’m practically done with the book. I…I don’t think we should complicate things now.”

Alex doesn’t say anything, but it’s so clear his mind is racing.

“What are you thinking?” Henry asks.

Alex blinks twice and shakes his head.

“It doesn’t matter. Wasn’t that a term in the agreement? One person wanting to stop was reason enough. You even went ahead and gave me your explanation as to why, though you didn’t have to. I respect that. You’re right. The lessons are over. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”

Alex stands. “I was out of line,” he says as he moves around the island.

Henry is quicker and he gently grabs hold of Alex’s wrist.

“I never quite mastered the art of mind reading in the months we’ve been together. Please talk to me.”

Alex looks down at where Henry is holding him and back up to his face.

“What is there to say?” he asks softly. “You made a great point. We go back to the real world in a couple of days. The smart thing to do would be to start preparing myself for that instead of clinging to whatever this has been these last few months. It wasn’t actually real. I can see that.”

Henry lets go of Alex as if he’d been burned.

“I’ve deeply enjoyed my time with you, Alex. I don’t want to give you a false impression nor do I want to make you think I’m somehow just biding my time, watching the clock until I’m meant to return to New York. I have felt the presence of our time together slipping away each and every day and I’ve loathed it. If I had it my way, this tour would never end and I could stay in your company just that much longer.”

Alex’s bottom lip quirks, his eyes looking glassier with unshed tears.

Henry stands immediately, framing Alex’s face with his hands.

Alex blinks and looks away, but Henry sees the tear race down his cheek. In that quiet cry, Henry understands everything at once.

“When did our lessons stop being hypothetical for you?” Henry asks, lowering his hands.

The muscle in Alex’s jaw flexes twice.

“Can I plead the fifth?” Alex asks, sniffling before turning those beautiful brown eyes back on him.

Henry shakes his head.

“We’ve both done enough dodging, don’t you think?”

Alex pulls in a breath, squaring his shoulders.

“Arizona,” Alex says.

Henry stares at him, his jaw dropping a bit as he grapples to make sense of what he’s hearing.

“Alex, that was day one of the lessons.”

Alex simply shrugs. “I know. But kissing you again, it brought me back to the night we met…the way we connected right off the bat. I felt that same spark when we kissed in Phoenix and I thought, I don’t know. It seemed like you got so lost in it. I thought you might’ve felt it too.”

“I did,” Henry says quietly, rubbing his face. “Christ, Alex. Every bloody second, it’s been real for me because it was real since New York. I’ve traveled with you, falling for you all over again in every single city. But, I…,” he sighs.

“I don’t know where this leaves us though. You don’t date outside the industry.”

Alex's face falls.

“That was my preference at one point in time. It isn’t a law. Things change and they should. They already have.”

Alex’s eyes water again as he lets out a deep sigh.

“The night we met…I felt something I never really have. That didn’t just up and go away after you left. I really like you, Henry. Sometimes I think I may even–,” he stops short and takes a breath.

Henry’s heart slams against his chest over Alex’s unspoken words.

Alex swallows hard and blinks twice.

“I don’t mean to complicate things and I sure as hell do not want to scare you off. But I can’t lie anymore. To you or to myself. I won’t.”

Alex searches his eyes. “Do you want to be with me?”

Stunned, Henry looks away. It feels like too much, the question too big and yet too exact.

“I don’t see how this could work. We don’t even live in the same time zone.”

“That’s not what I asked. It’s a simple question. Do you want to be with me?” Alex repeats slowly.

Henry glances back at him then. Alex is being so brave right now. It’s both admirable and terrifying the way he’s able to put so much of himself on the line. Henry knows he ought to do the same.

“Desperately,” he answers truthfully, seeing no other alternative. “But I fear it might not be as simple as you think it’ll be– though I want it to be. I wish that it were.”

Alex opens and closes his mouth, color draining from his face.

“Henry. Henry, please don’t do this.”

Henry lets out a breath.

“I’m not doing anything. I’m only being realistic.” He looks around himself.

“We lead such vastly different lives. Being on tour with you was exciting and fascinating, but also illuminating. I don’t know how or even if I could fit into your world beyond this moment.”

He dares to step a little closer, needing his next set of words to be heard clearly.

“But, Alex, please do not misconstrue that with what I feel for you. Never in my life have I felt this drawn to a person. I don’t expect that I ever will again.”

Alex puts a hand to his mouth, rubbing harshly against his jaw.

“Then why are you doing this to us? I don’t understand you. We’ve been at this for months now. We want the same thing. Why isn’t that enough?” he asks, his hand dropping.

“It seriously kills me to see you do this to yourself especially.”

His eyes are so intense, a perfect cocktail of frustration and sadness. Henry can’t look at him for long.

“At some point, Henry, you need to accept the fact that there’s so much waiting for you, if only you allowed yourself to actually experience it.”

His tone isn’t malicious, but the truth of his words cuts deep all the same.

“I’m not naive or stupid,” Alex continues. “I fully get that long distance would be difficult as hell, but I also fully recognize that you and the relationship we could have would be worth it. What we have matters to me enough to want to try.”

Henry’s head snaps back towards him.

“It matters to me too. That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” Alex demands. He closes his mouth and steadies himself.

In all their time together, Henry has never seen Alex like this before, this indignant. The fact that it’s directed towards him makes Henry uneasy though he can’t deny it’s more than warranted.

“You’re cutting us off at the knees without so much as putting up a fight, without even making an actual attempt and for what? You don’t think I’m scared? I’m fucking terrified by what I feel for you. But I want whatever is on the other side of this feeling because I know it could be incredible if we let it be. All I’m asking is for you to trust me. To trust us.”

Henry shakes his head and looks away again, his eyes stinging. He looks around at Alex’s condo, the life he’s built for himself here in Los Angeles. For the times Alex would be away, he could be in any city across the country at any given moment. In just a few months’ time, the revelations in his memoir would be out and he'd have no shortage of far more interesting people vying for his attention while Henry continued drowning in his insecurities.

Yet here it was now, Alex telling Henry he wanted him. Alex was right. That should be enough. That’s all Henry has wanted to hear for months now, after all.

But Henry could do the right thing now, no matter how difficult, to spare them both the inevitable heartbreak down the line when they accepted love wasn’t enough.

Henry simply wasn’t the kind of person people ultimately stayed around for. Perhaps he’d be wiser and walk away before Alex could.

“I should go,” Henry says, wiping unseemly at his nose, nodding to himself.

Alex's face falls as he rakes a hand through his hair, his curls sticking out wildly at the ends. He looks nothing like the leading man on screen, the heartthrob that’s won over millions on television. He looks vulnerable and scared and Henry despises himself for reducing Alex to this.

“Please don’t. Let’s just talk it out. I’m not trying to pressure you,” Alex says quickly, voice panicked. All his upset from moments before fizzling like a fire being extinguished.

Henry shakes his head and looks at him.

“You aren’t. You’re saying all the right things and I know you mean them. I do. I care so much about you, Alex. I need you to know that. You deserve so much more than I could give you.”

“I just want you, Henry. I don’t care about anything else. You have to see that.”

In truth, Henry does. If anything, that’s what scares him most of all.

“I need to think. I need…,” he trails off, desperately looking around again. It feels like the walls are closing in.

“Time. Time away from me especially,” Alex supplies quietly.

Henry’s heart breaks.

“It’s not like that.”

Alex holds up a hand.

“I get it. Or at least I’m trying to.”

It’s a kindness Henry doesn’t feel deserving of at all.

Alex moves back, resting against the edge of the counter, his arms crossed to his chest like a barrier to protect himself. Henry can’t believe just how quickly he’s managed to become something Alex needs safety from.

“Maybe you really should go,” he says quietly.

Fresh tears prick Henry’s eyes at the gentle dismissal.

“I’m in no position to ask anything of you, but please, don’t hate me. I’m so sorry.”

Alex shakes his head and looks back at him then. There’s no malice or ire.

“I could never. You know that. We can talk when you’re ready.”

His tone is detached and whatever walls they’ve allowed themselves to lower over these last few months feel as if they’ve been reinstalled, built stronger this time around. There’s no fight in Alex anymore. It’s a deeply sobering and troubling realization.

“I promise, we will,” Henry says softly.

At least that’s something he knows he can make good on in time.

He looks at Alex again and his heart breaks just that much more. It doesn’t look as if Alex fully believes him. Henry can’t fault Alex. He knows he hasn’t given him a reason to.

~*~*~

The Uber back to the hotel the publisher arranged for him feels like the loneliest journey Henry has ever taken in his life, far worse even than leaving England for a new life in New York.

This isn’t how he pictured his first day in Los Angeles to go. Right about now, he and Alex should have been taking on the city, with Alex showing him around like a personal tour guide to all his favorite places.

It wasn’t supposed to end with Henry feeling as if he’s about to throw up, his stomach twisted into knots in the backseat of a stranger’s car, driving away from Alex instead of to him.

He fights back tears, having enough presence of mind not to sob like every cell in his body is demanding he do. No, that can wait. He’s already embarrassed himself enough for one afternoon. He doesn’t need an audience.

Mercifully he makes it to the hotel and gets checked in. The second the door to his room shuts behind him though, Henry loses it completely.

He isn’t sure how long he stands there, struggling for breath as he sobs, but he pulls himself together enough to seek out something to tether him.

He fumbles for his phone, overtaken for a moment with a thought to call Alex, to tell him he’s made a mistake, to grovel if he has to in order to set things right.

Instead, Henry pulls up Pez’s name in his favorites and clicks to FaceTime him as he steps further into the room, abandoning his carryon at the door and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Pez picks up mere seconds later.

“Hello, hello!” Pez greets brightly, his face falling immediately as he looks at Henry.

“My God. You look as if someone has passed on. Henry, what on Earth happened to you?”

“Pez, I ruined everything,” Henry says, his throat feeling so tight from keeping in his tears.

Henry feels homesick seeing Pez’s bedroom in the background, his posters of various pop stars and fashion icons in collages above his bed.

What Henry wouldn’t give to be back in New York now, to be somewhere familiar and safe. Instead he’s stuck in this lifeless hotel room feeling cut off from everyone he loves most.

“Alex…we…,” he trails off before a heavy sob overtakes him.

If this were anyone else in the world seeing him like this, save for perhaps Bea, Henry would rather die. But Pez has seen him through so many upsets. This one won’t be any different.

“I got scared and I took off and...he says he doesn’t hate me, but he most certainly should. I broke his heart. I know I did. God, Pez, if you’d seen his face.”

Pez looks anxious but he doesn’t push Henry to hurry along. He gives him his undivided attention and once Henry trusts himself to share, he launches into the full story of the afternoon.

Pez’s face grows concerned the more he talks and Henry thinks it says something about this story that Pez is uncharacteristically quiet.

“Everything was perfect. I don’t know why I did this,” Henry says, confusion coloring his words.

Pez lowers his gaze, his lips pinching together.

“What is it?” Henry asks.

Pez pulls in a breath, his cheeks puffing up before he lets the air out.

“I say this with absolute love. You are my nearest and dearest friend in this chaotic and beautiful world. You know you are like family to me.”

The preamble makes Henry nervous, but he knows he deserves whatever harsh truth Pez is gearing up to bestow.

“You’ve always had it in your head that you don’t deserve good things. When things feel too good to be true, it scares you. It’s almost like, you need to pull the rug from under yourself before someone else does,” Pez says, not unkindly.

Henry sits back and lets those words wash over him. It’s a fact. He’s always known that about himself, as much as he hates it.

“I don’t mean to do it. I can’t help it.”

Pez looks sympathetic.

“I know, darling. You’ve been hurt before by people you trusted. I’m no psychologist, but I don’t think it’s hard to see where it stems from.”

His brother’s and grandmother’s faces spring to mind. Henry squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, trying to block them out.

“Perhaps this time around, you might find yourself keen to do things differently. Seeing you guys, even from that little time in Denver and the way you talk about him…the fact that he wants to give this a fair shot…Henry, this could be so beyond amazing. There’s life outside your comfort zone.”

Henry runs a hand through his hair. He’s never been good at taking chances. His life has been a study in complacency.

“But what if something goes wrong?” he asks, searching Pez’s eyes on screen.

“On the severe off chance that it does, you’ll deal with it then. But right now? Hazza, I’ve never seen you like this over a guy before and I got just a taste of it. Darling, this man could give you a whole lifetime of happiness for all you know. It sure sounds like he’s willing to try.”

Henry’s eyes well up again, a sour feeling tight in his throat as he tries to keep from crying.

After a moment, he loses the battle. He allows himself to feel the hurt, to truly shed tears over the utter mess he’s made of things.

He wipes at his face, chewing on his bottom lip as he looks at his best friend. There’s no judgment or ridicule in Pez’s eyes and Henry wishes they were actually in a room together now.

“Henry, my love, my moon, my stars. Can you promise me something?”

Henry sees his confused face in the little window on the corner of his screen. Pez licks his lips, his eyes softening.

“Please don’t lock yourself away. Don’t go dark. I’ll be with you in just a few days’ time. Please try to hold on until then.”

Henry wants to be able to swear an oath, but the way he’s feeling now, he’s not so sure he will even have the strength to stand, never mind get back to aligning himself to Alex’s Crescent Valley schedule for the homestretch.

Dread courses through him just thinking about having to cross paths with Alex soon.

“It hurts so much, Pez. Everything hurts,” he says, a complete non-answer.

He can tell Pez realizes this too, but he must sense Henry doesn’t have much fight left in him. He doesn’t push the point again.

“Because it matters. You wouldn’t be feeling this much pain if it didn’t. Question is, what will it fuel you to do next?”

~*~*~

Los Angeles

Day 2

Though he hadn’t actually promised Pez anything, Henry does his best to uphold his best friend’s wishes the next day.

Every inclination Henry has is to stay holed up inside his hotel room, to pass the time by watching the sun cast shadows throughout the day until nightfall.

In all fairness, that is what Henry allowed himself to do after hanging up with Pez, but today, he’s determined to let go of at least one bad habit and not isolate himself.

He takes a shower first thing in the morning and makes a point to eat and get dressed in something other than joggers. Henry collects his phone and laptop before heading out into the world. It’s a strange thing wandering around a city he’s never been to before by himself, but it’s also pretty freeing too. He’s just another face in the crowd.

He sets up shop in a quaint coffee shop he happens across. He opts for a window seat, able to observe passerby as he nurses an Earl Grey. As his laptop comes to life, his phone buzzes on the tabletop, the screen lighting up with an incoming message that’s quickly followed by another.

Alex

you don’t have to respond to this message. i know you need more time and honestly? so do i.

Alex

i just wanted to say that, for what it’s worth, i hope you’re okay. i’ll see you soon…if you’re still planning on coming to the set

Henry stares at the screen, his heart twisting at the messages.

No matter what, the book ranked supreme. Whatever personal drama he was responsible for causing to unfold, Henry held fast to keeping his word. He wouldn’t let anything impact their professional dealings.

He’d see Alex for the filming in two days. There’d be little to say to Alex– if anything at all.

He could survive the awkwardness. After today, he only had to endure a few more days in California until he’d be back in New York, able to put this whole unexpected whirlwind behind him.

Henry sighs and sets his phone down again, opting not to reply.

He puts on his headphones and drowns himself in music and writing. He takes another pass at his most recent edits to Alex’s book but he knows it’s ready to go. He makes a mental note to find a shop in the area to print it out before closing the doc entirely and takes a look at his drive.

It’s truly a graveyard of unfinished pieces, stories he loved but grew discouraged by before fully completing them.

Henry opens up his favorite, his mind swimming with the memory of the promise he made to Alex, that he’d return to his original writing and pursue it in earnest this time around.

In a way, it almost feels like honoring the dynamic they were building.

Henry dives into it headfirst, fueled by the desire to keep his word in some capacity when it comes to Alex.

He’s interrupted an hour or so in when he gets an incoming call. Henry grabs his phone and sees Shaan’s name on the screen before he answers quickly.

“Hi, Shaan. How’s everything?” he asks, tearing his eyes off his screen.

The coffee shop is relatively empty; there’s no one in close range to him that he’d be disturbing by taking this call.

“Everything is brilliant or at least I thought you’d know that. Have you checked your email yet?”

Intrigue seeps through Henry enough to make him switch over on his browser to his inbox where an email from Shaan from thirty minutes ago sits right on top. Henry double clicks on the offer, his eyes catching first onto the insane figure at the bottom. It’s twice what he’s receiving for Alex’s book and yet he feels not even a fraction of excitement over it. He tries picturing himself working with this other actor, a name he actually does recognize as the man has been on the same procedural for half of Henry’s life.

Henry doesn’t even feel an ounce of interest nor can he even fake it.

“So? What do you think?” Shaan asks.

Henry frowns and looks out the window, trying in vain to muster up something to say. But Shaan reads his hesitancy for what it is.

“You’re really done, aren’t you?”

Henry closes out of the tab with his inbox and looks again at his own writing.

“In one sense, yes,” he says. “I can’t write for other people anymore. I’m losing myself too much.”

“Is everything okay with you and Alex? I thought things were going well on the road. Your passes have been impeccable.”

Henry bites on his lip. Technically things are far from fine with Alex, at least personally. But professionally, at least he can be honest and say, “I think he and I have been amazing together for his book. That’s actually what’s giving me this push now.”

Henry sighs.

“It was always going to come to this at some point. This new offer is incredible, but I just…I can’t wonder what if anymore. I still want to write, but I need it to be my words plus my name out there.”

Shaan is quiet on the line and Henry wonders if he’s somehow managed to break his agent’s brain. The amount of money being offered here is such a clear indicator that Henry is truly carving out a lane for himself with ghostwriting. But it’s not fulfilling. It hasn’t been for quite some time now with the exception of Alex’s book.

“I understand. I’ll decline the offer,” Shaan says. “I do hope this means you’ll get something to me soon that’s all your own then?”

Henry smiles. “I was actually just in the middle of that before you called.”

“I won’t keep you any longer then. Get back to work,” he orders, but Henry can hear the mirth in the command.

He’s ready to end the call when he hears Shaan speak again.

“Henry?”

Henry puts the phone back to his ear.

“Yes?”

“Pardon the sentimentality, but, I do hope you know that I’m quite proud of you.”

“You’re getting soft on me, Shaan,” Henry teases, but he soon grows serious. “I do though. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that support means to me.”

~*~*~

Los Angeles, CA

Day 4

“I feel like a bonafide star right now,” Pez says, completely looking the part with his cat eye sunglasses that he moves smoothly to rest atop his head.

He puts his hands on his hips and looks at the reserved seats in the front row of the stands with their names on it.

Ever since Pez arrived late yesterday afternoon, Henry has felt so much more settled. They spent the evening exploring Los Angeles, popping into different shops along Sunset Boulevard where Pez came across the very shades he’s donning now. Being out and about had been enough to take Henry’s mind off his troubles for a little while longer.

But today, there could be no avoiding the elephant in the room and Pez was armed at the ready with a well-needed pep talk before they arrived here at the studio for the reunion filming.

They take their seats as excited fans in the audience around them settle in too. The buzz is so reminiscent of the crowds at cons that, for a moment, Henry feels as if he’s right back on the road with Alex.

For the millionth time, Henry’s mind conjures up a montage of their time together on tour. These last three months haven’t had any shortage of good moments. But it’s these last three days that have put it all into such a tailspin.

Before Henry can spiral any further, the reunion gets underway. A video plays with some of the most popular, fan favorite moments of the series. Each time Alex’s face pops up on the screens, Henry’s heart twinges a little. The video ends with the final shot of the series, the Crescent Valley signage appearing as the video fades to black. The audience cheers and gives an enthusiastic round of applause that somehow gets kicked up twenty notches when the lights come up and the cast is seated on the soundstage.

Henry immediately locks his sights on Alex. It’s been three days and every moment, both waking and asleep, has been consumed with thoughts of him. He looks incredible, perfectly at ease among his castmates and before a crowd. Henry is all too familiar with this public side of Alex. He plays the part so well, Henry wonders if the other version of Alex even wonders or even cares to know if Henry is in the crowd tonight.

The reunion is an absolute treat. The cast recounts their favorite scenes and arcs on the show and divulge behind-the-scenes secrets. They share never before seen footage that hadn’t made it onto the show. In many ways, it’s truly a love letter to the fans. He can feel that with each tidbit that gets offered up, in every thoughtful answer to questions they receive from the show's creator who acts as host.

Alex’s eyes find Henry’s for the briefest of moments as they wind down and Henry instantly feels the air get knocked out of him. His skin tingles, his blood rushing so loudly in his ears that he can barely hear any of the closing remarks the actors are now saying.

He jumps a little in his seat when the audience begins to clap. Henry blinks twice and looks over at Pez who eyes him quizzically before looking back towards the soundstage.

Henry follows his lead and joins in the applause as the cast waves at the in-studio audience and to the cameras until they wrap.

All around him, people are getting to their feet, talking amongst themselves about the in-depth discussion with the cast but it all sounds like static to Henry as his eyes trail after Alex as he leaves with his castmates.

“Shall I see you later then?” Pez says.

Henry snaps his head back to his best friend.

“What do you mean? I thought we would go back together.”

Pez scoffs. “If you think I’d allow you to leave here without speaking to Alex, then clearly you’ve lost your mind somewhere in this city. I of course, being the generous person that I am, would help you find it. But only after you work your way backstage and talk to that man. We go home tomorrow, Hazza. This is your only chance to do this face to face.”

Henry frowns.

“So, as I’ve said, I’ll see you later, honey bunny. Ta.”

Pez gives him a kiss on each cheek before leaving without another word. It’s truly amazing how anxious Henry feels without Pez beside him. He’s practically been a human security blanket since they met years ago.

He knows Pez is right. This isn’t the kind of talk he wants to do over the phone. Alex deserves far better than that, especially after the way Henry left him a few days ago. Even if this time away from each other has somehow hardened Alex’s heart, Henry is ready to face the consequences of his actions.

He makes his way backstage, following the same path Alex and the cast just made.

A few members of the crew recognize him from his first day on set and let him through without incident.

Henry winds down the corridors towards the cast greenrooms. He hadn’t gone back here that first day, but the helpful signs guide him. He can hear chatter behind a few closed doors along the way, but he doesn’t pay attention to any room for longer than a second as he searches for Alex’s name.

He finds Alex’s designated room at the very end of the hall. He leans in close to the door, trying to gauge if Alex is still in. It’s silent but as Henry gets ready to turn away, he hears a heavy sigh on the other side of the door.

He knocks quietly twice.

“Alex? Are you in there? Might I come in and have a word?”

There’s the sound of rustling and footsteps and within a few breaths, Alex appears before him.

Henry’s heart sinks a little. Alex’s face is indifferent, closed off even. It’s as if he’s looking at Henry without really seeing him. For the cameras and fans just moments before, he was his usual vibrant self. Alone here now, the mask is completely off and shattered.

Alex searches his face, the only real indicator that he’s presently registering Henry’s appearance at all.

These last few days have clearly taken their toll on him.

“I thought you might’ve left already,” Henry says pointlessly.

Alex’s eyes haven’t stilled. After a moment, he blinks twice and shakes his head.

“I probably should have, but I needed a minute. Everyone is going out to celebrate in a bit. I’m not sure I’m feeling up for it though.”

Henry frowns.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil this for you. These past few days…I’ve acted horribly.”

Some folks a few doors down laugh about something, clearly in a happy mood. The contrast to Henry and Alex now is staggering.

Henry glances toward the sound of their merriment and back to Alex, looking past into his dressing room.

“Come in,” Alex says, stepping back so Henry can enter.

Henry looks around the room. There’s a clothing rack with a few of the outfits Alex wore during the promotional filming yesterday. There are a few floral arrangements spread throughout the room too, clear markers of just how much there is to celebrate now.

“I should have gotten you flowers to commemorate. But maybe you’ll like what I’ve brought instead.”

Alex’s brows furrow as he leans against the vanity, his arms crossed over his chest. Henry isn’t quite sure how to gauge what Alex must be thinking or feeling about his presence here. But the fact that Alex permitted him into his greenroom is at least somewhat promising.

Henry flips open his messenger bag and takes out the bound manuscript he had printed right after he left the coffee shop a few days ago, eager to hold this project in his own two hands.

Alex’s eyes widen, a soft breath pushing past his lips.

“Is that really…is that our book?”

Henry smiles as he steps forward and hands it over. Alex takes it from him, staring in awe and thumbing through.

“It’s your book, Alex. It’s your story. I just helped put it on the pages.”

Alex looks up at him.

“It was a partnership from day one,” he says and Henry hears the double meaning in it.

Henry concedes the point, his hands gripping the strap of his bag for something to do.

“I’ve actually received an offer to do another,” he says.

Alex looks up quickly at that, his hands clutching the manuscript tighter.

“Is that right? What’d you say?”

Henry smiles tentatively.

“That I want to end on a high note with your memoir as I leave ghostwriting behind.”

Alex sets down the manuscript and stands up straight.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Henry can feel his face warm up a bit as he nods.

“You were right. I’ve been depriving myself of a lot of things out of fear and it’s holding me back. Truthfully, it’s been rather debilitating most days. That’s no way to live and I’m tired of it. Of myself really,” he says.

“So, I’ve set about making some proper changes. I told Shaan thanks but no thanks on that offer and I spoke to him about wanting to query my original fiction. I went back to a few of my works in progress and I feel hopeful. Confident even that I might be able to make something worthwhile with them.”

Alex smiles at him, a genuine affectionate thing that Henry doesn’t feel worthy of but he basks in it.

“I’m so proud of you, Henry. Seriously. I can’t wait to be first in line to buy your books.”

This stuns Henry for a moment. For all that they’ve been through these last few days, it touches his heart to know Alex would still want to support him, that he’d remain in his corner.

“First I need to actually turn something in to go on submission. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here,” he says, aiming to keep things light a little while longer. He’s all too aware of the elephant in the room.

Alex waves him off.

“I’m speaking into existence. It’s bound to happen for you. You were given a gift. This is meant to be. I know it.”

“You and the universe,” Henry says, more so to himself.

Alex shrugs nonchalantly, crossing his arms again almost defiantly.

“Some things are destined. I stand by that.”

“Like, maybe, you and I?”

The words fall from Henry’s lips so quickly that for a moment he doesn’t realize he’s actually uttered them aloud until Alex’s previously warm eyes shutter. He stands ramrod straight and falls silent as he stares at Henry.

Henry’s heart beats faster, but doesn’t lose his nerve. He can’t afford to. Not anymore.

“As I’ve said, fear and, admittedly, insecurity have been plaguing me for far too long. I've stood in my own way. I’ve held myself back from opportunities because I haven’t felt deserving of them. Doing so in my career was bad enough. Now with you…,” he trails off, arms falling to his side.

“I’ll never forgive myself for the way I acted back at your place. For months now, I’ve been dying to hear that you feel deeply for me, as I do for you. Yet still I froze when it proved itself to be real. It felt too good to be true and so I convinced myself that it was.”

Henry frowns.

“I’ve become something of a professional at blowing my life up. I don’t want to do the same with yours. There would be no coming back from that.”

Henry’s lips quiver, but he steels himself, forcing himself to keep going.

“In your text, you said you needed time. If you aren’t ready to talk about us now, I’d completely understand. Maybe now isn’t the best time to speak of this, but I didn’t want to leave here without at least trying. I know that makes me horrendously selfish. I swear I’m not trying to be. I only wish for you to understand. To know that you’ve done nothing wrong. I hope you haven’t been placing any blame on yourself.”

Alex avoids his gaze. Henry didn’t think it was physically possible, but his heart sinks even further.

“Oh, Alex.”

Alex looks at him. “I thought I came on too strong.”

Henry shakes his head.

“Not at all. You don’t know how much joy you brought me. I got in my own head and spoiled it for both of us. That wasn’t right.”

Henry sighs and looks around at all the flowers Alex has been gifted. This should be a happy time in his life, yet now he was spending almost an entire week troubled and filled with doubt.

“I feel like I’m overshadowing and ruining your reunion excitement with all my foolishness.”

Alex reaches for his hands.

“Keep talking. You aren’t wrecking anything, I promise.”

Henry brushes his thumbs back and forth across the backs of Alex’s hands. He marvels at the smoothness of Alex’s skin, not to mention the warmth.

He feels water begin to well in his eyes, his throat constricting.

“I need to know what you’re thinking. You’re annoyingly good at damn near everything,” Alex says, though his voice trails off a little.

“Except for letting people in,” Henry concludes.

Alex gives his hands a gentle squeeze, subtly urging him to talk.

“Think of it as an area of improvement.”

Henry recognizes his own words from their very first day of this tour being playfully tossed back at him. Henry smiles a little in spite of himself.

“I guess…I know that I’m worried I won’t be worth the effort at some point. I know you mean what you say now, but so much is in store for you once this comes out,” he says, tipping his chin towards where the manuscript sits.

“My life feels as if it’s in limbo, a no man’s land. You have everything in order and here I am just floating. I…truly do feel like a ghost sometimes. Apt career on my part, I suppose.”

Alex’s brows knit together. Concern etched into his beautiful face. He cups Henry’s cheek and Henry greedily leans into his touch.

“Well, I can see you,” he says.

“Thank God for that.”

Alex smiles, his thumb brushing the apple of Henry’s cheek.

“All the same,” Henry continues, “I go back to New York for good tomorrow. There will be three thousand miles between us. Sometimes I worry…proximity has played such a key role these last three months. Soon you’ll have scores of men added to the mix who are far more along with themselves, with their careers. They’d be vastly more interesting and perhaps better suited for you than I.”

He stops himself, realizing how pathetic he must sound. But from the way Alex looks at him, it’s clear the other man isn’t judging or pitying him.

“Hen, I could live on the goddamn moon and I would still want us to try. You mean everything to me. I don’t care who comes out of the woodworks when the news breaks. And I sure as shit do not care that you’re still figuring some things out. You’re currently talking to the poster child of that. We literally worked on a book together about that very same thing.”

Something changes in Alex’s eyes. They grow fiercer as he lowers his hand from Henry’s face.

“I swear to God, I want to cage fight anyone that’s ever made you feel like you aren’t worthy because there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to be with you, do you understand me?”

“I do. I just…I don’t know why or even how I managed that.”

Alex swallows hard, his eyes softening again. He looks vulnerable and already it makes Henry’s heart ache.

“Henry, I love you. I love you so fucking much. You don’t even see how freaking exceptional and rare you are. I wish that you would. But I’ll be here to tell you every damn day if I have to because it won’t ever stop being true.”

Henry blinks twice and tears fall from his eyes immediately.

“I clearly have some things I need to work on. But I promise, I am in this with you, Alex. I love you too. Terribly. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I meant what I said the other day. You’re unmatched. You’ve had my heart for quite some time now and I know that you always will. It’s terrifying and exciting all in one breath and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The look of relief on Alex’s face makes Henry hate himself for ever making him worry or doubt his place in Henry’s life. He feels grateful now to at least be able to demystify Alex’s fears.

“So much of my life feels up in the air right now, but not my feelings about you. You’re one of the few things I feel sure of anymore,” Henry continues.

Henry leans in closer and touches his forehead to Alex’s. Alex hugs him at once and Henry sighs softly in the comfort of his arms.

It’s only been a few days since he last held Alex, but Henry has missed everything about this level of contact. He buries his face against Alex’s neck, breathing him in and clinging to the warmth of his body.

It hadn’t actually been New York he was missing when he’d called Pez the other day. It’d been here, the safety of Alex embracing him. Here in his arms, nothing can touch him, not even his traitorous, sabotaging mind.

Alex pulls back to look at him and Henry’s eyes sting with unshed tears, his mind racing with all the words he’s been keeping in since they last spoke openly.

Alex doesn’t give him a chance to say anything just yet as he leans in and kisses him. Henry’s heart jumpstarts, goosebumps rising on his arms as he kisses Alex back.

It’s still slow and sweet, but there’s an undercurrent of longing and anxiety coming from Alex. Henry answers it in kind with reassurance, imbuing the kiss with a wordless promise that Alex will never have to be without him again.

They break apart but stay close enough for their foreheads to touch. Henry keeps his arms wrapped around Alex as the man drapes his arms over Henry’s shoulders and combs through his hair lightly. It’s a simple gesture, but it lights Henry up.

There are still a million things he needs to say. Above all though, an apology seems most pressing.

“I’m so sorry.”

It hardly feels like enough.

I’m sorry I ran that day. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I almost ruined everything. He hopes Alex understands all that this encompasses.

Then again, he always seems to.

Alex sighs and Henry feels the slight tremble in his hands as he continues to stroke his hair soothingly.

“I’m just glad you felt safe enough to come back.”

Henry runs a hand up Alex’s chest, to the key that dangles near to his heart.

“I’m always going to find my way back home to you.”

#rwrb fic #red white and royal blue #firstprince #henry fox mountchristen windsor #alex claremont diaz #userthai #tusersonia #tuserpaige #usernicholas #usersteen #tusersilence #userjamiec #iuserzoe #uservalentina #kimmy writes

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