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mikebends · 3 months
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I wanna serve you breakfast in bed
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mikebends · 5 months
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RWRB FirstPrince Canon Compliant Recs
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Click below for some of my favorite fics that are book and/or movie canon compliant!
Every Version by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. M, 1.1k. Alex does a magazine photoshoot, and the day that the magazine arrives, he wants Henry to look at it first.
Acts of Service by TuppingLiberty. E, 1.4k. After a vacation, Henry shaves Alex’s scruff off, because he loves taking care of Alex.
5+1 Times Henry Was Attracted To Alex (Texas Edition) by @absoluteaudacitywrites. E, 1.4k. Alex in a Stetson though. That’s the stuff of Henry’s most filthy dreams. He swears his husband gets even more Texan with it on, his drawl getting slower, more syrupy. He calls Henry darlin’ and tips the brow to him as he passes and Henry knows it’s stupid but he finds himself weak at the knees from being in proximity to his own personal cowboy.
A Hoarse I Love You by a_velvet_blazer. NR, 1.6k. Alex knew he wasn’t particularly… pleasant when he got sick.
Before, in the white house, June helped out. She had a container of Vicks in her room and would bring him soup from the kitchen. She had down the perfect mix of checking on him to make sure he was still breathing and leaving him alone to wallow.
The times he was sick in the brownstone were easy enough to play off, with (a different) tub of Vicks in their bathroom with a nice collection of Advil and Tylenol.
He has a system.
That is, until he doesn't.
boxing with no gloves by @littlemisskittentoes. G, 2.2k. Henry is pushing his arms through the woolen sleeves of a peacoat. He faces Alex and there’s no softness left in his features. He’s genuinely angry this time. None of the endeared exhaustion of his antics Alex is so used to seeing from him. None of the fondness that always plays hide and seek in his eyes when he looks at Alex. Henry looks blank and placid. His press face, edged with a hint of venom.
And Alex has seen versions of this face. He’s seen a calmer facade of it, one that had boarded a plane back to England by the time Alex woke up.
There’s something cold settling in Alex’s stomach. A kind of panic crawling up his throat. There’s ice dancing at his fingertips, but his hands are sweating, and oh God, Henry’s leaving again.
Or, Alex and Henry get into a fight. Henry tries to leave, Alex needs him to stay. So he does.
I'd Wanna Be Felled By You, Held By You by @sparklepocalypse. E, 2.3k. In hindsight, Alex should probably have known that letting Henry borrow his clothes for the weekend would absolutely wreck him. But Henry had fretted about his wardrobe being too formal for a casual visit to the lake house, and Alex has developed somewhat of a Pavlovian response to the way Henry’s brows furrow and his mouth pinches when he’s anxious. Once the words “You can just wear my stuff, no worries,” were out there, there’d been no stuffing them back into his mouth.
Here’s the thing Alex should’ve taken into consideration: Henry would look hot dressed in a garbage bag. So the morning after their lake house arrival, when Henry steps out of the shower and into a pair of Alex’s swim trunks and Alex’s Arrels Barcelona shirt, Alex takes one look at him and drops his phone.
(Movieverse; Henry wears Alex's clothes at the lake house and Alex reacts accordingly.)
i'm so in love (i might stop breathing) by vibrantsaturn. T, 2.4k. He looks so fucking gorgeous like this, eyes half-lidded as he looks at Alex. He rests his head on Alex's chest, tightening his arms. Alex can see the tips of his ears turning pink.
"It's ! H G E J F M W C D 2 4 !" he mumbles in embarrassment, hiding his face in the crook of Alex's neck again. A beat of silence.
Then, almost shouting in joy, Alex yells, "Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor- Claremont-Diaz! That's your fucking password?"
"Shut up!" Henry hisses and Alex feels so many butterflies in his stomach that he's going to throw himself off of a cliff. Really, teenage girls with celebrity crushes have nothing on him at this moment.
or,
Henry is drunk and Alex is so in love he could die.
it was you he gave me by @coffeecatsme. E, 2.5k. The tattoo artist traces Alex’s thigh with a gloved finger as she grabs the needle, brows furrowed as if she’s trying to make sense of the lettering. “This is beautiful,” she says, awe in her voice. Alex feels a sort of pride surge through him. “Who’s the poet?”
Alex smiles. “If I tell you, can you keep a secret?”
Or, Alex finds a pen in their sex toy drawer and Henry finds a use for it.
in sickness, and in health by softcinnamonroll. T, 2.5k. It all started with a slight niggle in Alex’s right side. He was at the library, face deep in one of his law textbooks as he studied for his midterms and he sat back to stretch, only to feel a sharp nip in the side. He frowned as a hiss left his lips, hand moving to grip his side slightly and rub the skin where it hurt. He didn’t think too much about it, after all he had been sitting in the same position for hours. It was likely due to lack of movement.
A Goddamn Fairytale by toffrox. T, 2.5k. Henry wants to be angry. He does. He wants to feel it simmering in his chest, wants to be sitting there like Alex is next to him with his eyes smouldering. He wants to be like Bea, pacing the room with her fists clenched, absolutely livid. 
"You can't let her do this!" Bea cries.
"It's just one tiny part of the day," Henry says with a sigh. "Everything else will be exactly as planned. I'm just not sure it's worth having a big fight over."
Bea glares and looks like she's going to rant when Alex cuts in-
"Fuck. That."
A Lover's Embrace by septemberleaves. T, 2.6k. Alex realizes he doesn't know the name of Henry's cologne and has a slight crisis.
Behind a Locked Door by @rmd-writes. E, 2.8k. Alex glances at the celebrant who holds out the card with his vows printed on them. He looks at Henry as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his reading glasses. Henry’s eyes widen and as Alex puts his glasses on, there’s a sharp inhale from Henry. Alex winks. Henry looks like he might have stopped breathing.
What happens when Alex pulls his glasses out during their wedding ceremony? Henry finds a room with a locked door. 
wake and shake by weather_stained. E, 2.8k. Alex wakes up to find Henry indulging in some...classical literature.
Just Say Yes by @everwitch-magiks. G, 3.2k. “Well,” Alex says slowly, “You look… marriable? I guess.” He lets his feet carry him a couple of steps closer, reaching out to adjust Henry’s tie even though it’s already perfect. “I’m not a hundred percent on this shade of blue, though.”
Henry’s bottom lip catches between his teeth as he meets Alex’s eyes, his expression one of carefully concealed amusement. “Heaven forbid that you marry a man whose choice of neckwear doesn’t convey a sense of adventure,” he says gravely. “Would you perhaps prefer something patterned? Why don’t we request one with little embroidered pictures of David?”
Alex grins widely. “A personal touch. I love that, baby.”
The royal stylist is glancing between the two of them with abject horror.
you look so good it hurts by greenandmoss. M, 3.2k. After Berlin, Alex can't find his sweater.
Or: English Princes are thieves and Alex doesn't have the strength to cope with seeing Henry wearing his clothes.
Favours by Veronae. E, 3.3k. Buttercream swirls haunt his nightmares.
Henry got Alex a cupcake for his birthday, and they do sexy things with it.
in bloom by rizcriz. T, 3.5K. This is all Nora’s fault. No, actually, it’s the fucking Crown’s fault. No, no, it’s homophobia’s fault. Fuck, okay, he doesn’t know who to blame but he’s pinning it on the lapels of the universe with a frown and a fuck you.
Because Henry, beautiful, wonderful, rosy cheeked Henry—the man Alex would fucking die for and who deserves the whole god damned world—has never been given flowers. It may seem small, innocuous, but the look in his eyes as June smells the bouquet of lilacs Nora brought to the bar for her says fucking otherwise.
Henry’s words are still hanging over the group of them; “I wouldn’t know,” he’d said with a small shrug and a smile that said he wasn’t too upset, but Alex saw the little crease in his brow, the way his gaze dropped to the table on the shrug, he knows it matters; “I’ve never been given any.”
Or, five times Alex bought Henry flowers.
when you say my name (i like the way it sounds) by kittentoes. G, 3.6k. When he looks back, he gives himself a moment to take it in. He basks in the sound of familiar laughter echoing around their kitchen in the simmering warmth and comfortability that comes with being sucked into Pez’s antics and lulled back by Bea’s steadiness. He revels in the swirl of Nora’s genius and calm of June’s kindness.
It’s not quite the same as LA all those years ago. It doesn’t take him by surprise or feel novel anymore. But it's still that feeling of rightness, a crystal clear understanding that this, these people, will always be a kind of home to him.
or, The Super Six take on a Halloween party. Henry, for once, let’s himself let loose. Drunk, uninhabited, and free to love Alex in public, Henry is happy. Alex stays sober to look after him, and he is so in love he could die.
give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart by @omgcmere. M, 3.8k. Tracing the evolution of sweetheart in five scenes over the years.
Everything’s Growing in our Garden by bleedingballroomfloor. E, 4k. Alex hums in contentment, turning his face in Henry's lap. "You haven't played polo for a long time now," he says casually.
"I haven't," Henry agrees.
"But your thighs are still so fucking strong," Alex says around a groan, and suddenly, Henry knows where this conversation is going very, very quickly.
In which Alex and Henry celebrate an anniversary with a picnic and some thigh worship.
L’Amour de Ma Vie by quill_and_ink. E, 4k. He studies his expressions like he'll be tested on them later, and he'll be damned if he misses a single question.
In other words, it's the Paris bed blooper.
Bisexual Disaster Alex Claremont-Diaz by TuppingLiberty. E, 4k. Five times Alex wears an amusing bi pride shirt to Brooklyn Pride, and one time both he and Henry do it.
to build a home by @indomitable-love. T, 4.1k. He loves the life they’ve made for themselves. It’s messy and busy – there’s always a cardigan of Henry’s thrown over a chair and a paperback open on the arm of the chair with the spine cracked; Alex’s notes on the dining room table, and three different loyalty cards for the coffee shop down the street on the table by the door because Alex keeps forgetting his in different pockets. His life with Henry is full of laughter and soft touches: David curled up at Alex’s side as he reads through class notes while Henry snaps a photo; Henry's arms around him when he gets in from class; the two of them bartering over whose turn it is to take David out when he needs to go out and it’s raining.
It’s mundane a lot of the time – something Alex never thought he would want – but he loves it.
Or, at least, he loves it when Henry is here.
Which, right now, he isn’t.
He hasn’t been here for five weeks. Which… like, it’s fine. It’s not a whole a thing.
Henry goes back to England and ends up having to stay far longer than expected. But he'll always come back to Alex.
First Monday in May by @three-drink-amy. E, 4.3k. “How do I get invited to the Met Gala?”
“If I knew that, Alex, I’d have been there before,” she says, looking back at her magazine.
Alex throws himself on her bed and tosses the magazine behind him to the floor. “June! Come on. Help me!”
“Why do you want to go to the goddamn Met Gala? When I showed you pictures from it before, you asked why they were dressed like that. Why do you want to go?” She laughs to herself. “What, did Henry get invited?”
He falls silent in reply.
The White House Trio, Henry, and Pez attend the 2020 Met Gala.
If You Love Something by allmylovesatonce. M, 4.3k. Alex calls Henry to tell him a funny incident from his day. When a miscommunication sends them both reeling, both of them are questioning if the other is wanting to end their relationship. Their friends take things upon themselves to get them to see eye to eye.
no one's gonna love you more than i do by peppermintpatties. G, 4.3k. 5 times Henry became Alex’s support system in law school + 1 time Alex made sure the whole world knows it
Backseat Serenade by bleedingballroomfloor. E, 4.4k. "You seriously don't remember?"
"Alex, for the life of me, I do not."
Alex's face splits into a devilish grin. "Oh, baby." His voice is absolutely sultry. "All I'm hearing is that I gotta make you remember."
'cause I love to watch you dream by Rainbow_waffles. T, 4.5k. “Don' turn off the light,” Alex mumbles again and Henry is really, really struggling not to laugh.
“Why?" he questions softly, inching his face closer to Alex so he could hear him. Alex doesn't answer.
“Why, love?” he presses.
“They need t'see,” Alex grumbles and shifts a bit.
“Who needs to see?” Henry thinks that if Alex mentions any other people or ghosts being around he's going to either wake Alex up or go sleep in the guest room, he's not having any of this.
“The bugs,” Alex mumbles exasperatingly as if it should be obvious.
Five times Alex talks in his sleep +1 time Henry does.
yrs. faithfully (if a little early) by @clottedcreamfudge. E, 4.6k. “You’re going to be over an hour early for your first lecture,” Henry points out from his seat at the kitchen table as Alex shoves an apple and a bottle of water into his bag, looking around for his shoes with a frown.
“Well, yeah,” he says distractedly, locating said shoes and squatting down to slip them on and tie his laces. “I was gonna cram some studying in at the library at the end of the day, but now I can do it before the day really starts. Efficient as fuck.” Henry snorts delicately into his cup of Earl Grey and puts it down on the table when Alex straightens and rolls his shoulders.
“Admirable,” Henry says.
a goddamn blaze in the dark (and you started it) by orionseye. T, 4.6k. “You had a thing with who?” Spencer asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“No one. It’s nothing.“
“Oh c’mon. We finally get to the juicy shit and you won’t tell me?“
Liam bites his lip, stifling a laugh. “I had a thing with my best friend. All through high school.”
“I thought you had a girlfriend?”
“I did! I thought I was a proud heterosexual until I came here and figured shit out. We–we just, didn’t talk about it. Somewhere in our minds, the whole “making out for an hour” thing was, like, straight or something.”
a.k.a, liam and spencer’s adventures through the tendency of a famous ex-boyfriend to cause international scandals.
How to save a life by dollarstoreannabethchase. G, 4.7k. “Henry,” Cash’s voice called from the other side of the closed door to their brownstone, and something in his voice set goosebumps to Henry’s skin. “You need to come with me. It’s Alex.” Henry had gotten up from the piano immediately and flung the door open, wearing nothing but a ratty old t-shirt and sweatpants. “What is it?” he asked, dread creeping down his spine in a slithering motion. “There’s been an accident.”
Or: Henry's day after Alex is in a car crash, not knowing whether or not he'll make it.
I Choose You by @cityofdownwardspirals. T, 4.7k. Finally, after a long moment, Alex speaks up. “So…he seemed nice,” he says, matter-of-factly. He still isn’t looking directly at Henry.
“He is. Not like we talk a lot. I haven’t seen him in years,” Henry admits, turning fully towards Alex to show him he has his full attention for this conversation.
Alex takes a gulp of his champagne before turning towards Henry as well. “And what happened all those years ago?”
OR
Alex and Henry attend their first official event in the UK as a couple after the elections. Henry is proud to finally be able to introduce his boyfriend to the world. When Alex meets an unexpected guest, he gets an answer to the question of "which other famous boys Henry has shagged" and he seems to struggle just a little bit with it.
What If I Do? by colorfulmoniker. T, 4.9k. What was Henry thinking when he left Alex at the lake house? What were the days that followed like for him before Alex showed up at his door and forced him to face not only Alex, but himself?
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy by cmere. E, 6.3k. "Would now be the moment," Henry says, breath catching, "to tell you about a little fantasy I've had concerning you and horses?"
Alex snickers. "Uh, I don't know, babe. If this is going the way it sounds, I'm not sure you should say anything you won't be able to take back."
"Oh, Christ, shut it," Henry says, laughing, still not stopping the motions of his hand. "The horse aspect is nonsexual."
"Okay, well in that case. Yes. Obviously." Alex grips his own thigh, refusing to give in and touch Henry, or himself. For now. As long as he can stand it.
As it turns out, Alex isn't the only one who has a thing for his beloved on a horse. Henry's birthday seems like a good time to make use of that new information.
i ask you how you’re doing (and i let you lie) by matherine. M, 6.6k. The first time Henry sees it happen, he knows instantly that it is not the first time it has ever happened. They’re sitting in the living room of the brownstone, the two of them surrounded by their favorite people in the world, a night of board games long abandoned in favor of mocking the eighth season of Game of Thrones.
“God, don’t you have an off switch?” June groans, laughing as she chucks a piece of popcorn in Alex’s direction while he rambles passionately about the international legal implications of the Red Wedding. Nora cackles. “Whatever you do to thank Henry for putting up with you, it’s not nearly enough. Jesus, I can’t believe he put a ring on your loud mouth.”
Or: Alex is fine. Really, he’s fine — he just wants Henry to stay, even if Alex is too much. Henry just wants his husband back.
sink beneath the waves by indomitablelove. M, 7.1k He leaves the note in the kitchen, and slips back out into the dark morning and into the waiting car. He wonders if Alex will ever know quite how much everything truly means.
The lake house to Kensington, from Henry's POV.
in wildest dreams (i never dreamed of this) by millsx. T, 8k. “H?” Alex asks, turning around. He’s been sitting with his back against Henry’s chest, listening to his low voice rambling about saltwater and coastlines.
Henry stops and looks at him, prompting him to go on with a tip of his head.
 “You’re my favorite person ever,” Alex says quietly.
 It’s Alex’s birthday in New York City, and life is just a little bit better than he would have ever imagined.
i will find you darling (and i will bring you home) by indomitablelove. E, 8.2k. ‘You’ve never had it from both sides of the ocean before, and– well, the devil works hard but the British tabloids work harder,’ he says with a sad smile.
The press and public opinion are fickle masters. One day they love you, the next they hate you. Alex struggles with the constant negativity of the news cycle, Henry makes him feel better.
take me out and take me home by coffeecatsme. M, 10k. “Shh.” Alex presses a finger over Henry’s lips. Their corners twitch, as if Henry’s desperately fighting a smile. “This is our house, baby. We gotta make it our own."
Soon after Ellen's election, Henry and Alex move into a brownstone in New York. This is a story of how they make it home.
every day is a birthday by indomitablelove. E, 10k. Henry blinks a couple of times and sits up quickly. He gives a cursory glance to David on the back seat, checking he’s still there – as though he hasn’t been asleep since the second they pulled out of their street – and leans over to look out of the window.
‘Alex,’ he breathes. He’s quiet for a minute, then murmurs, ‘it’s beautiful.’ Henry turns to him with narrowed eyes, both suspicion and mirth glinting happily in them. ‘What are you planning?’
Alex simply reaches over and clasps Henry’s hand with his own, then brings them to his lips. ‘Happy birthday, baby.’
Alex surprises Henry with a belated birthday weekend away... with the help of a few visitors.
Every nation ought to have a right to provide for its own happiness. by imaginentertain. T, 11k. "And that's when Henry knows: He doesn't ever want to go back."
"This is very formal," she says eventually. "Sending a request for an audience with your grandmother."
"Yes, well, this needs to be done formally," Henry says, "it needs to be done right."
And in that moment Henry sees his mother stiffen a little beside him and he knows she's realised. She's put the pieces together. If he's not here to ask for permission to marry then—
Henry takes a deep breath, rolls his shoulders back to lift him up to full height, and draws on all the courage he can muster. "I have come to inform you that I wish to abdicate," he says, just as he'd written and rehearsed, "and I would therefore like to petition Parliament as soon as possible."
Title is from Alexander Hamilton's letter on foreign policy. Because what else could I use?
Book canon compliant.
behind the diamond-shaped glass by Celaestis. M, 11k. Five times Alex and Henry used tea and biscuits to communicate, and one time they don't need to.
Smiles Await You When You Rise by supernatural_mondler (starzinoureyes). T, 11k. It’s incredible, really; he spent almost all day trying, willing himself into slumber, but after less than an hour of listening to Alex’s soothing voice and looking at his beautiful face, Henry is just moments away from the most peaceful sleep he’s had in weeks. God, why don’t they just do this every night? Henry might be able to get his sleep cycle back to normal if he only had Alex talk to him whenever it was time for bed.
Or, five times Alex helps Henry fall asleep.
No Regrets by @uglygreenjacket. M, 11k. “I think we should have a royal wedding.” It’s a thing Alex says to Henry over breakfast one Saturday morning shortly after they get engaged.
And he really hopes he doesn't come to regret it.
Love, Pyramus by @sprigsofviolets. T, 15k. Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor has always been different, and he spends his life finding himself in the pages of a book, connecting with queer people through literature.
Alejito y Marimar series by th0ughts. T, 18k. He continues to mutter ramblings about high society and the impossible balancing act of keeping up appearances before he falters to a tapering quiet, brown eyes coming alight with a realization.
Martha’s stomach churns, sensing a grand idea that could either be pure genius or terribly ill-advised. (With most of Alex’s ideas, it’s usually both.)
Alex is Martha’s plus one at her high school’s pre-reunion soirée, and she learns a thing or two about gumption.
I love you, aint that the worst thing you ever heard? by dollarstoreannabethchase. E, 18k. Because Alex is Alex, and as they say in Scandal, he’s the kind of person who would blindly follow someone he loves over a cliff. All Henry can think about is that Alex doesn’t understand what’s waiting for him at the bottom of that cliff; that Alex is hopelessly optimistic—naive, even—but Henry knows they won’t survive the fall. And he cannot, for the life of him, figure out why, out of all the things Alex could choose to go over a cliff for, he seems so set on choosing Henry.
Or: Henry’s perspective of the lake house and the week he and Alex are broken up.
Las Flores series by 14carrotgold. M, 26k. Oscar gets in close and bluntly asks, “Earlier. In the bathroom. Did you do it?”
Alex scoffs, “No. Don't be a perv. Why would you wanna know that anyway?”
Oscar rolls his eyes. “Mind out of the gutter, chamaco. Did you propose?”
Ah.
Henry is introduced to the extended Diaz side of the family at their matriarch's birthday. Shenanigans (and romance and feelings) ensue.
all that glitters (is not gold) by indomitablelove. E, 111k. Alex Claremont-Diaz has it all. His mom won the election, he’s got the perfect boyfriend. He gets to love Henry out loud. Everything is great. Perfect.
Except for the itch under his skin every time he goes outside, and the tightness in his chest when he goes online, and the fact that he can’t fucking sleep.
But it's fine. He's fine. Really.
Or: after the emails, Alex Claremont-Diaz isn’t fine.
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
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mikebends · 8 months
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One of the things I love about the Red, White & Royal Blue movie is that we could write a guide on romance tropes/tools just using scenes from it. For example:
Intimacy
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Casual Intimacy
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Love Making
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Cheeky Visuals
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Unexpected Kiss
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Feelings Realization
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Stronger Together
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Visual Metaphors
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Desperation
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Giddy Reunion
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Flirting
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Sweet Interlude in a Crisis
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Laughing Together
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Alone in a Crowded Room
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Comfort
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Dick Measuring Contest
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Vulnerability
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Support
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Banter
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Only Have Eyes for You
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Lost in Lust
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And I'm sure there are many many more
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mikebends · 8 months
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I'm so glad we didn't get the wide-angle naked writhing bodies shot for the Paris love making scene. Much as I'd like to see skin(of these men esp), focusing on close-up shots, their facial expressions and emotions made the scene so much more than a run-of-the-mill sex scene.
I haven't seen this done much in hetero sex scenes and I'm glad they did it here. The long shots actually make a sex scene look very clinical and impersonal. This one was borderline voyeuristic... like... The viewer is intruding into a very personal and intimate moment of the couple, which is what making love is.
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- Matthew Michael Lopez
I can't praise enough Matthew Lopez, Robbie Taylor Hunt, Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine for their commitment to this scene.
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mikebends · 8 months
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Excerpts from Alex and Henry's emails
+ Bonus:
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mikebends · 9 months
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mikebends · 1 year
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ANTONI POROWSKI Queer Eye 7.05 “Deli Dan is a Dream Man”
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mikebends · 2 years
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Post Squat
David Cruciani
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mikebends · 2 years
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mikebends · 2 years
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mikebends · 2 years
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mikebends · 4 years
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Xmas Tales: The Black Sheep, Part 1
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“Don’t worry, the kid’s in good hands,” Lincoln said, slipping his big arm round Cooper’s back and giving him a little squeeze.
Kid? Cooper thought. He was 18 now. Literally only just, but still. He’d be heading to college in the fall. Hardly a kid anymore. Just about a man, really. But then he guessed he’d always be “the kid” to his uncle, a guy he saw in person maybe once a year, and sometimes not even that. Hell, he was as tall as Lincoln was now, probably actually just a bit taller in fact, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t done growing yet.
“Hm,” his mother said, in that way she had, halfway between noncommittal and skeptical. She’d always been like that about Uncle Lincoln, like she didn’t really trust him, much less understand him and his life choices.
On one level, Cooper could see why she’d be like that – Lincoln and his father were very different people, and if you didn’t know any better, didn’t closely examine the way their faces were alike, you’d never guess they were brothers. Cooper’s Dad was tall and trim, a typical middle-aged, middle-class white-collar American suburban dad type, but his younger brother couldn’t have been more different – shorter, brawnier, darker-haired, a bit of the rogue about him. He’d been in the military a long time, and then afterwards had stayed in that kind of life, working some kind of job he never really talked about – “I’m in logistics” was usually all he said, with an impassive kind of half-smile. All Cooper knew was the man spent a lot of time in strange foreign places, and his chunky, battered hands and rugged, sun-worn features showed he wasn’t spending his time in an air-conditioned office in the city, like his older brother did.
Still, Cooper bridled a little bit at his mother’s attitude towards his uncle. He’d always found the guy fascinating, with his mysterious job and stories about the exotic places he’d been. He was sharp, and funny, and he didn’t really condescend to Cooper like most adults still did. And the older he got, the more Cooper paid attention to the way his uncle looked, the way he moved, the potency in his thick, tanned, dark-haired forearms, the breadth of his shoulders, the confident way he walked. He had a kind of coiled power about him, moving with a jock’s athleticism and a soldier’s precision. Cooper liked all that, sometimes found himself trying to imitate the way Lincoln walked, his quiet masculine confidence. Maybe his mother couldn’t see the similarities between her husband and his brother, but the older Cooper got, the closer he looked, the more alike the men seemed to him. The older he got, the more he could see how like them he was, too. More and more all the time, seemed like.
“C’mon, we’ll be late,” his father said, jiggling his car keys, reaching for the door. “They’ll be fine, honey. And if we don’t get there before John’s wife gets a buzz on, you know it’s going to be a lousy night.”
“Maybe you should give her my number,” Lincoln said with a frisky grin, and Cooper could see his mother barely containing her eye-roll, clearly glad they’d decided not to bring Cooper and Lincoln along to the get-together his father’s boss threw every year. Cooper was glad about that, too. Had been hoping for it, in fact. Because the last time Uncle Linc was in town, well…
“Stay out of trouble,” she said to Cooper, looking him hard in the eyes, and this time it was his turn to try and stifle an eye-roll.
“We’ll be fine, Mom,” Cooper said. “Go on, have fun.”
“Yep, just a quiet boys’ night in for us,” Uncle Linc grinned, squeezing Cooper’s shoulders with that big arm again, and Cooper could feel a tingle all through the top layer of his skin, all over. Deep down inside of him, too. “We’ll see you later. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t…”
Cooper’s Dad chuckled at that, his mother pantomimed a smile, and they were out the door.
“Well,” his uncle said as soon as the front door closed, his arm still round Cooper’s shoulders. “Boy’s night, huh bud? Guess I better fix myself a drink, then.”
Bud. Much better than kid, and Cooper did a pretty good job suppressing his pleased smile. Linc gave his shoulder a firm squeeze, then as he withdrew his arm, a circular rub between his shoulder blades that went quick but felt slow to Cooper. He could feel the tingle deepening there, lingering even as Lincoln headed back towards the stairs down to the den.
“You comin’?” Linc said, looking back over his shoulder, and Cooper’s feet were moving in his direction almost before he knew it.
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