#also how does Henry still manage to look so old in his fucking uni days

[kayatoastkkat]

look at them, chilling in the grass

no Hyde, no breakup, no angst, just happy times

look at them. it was perfect. was.

HOYL CRAP NO I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS GAH KISS SCENE NUMBER TWO OH MY GOD (ik it's a different angle shhh) OH MY GOD

wait does this mean more angst follows oh crap oh shit oh fuc

is anyone starting to see a theme in the visual parallels here? i think i'm starting to see a theme in the visual parallels here. BUT BUT we know the one thing that set Henry apart was that he repressed his love like he repressed everything else about him in his whole life WHAT WOULD HIS RESPONSE BE THOUGH

[feuillesmortes]

This is a continuation of this fic inspired by @harritudur and @queenbessofyork’s wonderful flatmates au.

You all know the drill, enjoy it and have fun! (I certainly did writing this)

“I’m going to kill you.” Henry muttered under his breath. His hand reached into his pocket to answer his buzzing phone. A new text from Rodrigo reminded Henry of the last two he left unanswered since the day of the Sunday roast at his new place.

Wtf Tudor?  Since when Maud is your gf? 

Henry unlocked his screen to read the new text. 

Well are you going to fix this mess? 

Rodrigo was one of the few people to whom Henry had presented his childhood friend Maud. The Spaniard had met her on the occasion of her first visit to their flat, a time when Lizzie wasn’t living with them yet. Henry sighed and read the text aloud to Maud. She only laughed heartily. “You should be thanking me, you old sod!”

Henry was helping his friend with her suitcase as they entered Euston station. Maud was about to get her train to Cardiff after spending a week visiting. She had promised Henry she would drop by his place during her leave from work and not only had she kept her promise, during that time she had somehow managed to fuck up his entire life.

“Excuse me, but I don’t exactly see how you helped me. At all.”

Maud wasn’t paying attention to him; she was too entranced checking her train tickets to listen to him, or at least pretended to be so. Once they found the right platform for her train Henry chose to bring up the subject again. “This is some sort of retribution, isn’t it? For that time I laughed at you falling down a well.”

Her eyes came alive with mischief, but she still managed to feign an innocent smile to hide her excitement. “Oh, interesting. So you do remember that lovely episode after all. Not gonna lie to you, I loves it when I get to see you embarrassed. It’s something that sadly doesn’t happen very often.”

Henry Tudor and Maud Herbert had been friends since he couldn’t remember. As his mother built her career as an important business woman in the entrepreneurial scene of the 90s, Henry was often allowed to stay at Maud’s house. Her mother was a teacher at the school they studied together in Wales, and Henry spent many times working on school projects under her supervision. In fact, Henry spent so much time in her house that he considered the Herberts like a second family. Once her father had jokingly asked him if he would marry his daughter when they grew up, but Maud and Henry could only laugh at the idea. Maud was a sister to him; the sibling Henry never had.

“For fuck’s sake, Maud!” Henry sighed heavily. “We were ten! Are you ever going to let it go?” Henry remembered quite well he had to buy her two lollies as an apology at that time.

Maud only raised an eyebrow at him. “Woah there, butt. Don’t be tamping. I did that because I genuinely wanted to help you. Okay?”

Henry crossed his arms. “Explain me how faking you were my girlfriend would help anything.”

She simply shrugged. “I went with my gut. I had to test the waters and see how she felt about you. Trust me, that was some quality research.” As Henry rolled her eyes, Maud threw away the bubble gum she was chewing and took a serious stance to face him. “Harry, look. Do you like this girl?”

It was not the first time he was confronted by the idea. Lately Henry asked himself the same question. He often caught himself thinking of Lizzie for the most absurd reasons. Once he passed by a shop and saw a specific china piece Lizzie had always wanted to buy for her tea set. He hated that he knew that. He hated how often he thought about the way she tucked her hair behind her ears, or how the smell of her perfume filled the hall before she headed out for uni. Henry once even caught himself wondering if he could make her laugh by nuzzling the spot on the nape of her neck where she had a birthmark. That unbidden thought had startled him greatly. Maybe he was turning mad. The fact that Lizzie was frankly gorgeous didn’t help a thing, though.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m intrigued by her.”

Maud made a face. “Come on, Harry! I’m not being funny, you fancy her. I’d be shocked if you didn’t cause that girl is beyond fit, totally lush!” 

Because Maud had been in a five-year relationship with Percy, Henry easily forgot his friend was also into girls. When Henry came back from France Maud had a new haircut, a fierce dragon tattoo and was openly bi. As much as his time in France had been a life-changing experience, a part of Henry would always regret he wasn’t around to see his childhood friends coming into their own.

At that moment Henry tried to summon his most unimpressed look. “You don’t know Lizzie. She’s as much annoying as she is pretty.”

Maud didn’t give him a chance to try, though. “I know the princess sort of girl is not usually your type, but think! There must be something more about her. Don’t deny it. You knows it, bruv. And consider this- ”

Maud kept talking and talking. She could have this nonchalant way of stating her opinions by pushing argument after argument, and making it that much harder for Henry to disagree on anything. Henry just wanted her to stop talking, for fuck’s sake.

“Alright, alright! I might fancy Lizzie! So what?” Did he, though? Why admitting that felt like exposing a weakness?

“So what? So plenty! I’m not letting you sleep on this one.”

Henry quickly pointed out to the fact that Lizzie had a boyfriend, though the excuse sounded weak even to his own ears. Yet only thinking about Charles was enough for Henry to feel his blood beginning to boil. There was something foul about that Frenchman that could not be justified by his nationality alone.

“You sad arse! You will need to find another excuse, cause I’m sure Lizzie has feelings for you. She might not know it herself, but she does. I saw the way she looks at you.”

Henry doubted the concept very keenly. Surely Lizzie does have feelings for me. Feelings of annoyance and frustration, that is. As Maud spoke on, Henry narrowed his eyes at his friend. “What exactly are you suggesting, Maud the matchmaker genius?

She grinned and mischief shone once again in her eyes. “Why, a balcony scene, of course! I won’t accept nothing less than that. Now come give me a hug cause I’ve got to go. Off I go to our lovely Wales! By the way, when will you visit? Mum is always asking about you.”

“God, I’m so sorry! Tell her I’ll visit my uncle during the holidays and then I might drop by.”

“I won’t be making promises for you, Harry. You can tell her that yourself. Hand me your mobile so I can type her number.” 

Henry instinctively clutched his phone at her suggestion. Maud looked innocent enough, he could grant her that much. Yet Henry had always been too distrustful to simply let people have a chance to go through his phone like that. He took a second glance at his friend to decide whether she could be trusted; instead he was promptly rushed by Maud pointing at her watch. He grudgingly handed her his phone, but only too soon came to regret his decision. Maud looked exceedingly satisfied with herself for some odd reason.

Henry had an inkling suspicion. “Maud, what are you doing?” 

“Relax, mate.” She grinned. “I’ve just sent Lizzie a text.”

“A WHAT!?” He snatched back his phone. Hélas! It was too late. He blankly stared at the text on his screen for a few seconds, disbelief overwhelming his voice. “I need to talk to you? Seriously, Maud? Fuck off!”

Maud curtsied. “My job here is done.”

Henry could only glare at her for a full minute, fuming as he was, before he could address her again. “Why? Why do I even trust you with my phone in the first place? Off with you now! Get lost!”

Maud grabbed her things and headed out to the platform before turning to wave him goodbye. “You still owe me a fiver, Harry. Next time you’ll buy me a pint as a thank you.”

Henry scoffed, but waved back anyways. “Not happening! Don’t forget I’m a heartless miser.”

Henry heard her giggling softening down as she left. As he watched Maud getting aboard her train Henry got his phone out of his jacket and unlocked it again, a new resolve settling in his mind. He typed a text to Rodrigo:

Yes. I’m fixing this mess.