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[lordfuckleroy]

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"Prince Henry Belongs to Britain. Henry Fox has to belong to himself or else he’ll vanish" art credit code credit

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[lordfuckleroy]

Most self-respecting british men would say that beans-on-toast are a necessity, however fortunate for you that I have not had very much respect for myself in a long time.

[ He teased and then he dug in, the french toast was actually.. delicious? He was surprised, and that caused him to look up at Alex with furrowed brows. ] How did something like this come out of you?

[ This was clearly not said properly but that was because he was surprised; out of all of Alex's lists of accomplishments-- this was not one that he expected. ]

[internationalrelations]

Very fortunate. Beans are fine. Toast is fine. The two together is an unholy union that should never exist.

[So speaketh ACD.

He blinked at that question before pursing his lips into a pout. Wow Henry sound just slightly less shocked.] Hey. I'm a decent cook! ...not that I've really had much chance to since Mom got elected. Growing up though, June and I would help mom and dad in the kitchen most nights. And then when they split up, well, at that point it was just June and me a lot. So I got a lot of practice.

[lordfuckleroy]

I do not mean to cast aspirations on your abilities, just I suppose that it was not something that I would expect? Sure it is to be expected of me, though arguably I do watch the Bake-Off like it is my religion however to be honest, I was never encouraged to help out in the kitchen, there has never been a point in my life where I was 'normal'.. not like you.

[ He took a sip of his coffee, no sugar-- but a dash of cream ]

Which is why I want to pretend I am normal here in this place we have landed ourselves in, so perhaps you could teach me some things in the kitchen.. might as well commit fully to the bit, yes?

[ And he would not mind knowing how to make this french toast. ]

After all, it is not fair that I should always have you cook.

[internationalrelations]

['Do you ever wonder who you'd be if you were an anonymous person in the world?' The memory of New Year's Eve rushed to the forefront of his mind as Henry talked about pretending to be normal. So even if he opened his mouth to start quipping that Henry being normal would take a hell of an acting performance because, well, this was a chance for the prince to not be, well, the prince.

So instead of joking, perhaps surprisingly, Alex just nodded.]

Yeah, definitely. I can teach you how to cook. We'll send you back to England eventually with my abuela's tamale recipe. You'll be unstoppable.

[And then, a little more thoughtfully.] Anything else you want to do for normal?

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Henry gave a smile, it was one of thsoe smiles that was all mouth, and he did smile with his entire being and it transformed him from a stoic prince into something more, into something made of light and warmth.. unlike the cool Prince that he played so very often for the public. ]

Oh I do not know if I would be allowed access to the kitchens, our cooks is very guarded of their territory.

[ But nevertheless. ]

But I will take whatever knowledge I can get.. [ And probably become perfect at it.. though not without a bit of trial and error. ] Well, going outside without having to consult or coordinate with Shaan will be nice, I have given him a vacation and likely he won't know what to do with himself?

[internationalrelations]

[Those sorts of smiles were devastatingly attractive on Henry. It was like looking directly into the sun, just as warm and just as blinding. Alex could feel the start of heat rising in his cheeks, and he cleared his throat and tried to cover it with a sip of his coffee.]

Ha. Fair enough. They don't let me near the kitchens at the White House either. Amy says her life is hard enough without me having access to knives.

[He nodded in understanding though.]

Shaan's resourceful. He'll figure something out. ...I think I might owe him an apology, actually. I think I hit on him a little. ...and I'm pretty sure I started stripping at one point.

[Fuck that casino okay?]

[lordfuckleroy]

Wait.. what? You hit on Shaan?

[ Okay he had been mid-bite of his french toast and he felt the sudden urge to choke on it. He had not even dared to hit on Shaan perhaps because it would have been awkward since Shaan was his own Equerry. Ah, Alex-- doing what he did not have the balls to do.

Envy. ]

That casino was horrible.

[ Says the one who had turned into a robot, and he'd hated it. Hated the feeling of numbness. He did not feel horrible, but he did not feel good either.. just devoid of everything. ] You certainly are brave, how did he take it?

[internationalrelations]

He was magically shirtless. I was magically drunk.

[What was he supposed to do at that point in time, Henry? There was no other option. Alex lifted a shoulder in a shrug.]

And Shaan's hot.

[Yeah okay, definitely not straight. Probably should've figured this out sooner. ...somehow this is totally Henry's fault. Well, Henry was the source of Alex's sexuality crisis, so yeah. Totally his fault. For also being hot. Like, insanely beautiful. And smart and funny and ugh. Fuck him entirely.

Wait. Henry asked a question.]

I think he was actively praying for the sweet release of death at the time.

[lordfuckleroy]

Wait-- did you just say my Equerry is hot?

[ He was almost a little bit shocked by this, perhaps because he did not expect Alex to just come out and say something like this, and maybe it was because he was so used to his own rather insular way of being that it felt almost like the voicing of something.. anything. ]

Well alright, so he is attractive, I suppose.

[ No suppose about it, there was even a telling little trail off as he busily put his coffee in front of his face and hastily drank. What Alex knew that Henry didn't think he knew, but that was from a round about guessing especially after the kissing thing. ]

[internationalrelations]

Yeah, I did. Because he is. Not like I'm crushing on the dude or anything... [That was someone else entirely who happened to be sitting across the table from Alex. Anyway.] Just appreciating the facts.

[Alex opined readily, as casually as he could manage it. Because yeah, Henry sure did just almost half admit something there, didn't he? The missing time between them suddenly felt extremely loud, and Alex wasn't sure if he should press his luck here.

Fuck it.]

I've... sort of been doing a lot of thinking a lot on stuff like that lately. Er, attraction and sexuality stuff, I mean.

[Smooth as fuck, Alex. You're so not nailing this. Get it together.]

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Ah yes, well that that was absolutely valid. The fact was that Shaan was very nice to look at, it was utter logic and a half; he could have no idea that Alex had a crush on him, also the whole 'not like I'm crushing on a dude or anything' made it sound very American bro. He took a sip of his coffee.

Nodding as he did so.

Until the big 'fuck it' moment came, with which the next words registered and he started to all but choke. ]

Oh?

[ Was that truly all that Henry could say about it, he reached to shove more bacon in his mouth to chew as he processed this. ] What brought these thoughts on, was it Shaan?

[ Could not blame him if it was.. was Shaan Alex's type? ]

[internationalrelations]

[Come on now Henry he said he wasn't crushing on the dude. He was, in fact, very much crushing on a dude. Except well, calling Henry a dude sounded a little blasphemous somehow? It was probably against some rule of royal protocol or something.

But for a moment as Alex watched Henry over the brim of his own coffee mug, as he heard that Oh? and little else, he started to wonder if this was a bad idea. Thankfully Henry spoke again and Alex was given something to react to take his mind off the anxiety spiral he was teetering on the edge of. He laughed.]

What? God no, like I said, he is not the guy I'm crushing on. That's someone else.

[Oh god oh wait. He'd just admitted to a crush out loud that made it real and exceptionally embarrassing. He was too old for crushes. Fuck.]

Anyway. Not the point. Except it is sort of the point? Because, yeah. I guess that's what's -- that's who's -- got me thinking... [That someone else. Who was currently rather aggressively eating bacon across from him.] I think, maybe, I... might be bisexual. Am. Yeah, am. ...am bisexual.

[lordfuckleroy]

Oh well...

[ Henry was fumbling for things to say-- what was appropriate in this situation and the whatnot. It was true that Alex was far more forthcoming and candid in these matters, he rather thought that the man had epiphanies every day much like this.

The Prince was not used to it. And he did not think that it could possibly be him that the other man was crushing on, that would be ridiculous right? ]

Felicitations, I suppose?

[ That sounded just as wet noddle, and only because this was.. he'd never had a breakfast conversation like this ever in the history of ever. ] How did you.. how did this come about?

[internationalrelations]

[If it helped this was Alex's first time coming out over breakfast too. ..and his second time coming out total, and the first time had been to Nora who he was certain had known way before he did and had half argued him into actually wrapping his head around it, so did that actually count?

He didn't know. He also really did not know what to make of Henry's reactions here.]

Sorry... you probably didn't want random confessions with your French toast. I knew I should've gone with the orange juice.

[Hahaha. Funny, right? This was fine. Everything was totally fine. He considered the question. How had his life come to this? The actual proximate cause of his bisexual awakening and ongoing crisis, sitting in front of him innocently asking how it came about -- and Alex couldn't even be pissed at Henry about it because he was from the literal past.]

Umm, I guess it sort of started on New Year's? Or well, it escalated then anyway. He [You] kissed me... like kissed kissed. And by the time I could remember my own name again, he'd [You'd] fucked off and since then he's been pretty much all I can think about.

[...except he also knew Henry had been all he could think about for months before New Year's Eve so really, the whole thing was a mess.]

when you roll a nat 20 on intelligence

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Henry listened patiently to the confession as it came, every nuance of the story. Perhaps painfully aware that this probably was not about him, even though he wished it was. What he would've done if he had been the cause of Alex's inadvertant bisexual awakening. But as the story carved itself out, he started to see a pattern, up and to including the patent avoidant behavior that felt...

Very much like his own?

Had he kissed Alex? Had he? How utterly idiotic had he to do so? Especially considering that before Henry had automatically assumed that Alex was straight, especially with the media peppering pictures of Alex frolicing on florida beaches with girls here and there.

Did he dare ask? Did he dare? ]

Alex.. do I know him? [ Bracing himself for confirmation. ]

damn Henry

[internationalrelations]

[Alex couldn't help it. He laughed, maybe just a little bit delirious with how absurd this whole conversation was. This hadn't been his plan for breakfast. He really had just intended on having a meal together and then going off to stew on his unresolved sexuality issues as he had since Henry left him standing in the snow underneath the stars.

And how Henry was asking if he knew him. How was that not funny? It was totally funny and not funny at all and he could feel his heart racing as he looked at Henry at that question. He couldn't lie to him about this. So his options were subject dodging and making a run for it or just coming out with it.]

Yeah. You know him, pretty damn well. As much as any of us really know ourselves anyway. I have a philosophy professor who'd probably have something to add about that but... [A shrug of one shoulder as if he weren't ready to explode in a million points of anxious energy, like a swarm of bees in human shape on the verge of reverting to a swarm.]

Re: damn Henry

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Well, that was confirmation enough especially when you brought psychology into it-- and because Henry did enjoy psychology, it felt very freudian in nature. He got up from the table to hurridly zoom to the sink to grab some water, filling up his glass and then downing it. It was because his brain was swimming, sadly it appeared that was not going to help. ]

I kissed you?

[ He sets the glass down. ]

Alright, I kissed you so you know.. or you do not know or I do not know the details because this has not happened for me yet?

[ Much envy to his future self. ]

[internationalrelations]

[Well at least he hadn't fled the room. Or the building. When Henry stood up, Alex half expected that was what the other man was going to do, because that was his last memory of Henry from home was watching him stride off into the night.]

You kissed me.

[He agreed and stood up from the table himself so he'd be at (slightly lower than) eye level with Henry as he continued,] On New Year's Eve. In the snow. Under the trees. You called me thick as it gets and kissed me like you meant it. I saw stars that had nothing to do with the ones in the sky, and you left like the entire place was on fire and then ignored every text and call and email I sent for weeks. So I don't know much of anything except I planned on doing something about it the next time I saw you -- and then that turned out to be some weird multiverse scifi world and you were from the past.

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Oh gods, he really did do it. He knew exactly why he had run away, even though it was to happen in the future-- it was a combination of overthinking and anxiety that melded together to cause him to second guess his actions, also his attraction to the First Son, which well-- look at him. He was a snack of a man, how could he not want that?

He dragged his palms against his face. ] So I am sorry first of all, I am sorry because I know why I did it-- because I was clearly terrified and also anxious, and wondering if I made a monumental mistake. It is likely I also set my phone to mute your texts because I feared I committed a giant diplomatic faux pas, also in our worlds you do not kiss people without things like Non-Disclosure Agreements being brought up.

[ This did not make it right but he felt like he had to explain SOMETHING about this. ]

[internationalrelations]

Right okay, so. One, you can't apologize for something you haven't done yet, like, I'm not a psychopath who's going to hold your future against you. [A breath and he ticked off that one on a finger before moving on to...] ...two, I'm not going to hold it against you at all.

[He was frustrated by the ghosting yes, mostly because he'd been having a slow motion breakdown over all of it in the meantime, but even that he'd settled himself into just catching Henry where the prince couldn't escape from him.]

Three, Henry, I get it. Our lives are various shades of fucked up with people always watching and all the expectations from family and entire fucking countries. You way more than me. You said as much too, that you don't exactly get to date the sort of people you want to date, which at the time sounded cryptic as hell in case you were wondering. Before the kissing. That sort of cleared it up.

Four. [Oh god he was still going sorry Henry.] ...I'd really like to do it again, you know, now that I know it's coming. And with way less running away and ghosting this time.

[lordfuckleroy]

Thank yo--

[ Except he cut off when it sank in the last of Alex's words, the fact that Alex would very much like to kiss him again, would like to make sure that it did not get cut out abruptly... this really made so much sense now, Alex's awkwardness when he'd only known the American as confidant.

But here was the other man and he could feel his entire heart give a rather abrupt thrum. ] You would.. like to kiss me, again?

[ This was the dumbest question on the face of the planet probably, but he had probably gotten his world utterly tipped over on it's axis. ] God damn it, Alex.. I want to kiss you, I've wanted to kiss you since the very beginning.

[internationalrelations]

Yeah. Yup. A lot.

[Alex was happy to answer it, dumb question or not because the answer was very very clear and simple on his end, and that was kind of a relief to finally just come out and say it instead of leaving it as the elephant in the room that only he was aware of.

Then Henry saying he wanted to kiss him too? By far the best Alex had felt since last fucking year. He would have questions about what since the very beginning meant later, but talking more could wait. Alex, yapper extraordinaire, had had his fill of words and was entirely ready for action.

So he acted, stepping forward to trap Henry back against the kitchen counter. one hand settled against the counter to one side, his other lifting to cup at the side of Henry's neck as he leaned in to kiss the prince like he had been dying to for weeks now. (Longer, if he were being honest with himself, but that still would involve some soul searching.)]

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Best not to ask those sorts of questions unless one was prepared to wrap themselves around the consequences of the answers, it would probably not make too much sense considering that Henry had the best poker face in existence, but that was neither here nor there.

What mattered was the proximity of the American against his body, pushing him against the counter.

He was still clad in his own pajamas as he'd not bothered to dress, and he probably tasted of bacon and maple syrup, but his hand moved to rest on Alex's shoulder and he kissed back, this was a kiss that was not going to move anywhere anytime soon, but hey at least Alex had prevented any escape for good measure.

Oh this was nice, it was very nice and his eyes closed of their own volition, perhaps eager to just linger in the taste and the way that his heart made a delighted flutter. ]

[internationalrelations]

[Yeah, no escape this time, Henry. Alex had learned that lesson, though he was pretty certain this time there would be no hasty retreat from the prince. They'd established that they both were into the whole kissing thing, and for once there were no eyes to worry about. No cameras, no secret service or other security, no paparazzi.

Just the two of them and Henry's lips against his own, and it was even better than that first kiss because Alex had the wherewithal to be fully part of it from the start. It was far better than nice. Alex was seeing those shooting stars again, and sighing a soft, contented sound to the kiss. Relief that this was happening, that it hadn't been some weird fever dream, that Henry actually wanted to kiss him, was kissing him.

He drew back just far enough to murmur.] Wow. Yeah, okay, definitely not straight.

[Cleared that one right up. Thank you Henry. Alex stepped in even closer, quite effectively invading Henry's space and trapping him further up against the counter before kissing him again.]

[lordfuckleroy]

[ Not just into kissing, but most importantly kissing each other which was a win on Henry's part. Yes, he enjoyed kissing quite a bit-- there was a bit of the hopeless romantic in him that would've liked to have seen a very wet Henry come to his door a'la Pride & Prejudice and profess his undying love but that was honestly a self-gratification fantasy that he would have in total succession over and over again.

Mouth against mouth, tongue against tongue though just a whisper-- nothing too hot and deep. But just enough to send sparks up and down Henry's spine. And then he pulled backward, slightly dazed and with a heady heavy-lidded look, pinpoints of blue like he was waking up from a long sleep, as if he was sleeping beauty.

A smile at those words. ]

That is nice to--- [ No more words because his lips were taken once again and the castle was stormed, he was pressed against the counter and he could not help but wrap his arms around the waist to keep the other guy right where he was.

Yes, this felt quite nice indeed. ]

[ But