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 4/8 || rated e || read on ao3
*updates every tues. and fri. *
Denver, CO
Rocky Mountain Expo
Henry thanks the powers that be for allowing Pez to crash the tour for the next two days. And by that, he means he cannot thank Alex enough for arranging for Pez to join them at Rocky Mountain Expo in Denver. He figures it might’ve been him mentioning one too many times how much of a Crescent Valley fan Pez was that Alex perhaps took pity and worked some magic behind the scenes to get him to fly out.
Whatever it is, Henry is immensely grateful. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed Pez’s presence. Certainly they’d kept up well with FaceTimes and texts over the last few weeks, but there’s nothing quite like genuine face to face connection with a person– especially when that someone is none other than Percy Okonjo.
At his side now, Henry watches Pez drink it all in. The convention center, like every other stop so far, is brimming with people from all sorts of fandoms. It’s chaotic and exciting, all baselines for a guy like Pez.
Alex had left from their hotel earlier than Henry so that he could attend the scheduled fan breakfast and Henry could be available to get Pez sorted. It’s such a small thing, but it was almost as strange being apart from Alex this morning as it has been to be away from Pez these past couple of weeks. Henry hadn't realized just how dependent he’d grown on Alex’s company.
Henry’s phone buzzes in his pocket as he and Pez visit different vendors in Artist Alley where creatives sell their custom made pieces. He takes a look at the screen and sees a text from Alex.
Alex
everything going well with you and pez?
Henry smiles and notes the time. There’s still thirty minutes before Alex’s panel and having the experience firsthand, he can just imagine Alex behind the scenes, keeping busy to work out his excited energy.
Henry
Indeed. Would it be alright if I brought him round to meet you now? Or would after be better?
Alex
now pls!
“We’re being summoned,” Henry says, pocketing his phone again.
Pez doesn’t need any more prompting and Henry leads them through the crowds to get to the hall Alex’s panel is being held. He’s surprised but pleased to find Alex already waiting for them by a private set of doors. Henry’s heart does a funny little swoop seeing Alex standing there, greeting them with a smile.
“Alex. I wanted you to meet Pez.”
Alex beams his thousand-watt smile at Pez.
“I feel like I already know you. Henry talks about you all the time. Nothing but good things, I promise,” he says.
Pez looks more and more like the Cheshire Cat as his smile overtakes his face.
“Alex Claremont-Diaz, as I live and breathe,” Pez says in a scarily good Southern debutante accent.
“You’ll have to forgive Pez. He has consumed far too much American media from the time he was a small, impressionable child. I fear the damage cannot be undone.”
Alex laughs. “It’s paid off pretty well. That sounded authentic as hell. You could give me a run for my money.”
Pez, unshakable formidable Pez, actually giggles at the compliment.
“You’re a charmer. Go on now. Keep saying more nice things. I won’t object.”
Henry watches them go, riffing off each other as if they’ve known each other forever. It feels like Henry has entered into an alternate universe of some kind, watching his worlds collide.
“I’m sure you guys must’ve made plans, but if you’re interested, I’d love to take y’all out for dinner tonight,” Alex says.
Pez’s eyes light up. “I’m sure we could shuffle a few things around,” he says, looking at Henry for confirmation. He nods and Pez smiles.
“We’d be delighted. Dinner sounds positively lovely. Thank you,” Pez continues.
Henry turns to Alex. “We could all meet back in the hotel lobby at quarter to 7 perhaps?”
Alex nods. “Yeah, that’d be great. Things should be pretty hectic at the expo today. I’ll look into making reservations nearby afterwards."
Voices carry a bit louder from inside the hall.
"I should probably get back," Alex says. "But have fun you guys and enjoy the panel. Pez, it was really nice meeting you. I will absolutely be expecting a truckload of embarrassing stories and any overall dirt you might have on Henry, so start brainstorming now,” he says with a wink.
Henry already rues turning them into co-conspirators.
Pez smiles and wiggles his fingers at Alex before he leaves them to head to the greenroom. The moment Alex rounds the corner, Pez does an unseemly victory dance right there in the corridor.
“How can you possibly stand being around him all day every day without wanting to jump his bones? He’s even more attractive in person. That’s just unnatural. Dare I say, it’s supernatural.”
Henry touches his hand to his forehead.
“Come on. Let’s go grab our seats. They’ll be starting shortly.”
~*~*~
The secret of his true dynamic with Alex haunts Henry like a tell-tale heart. Each time Pez mentioned Alex’s name after the panel and now back here in their hotel room, Henry feels as if he could choke on the secret.
“I’ve hit rock bottom,” he says, apropos of nothing as he and Pez watch an episode of Crescent Valley on his laptop in bed.
“Welcome! There’s plenty of room down here,” Pez says, yanking Henry to rest his head in his lap. “Come now, tell Auntie Pezza what ails you, my darling.”
Henry sighs and hits the spacebar, freezing the show. It’s a small mercy that it isn’t a scene with Alex. He’s not so sure he’d be able to get through this conversation with Alex’s face right there in front of them.
“I think I’ve made a mistake.”
Pez’s fingers scratch lightly against Henry’s scalp.
“My dear Henry, you’re a writer. I need you to put your fancy degree to good use and elaborate for me, love.”
Henry looks away, unable to maintain eye contact for what he’s about to say.
“Part of me is falling for someone that I shouldn’t. Maybe ‘falling for’ is a bit too much. I need more time to parse it, but I feel…different sometimes.”
Pez’s hand stops combing through his hair.
“Hang on now. You haven’t met anyone new recently that I know of. I mean, there’s that secret midnight hookup back in New York and of course, scrumptious Alex. The latter would be bonkers, but it can’t be the former. You never got his info.”
Henry bites back on his lower lip. Pez is so close to the mark.
“That’s not exactly true. I sort of…ran into him the next day.”
“Have you any Advil here? I swear you’re giving me a headache talking in riddles like this. You had lunch with Alex the next day and then came straight home, no?”
Pez’s eyes grow wide, realization sinking in. Henry sits up and not a moment too soon as Pez’s hands fly to his mouth and he muffles a scream.
“No! Oh, my god, wait. No. There’s just no way! You don’t mean to say…Alex is Javier?”
Henry looks down at his hands, suddenly very fascinated with them.
“Well, now, that just shattered all my illusions. Pity he wasn’t good in bed. As fit as he is…hmm.”
“He wasn’t good that first night, no. But since then…”
“Since then! ” Pez shrieks, completely scandalized. “Grab the smelling salts! Get me a lounge chair! I’m going to pass out, I swear it. This is simply too much for me to take,” he says, putting a hand over his heart.
Pez shakes his head almost cartoonishly.
“Do you mean to tell me you two have been shagging this whole time?”
“Not the whole time,” Henry says reflexively. “Look, Pez, you cannot say a word to anyone, do you understand?”
Pez’s face grows serious, all his theatrics subsiding at the drop of a hat.
“I give you my word. You know that. I wouldn’t tell a soul.”
Henry nods. “No, I know. I’m sorry,” he says, rubbing anxiously at his temple. “I’m just…there’s so much riding on this, you know? The book, my contract. Most importantly though, he’s only out to his friends and family right now. This isn’t even my secret to tell. But, heavens, Pez, I feel like I’ve been dying keeping this in. Things are so good with us. I’ve been loving being on this tour.”
“Well, I should think so,” Pez says, smirking a little. “If I were spending my nights tangled in the sheets with none other than Alex Claremont-Diaz, I’d be having the time of my already fabulous life too.”
Henry shoves him gently.
“You’re horrible, but I’ll admit, that’s been an added bonus. But honestly? I simply like being around him. He’s clever and funny and smart and infuriating in the best ways at times…I don’t know. It’s been fun getting to know him.”
Pez’s brows furrow a bit.
“Are you sure you can handle this, Hazza? It actually does sound an awful lot like you’re falling pretty hard here. I assume you two have struck up a deal of some sort with guidelines?”
“It’s just casual. Platonic even. I’m merely giving him pointers in the bedroom and by the time I leave from the tour, that’ll be the end of that. We’ll both move on from this,” Henry says.
Pez doesn’t look entirely convinced.
“I don’t think you can put a hard deadline on feelings. No offense, but casual has never quite been your factory setting.”
Henry shakes his head. “It’s fine. This is so unlike me. I’m only being silly now, getting swept up in the secrecy of it all.”
Pez grins. “That I can understand. This is terribly salacious. I’m eating it up with a bib and a spoon.”
Pez hums and taps his chin. “Now, let’s back it up just a taste for one moment, honey. When you say he’s improved since New York…”
Henry buries his face in his hands and groans.
“Oh, come on! You’ve got to give me something here,” Pez insists. “You’ve been sitting on an absolute treasure trove of a secret for weeks now!”
Henry looks up and takes a deep breath.
“He…takes instructions very well. He’s a rather quick and adept learner. An enthusiastic one at that.”
Pez’s smile grows even wider which Henry didn’t think was humanly possible.
“I’d absolutely hate you if I didn’t love you so much. I’m dying. Good on you though.”
Henry laughs at the absurdity of Pez’s praise.
“Anyway, I needed to tell someone before I popped, so thank you for indulging me.”
“No, no. Thank you, my dear, for this cup of delicious, piping hot tea. I’m all the more excited for dinner now, to get to know the kitten who has gotten my best friend so smitten.”
~*~*~
After an incredible dinner at one of the trendiest restaurants Henry has ever been to, Pez insists they keep the night going with drinks downtown. It’s truly a marvel to see how easily his best friend is able to be at home anywhere, even a place he’s only now visiting for the first time.
From the moment they entered the club, Pez took his place on the dancefloor like a king holding court among his subjects. He dances with perfectly good strangers, cozying up to a few of them. Henry is already wondering if he’ll have to arrange to sleep elsewhere tonight.
He shakes his head to himself as he reaches for his drink where he and Alex sit in a corner booth, away from the crowd but with a perfect view to see it all.
“You told Pez about us,” Alex says out of the blue, a statement not a question.
Henry bites nervously on his bottom lip, stunned. He thinks back to dinner. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He actually thought Pez did a good job of hiding the fact that he was in on the secret. Yet still, Alex clearly picked up on something.
“I did. I’m sorry. I promise, he wouldn’t tell anyone. Subtly may not be his strong suit,” he says, glancing over Pez with his bubblegum pink hair and flashy sequined jacket, an all-out blur on the dancefloor, “but discretion is. He knows you aren’t out. He’d never in a million years breathe a word of any of this.”
Alex nods and smiles. “If you trust him, so do I. Honestly, I’m not worried. In all fairness, I told my sister and Nora.”
Henry can’t even begin to absorb that information or the possible implications of it. It’s just enough to know that this dynamic between them felt worthwhile enough for Alex to tell the two closest people to him.
“And do they think us mad for this?”
“Actually, no. They damn near threw me a party,” Alex says, reaching for his beer and laughing to himself. “Your fan club increased by two automatically.”
Henry lifts a brow. “Am I to assume you’re a member too?”
“Sweetheart, I’m the president. The founding member.”
Henry smiles demurely and shakes his head.
“Once again, I must say, you do wonders for my self-esteem. Thank you.”
Alex eyes him curiously.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Henry says. “What’s on your mind?”
“How the fuck are you single? Not that I’m actually complaining because, selfishly, there’s no way in hell we’d be able to do any of the things we’ve been doing since New York. I’m counting my lucky stars and all that jazz, but still. It’s absolutely crazy to me that you aren’t seeing anyone. I’m sure that’s a conscious choice on your part. It’s got to be. A guy like you wouldn’t have any issues finding a boyfriend if you wanted one.”
Henry rubs the back of his neck.
“I don’t know what it is. Perhaps I’m too closed off.”
“Bullshit. The night we met, you opened up to me. You were so easy to talk to. I felt like I’d always known you.”
This brings Henry up short. He’d felt that same connection with Alex too, but to hear the man echo the sentiment almost identically to how he’d thought about it is slightly disorienting.
“I think we’ve established that night was a special case. It was different with you. I was different with you than I normally am with literally every other guy I’ve pursued. I don’t know why. I just felt comfortable so it was easy, for the first time in God only knows how long to open up. It was a fluke.”
“Or fate,” Alex says. His eyes widen and he blinks twice quickly. “I’m like…I’m not trying to say we’re soulmates or anything,” he stammers. “I just mean, I don’t know. It’s rare for me too to click with someone like that. I think there’s something to be said for two people like us just happening across each other then crossing paths again the very next day. What are the odds of that?”
Henry is quiet as he mulls over Alex’s words.
“I don’t mean to freak you out. Shit, just forget I said anything.”
Henry shakes his head.
“You didn't. I think you might actually have a point and I don’t know what to make of it.”
He searches Alex's eyes then looks away, back down to his laptop.
“Anyway, to answer your question, I suppose I’m single because it simply isn’t my time right now. I’ve never truly been lucky in that department. Our night aside, I really do have a tendency to guard myself.”
“Why?” Alex asks. “There’s so much good in there. I could see it on day one. That’s what drew me to you in the first place.”
“So it wasn’t just my dashing good looks and accent?”
Alex cocks his head to the side and gives him a look.
“I’m serious. I’ve been seeing it ever since. You’re depriving people, Henry. Most of all, yourself and I think that’s the worst part in all of this. It’d be a shame to never share that.”
Henry’s brows furrow. In a way, hadn’t he been letting Alex in this whole time? Henry realizes belatedly that maybe it didn’t count. After all, none of this was actually real.
If only his heart knew that.
“Shall I get us another round?” he says, rising from his seat, suddenly needing to be away from this suffocating booth.
Alex runs a hand through his hair.
“Fuck. Henry, wait. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t,” Henry says, perhaps too quickly. He tries again, setting his hand down on the table.
“We’re good. I just…I need a moment is all. Besides, I should probably get Pez a large glass of water before he passes out.”
Alex’s knuckles touch the back of his hand. It’s so subtle and faint, any passerby wouldn’t even notice. But that small point of contact becomes the sole focus of Henry’s entire world.
“You’re sure we’re okay?” Alex asks again.
Henry stares back at him.
“Always.”
~*~*~
Columbus, OH
GalaxyCon
Day 1
Another week, another time zone and Henry is convinced tour life might actually be the death of him.
When they arrived in Ohio yesterday evening, Henry had felt a bit off. He ignored the feeling, not wanting anything to put a damper on the upcoming con and Alex’s excitement over it. He’d be joined again by his castmates and was looking forward to the big dinner they had planned before they were all parting ways again.
Henry liked how pumped Alex got ahead of and during cons, the way he’d light up at the prospect of seeing familiar faces in the crowds and new ones alike. Since the announcement, Henry has noticed the uptick in fervor from both Alex and fans. The last thing Henry wants to do is give Alex any cause for concern or worry.
He gets through most of the morning at GalaxyCon pretty well until close to noon when Alex’s panel is set to start.
“You okay?” Alex asks. “You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I think all this traveling is catching up to me.”
Alex puts the back of his hand on Henry’s forehead.
“You feel warm, Henry. You must be coming down with something.”
Henry can hear the worry in Alex's voice.
“I’m fine.”
“I can literally see and feel that you aren’t.”
Henry can hear fans being let into the hall. Maybe all he needs now is just some time away to sit alone with some peace and quiet.
“If it’s alright with you, I’m going to pop back to the hotel and get some rest.”
Alex’s lips and brows are pinched with concern.
“Of course it’s okay. Do you need anything?”
Henry shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me. You have your panel to focus on. I’ll be fine.”
Alex doesn’t look convinced and Henry can see the debate he’s having with himself.
He touches Alex’s arm lightly. “I’ll check in with you later. Go have fun out there with your friends.”
Almost on cue, the rest of the cast starts to line up behind the stage. Henry watches them go past but Alex doesn’t budge.
“Go, Alex. I’ll be fine.”
Alex sighs and nods, finally accepting defeat.
“The second we’re done here though, I’m calling you.”
“Fair enough,” Henry says. “I’ll be as good as new by the time you do. You’ll see.”
~*~*~
There’s an annoying pounding sound that makes Henry’s already aching head feel worse as he opens his eyes.
“Henry, let me in,” he hears faintly.
Henry groans and rolls over in bed, instantly regretting the move. His vision feels like a dizzying kaleidoscope. He shuts his eyes again and takes a breath before looking around his room.
He doesn’t know how long he’s been knocked out, but the sun is no longer in the sky and that’s telling enough.
“Henry?” the voice calls again. There are three more quick knocks on the door. “You’re freaking me out. Open up.”
Alex.
Henry sways as he gets to his feet. It takes a moment for the room to stop feeling like it’s spinning before he walks over to the door and opens it.
On the other side, he’s met with an anxious looking Alex who takes a deep breath of relief.
“Thank God. I was about to get hotel security.”
“I’m fine,” Henry says.
Alex’s face is incredulous. “You look like shit which I never thought was possible. No offense,” he tacks on. “Shaan has been calling you. I’ve been calling you. I thought you’d passed out though, by the looks of things, I’m guessing that’s exactly what happened. You’re sick.”
Henry rubs at his left temple.
“I need…to sit. You…can keep talking if you want,” he says, stepping away from the door and back into the room.
Behind him, Alex scoffs and presumably comes inside. Henry hears the door close, but it feels like it’d take too much effort to turn around and confirm.
He sits on the edge of bed and wraps the covers around himself like a cocoon.
“I wanted to ask you some more stuff for the book. I just need thirty minutes more. You can go. I’ll set an alarm,” he says, fumbling around the nightstand for his phone but he soon abandons the task when he forgets what he’s searching for a moment later.
“Forget the book. Do you know what day it is?” Alex asks as he approaches his bedside.
“It’s Friday,” Henry mumbles, the comforter falling from his shoulders.
“Okay, yeah, technically. But it’s also Opposite Day. So, I will be doing the polar opposite of everything you suggest.”
“Alex. How is that— in any way, shape, or form—different from any other day of the week for you?”
Alex grins, his nose scrunching as he does so.
“You may have lost the ability to breathe through your nose, but it’s nice to know your sass is still firmly in place.”
A wave of nausea hits Henry just then, holding him back from making another quick retort. The discomfort he feels must register on his face as Alex’s smile disappears and concern quickly takes its place instead.
“Come on, seriously, lay down. Please let me take care of you.”
Henry’s tired body responds at once as if it’d been waiting for the command to allow him to finally give in. He settles in on his side and Alex is right there, pulling the comforter over him.
Henry’s surprised as Alex crouches beside the bed, their faces on level as he brushes damp strands from Henry’s forehead. His fingertips are soft against Henry’s skin where they lightly graze him. Alex’s eyes track the movement of his own hand, but Henry can’t look away from the other man's face, taking stock of the way his lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones and his perfect mouth parts slightly.
“I’ll be right back,” Alex says softly. “I’m going to find the nearest pharmacy and grab a few things for you.”
“I just need to sleep it off.”
Alex scoffs. “Christ, and I thought I was stubborn. I might’ve finally found my match.”
Those words shouldn’t have the power to make Henry’s heart leap. He chalks it up to his sickness for the temporary delusion that Alex could mean anything more. They aren’t a match, even if they’ve been proving to be compatible in virtually every regard. He’s simply not the kind of person Alex actually settles down with.
It’s far too much to think about now; perhaps even when he isn’t feeling like Death warmed over wouldn’t be the best time to attempt dissecting all his complicated feelings.
“You’re the hottest nurse I’ve ever had.”
Alex winks. “If only I’d had time to get a uniform. You’ll just have to use your imagination, sweetheart.”
“A literal interpretation of a fever dream, huh?”
Alex smiles and strokes Henry’s hair again.
“Speaking of dreams, get some sleep while I’m gone.” Henry watches Alex snag his keycard from the nightstand. “I’ll let myself in when I get back. Call if anything changes while I’m out, okay?”
Henry nods, but already his brain is starting to shut down, his eyes too.
He feels a gentle hand against his cheek and what he thinks could be lips on the crown of his head for a brief moment before sleep overtakes him.
~*~*~
When he opens his eyes again, Alex’s back is to him as he sits at the front of the bed. An episode of The Golden Girls is playing on the television and Henry thinks, surely, this fever is playing tricks on his mind.
He sits up slowly and Alex turns at once just as the show breaks for advertisements.
Alex smiles and gets to his feet, going over to the table in the room. Henry sees two tote bags there that Alex begins to unload. The haul is serious, complete with cough medicine, throat lozenges, vapor rub, and even soup and orange juice.
It warms Henry’s heart to see the care that’s gone into this, but he can’t imagine this is how anyone would want to spend a Friday night.
“You’re sweet for this, Alex, thank you,” he says, sniffling a little. He clears his throat.
“You’re going to get sick if you hang around much longer though. You should probably go. I can take it from here. Honest.”
“Do I make for such poor company that you’re giving me the boot already? I’m borderline offended.”
Henry lets out a breath, the closest thing he can muster to a laugh, and gets into bed again, pulling the covers over himself.
“Of course not. I’d just feel even worse if you caught this because of me.”
Alex brings the container of soup over and sets it on the nightstand.
“I’m from Texas. We’re built strong. And besides, I always prepare for the con circuit. At this point I’ve probably got more Airborne than blood running through my veins. I’m good and I’m staying now shh, commercials are over.”
Henry shakes his head to himself as Alex focuses back on the screen and sits beside him now on top of the covers. Henry studies his profile, the sharp angles on a still soft face.
“You must be starving by now and if you aren’t, that’s all the more reason to eat. Here, try a bit of the soup.”
Alex leans over him and grabs the circular plastic container and takes the lid off. Vapors rise from it and it hits Henry then just how hungry he really is. Alex dips a spoon inside and brings it to his lips.
“I can feed myself. I’m not a baby,” Henry protests.
“No, but you’re acting like one. Now shut up and let me take care of you, dammit,” Alex grumbles.
“Your bedside manor could use a bit more work,” Henry says, but he obliges, leaning forward and taking a sip.
Alex’s eyes look anxious as he watches him.
“Is it good? I went with chicken noodle, a tried and true classic. But if you want something else, I could always—”
“It’s perfect, thank you. You’ve done more than enough, Alex. Seriously.”
He lets Alex coddle him and finishes the soup before taking some cold medicine and orange juice. They watch more TV though Henry doesn’t really pay attention to anything on the screen. His body feels drained again and he's glad Alex had been stubborn and insisted on staying. It’d be an even more miserable scene if he were alone.
He tucks in on Alex’s side and rests his head against his chest.
“I’m really glad you're here,” Henry says after a moment. He listens to the steady drumming of Alex’s heart as the man cards his fingers through Henry’s hair, his dull nails gently scratching against his scalp. It’s enough to lull Henry; he feels himself quickly losing the battle to fatigue all over again.
“There’s no place else I’d rather be. Get some more rest, sweetheart,” he hears Alex’s voice say quietly as he begins to drift. The final word hit Henry’s ear a bit differently. It’s not as if Alex has never said it to him before, but this time, it sounded sincerely affectionate. Romantic even.
His exhaustion and delirium must be at an all-time high and working together to make him conjure up the term of endearment Alex has never uttered in that particular tone before.
~*~*~
Columbus, OH
Day 2
“You missed the cast dinner,” Henry says almost accusatorily, setting his plate of breakfast and mug of tea down on Alex’s table the next morning in the hotel's dining hall.
“Hi, sunshine. Good morning to you too. Slept well then?” Alex replies, popping a grape into his mouth.
Henry frowns as he takes a seat.
“Alex, I’m serious. I just realized you were supposed to meet up with everyone last night.”
Alex shrugs and plucks another grape from the bunch on his plate.
“And yet the world is still spinning. The sun is still shining. It’s not a big deal. I see them all the time and you needed me more. It wasn’t a hard choice to make.”
Henry feels his face warm slightly at the sentiment.
“You didn’t have to sacrifice your night for me.”
“It wasn’t a sacrifice. I wanted to be there for you. It’s as simple as that.”
Henry pulls out a chair and sits.
“Well, thank you. I appreciated it.”
Alex smiles. “You look good today. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Me too. Considering the fact that you bought up half the pharmacy, my immune system didn’t have a choice but to get itself in order. How much do I owe you?”
“And here I was thinking we finally moved past this. I’m not accepting any form of payment or payback for last night,” Alex says, spreading cream cheese on a bagel.
Henry smiles to himself.
“You’re infuriatingly stubborn.”
“I might’ve been told that once or twice before, yes.”
Henry laughs and decides he’s better off shifting gears.
“What would you like to do today? Are any of your castmates still in town?”
Alex shakes his head.
“Nah, not for long. They had early morning flights and should be at the airport by now if they aren’t already in the skies.”
Henry bites his tongue to avoid apologizing again.
“Perhaps we could hang out then? Maybe we could get lunch or do something fun before we kiss this city goodbye too.”
Alex grabs his phone and types something into it.
“Have you ever done mini-golf before?”
Henry laughs.
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
“There's an adventure park near here. Mini-golf, go karts…you in?”
“Are you an adrenaline junkie?” Henry asks, taking a sip of his tea.
Alex eyes him for a moment.
“I’m a fan of most things that get my heart racing. Surely you must know that by now.”
Henry tries and fails not to look affected. Usually Alex saves flirtatious talk like this for their lessons, when they’re in the privacy of one of their rooms.
He figures he’s overthinking it. Anyone passing by would simply think it’s an innocuous statement. Only Henry knows the deeper meaning of his words. It excites him, having this secret hiding in plain sight.
“That makes two of us then. I’m game.”
~*~*~
They unwind after a day of adventure in Alex’s room watching Crescent Valley. Alex gives Henry behind the scenes commentary on what it was like filming on the show and he takes advantage of the insights, letting his phone rest between them as they lay side by side in bed, recording all the stories so that he can add more color to the book.
Henry creates a new voice note and puts the show on pause, switching over to his running notes document.
“Can you talk to me about your journey learning about your sexuality?” he asks. “It’s such a key part to the memoir, I’d love to hear more about that.”
Alex pulls in a breath and Henry feels a bit guilty about switching gears so suddenly. In contrast to how easy it was for Alex to share on-set anecdotes, he seems unsure of where to start now.
“It used to be a distant, vague thing in my head. The first concrete period of time I can pinpoint is freshman year. I played lacrosse in high school,” Alex says. “And I was damn good.”
Henry can picture it easily, Alex in uniform, a complete rockstar on the field. He’s patient as Alex parses his thoughts.
“I’d get super competitive with guys I thought had an edge on me. I can’t really describe it. But sometimes I’d reason, if I could beat them, they’d be impressed and I’d get on their radar. I really don’t know how to explain it,” he repeats. Henry can hear the frustration. “I guess I was seeking some kind of validation. I wanted them to notice me and not just as an athlete.”
Alex sighs.
“I’ve only genuinely hooked up with one guy other than you. I’ve gotten wasted at parties in L.A before and I’ve made out with some dudes, but it was always something I could explain away like, I was drunk or just doing a bit. Messing around, you know? But then I’d think about high school and the way one of my teammates and I would kinda orbit around each other. It wasn’t…the same with him. With Liam,” Alex sighs and Henry doesn’t miss how soft Alex’s voice gets when saying his old teammates name.
“I didn’t get that competitive streak. It was different. More real. With him, it was like we were on equal ground.”
Alex shakes his head, toying with his fingers.
“We were good friends. We’d hang out a lot after practice or games. We kind of fell into it. I almost don’t even remember how or when I noticed it for the first time, the way we’d hold each other’s gaze a little longer than was needed. Or the way we’d make excuses to casually touch either other in almost stealthy ways. I guess it doesn’t really matter. Point is, it eventually came to a head. We’d be so hopped up on adrenaline after lacrosse most times and one day, one thing led to another and the next thing I knew, we were making out in my room.”
Henry studies Alex’s profile, sees the deep furrow of his brow as if, years later, he’s still trying to understand his actions.
“The first time it happened, I thought that’d be the only time. We were both kinda spooked by it, to be honest. After he left though, I couldn’t stop thinking about it…about how much I actually liked it and wanted it again. For fuck’s sake, I got off thinking about him and our kiss that night. That was the first time I ever got off thinking about a guy.”
Alex sighs.
“I saw him the next day at practice. At first, we kept our distance in the locker room. We went out on the field with everyone else, and played our parts well. Then he showed up at my house afterwards totally unannounced and it became a recurring thing after that. If we celebrated a win or if one of us had a shitty day at practice...we’d keep seeking each other out. It was mostly always just kissing. But every now and then, we’d touch. Nothing over the top. Hell, we’d mostly just get ourselves off together. I think I was too scared to touch him like that. It would have made what we were doing too real somehow.”
Henry listens on quietly, fully present in this moment with Alex.
“We… I chalked it up to goofing around. Just boys being boys or whatever bullshit I used to convince myself it meant nothing. Liam is actually engaged now to a pretty great guy. We’ve talked since high school, you know, about everything. I thought we were just messing around, but he told me how serious it was on his end, even back then. He’d always felt different than our classmates. He always knew this truth about himself even though he was afraid to say it out loud. He genuinely liked me as more than a friend.”
Alex frowns and collects his thoughts.
“Looking back on it, I feel like such an asshole. Liam had real feelings for me and I know now that I was attracted to him, but we were in two totally different headspaces when we were hooking up. Each time, it was reaffirming something for him. He knew fully that he was gay. For me, at the time at least, it just felt like a way of getting off and having fun. He felt like an exception to everything, an anomaly. I still went out with and hooked up with girls regularly, you know. I didn’t know what it actually meant about me that I was in fact drawn to both.”
Alex runs a hand through his hair.
“I’m glad he and I have had the chance to talk things through. And I’ve apologized to him several times, but it hardly feels like enough. I should have been more careful. I should have seen what that really was. I never meant to hurt him.”
Henry inches forward, his heart breaking as Alex looks at him with wet eyes.
“You’ve done all you can since learning the truth. It wasn’t intentional and I’m sure he knows that. Liam isn’t upset with you, right?”
Alex shakes his head.
“No, but he’d have every reason in the world to be.”
Henry places a hand on Alex’s.
“You can’t beat yourself up over this. You’ve made amends. You were just kids back then. This isn’t easy. You’ve got to give yourself some grace.”
There’s a distant look in Alex’s eyes as he blinks his tears away.
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right and logically, I get that. Still, I can’t fully shake it. I can’t help but to wonder what my life would have been like if only I would have realized what it meant that I kept going back to him. Because I really wanted it with him specifically, but it felt like a one-off, like no big deal, you know? If I thought a few guys were attractive, I saw it as just having eyes and being observant. It didn’t feel like some life-altering thing. But in reality? The things I was doing with Liam, the things I wanted to do with him but didn’t have the courage to say…that was a huge turning point and I totally missed it. Sometimes, it almost feels like I was robbed. But it was my own ignorance that kept me in the dark for so long.”
Alex shrugs and looks away and Henry’s heart shatters at once.
“Anyway, that’s a conversation for me and my therapist. I won’t bore you with it any further now,” Alex laughs, but Henry can hear the pain in it.
He stops the recording. He’s asked enough of Alex tonight.
“It’s never a bore, a bother, or a burden. You can always talk to me. Even if I weren’t tasked with writing out your life’s story, I’d want to listen. I…perhaps it’s improper, but I sincerely do consider you a dear friend, Alex.”
Alex quirks a brow.
“Given the things we’ve done to each other’s bodies, I’d say friendship is the least improper territory we’ve waded into.”
This time Henry laughs as he concedes.
“You’ve got me there,” he relents.
Alex smiles softly and reaches for Henry’s hand.
“I appreciate it though. The offer and…you know, you in general. You’re helping me in all sorts of ways, it’s actually kind of crazy. I don’t know if I’ve even said thank you yet, for any of it. But I am grateful for everything.”
“You’re welcome. It’s nice to know I can be useful,” Henry says, aiming for levity.
But Alex’s face is serious as he shakes his head and laces their fingers.
“It’s beyond that, Henry. You’re essential to me. I don’t ever want you to forget that.”
24 notes
·
View notes