#what if henry told alex to leave fics out there
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welcome back to the latest edition of biweekly fic recs! as always, mind the tags, if you can't leave a nice comment don't leave one at all, and happy reading!
masterlist.
There's No Problem That San Diego Can't Solve by @historicallysam
Alex doesn’t even bother knocking; he simply twists the knob on the door and shoves it open. His eyes narrow as the door bangs against the wall and he sees Henry on the phone. Maybe (definitely) it’s rude but his blood is fucking boiling so he doesn’t really care.
All the Ocean was Sleeping by @sparklepocalypse
The worst part about being a siren in the modern era, Henry ponders as yet another ship flies past his cove at a speed that he knows will disturb the anemone gardens below, is the yacht bros. Between the sound of their vessels’ motors and the dissonant noise the humans call music, Henry’s singing has no chance of attracting anyone’s attention.
cause you're a classic, and i'm reckless by @firenati0n
“I've, actually, uh. I've never done this before.”
At this, Henry stops short, takes a second as his gaze moves up and to the left, trying to recall something. “I've seen your films. You most certainly have done intimate scenes.”
Alex clears his throat. He hopes his nerves aren't completely obvious, the slight waver in his voice about to give him away. “Yeah, well. Never with a man, so. Not at this scale, anyway.”
“Would it help to, er, practice?" Henry winces a little as he says it, which does not inspire confidence. But Alex is shocked nonetheless. What the fuck?
Over Land and Sea by SatinBirds
Alex and Henry come from very different worlds, and still, they manage to find each other.
Clean Slate by smc_27
“Henry.” Pez comes over, puts both hands on Henry’s cheeks and looks him dead in the eye. “You are not a sad man who’s gotten dumped. You’re in the prime of your life, and I quite desperately need you to act like it.”
“The prime of my life,” Henry scoffs, more incredulous than questioning. “I’ve just gotten out of a 15 year relationship, endured a divorce, am suffering an almost impressive case of writer’s block, and your hands are like bloody icicles.” Pez grins, doesn’t take his hands away. “Explain to me how this is my prime. Please.”
Pez tilts his head, and sounds entirely serious when he says, “Literally anything can happen from here.”
in bloom by stutteringpeach
Yoo, can u hook me up with some flowers??
It's the busiest day of the year for florists. Alex texts Henry with a last minute request.
here is a map (with your name for a capital) by @alasse9
That day at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Alex comes across the very same Prince Henry who just dismissed him having a panic attack in a bathroom. The choice Alex makes then has ripple effects neither of them could have ever expected. What's the story like, when they actually are friends all along?
“So, you’re going back to England tonight, and you’ll spend the next three days pretending you two are the closest and best of friends until we can put this mess behind us.”
And there are reasons he hasn’t told anybody this, good reasons, even though he’s sure June and Nora saw through him ages ago. Faced with his mom’s disappointment, though, and with the realization that the entire world apparently thinks he hates Henry and would willingly shove him into a fucking cake, he can’t stay quiet.
“But we are friends,” he says, vehement and serious. “We have been for years. He’s—he’s probably my best friend, actually, along with Nora.”
thoughts of you consume by yrsonpurpose
Henry sees Alex appear on the red carpet in a blue suit that screams sex on legs and is ready to throw away all attempts at concealing their secret relationship in the name of dropping to his knees at the first available opportunity.
eyes on me by matherine
Alex’s hips buck back against Henry’s mouth the moment his tongue does more than tease, and Henry squeezes his hip in gentle consternation.
But before he can say anything, Alex is already rambling.
“Sorry, I’m — I’m sorry, I know you said not to move, and I’m trying, I — I’m trying to be good, I promise,” he blurts, voice shaking ever so slightly from something that certainly doesn’t sound like pleasure, resolutely refusing to turn his head so that he can meet Henry’s gaze from where he’s positioned behind him.
Henry’s heart aches. “Alex — love, it’s alright. Where’s your mind?”
Or: Sometimes, Alex needs a distraction. Something to take the edge off, to scrub away at the stress of the day. Some days, it works better than others.
the evolution of intimacy by Poutini
There’s no spontaneity anymore.
One might think this boring. That the novelty had worn off. The spark snuffed.
Absolutely not
Want Me by OrchidScript
Henry had always been weak for a nice smile, but his was impossible to ignore.
Blame it on summer heat and a fresh flush in his cheeks. Blame it on sunset painting the outdoor bar sweltering, romantic colors. Blame it on two healthy glasses of albariño thrumming in his bloodstream, or the good music floating on the air.
Henry could blame it on anything liked if he thought long and hard about it, but that didn’t change much at the end. The core remained the same: he had been gone from the jump.
--
Henry and Alex hook up on a vacation in Spain. Henry falls a bit deeper.
fill my lungs with sweetness by @priincebutt
Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor wakes up at 3 AM on his birthday to an empty bed. What could Alex possibly be getting up to at 3 AM the night before his birthday? The possibilities are endless.
got myself in quite a tangle by coffeecatsme
"It seems I've gotten myself in quite a tangle."
"Tangle?" Henry's voice is hoarse, eyes darkened as they travel over Alex's body. They stop at his crotch, and Alex can see it even under the dim lights—Henry's growing hard too, a visible bulge pushing at his sweatpants. Alex's cock gives a desperate twitch.
"Y'know, I was trying to put them around the tree," he starts, gesturing at the plain tree at the corner. It's clear he didn't even attempt to touch it. "And somehow I've managed to completely trap myself. Can't even move my hands." Henry makes a desperate noise at the back of his throat as his eyes snap up to Alex's face. Alex flashes him a suggestive grin, teeth biting down on his lip. "Seems I'm completely at your mercy."
The Forces of Chance and Coincidences by @stellarm
Bad weather leads to a late flight that leads to no one being where they wanted to be, but maybe everyone was where they needed to be.
I've never felt safer (than when I'm with you) by viciouslyqueer
Alex takes the bag and opens it slowly, careful not to rip it, and gasps quietly as he sees what’s inside. “H, you didn’t…”
Strong arms wrap around his waist from behind, Henry’s chest warm against his back. “Do you like it?” Henry asks in a whisper, resting his chin on Alex’s shoulder.
Alex doesn’t know what to say. Gingerly, like he might ruin it with even the smallest touch, he takes out the silky fabric and holds it up in front of them. It’s a gorgeous dress, fancy too, in a deep red color with thin straps and an open back. It’s long, almost touching the floor even as Alex holds it up and has a slit on the left side that would probably end a little above Alex’s knee.
An Amateur's Guide to Professional Gift-Giving by anincompletelist
Alex, a former-law-student-taking-some-time-off turned professional part-time gift giver, is tasked with finding a gift for the most high profile client he's ever worked with, both in and out of the world of law.
It turns out finding the perfect gift for the Prince of Wales might be easier than he'd anticipated.
Love At First Bark by everwitch
“I still don’t know your name, do I?”
Henry watches Alex where he’s crouched down in front of David and gently scratching David below his chin. David absolutely loves Alex. Henry can relate.
“It’s David,” Henry supplies.
“Cool,” Alex says. “And what’s the dog’s name?”
Henry blinks at him. “... David?”
“What?” Alex exclaims. He looks from David to Henry and then back at David again. “Wow, okay, that is a choice.”
Henry wants to sink through the earth and never come back up again.
don't let me get drunk again by headabovethewater
Alex had never wanted to cancel plans as much as he had while watching Henry pull a pair of light wash, tight jeans over his stockinged legs and bare ass.
Christ, he’s getting hard thinking about it now.
The Beginner's Guide to Floristry by clottedcreamfudge
As if there's anything romantic about it; as if it's not the most humiliating death Alex can imagine. This is why he doesn't do relationships. This is why he never will. The risk, as far as he fucking sees it, is too great.
--
Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease where the victim of unrequited or one-sided love begins to vomit or cough up the petals and flowers of a flowering plant growing in their lungs, which will eventually grow large enough to render breathing impossible.
Everything you take, you make it better. So go on, take forever by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf
It's 2024, and nobody knows they're engaged. But they will, just as soon as Alex can decide what to wear to his birthday dinner. Henry has an idea and a special gift to match.
false pretenses by rizcriz
Henry spins around, glaring at Alex. “For christs sake,” He hisses, holding a hand out between them. “Can we just not? I do not have the capacity to pretend to hate you today.”
Alex splutters as Henry turns on his heel and starts to walk away. He stares after him helplessly. “Pretend?” After a beat, he starts to follow after him, “What the fuck do you mean pretend?”
Three years of breathing down each others necks, fighting every time they come in contact with each other. And if Henry is saying every single thing on his end has been pretend, Alex Claremont-Diaz is going to have a fucking breakdown.
Because he has been harboring this stupid fucking crush and burying it beneath false antagonism, meeting Henry where he’s at, for three years, and if Henry is implying that they’re both faking it—
--
or, Alex learns better.
turn the desert to glass (you would be the one) by @taste-thewaste
Henry and Alex's domestic bliss has lead to some changes in Henry's body. Henry doesn't really mind being a little chubby, but he wonders if Alex does. Alex, it turns out, does not. Not one bit. He does not mind one bit, and he is more than eager to prove it.
coming on fast like good dreams do by cricketnationrise
When Henry recovers from his unexpected factory reset, he still can’t really breathe properly and somehow Alex is still standing in front of him with a hopeful and excited expression on his face.
“Run that by me again?” he asks faintly.
“I need your help.”
“Right…”
“I need you to edge me. Like a lot,” Alex says with a shrug.
Nope, it’s not any clearer a second time around.
as always, let me know if you want to be tagged in future lists, whether you're a reader or writer!
tagging @starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels @midnightsfp @sarahjswift @enablelove
#rwrb#rwrb fic#rwrb fanfiction#firstprince#firstprince fic#firstprince fanfiction#red white and royal blue#alexhenry#alex claremont diaz#henry fox mountchristen windsor
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Six Sentence Sunday!
I am SO far behind on the WIP games I've been tagged in this week, and I promise I'll be back on my usual bullshit in the week to come! It's been...a pretty big week for me personally, haha, in a couple of really great ways, concluding with a visit to see my parents, hence me being a bit quieter than usual. But I promise to be back at it next week!
For now, though, I DO have exactly six sentences for you, from a fic that I told y'all several weeks back was almost finished and would be up soon, and look at me, sitting on my throne of lies haha. At any rate, I am looking forward to finishing this one and getting it out into the world (along with chapter 4 of At the end of a bar I'm so sorry please don't hurt me it's coming soon).
Henry smiles at the thought. Alex, with his furrowed brow smoothed by the kiss of an early summer breeze on his skin. Alex, laughing loud and open at some no-doubt embarrassing anecdote Percy has shared from Henry’s uni days that has both of them giggling and stealing glances at him. Alex, free from waking at his desk, frantically scrubbing ink stains from flushed cheeks, splashing cold water on his face, and slipping hot coffee from Henry’s outstretched hands as he stumbles out the door before the sun has risen, only to return long after the moon has taken its place among the stars. Alex, gleefully dumping the contents of his rucksack into a barrel in the backyard and setting it aflame as Henry gently removes the lighter from his hand once he’s satisfied that the papers and documents aren’t going to survive the ceremonial burn. Alex, returned from the rigors of law school, the eternal light inside him dimmed but not doused, refreshed and refueled on this particular night by the company of those he loves most and who most love him.
No tags yet (and guess what this post isn't scheduled, I'm actually awake at the time of posting for once), so behind the cut will be my list of lovelies (along with an open tag for anyone else who comes across this and wants me to read what they're working on!)
@adreamareads @affectionatelyrs @agame-writes @anincompletelist @bigassbowlingballhead @cactusdragon517 @captainjunglegym @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @duchessdepolignaca03 @eusuntgratie @firenati0n @gayrootvegetable @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heysweetheart-writes @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @itsmaybitheway @junebugclaremontdiaz @kiwiana-writes @leaves-of-laurelin @leojfitz @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @ninzied @nocoastposts @nontoxic-writes @notspecialbabe @onthewaytosomewhere @priincebutt @rockyroadkylers @ships-to-sail @songliili @sophie1973 @sparklepocalypse @stereopticons @suseagull04 @taste-thewaste @theprinceandagcd @thinkof-england @typicalopposite @vanillahigh00 @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @whimsymanaged @wordsofhoneydew @zwiazdziarka
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[ vol i | vol ii | fic rec fridays ]
hi all! :D happy december! I've read so many amazing fics this past month and the tbr list just keeps on growing! I wanted to share some here so they don't get lost in the shuffle!
as always, please remember to leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed the fic or show support in other ways, and be kind! mind the tags and if you come across something you dislike, please kindly (and quietly) move on.
that said, happy reading and enjoy! <3
in no particular order --
(i would stay forever if you said) don't go | @coffeecatsme | T+ | 6k
The words echo in his head, unbidden. The words from another life, practically another universe, shoved inside the small walls of a gilded cage, hidden in a room in London with shuttered windows and locked doors. A boy’s voice Henry still remembers ten years later, when he doesn’t quite remember what he had for lunch the day before. A boy’s voice on a phone that understood him better than every member of his family, even an ocean, a continent, three thousand miles away.
A boy’s voice that told him in no uncertain terms that it was okay if he wasn’t okay, that allowed him to pave a path until he was.
To open a new shelter in New York City, Henry needs to interview a host of potential lawyers to hire. He doesn't expect one of them to be the boy that saved his life ten years ago.
(mind the tags!)
a rich and complex tapestry | @everwitch-magiks | E | 8k
When Alex first hooks up with Henry, he's expecting a fun one-night-stand and maybe the occasional booty call. He does not expect to get so completely pulled into Henry’s orbit that it forces him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about his sexuality. And he's not sure if it makes it better, or way worse, that Henry is actually a professional at all this stuff — what are the odds that Alex would hook up with the one guy on campus who hosts his own radio show about sex?
'Sleeping With Henry' is about to gain one devoted listener.
outta luck to spend | potentiallyunloveable | T+ | 9k
“Nora ignorin’ ya?” a voice says from beside him, and Henry startles, turns to his left, is suddenly frozen. The man who’s slid into the seat next to him, silently, without Henry noticing, is quite possibly the most beautiful man Henry’s ever seen in his life. He’s got the widest smile, sweet dimples, soft brown skin and impossibly long eyelashes. He’s wearing a fucking Stetson, and Henry feels like the wind’s been knocked out of him.
Or: Henry (lost, hopeless) meets Alex (bright, hopeful), in a bar in Texas.
(mind the tags!)
everything's growing in our garden | @matherines | T+ | 7k
That night, in the safety of his hotel room on the outskirts of the Olympic Village, Henry couldn’t catch his breath. He coughed and coughed, feeling like he was choking on nothing, but there was a scratching sensation in his throat that he just couldn’t shake – until a single blue petal flew past his lips, landing in the porcelain bowl of the sink.
After an hour of painstaking Googling, he learns that it’s a Texas bluebonnet. He also learns what the fact that he’s coughing up petals means – the beginning stages of Hanahaki Disease. Rare, but not unheard of, according to the NHS website he browses in an incognito tab. Common in royal bloodlines (thank you, inbreeding).
"Only curable if the afflicted’s love is requited with a declaration," he reads, and slams his laptop closed with a bitter laugh, wet with tears. "A surgical procedure removing the afflicted’s capacity for love may be performed if the love remains unrequited. Otherwise, the condition is terminal."
So, then. He has no chance.
ocean waves | seafloor | E | 10k
Henry Fox wakes up with a toothache one morning, and has a lot of feelings about certain things for days afterwards.
while you were sleeping (I fell in love) | @kill8a | M | 3k
As their relationship progresses, Alex notices that Henry’s sleeping habits start to progress as well. Notably, more naps, less insomnia, and a knack for falling asleep at any hour of the day.
So I Will Weather The Storm | @sparklepocalypse | E | 9k
They’re in the air twenty minutes before the next report comes in, this time over their headsets. “Patient is located on the eastern side of Sgòr Gaoith. He reports a sudden snow squall came up, and he lost his footing and took a fall. He’s conscious and reports no major injuries, but he’s stuck on a ledge and can’t make it back to the trail. Patient is wearing a red jacket and a black knit cap and states his name is – ” there’s a burst of static over the radio.
“Please repeat the patient’s name,” Henry says into the headset mic as Schlosser programs the mountain’s location into the GPS.
There’s a bit more static, and then the dispatcher states, “Alexander Claremont-Diaz.”
(Or, a movieverse canon divergent AU wherein Henry is in the RAF and Cakegate still takes place, but the PR campaign doesn't happen – and two months after Cakegate, Alex does something dumb on a mountain in Scotland.)
crawl | ironwords | E | 6k
“Well,” Alex says. He swallows, mouth dry. Closes his eyes, takes the hand not in Henry’s and runs it along his tummy, up and up to his bottom rib and then up over that as well. The skin is soft, but the bones under them are hard, firm under Alex’s palm; his fingers dance over the spaces and grooves, feeling along the edges of bone and dipping into the empty space between. Deep breath: in, out. In again, hold it for a few seconds, then out. Then: “I want to, like. Be in you.”
Oh wow. Nice one, Alex. Awesome phrasing. Fucking great job.
'til the walls did crumble and | @ninzied | E | 5k
So much for using the wrong fork at dinner. He’s pretty sure this is a thousand times worse. Hundred-thousand? Nora could give him the exact number.
Also, he’s pretty sure there’s still buttercream on his ass.
(Or, Alex has his bisexual awakening in a bathroom at Buckingham Palace, and also finds leftover cake in Henry’s hair. The two things are not not related.)
Moon Bride (To Have and To Hold) | satinbirds | M | 7k
When the man is brought before him, it’s as if the whole world stops.
Clad in delicate gossamer, his apparent frailty is accentuated by the sheer fabric. It is likely a cheap attempt to entice him, yet it only elicits displeasure from the king. He already wishes to dress this fragile figure in the veil of his people, cover him from invidious and lustful eyes.
It's Called Tact, Fuck-Rag! | @largepeachicedtea | E | 12k
Texas had been an odd choice, some might say. Henry thinks it's perfect. College is a time to go crazy, after all.
(A Scream AU)
(mind the tags!)
Aftercare | @whimsymanaged | M | 2k
When Alex has an intense hookup without aftercare, he finds himself on his best friend Henry’s doorstep in desperate need of looking after.
--
that's all for now!! hoping to get some more free time this month to read once I finish up some wips! be kind to one another this holiday season, and happy reading! :D
-- sarah / anincompletelist xx
#fic recs#my fic recs#red white and royal blue#rwrb#rwrb fic recs#red white and royal blue fanfic#firstprince
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RWRB FirstPrince Everything Else Fic Recs
These are some canon divergence, some sad things, unique things. Click below to see the favorites I couldn't fit anywhere else, but needed to share.
Can't Help Falling by beck17. G, 1.2k. “Since New Years?”
Henry asks the question so quietly, Alex almost didn’t hear it.
An idea sparked from the subtle look Henry gave Alex after the latter told Zahra their relationship had been going on since New Years.
We're all the way up by @clottedcreamfudge. T, 1.4k. "Just making sure you don't try to run the moment I bring up a very specific topic," Pez says lightly, hopping up onto a low table and swinging his legs like a child.
"The topic of me loosening up and attempting to have a good time at a party?" Henry asks blandly, and Pez rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically.
"The topic of you quite clearly sneaking off with dearest Alexander, presumably to do things I must immediately hear about in excruciating detail. Spare no expense in the retelling; I want to feel it."
I can't breathe, if you're not there by softcinnamonroll. T, 2k. One moment, Alex was laughing at some joke Henry had made, and then the next there was a loud noise from the TV and the livestream cut out, leaving Alex alone in their dark living room. At first, Alex was sure there had just been a power cut, or some technical difficulties that caused the stream to cut out, but then the messages and BREAKING NEWS notifications started pouring in.
BREAKING NEWS: Explosion at Prince Henry of Wales Charity Event. Casualties Unknown.
You Must Allow Me To Tell You by @everwitch-magiks. T, 2.4k. “I don’t suppose there's any chance you’d like to marry me, Alex?”
Alex blinks. Then he starts to grin. “Right. Funny. What were you actually gonna say?”
“... I wasn’t making a joke.”
Alex waits for a beat — there’s gotta be a punchline here somewhere — but it doesn’t come. Henry is still watching him expectantly. He looks terrifyingly sincere.
“You’re actually serious?”
“Yes.”
“You’re proposing to me?”
“I am, yes.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“Astute observation.” Henry tilts his head to the side. “I can’t help but notice that you have yet to decline?”
Henry has a proposal. Alex has trouble remembering why he shouldn't accept.
It's Always One Step Forward, And Three Steps Back. by @alxclightwood. G, 2.8k. He was fine, he didn’t need to sleep.
He blinked several times, desperately trying to force his eyes open. But it was inevitable that there would come a time his eyes drifted closed, and didn’t open again.
What he didn’t anticipate however, was his blood sugars dropping whilst he slept, with no alarm to wake him to fix it.
you took the time to memorize me (my fears, my hopes, my dreams) by @coffeecatsme. T, 2.9k. “I know what you’re doing.”
Alex crosses his arms, arching his brow. Henry, to his credit, looks completely unimpressed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?” Alex wets his lips, enjoying Henry’s eyes following the movement, and lets a smile take over his face. He takes a step, closer to Henry, practically trapping him in front of the little coffeeshop.
“The ice skating,” Alex continues, taking another step, and he’s pretty much flush with Henry’s chest. Even though Henry tries to keep an impassive look, his eyes are glimmering under the afternoon light—he knows damn well what Alex is talking about. “The fire station. Indoor fucking skydiving.” He pokes Henry in the chest and grins. “You’re making my childhood dreams come true.”
Or, 4 times Henry makes Alex's childhood dreams come true, and 1 time he has to get creative.
Do we still have forever? by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. M, 3k. Alex has a sudden, serious allergic reaction, and Henry can't help but think about losing him.
Powerless by floatingaway4. T, 3k. “Do you know what I’ve had to put up with in the last twelve hours?”
Henry wants to point out that in that same twelve hours he’s had his body sliced open and an organ removed, but this doesn’t seem to be the time. He also got to sleep through his experience, while Alex was very much awake while dealing with Henry’s family. And Henry got the nice drugs, while Alex looks like he could use a drink.
hell was the journey but it brought me heaven by alec_rhee. E, 3.1k. While he was sitting in class and daydreaming about getting Henry naked the moment he got home, his phone vibrated wildly in his messenger bag. He heard the vibrations in class, and although his heart yearned for it to be Henry he knew it wouldn’t be him because his day was filled with meeting after meeting; the texts are most likely from Bug and Nora, he remembers thinking.
And well, he isn’t wrong. There are texts from June and Nora and none from Henry, but it’s the Google Alert –
BREAKING NEWS: PRINCE HENRY, BOYFRIEND OF FSOTUS ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ AND PRINCE OF WALES, INJURED IN CAR ACCIDENT
He reads the title of the article over and over and over again. He rubs his eyes and reads the title another three times.
This can’t be about my Henry, he thinks.
What I Need Tonight by @sparklepocalypse. E, 3.5k. It’s two in the morning on a Tuesday when the clatter of something hitting the bathroom floor startles Henry awake. At first, his groggy mind assumes it’s Alex – but then Alex snuffles in his sleep behind him and tightens his arms around Henry’s waist.
There’s another clatter, and then a shuffling noise, and Henry’s eyes widen. He reaches back and grabs Alex’s thigh, shaking him.
someday by rizcriz. T, 4k. “Where are you going?”
Henry freezes where he’s standing over his overnight bag, fingers still clasped around the tug on the zipper. His eyes slide closed of their own accord, dread pooling low in his gut. This was not how this was supposed to go. Alex is a deep sleeper, he should’ve been out the door and on a plane back to London long before he ever woke up. Not just for Henry’s sake, but for both of theirs.
This was not a conversation Henry wanted to have.
Or, Alex wakes up before Henry can sneak out.
i give you my heart (just to watch you waste it) by @villiageidiot. T, 4k. Henry moves to the U.S. when he’s ten years old. The very first time Alex finds him being picked on by some older students for sounding funny, everything changes. Alex shoves them to the ground, earns a detention, and becomes Henry’s best friend all in one fell swoop.
Well, they’re friends for Alex’s part.
For Henry, it’s always so much more.
(Five times fic wherein Alex never chooses Henry. Until he does.)
don't go where i can't follow by coffeecatsme. T, 4k. Henry turns away, hair silvery under the moonlight. He doesn’t even bother to look at Alex, and something like anger flashes in Alex’s gut when he sees him reach for his backpack, like it’s that easy to abandon Alex, like Alex didn’t bare his heart to him just a day ago. “You could’ve fucking said goodbye,” he whispers before he can think about it; his voice is quiet through the knot in his throat, yet it echoes in the room like a gunshot, stopping Henry in his tracks.
Alex wakes up at the lakehouse before Henry leaves.
All The Stars In The Sky by @absoluteaudacitywrites. T, 4k. Henry startles awake, blinking rapidly into the early morning gloom seeping into their bedroom and wondering hazily what woke him when two things become apparent.
One, Alex isn’t in bed with him.
Two, the sound coming from the bathroom is definitely what woke him and it is definitely Alex being quite violently sick.
you were more than just a short time by @hypnostheory. T, 4.2k. Alex leaves his mug on the porch railing. Inside the house is achingly hollow, an exhale with no inhale to follow. Alex feels like he can’t make a noise as he carefully pads back towards their bedroom. He pauses at their door, taking a steadying breath. He’s not as upset as he thought he’d be about this, having mentally prepared as the years ticked by and David grew older. Alex is okay.
Henry isn’t.
David the Beagle passes. Alex is there for Henry through his grief, and through the start of moving on
Tumbled Down and Tangled Up by @myheartalivewrites. E, 4.3k. “Yes, this is exactly how I always dreamed it would be. Locked in a cupboard with your elbow inside my rib cage,” Henry snipes. He sounds like he wants to punch Alex, which is probably the most Alex has ever liked him, so he follows an impulse and drives his elbow into Henry’s side, hard.
Henry lets out a muffled yelp, and the next thing Alex knows, he’s been yanked sideways by his shirt and Henry is halfway on top of him, pinning him down with one thigh. His head throbs where he’s clocked it against the linoleum floor, but he can feel his lips split into a smile.
nobody panic, but i've broken my leg by annesbonny. T, 5.2k. He collects his phone from Cash who's been holding onto his possessions, and shoots off a text to the group chat between pained breaths. nobody panic, but i’ve broken my leg. Then he slips it away again before he can read June's outraged response.
In which Alex Claremont Diaz breaks his leg at a charity Lacrosse game.
Ghosts by colorfulmoniker. M, 5.4k. After Henry leaves the lake house, Alex does not go after him. He doesn't storm Kensington in a fit of pique to call Henry an "obtuse fucking asshole." Instead, the pair spend nearly a year apart, both wrecked and miserable, until they find themselves on the list of speakers for an international conference.
baby, you were meant to follow me. by @chaa-kiao. T, 5.6k. “He doesn’t—” his breath hitches helplessly at the thought. “He doesn’t love me, June.” And, God, he’s fucking crying again.
The storm in his head rages on, his stomach sinking like a ship in its tide. Maybe Henry is exactly who Alex believes him to be: good and honest and true; maybe he’s perfect in every way Alex knows that he is and simply, plainly, doesn’t want him.
That's the worst possible answer to the questions that have become his entire being today. It sends another set of sobs hurling past his lips. The idea that all of this was real, Henry just doesn’t care that much, is sickening— debilitating— Alex doesn’t know how to face it.
Or: Henry and Alex never defined their relationship. Angst ensues.
simply, don't by rizcriz. T, 5.7k. The first voicemail notification sits in Henry’s inbox when he lands in London. He stares at it for a long while before quietly dismissing it and shoving his phone unceremoniously into his pocket. His phone feels like lead in his pocket the entire ride back to the palace, fingers itching to pull it out and just listen. But he’s stronger than that, isn’t he? He left, he got on the plane, he made it home without once looking back.
He had, though, contemplated the many steps it would take to turn around. Wondered if he could make it back with enough time to climb back into Alex’s bed and pretend none of this nightmare—the confession of love—had ever happened. But for every step he envisions himself taking back, three more lead him straight to Kensington Palace, because for whatever it is that he wants, there is only what he can have, and it is not a life with one Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz.
Or, Henry actually answers one of Alex's calls.
think I know where you belong (think I know it's with me) by coffeecatsme. T, 5.8k. “You got me a flower?” Henry gingerly uncurls Alex’s fingers and looks at it. Alex gulps and manages a nod.
“I know it’s not much—” he tries to say, but then Henry’s grinning and Alex quite forgets why he was so worried about in the first place. He finds himself mirroring the smile. “You like it?”
“I love it.”
Or, 5 times Alex is in love with Henry and 1 time Henry loves him back.
After Everything, I Must Confess I Need You by @mainstreamelectricalparade. T, 5.8k. “Fuck,” he gasps, tears springing to his eyes and mixing with the rainwater on his face. He’s not sure if the tears are from the asphalt biting into his palms, or if it’s a release of the emotions he’s been trying to shove down deep ever since he woke up to an empty top bunk at the lake house.
Wait. Asphalt.
Over the pounding rain, Alex hears the shrill sound of a horn honking, and looks up just in time to be blinded by a pair of headlights coming straight at him.
When Alex dares Henry to tell him to leave, Henry actually does. Neither of them could have predicted what happens next.
dearthisbe by @dani-dabbles. G, 6.6k. “If someone in this room had told me before the Queen,” he grits out, “then maybe I wouldn't be completely cut off from my boyfriend right now.”
Alex glowers at his mother and ignores the cowed looks of the various staffers lining the Oval Office. Two days of no contact. Not even a carrier pigeon - or a swan since the queen apparently has them all at their disposal - has been sent their way.
OR: the email plot is discovered before it can be leaked, the palace doesn’t handle the news of their relationship well, and Henry and Alex are left trying to find their way back to each other.
come and get me by rizcriz. T, 6.9k. The email arrives 8 days after Henry left the lake house. He contemplates deleting it without reading, but it sits in his Alex inbox, where there are over seventy emails favourited, and somehow it feels wrong and weirdly impersonal.
As if leaving without a note were any different.
He stares at the from line with an aching longing that seeps into his veins. It settles on his heart like a tangible thing; something warranted and cruel that casts shackles around the aorta and locks them tight so that he might never love again.
or, alex sends an email instead of flying to KP.
I'd Wanna Be Felled by You, Held by You by Anonymous. E, 7k. Henry has been hiding his second gender since Alex moved into his apartment three years ago. When Alex accidentally triggers Henry's first heat in years, Henry asks Alex to cuddle him through it.
everything's growing in our garden by matherine. T, 7.2k. That night, in the safety of his hotel room on the outskirts of the Olympic Village, Henry couldn’t catch his breath. He coughed and coughed, feeling like he was choking on nothing, but there was a scratching sensation in his throat that he just couldn’t shake – until a single blue petal flew past his lips, landing in the porcelain bowl of the sink.
After an hour of painstaking Googling, he learns that it’s a Texas bluebonnet. He also learns what the fact that he’s coughing up petals means – the beginning stages of Hanahaki Disease. Rare, but not unheard of, according to the NHS website he browses in an incognito tab. Common in royal bloodlines (thank you, inbreeding).
"Only curable if the afflicted’s love is requited with a declaration," he reads, and slams his laptop closed with a bitter laugh, wet with tears. "A surgical procedure removing the afflicted’s capacity for love may be performed if the love remains unrequited. Otherwise, the condition is terminal."
So, then. He has no chance.
you're on your own, kid (yeah you can face this) by coffeecatsme. T, 7.2k. “Let’s get it over with.” Henry attempts to move, but Shaan stops him with a hand over his arm, concern flickering in his eyes.
“Are you okay, Henry?” he asks, so silently that the PPOs wouldn’t even be able to hear it. Henry doesn’t even blink. He doubts that word exists in his vocabulary anymore—he doubts it’s in the cards for him. But he knows the script.
He forces a smile on his face. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Or, 5 times Henry feels alone in the world, and 1 time he realizes he isn't.
every version of you (i love) by coffeecatsme. M, 7.6k. “So,” the voice narrates as the man squishes the dog’s cheeks and laughs at himself. “There’s this guy that lives next to me with the cutest beagle in the world and this little guy climbs to the fence every day to drop his toys off at, like, 5:30 on the dot, I’m not kidding.” The camera shows the man boop the dog’s nose and press a little kiss to his forehead. There’s a ball in his hands that he hands to the dog, but it slips from his mouth all over again, making the man reach down to grab it. He glares at the dog, but even then he’s still smiling. “And this guy always walks by and picks up the stuff and it’s the cutest fucking thing ever you have no idea.” The camera zooms in farther into the man’s smile, genuine and wild, as he pushes his wild curls away from his face. His eyes flicker up when another figure walks into the frame, his blonde hair falling over his forehead in waves. The man’s smile, impossibly, widens.
“Oh. I’m also pretty sure he has a crush on my neighbor.”
Or, 5 times David greets Alex with something that belongs to Henry, and 1 time he greets Alex with something that belongs to both of them.
I'm Fine With My Spite and My Tears (and my beer and my candles) by Megg1223. E, 7.7k. Henry leaves Alex at the lake house, but Alex doesn't storm Kensington. What happens when they see each other after three months? With the election right around the corner can Alex keep it together enough not to cause another international incident? Alex just needs to get through the night and then he can forget about the boy who broke his heart, but he's finding it increasingly difficult as the night goes on.
Downburst by @cricketnationrise. E, 8.5k. Amy’s sudden shout of alarm cuts off whatever Zahra was going to say. Alex stares at Amy, uncomprehendingly. His heart is racing, his body already flooding with instinctive fear, brain scrambling to catch up, to process what she said—
Cash is at his side between one blink and the next, practically tackling him to the ground and oh—
That’s a gunshot.
in the shadow of two gunmen by matherine. M, 8.6k. There are over four hundred and thirty-three million guns in civilian possession in the United States. Alex isn’t sure where on the campaign trail that fact embedded itself into his brain — he thinks he picked it up from some memo between Minnesota and Missouri — but he’s never been able to forget it. It's one of those things he turns over and over in his head, running the numbers as if he could calculate the possibility of a bullet embedding itself in his brain.
In the end, Alex thinks that it evens out. More people want to kill him than the average person (and that number has grown exponentially over the years) but now he also has Secret Service protection and can’t go anywhere without a motorcade. So, really, statistically, he figures that he has just as much of a chance of being shot by one of those 433 million firearms as anyone else, give or take a few decimal points here and there. But doing the math doesn’t make it any less terrifying when it actually happens.
Locked In by @three-drink-amy. M, 9.2k. After their night together in Paris, Henry and Alex get quarantined in their hotel, locked in for two full weeks.
Henry's Cold, Empty Tower by @dracowillhearaboutthis. G, 9.6k. “I want you,” Henry said, slowly but clearly, “to leave.”
When Alex storms Kensington Palace, Henry sends him away. Then, their relationship gets leaked, and it's Henry's turn to fight for Alex.
There's Something Missing in My Heart by allmylovesatonce. M, 9.8k. When Alex goes to London to tell him he loves him, Henry sends him away. How do both of them react to being without each other and what happens when their emails are still leaked?
So I Will Weather the Storm by Mags (sparklepocalypse). E, 9.8k. They’re in the air twenty minutes before the next report comes in, this time over their headsets. “Patient is located on the eastern side of Sgòr Gaoith. He reports a sudden snow squall came up, and he lost his footing and took a fall. He’s conscious and reports no major injuries, but he’s stuck on a ledge and can’t make it back to the trail. Patient is wearing a red jacket and a black knit cap and states his name is – ” there’s a burst of static over the radio.
“Please repeat the patient’s name,” Henry says into the headset mic as Schlosser programs the mountain’s location into the GPS.
There’s a bit more static, and then the dispatcher states, “Alexander Claremont-Diaz.”
(Or, a movieverse canon divergent AU wherein Henry is in the RAF and Cakegate still takes place, but the PR campaign doesn't happen – and two months after Cakegate, Alex does something dumb on a mountain in Scotland.)
a series of non-disclosure dilemmas series by everwitch. E, 10k. It takes a bit of time, before they manage to find the right person – a guy they’re both into, who is into what they’re into, and who is willing to sign a massive NDA even before they’ve made it to the bedroom. But once they do? It’s good. It’s so, so good. Still, nothing lasts forever, and when Theodore’s career takes him across the pond, Alex and Henry must consider whether or not they should start searching for someone else. Except in the end, they don’t have to search at all – Kenji is equal parts a surprise, and an absolute delight.
But the biggest surprise of all is the fact that, somewhere between a lot of really fun sex and some lazy, post-coital Star Wars banter, Alex and Henry end up with a matchmaking scheme that could certainly rival any cinematic drama. Theo, and Kenji. So different, but so well suited.
But how to get them together?
(did my love aid and abet you?) by alasse. T, 11k. That night in Kensington Palace, Henry told Alex to leave. Eleven years later, Alex watches on the news as Henry comes out, and abdicates. A story of what came before, and what comes after.
i vowed i would always be yours ('cause we survived the great war) by coffeecatsme. T, 12k. Mary Mountchristen-Windsor dies on June 5th, 2020, on a Tuesday morning, after an unexpected heart attack takes her before she’s rushed to a hospital.
Alex Claremont-Diaz hates Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. It's a fact, written in stone, deep enough that nothing, he believes, can sand it off. Until he bumps into the prince at his grandmother's funeral and sees a different side of him.
Or, 5 times Alex and Henry have to hide themselves and 1 time they don't have to.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words by TintedMirrors. E, 12k. "It’s not an innocent picture. It’s anything but. Henry is lying on his back in the wet sand of the beach, body completely bare and naked in a way that should have only been for Alex’s eyes, and Alex is lying on top of him. Alex’s still wearing his swim trunks, but he’s cradled in Henry’s thighs, his body blanketing Henry’s as he kisses him deeply. His arm is caught between them and Alex remembers exactly what he was doing. In the picture, there’s a peek of his fingers at the bottom of Henry’s thighs, and while it doesn’t show Henry’s cock or asshole, it’s clear where Alex’s fingers are.
Inside of Henry."
A picture of a private moment between Alex and Henry is taken while they're on vacation, which leads to a media frenzy.
Alex can't stop looking at it...
A Parent's Love by herebecauseimqueer. NR, 13k. An exploration of who Henry would be and how the events of RWRB would be different if Arthur never got sick.
Once I get a taste by clottedcreamfudge. E, 16k. “Please,” Alex begs, on fire with a clawing desperate need. “Fuck, please, I’ll do anything. Henry.”
Henry, entire body rigid with tension, slowly shakes his head. Alex sees his mouth – red from where Alex has been kissing him, biting him, well on his way to eating Henry alive – form the word no, even though he can’t hear it past the blood rushing in his ears.
Then Henry turns and leaves, and Alex digs his fingers into the cheap plywood of his own desk as he tries desperately not to fall to the floor.
Which is not, as it turns out, where this story starts.
A Heart Even More Your Own. by chaa_kiao. T, 16k. “Guess you’ll be writing those poems after all.” He swallows. "I should go."
Henry’s mind— every part of him, really— his heart, his body, his fucking soul— is screaming at him to take it all back. To hell with the monarchy, the American presidency, damn it all. This is the man he’s spent his entire life loving and he’s throwing it away for a legacy he doesn’t give a single fuck about. He forces out a rough “I think so,” but he can’t hear it over the ringing in his ears.
“I love you.”
“Alex—”
“I know,” Alex says. “I just had to say it.”
Or: Alex and Henry getting back together takes a little bit longer this time.
Growth Is Uncomfortable (Because You've Never Been Here Before) by Jaistiel. M, 17k. "He said if I wanted to help, they would be instrumental in understanding how." Henry outright laughed at this. It was a hollow, joyless sound, and Philip, to his credit, merely looked chastised instead of angry.
"Do you? Want to help, that is." Henry narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the emotion written on Philip's face. He had never been easy to read, always hidden behind the stuffy upper class posture of a royal, but now it seemed that some of that wall built around him had slipped away.
"Yes." He didn't expand on his answer, didn't fill the room with platitudes and meaningless explanations. His response was, in full, simply: yes. Henry stared at him in shock.
In the week following the leak, Philip has a series of conversations that lead him down a path of introspection and understanding. Each told through a different POV.
I feel the beating of your heart, I see the shadows on your face by @anincompletelist. M, 18k. It’s certainly not what Alex would have predicted a few days prior. If someone had told him he’d be tenderly embracing his self-imposed enemy after switching bodies with him for seventy-two hours and embarking on an unintentional journey of self discovery and then finally finding their way back to each other to ask for a True Love’s Kiss that may or may not break the curse that flipped their lives upside down -
Well, Alex would have told them to fuck off.
Sure As the Stars in the Sky by anincompletelist. E, 20k. It shouldn't matter that Alex has been present for each and every one of Henry's most important life milestones, sometimes the singular catalyst for them. It shouldn't be important that he's grown to be more familiar to Henry than even some of his own family members, that part of him is burrowed so deeply into Henry's subconscious that he can taste it sometimes, that even when Alex crashes in, spirited and passionate, it feels like an easy exhale; like coming home.
It shouldn't matter, but it does.
flatline by rizcriz. T, 21k. Alex gets the call at 7:57am.
It’s from an unknown number, so he answers it with an accent on his tongue and laughter in his throat, ready to troll the scammer for all they’re worth. But the voice on the other side of the line is serious, solemn, when she asks, “Is this, I apologize, all I’ve been given are initials, AGCD?”
He frowns, turning away from the coffee shop he’d been about to enter. “Who’s asking?”
There’s a moment of hesitation on the other end. “There’s been an incident. On the individual's phone, there’s a sticker. It says, if found, return to AGCD, alongside this phone number. Does it sound familiar?”
Alex freezes in the middle of the sidewalk. “What kind of incident?”
Or, Henry's been in an accident.
Pump The Volume by absoluteaudacity. M, 22k. Zahra, sitting across the table from Alex, gives him a stony glare. “Aids?” she signs and he shakes his head obstinately. His hearing aids make his ears itch and he isn’t wearing them in his own house, even if that house is The White House.
everybody needs someone series by anincompletelist (soldouthaz). E, 24k. It would hurt less, Alex guesses, if he wasn’t head over heels for the guy he’s supposed to be fucking through an ancient one-sided sex curse with that was partially — a lot, actually — his own fault.
But. It’s not like there’s a fucking handbook.
Alex has looked.
Claremont 2008 by @happiness-of-the-pursuit. M, 26k. What if Ellen Claremont had gotten elected in 2008 instead of Obama? An alternate timeline story of FirstPrince.
2009 at Buckingham Palace for tea. A sleepover after a quinceañera in 2010. The 2012 London Olympics. A 2014 Model UN Conference. A funeral in 2015. College and another campaign trail.
And the texts, facetimes, and chain emails in between.
Vacation, Meant to Be Spent Alone by allmylovesatonce. E, 29k. Alex has the perfect trip planned out for himself after his graduation. The last thing he expects is for his room to be double booked. The worst part of it all is that he'll be forced to share the room with his nemesis: Prince Henry of Wales.
Oblivion by milowren. NR, 31k. What if the moment in the hospital wasn’t a false alarm and the publicity surrounding the forced bromance between Alex and Henry had the adverse effect of them being kidnapped together?
Someday Soon I’ll See You (But Now You’re Out Of Sight) by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays. NR (MCD), 38k. Alexander Claremont-Diaz was twenty-eight years old when a car crash took his life.
The entire world grieved, and the entire world remembered.
But for some people, it wasn’t just a figurehead that died. It was a friend, a brother, a son. A husband. And remembering all of Alex was a hell of a task to undertake.
Or, how six people in Alex’s life work through his death.
You'll Get Better Soon ('Cause you have to) by Megg1223. T, 38k. Dr. Eden sighs and looks them both in the eyes. “I’m not going to lie to you. There is a possibility that he will never recover his memories. But, there are things we can do to help him along. I’ve already told him about the memory loss. He knows it’s 2023 and that he lost almost four years of memories. I think it may be best to update him on his current situation. His day to day life is drastically different then it was in 2019, is that correct?”
“Yeah, I would say.” Alex huffs out a bitter laugh.
Henry is in an accident and thinks it's still 2019. He still believes Alex hates him, and Alex is a just as much of a mess as you think he would be.
all the rumors are true by fxckingeyelashes. E, 53k. The door slams open in the middle of the night. Henry and Alex both shoot up, blinking through the dark.
“Wha- Zahra, what the hell?” Alex mumbles, making sure to keep the blanket over their naked hips.
Zahra exhales slowly as she flips the lights on. “We have a situation. You two need to get dressed and meet me in the office. It’s… it’s your emails. Someone’s hacked the server. They’re public.”
Alex isn’t sure he remembers how to breathe. Henry’s the first to move, grabbing the small trash can from beside Alex’s bed just in time to get sick.
//
Or, the one where the emails are leaked, but Alex and Henry are together when it happens. Bits from the book, bits from the movie, bits from my own personal AU I’ve created in my head.
Don't Initiate a Handshake, Always Address Them Properly, and For God's Sake, No Tiaras Until 6pm by TuppingLiberty. E, 63k. What happens when the White House decides to be proactive rather than reactive? Alex is brilliant and kind, but he's in need of a little polishing before he attends the royal wedding, and who to provide it better than Prince Henry? After all, they're both beholden to NDAs and with Princess Bea visiting as well, it's easy to pass off the two week visit as goodwill ambassadorship for both countries. No one has to know Henry is tutoring Alex.
So Alex is going to be left alone in the White House with his mortal enemy and three meddling sisters learning all about royal etiquette and protocol.
What's the worst that can happen?
Things I Cannot Accept by @sprigsofviolets. T, 69k. In 2016, Ellen Claremont lost the presidential election.
In 2019, Alex Claremont-Diaz is not the first son of the United States, so he’s shocked when his path crosses with Prince Henry for the first time in almost four years.
What Do I Know by allmylovesatonce. E, 83k. After a bad accident, Alex finally wakes up from a week-long coma. His family and friends are so relieved until they find that he has memory loss, forgetting the last five plus years. For Henry, he's forgotten their entire relationship. How do they go forward when Alex still thinks he hates Henry, but Henry is wearing his wedding ring?
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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Seven Sentence Sunday
*Taps mic* is this thing on? Yeah? Alright
Happy Sunday y'all! :) Sorry I haven't been too active recently (but what's new). Just know that I've been lurking and I adore seeing what everyone has been posting
Thank you so much to @anincompletelist @bigassbowlingballhead @firenati0n @myheartalivewrites @magicandarchery
and @kiwiana-writes for the tags today, and @welcometololaland @happiness-of-the-pursuit @sherryvalli @itsmaybitheway
@msmarvelouswinchester @littlemisskittentoes @wordsofhoneydew @cricketnationrise and @suseagull04 for the various tags this past week
So like, yeah, I should be working on my fic for the rbb, but instead i did a complete 180 and said let's make Alex be in a parasocial relationship that borders on obsession with Prince Henry. And then Rhys was like... can I join? So, surprise, y'all get another co-written fic, but this time it’s... not so fluffy. This snippet made us feel a bit insane, and where's the fun in easing y'all into the discomfort of this fic. That being said, completely understandable if this isn't y'alls cup of tea - no pressure to read/interact if so. Also, there is... ahem... more to this snippet. I said that I wasn't going to ease y'all in, but I'm not going to punch you in the face either
James kind of sucked. Alex had gone out to a bar, met the man on the dancefloor, let him order Alex a vodka soda despite his preference for gin. Let him kiss the taste of his off his lips in the corner stall. Let him trace it down his length after.
Alex left minutes later with ten digits crumpled up in his front pocket, where they stayed until he found a bin out front. Went to another bar. Introduced himself to someone lurking in the corner, reserved, with pretty eyes. Just a shade too light, though—a shame, but they’d do just fine. Alex tilted his chin up to get them to look up from the floor, leaned in to get his name, felt disappointment when he told Alex it was Thomas. Then, unmitigated fucking delight when he later revealed that all his friends called him by his last name: George.
But he had thin lips, and his stubble was too scratchy. There was an accent he couldn’t place, and it stuck to the inside of his ears, the sound discordant. It made Alex feel fucking weird.
So, he went home. Where he now lies in bed, tucked under blue checkered sheets, a Burberry scarf clutched in one hand, the other wrapped tightly around his dick.
Open tag, but tagging a few people below the cut too
@anchoredarchangel @smc-27 @dumbpeachjuice @daisymae-12 @gayrootvegetable
@hgejfmw-hgejhsf @hillerskas @leojfitz @leaves-of-laurelin @lizzie-bennetdarcy
@whimsymanaged @everwitch-magiks @read-and-write- @rmd-writes @tintagel-or-cockleshells
@inexplicablymine @orchidscript @cultofsappho @nocoastposts and @matherines
#seven sentence sunday#rwrb#red white and royal blue#rwrb fic#rwrb fanfic#affectionately writes#firstprince#alex claremont diaz#henry fox mountchristen windsor
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A ship of your choice firstprince, please!
A location—(Although I dare someone to send the White House or Kensington, I WILL make it into an AU. I have ideas.) Also if you want a particular historical setting, you can feel free to include a time period too. GO NUTS, please.
Well sheesh, with that kind of tease, I suggest both the White House and Kensington Palace, circa the year 2068.
I look forward to seeing what you choose to do with this! I am certain to enjoy it, whatever it is ❤️
(This was such an intriguing prompt, and I hope you enjoy what I did with it. Also happiest of birthdays to @dumbpeachjuice, who's incredible fic "make me your god" inspired this one.)
The Impossible Soul
(M, 7.2k, read it below or on AO3)
“I shouldn’t let you do this for me,” Henry tells him in the moments before.
“You should know by now that you’re not letting me do anything, sweetheart,” Alex returns. “Anyway, I’m doing this for us.”
“Even though we still won’t be able to be together?”
“I told you, it’s only temporary. Once my mom’s no longer in office, I won’t be in the spotlight. But I can’t leave you trapped here for another four years. I won’t.” Alex cups Henry’s cheek with his hand and brushes a thumb against the corner of his perfect mouth. “Besides, what if I left you here and you forgot about me?”
Henry covers Alex’s hand with his, warm and soft. “Never.”
~~~~~
One Year Earlier
Alex didn’t think he could be surprised by AIDEs at this point, but the ones populating Kensington are really something else.
“It’s a pleasure to have you here,” Prince Henry says, his blue eyes crinkling slightly at the corners as he shakes Alex’s hand.
Alex can’t help but stare. The eyes are the hardest part, or so Nora says. All the Secret Service agents’ eyes have a kind of strange metallic glint behind them. Often it’s not even noticeable, but if you look too closely, it becomes obvious. Prince Henry’s eyes are flawless, though. Just endless, perfect blue. Really, the only flaw Alex can see in this model is that they made him inhumanly beautiful. No real person has lips like that.
Henry’s hand is warm in his, his grip firm but not too tight. Alex forces himself to let go.
“Yeah, thanks,” he says, looking around rather than staying trapped in Henry’s piercing gaze.
Palace servants flit about, attending to all of the gala guests’ needs along with those of the princes and princess. Apparently, it’s a perfect recreation of the palace’s operations from the turn of the century, back before the monarchy was abolished. Now they just keep fake royalty here, like they can’t quite let go of the idea. Alex has never understood it, and visiting hasn’t really helped. Of all the things he’s had to do on this goodwill trip, this is by far the strangest, pretending to hobnob with royalty at a fancy ball like anyone does this shit anymore. Then again, maybe showing off is the whole point, same as it ever was.
It’s not like Alex isn’t used to interacting with AIDEs. The use of Artificially Intelligent Dynamic Entities is still limited more broadly, but they’re common in dangerous or sensitive jobs. The entire Secret Service was replaced by them two administrations ago; their loyalty is never in question, nor their willingness to protect their charges at all costs. Use of AIDEs for entertainment purposes is growing in popularity too, like the Kensington ones. They play the role they’re programmed to without deviation, they don’t need to eat or sleep (though they usually do, to better mimic humanity), they can be abused or even killed without repercussion and, most importantly, they don’t need to be paid.
“I hope your visit to London has been pleasant?” Prince Henry asks with perfectly-tuned amiability. It makes Alex want to push a little, though he knows Nora would tell him it’s a futile exercise.
“Mostly I’ve been spending it in lots of meetings,” Alex says. “Kinda wish I had time to go out and see more of the city.”
“I can understand that,” Henry replies, glancing toward the doors in a way that Alex would call wistful if he didn’t know better.
Can he? Do they let them leave the palace? Probably not. Does Henry want to, though? That would be a weird thing to program into an AIDE that’s supposed to stay in one place.
“I guess you probably don’t get out much, huh?” Alex asks.
Henry smiles indulgently at his bad joke. “Not so much, no. Makes it ever-so-difficult to meet people, you know.”
Alex laughs despite himself. He’s never met an AIDE that was so self-aware. If he tries to joke with Cash about taking a day off, the agent just stares at Alex blankly. “You must talk with a lot of visitors to the palace, though.”
“I do,” Henry allows, taking a sip of his champagne. “Most of them aren’t very interesting, though. All they do is ask what it’s like to be a prince.”
“And? What’s it like?”
Henry smirks a little. “Bloody boring. Not that I can tell them that, you understand.”
“Yeah,” Alex agrees, a little lost for words. Henry is nothing like what he was expecting. “So, what do you want to talk about, then?”
In response, Henry takes a step closer. He smells like fancy cologne, like linens and fresh grass, and something inside him seems to tug Alex closer. “Can I show you something? Still inside the palace, of course.”
Alex’s eyes flick over to June and Nora, chatting with someone he doesn’t recognize—AIDE or government official, he can’t tell—and the Secret Service agents linger at the periphery of the ballroom. He knows shouldn’t leave the event, but honestly chances are no one would notice he was gone. Plus, his curiosity is through the roof.
Henry takes him to a library. There are barricades set up to keep the visiting public to certain areas, but Henry slips past them and Alex follows him. Watches as Henry walks down the rows with a small, private smile curving his lips, trailing a finger along the spines. He pauses and plucks a book off the shelf—Pride and Prejudice, Alex can just make out—and smooths a hand lovingly over the cover.
“I love to read,” Henry says, almost to himself. His eyes flick up to Alex’s, shining brightly in the low light. “All those worlds… They’re incredible, don’t you think?”
Alex doesn’t know what to say. AIDEs don’t read. They don’t dream of other worlds.
“The rest of your… family,” Alex says, diplomatically. “Are they like you? I mean, with the reading.”
Henry laughs quietly and shakes his head. “No. No one’s like me.”
Alex is rapidly coming to that same conclusion.
~~~~~
“There’s nothing special about the Kensington AIDEs,” Nora tells him, sounding more beleaguered than necessary. “We talked to Princess Beatrice for like an hour, it was the same as any other AIDE. Pleasant, but a little vacant. The eyes are a neat trick, though.”
“I’m telling you, Henry is different,” Alex insists. “We talked all night. He’s aware of what he is. He reads and he thinks and he feels. Fuck, Nora, he dreams when he sleeps.”
“AIDEs don’t sleep. Not really.”
“Henry does.”
“Someone just got a little creative with the programming,” Nora says dismissively. “He’s supposed to say those things to make him seem more real. If you went back, he probably wouldn’t even remember you.”
“And what if he did?”
“Alex—”
“What if he did remember me? What if all of it really is real?” Alex presses.
Nora frowns at him. “Then there are some major ethical implications that current AI laws are frankly not prepared to deal with,” she says bluntly. “Look, it’s just not possible. They don’t have feelings, period. He’s just a fancy computer.”
“Fine. Whatever you say,” Alex huffs, mostly because he doesn’t want to have this argument anymore. She’s not going to change his mind, and clearly he’s not going to change hers.
“Promise me you’ll leave this alone. We can’t afford some kind of diplomatic incident because you got a crush on the prince AIDE.”
Alex glares at her. It’s not a crush. “I’ll leave it.”
He absolutely will not.
~~~~~
Cash doesn’t blink—literally—when Alex tells him that he’ll be visiting Kensington Palace again rather than the scheduled afternoon tea with some MP he couldn’t care less about. He sends his apologies with an excuse that he’s not feeling well and heads to the main entrance with the rest of the tourists. He has no idea where Henry might be, but AIDEs don’t take days off, so it stands to reason that he’ll be somewhere acting princely, or whatever he does all day.
Unfortunately, he gets stuck on a tour led by an AIDE with a dirty blonde bob and green eyes who most definitely shows none of Henry’s spark. It’s boring as fuck, and he almost bails more than once, but this place is huge and he’d probably get lost forever before he found Henry. They go past a few rooms Alex recognizes, but there’s no sign of the ‘royal family’ anywhere, and Alex starts to worry. Maybe they only trot them out for big events. Maybe you have to buy a special tour package. Ugh, his mom is going to kill him if he ditches any more events.
“Next, we’ll visit the palace library,” the guide says, and Alex perks up.
This has got to be his chance. Henry had said they were basically allowed free run of the palace so long as they remained in areas where they’d run into visitors during operating hours, and Alex knows there’s nowhere Henry would rather be than the library. Sure enough, he’s reading in a massive armchair by one of the windows, though he gets up when the tour group enters and comes over to talk to them. His face is fixed in a pleasant, bland smile as he looks over the group, until his eyes land on Alex. The flash of recognition is clear, even if he recovers quickly, and Alex’s heart thuds a little harder in his chest.
He lingers toward the back as the rest of the visitors ask Henry about living in the palace and being a prince—exactly as he said they would. He answers graciously, of course, the words so bland and scripted that Alex almost wonders if maybe he hadn’t been drinking too much champagne during the gala. But he hangs back when everyone else files out, and as soon as Henry turns to him, his eyes practically light up.
“You came back,” Henry says, his voice soft with something like wonder.
“Of course I did,” Alex replies. “We didn’t finish our conversation.”
Henry ducks his head, blond hair falling alluringly over his forehead as his cheeks turn pink. The way their bodies mimic human physiology is astounding sometimes. “I suppose we didn’t. Would you care to walk with me in the gardens? It’s a lovely day.”
“Can we do that?”
“Ironically, you’re allowed so long as you have one of us with you, and I’m allowed so long as I’m with a guest,” Henry explains. “Plus, you’re a foreign dignitary. No one will bother us.”
“Sure you wanna be seen with me? My sister would say I’m the furthest thing from dignified,” Alex says, grinning probably a little too broadly.
Henry’s smile slants mischievous as he steps close enough for Alex to get a noseful of linen and fresh grass again. “Maybe I like that about you.”
~~~~
“Have you ever been outside the palace?” Alex asks on his next visit. Nora had given him a look like she knew exactly what he’s been up to when he’d begged off from an official tour of the British Museum, even though he hasn’t brought up Henry again. The fact that she’d found him down a rabbit hole of academic papers about AIDE psychology probably hadn’t helped anything.
“Not that I remember,” Henry answers. It’s rainy today, so they’re ensconced in some kind of parlor with ornate, uncomfortable furniture. The fact that Henry only knows this life is outrageous. Has he ever truly been comfortable? Does anyone even care? “They gave me a basic knowledge of London as a background. I’m supposed to be fond of the Victoria & Albert Museum, but I’ve never seen it myself.”
“That’s fucked up,” Alex blurts.
Henry shrugs. “It’s just how it is.”
“How does none of this ever seem to bother you?”
“It can’t bother me, Alex. My entire existence has been—and will be—only this, and if I allowed any of it to bother me, I’d go mad.”
This does not, in fact, make Alex feel any better about the situation. “Guess I’ll just have to be angry for the both of us, then.”
“I’d rather you weren’t,” Henry says mildly. “It’s no use being upset about my life. Nothing can be changed.”
“Bad idea to tell me something can’t be changed, sweetheart. I fucking love a challenge,” Alex returns. He’s not joking, but Henry laughs anyway. “I’m serious, Henry. You deserve to get things you want, too.”
“What if I said I wanted you not to worry about it? That I want you to be happy?”
“Because you’re programmed to?” Alex counters, letting more bitterness than he means to slip into his voice.
Henry reaches out and slides a hand over Alex’s fist where it’s curled on his thigh. “Because I like you, Alex.”
~~~~
On the last visit he can manage before he leaves London, Alex brings Henry a cell phone.
“What’s this for?” Henry asks when Alex hands it to him. It’s a cheap smartphone, pay as you go, something that Alex can renew the data and minutes on remotely.
Alex frowns at him. He would have figured Henry would be familiar with the concept of phones, but maybe they purposefully programmed him to not recognize it. “It’s for communication. Audio, text, video—”
“I know what a phone is, Alex,” Henry says wryly, interrupting him before Alex can make a fool of himself. “I mean why are you giving it to me?”
“I’d like to keep talking to you after I go home,” Alex tells him, feeling oddly exposed by the question. “If that’s something you’d like, too.”
Henry smiles, almost bashfully. “Yes, I’d like that.”
“I assume you’re not allowed to have that,” Alex says with a nod at the phone.
“I don’t think anyone would consider it a possibility that we might,” Henry muses, “but I’ll keep it hidden nonetheless.”
“Good plan.”
“I’m going to miss your visits, Alex,” Henry says earnestly. “I’ll miss you.”
AIDEs can’t miss things, Alex’s brain supplies, an oft-repeated truism. He feels vaguely sick, leaving Henry here like this.
“Yeah,” Alex croaks, unable to quite meet Henry’s bright blue eyes. “I’ll miss you too.”
~~~~~
“How would you get a site-locked AIDE off the premises?” Alex casually asks Nora one late night at the Residence, when they’re deep in the weeds of polls and projections.
The campaign has been rough; rougher than the first one. Or maybe it’s just that Alex is far more involved in the filthy underbelly of it this time around. The experience has definitely made him question his resolve to go into politics. Then again, sometimes it feels like his only option to make a difference in the way he wants to. These days he frequently gets into arguments about the need for more protections for AIDEs, though right now it feels like a losing battle. They’re not supposed to need protections, that’s the point of them, and no one believes him when he suggests that they might have more in common with humans than previously believed.
It’s been months. Months of texting, and phone calls, and occasional video chats. Months of getting to know Henry—the real him, beyond his programmed backstory. For his part, Henry has seemingly blossomed further with access to the internet. Alex was admittedly not certain that was a great idea, but Henry seems to stay off the darker parts. He watches a lot of Bake Off, apparently. He’s obsessed with some cute beagle account on Instagram. He reads travel blogs and insists that just knowing that these wonderful places exist is enough for him.
Alex doesn’t believe him. Well, he believes Henry believes that, but that doesn’t stop Alex from yearning to show Henry some of them in person. Even something in London would be worth it. Hence, the question.
Nora looks at him like she knows exactly what he’s on about. He’s kept his correspondence with Henry a secret from everyone, but he’s pretty sure she suspects something is up. Him broaching this topic all but confirms that, but he needs the help.
“Permanently, or short-term?” she asks.
“Let’s go with short-term to start.”
Another capital-L Look. “Well,” she says eventually, “I would probably hack into the control system and override the barrier protocols. These systems are self-healing, though. You’d have a couple of hours at most.”
“And what happens if the AIDE was off-site when the system kicked back on?” Alex asks.
“Depends on the program. Possibly just an alarm or something. Most of the time it’s full deactivation though.”
“They kill them?”
“AIDEs aren’t alive, Alejandro,” Nora says pointedly. Alex bites his tongue. “But yes, in a manner of speaking.”
“Fuck,” Alex breathes, wiping his hands over his face. “And to permanently get him out?”
It’s a slip. He’s not dumb enough to think she missed it, though she doesn’t show it.
“Not entirely sure,” she admits. “I’d need one of the tablets they use to control them so I could go into the AIDE’s code. And good luck with that; the companies that make them have some of the tightest security out there.”
“Yeah, of course.”
She turns back to her laptop, and Alex half-expects the conversation is done, at least for now. But then, as she’s typing, she says, “I assume this isn’t idle curiosity.”
Alex sighs. “No.”
~~~~~
It takes nine months from their first meeting for Alex to find a reason to visit London. His mother offhandedly mentions sending someone to some conference he doesn’t really care about, and he jumps at the chance. All he can think about is Henry. Being in the same city as him again. Seeing him. Touching him.
Alex has had time to come to terms with his desire for Henry. Honestly, the bisexuality was easy compared to the AIDE aspect of it. Nora is fond of pointing out that they’re literally designed to be desirable, even the ones not populating what basically pass for sexy amusement parks, but Alex doesn’t just want Henry physically. He wants to spend time with him, to make him laugh and see the crinkle of his eyes not through a phone screen.
Frankly, he also wouldn’t mind a little clarity on the whole situation. To either get incontrovertible proof that Henry is fundamentally the same as a person, or else be reminded that he isn’t, that Alex has deluded himself into believing Henry was more than a machine (a possibility that Nora regularly reminds him of).
On the flight over, Alex finds himself watching Cash, not for the first time. He’s doing a sudoku puzzle, which can’t really be much of a challenge for him. Still, he works on them religiously. Did someone program that into him? Or does Cash actually enjoy doing them?
“Do you like your job, Cash?” Alex asks.
Cash looks up at him, setting his ballpoint pen down—he does the puzzles in pen because he never makes a mistake. He’s got an expression on like he doesn’t really understand Alex’s question, even though it should be straightforward. “It’s my job,” he finally says.
“Yeah, but do you like it?” Alex pushes. “Do you find it fulfilling?”
The tip of his head means Cash is analyzing Alex’s body language. After another moment, he says, “Yes.”
Alex can’t quite hold back a sigh. The answer is predictable. Cash is only saying that because he thinks Alex wants to hear it. That’s what AIDEs do, they anticipate your needs and wants.
“Is that not the right answer?” Cash asks, frowning.
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex says.
He knows Cash won’t.
~~~~~
Henry is understandably nervous about the plan. It is, after all, his life on the line.
“The control system will go down at the very end of the visiting day, so we can slip out with the exiting crowds,” Alex tells him. “It’s gonna look like maintenance, which shouldn’t set off any red flags right away. Between that and the roadblocks Nora’s set up, we should have five hours.”
“For what?” Henry asks.
Alex just grins. “It’s a surprise, sweetheart.”
Henry looks even more human in Alex’s Longhorns baseball cap and hoodie. Soft. Dangerously so. It makes Alex want to do reckless things. Instead, he sets his watch for four and a half hours and reminds himself how high the stakes are. He’s arranged everything just so tonight. No surprises.
The escape goes off without a hitch, and Alex breathes a sigh of relief once they’re making their way through the crowded city streets. Out here, the two of them are completely unremarkable, even with Cash trailing a few steps behind them. Henry seems to take it all in stride, though Alex doesn’t miss the quiet looks of awe that steal over his face as he takes in the city. They stop and get falafel at a food truck. Henry asks to pet every dog they come across. He looks indescribably happy in a way that makes Alex’s heart clench in his chest.
At the back entrance to the museum, Alex pays off the night guard—not an AIDE, thank god, they’re nearly impossible to bribe—and they slip inside, leaving Cash by the door. It doesn’t take long for Henry to catch on.
“You brought me to the V&A,” Henry breathes as he looks around.
It had seemed like the obvious choice, after what Henry had told him. “I’ve never actually been here,” Alex admits.
“That’s all right, love,” Henry says, grinning now. “I know my way around.”
Alex has never been so enraptured by someone telling him about art, but it’s impossible not to be taken in by the passion with which Henry speaks about the sculptures. He tells Alex about Tipu’s Tiger, about Giambologna, about Narcissus and Zephyr and Pluto rendered exquisitely in marble. His programming hadn’t bothered to give him anything more than a general interest; all of Henry’s knowledge comes from reading in the palace library—and now on the phone Alex gave him—and he’s apparently done a lot of it. His programming also has nothing to do with the wonder and emotion in his voice, with the tears that glitter in his eyes when he gets overwhelmed by the experience.
Machines don’t cry over art. They just don’t. Art is supposed to be a fundamentally human experience, which is proof enough to Alex that, whatever he was designed as, Henry is just as human as Alex is now.
~~~~~
In the Santa Chiara chapel, Henry finally pauses and turns his awe on Alex.
“I’ve dreamed of this,” he murmurs, closing the space between them until only inches remain. Alex has to tip his head up to meet Henry’s bright gaze, and his heart thuds hard in his chest. “You risked so much to give this moment to me. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You deserve it,” Alex tells him, meaning every word of it. “You deserve the entire world.”
“Alex,” Henry breathes.
Alex doesn’t think; he leans up and presses their lips together, a fleeting thing, over before he can convince himself it was a mistake. Except it was, because now he knows the softness of Henry’s lips against his, and he’ll never be satisfied with anything else. Henry’s eyes are wide when he pulls back, his lips slightly parted, and all at once Alex curses his impulsivity. What if Henry thinks that’s what he wants in return, that he owes Alex part of himself for this, when the last thing Alex wants is to take advantage of his programmed desire to please?
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
But Henry presses a hand against his face and pulls him in again, slides their lips together with intention, leaves Alex breathless when he pulls away again.
“You don’t have to do that,” Alex breathes into the silence afterward. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I want to,” Henry says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I want you, Alex.”
“You’re not just saying that because you think I want you to?”
Henry laughs a little, shaking his head. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he confesses. “I can assure you, that wasn’t programmed. And neither is this.”
This time, when Henry kisses him, Alex can’t help but smile into it.
~~~~~
They go off-plan. There are two hours left when Alex takes Henry back to his hotel room and presses him back into the bed. Peels away their clothes and kisses across warm skin that feels no different from his own under his lips. Henry gasps and twitches under him as Alex takes him in hand; for an AIDE that was only supposed to staff a museum, whoever designed him really went all out on the anatomy.
“Have you ever done this?” Alex murmurs into the crease of his hip, breathing in the scent of him. Linen and fresh grass and something else, musky and heady.
Henry shakes his head, and relief floods through Alex. It isn’t some virginity kink, ok? He’s just heard stories of how some people treat AIDEs no matter what their jobs are, like they’re free for the taking because they never say no, and he’s glad Henry’s never been in that situation.
“And you’re sure you want to with me?”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Henry nearly growls. He drags Alex up from between his legs and kisses him hard, then rolls them over so he’s on top, straddling Alex’s waist. Slides back until Alex’s cock is pressing into the cleft of his ass and rocks his hips in a way that makes them both moan. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Alex is pretty sure he sees God when Henry lowers himself onto his cock, sitting upright with one hand behind him gripping Alex’s thigh and the other splayed over Alex’s chest. Or maybe it’s just that Henry looks like a god, like one of the mythical marble sculptures in the V&A, muscles rippling beneath his skin, but warm and yielding and vibrant and alive.
You’re unreal, Alex almost says, but that’s not quite it. Henry like this is very, very real. Impossible might be a better word.
Henry is impossible, and Alex is impossibly in love with him.
~~~~~
“Do you think you could steal one of the tablets they use to access your code?” Alex asks as they lie together in the darkness. His ear is pressed to Henry’s chest, listening to the steady thud of his circulatory pump—not quite a heart, but not not one either.
Henry’s hand cards through his hair, idly twirling Alex’s curls around his fingers. “What are you planning, love?”
Alex tips his face up to look at him. “Can you?”
“I doubt I can,” Henry answers after a pause, “but the technician responsible for us… he may be willing to help.”
“And you trust him?”
“He’s protected me before. I think he knows about my… differences.”
Alex hums. “How do we contact him?”
~~~~~
What Shaan Srivastava is not willing to do is speak over any sort of electronic form of communication, which Alex honestly takes as a good sign. They meet in a cafe on the other side of London, the day before Alex is set to leave.
“I want to get him out,” Alex tells him plainly. “For good.”
“Mountchristen Technologies puts numerous failsafes into the AIDEs they build,” Shaan tells him. “Trackers. Latent viruses. Kill switches.”
“Can they be disabled?”
Shaan takes a sip of his tea. “I have an idea, but I have no way of implementing it. I’m just responsible for keeping them in good working order. I’m not a coder.”
The hope that flares up in Alex’s chest is dangerous but oh-so-seductive. “I think I know someone who could help with that.”
~~~~~
“This is insane,” Nora tells him. “You honestly think it’s a good idea to pull off some kind of heist from the world’s biggest tech company a month before the election?”
“No,” Alex says reasonably. “That’s why we’re waiting until after. I convinced mom to let me take a trip to London between New Years and the inauguration.”
Nora shakes her head, every movement like a knife in Alex’s gut. “I can’t do this. I won’t. I never should have helped you on that little excursion in the first place, but this is a whole ‘nother level. We could both go to jail for who knows how long. And for what? Because you fucked an AIDE and now you want him for yourself?”
“Fuck you,” Alex nearly shouts. “I love him, asshole! I can’t let him stay a— a slave in that fucking palace.”
“He’s a machine! That’s what he was designed for, Alex!”
“Maybe he was, but that doesn’t mean that’s what he is now,” Alex insists. He holds out the tablet that she has yet to take from him. “Just look at his code. Even I can tell it isn’t like anything else out there.”
Finally, she snatches the tablet from him and jabs at it a few times. Her frown gets deeper. “There’s something wrong with this tablet,” she says eventually. “It’s not displaying things properly.”
“It is.”
“It can’t be, this level of complexity is impossible—”
“He’s writing his own fucking code, Nora,” Alex interrupts. Shaan had explained his theory on Henry’s code as best he was able before Alex left London. “With every one of the choices he was never supposed to be able to make. That’s why it looks like that.”
Heavy silence stretches between them as Nora stares at the tablet, occasionally swiping around and tapping. She chews on her lip. “It shouldn’t be possible,” she mutters, half to herself.
“But it is. He is. Please, Nora,” Alex pleads, not caring how desperate he sounds. “I’ll do anything.”
“Yeah, well. Hopefully it won’t come to that.”
~~~~~
“You need to understand that the changes to his code means that accessing the safeguards is much more difficult.”
“Ok.”
“And I can’t guarantee that this will work. We can’t test it out. Once we shut him down, there’s no way to know exactly what will happen when we boot him back up again. He might come back the same as he is now, but he also might undergo some kind of reset. Even if he retains his free will, he might not remember his life before. He might not remember you.”
Alex swallows hard. “I understand.”
“Does he?”
~~~~~
It takes Alex a month to work up the nerve to broach the topic with Henry. On video call not long after the election, he explains Nora’s plan, how they need to do a full shutdown so she can extract the safeguards like a surgeon. He makes himself explain the risks even though his first impulse is to downplay them. Henry deserves to know, deserves to make the decision for himself. Alex would be a huge fucking hypocrite to take that away from him.
That doesn’t mean he’s required to like Henry’s reaction, though.
“It’s too much risk,” Henry says, a stubborn look on his face that Alex is very familiar with by now. “Things are fine now.”
“They’re really not,” Alex argues. “You’re no better than a prisoner there, Henry. Your freedom is worth the risk.”
“It’s not.”
“Of course it fucking is!” Alex snaps, rapidly becoming frustrated by this argument.
“Not when it could mean losing you!” Henry bites out. He presses his lips together and looks away from the camera, but Alex can see the tears shining in his eyes. “My memories of you—of the museum, of us,” he says eventually, his voice unsteady, “are the only things I have that are truly mine. And you tell me I could lose them… I can’t do it. I’d rather stay here forever.”
“Don’t you understand?” Alex pleads. He wants to reach through the screen and grab him, turn his face and make Henry look at him. “I’m trying to give you the world, baby.”
“I don’t want the world,” Henry says miserably. “Please, Alex. It’s better this way. You may think this is worth it now, but one day you’ll change your mind when you realize that having a secret AIDE lover isn’t exactly compatible with a political career. You’ll want to be with a real person. Someone whose affection you can be certain isn’t just programming. Just… leave me here with my memories.”
Then Henry hangs up on him.
~~~~~
Henry doesn’t answer his calls or reply to his texts, and Alex couldn’t be more miserable. He doesn’t eat and sleeps only fitfully, which confuses his family. Everyone’s still riding a high from winning the election. They think Alex is seriously ill and try to bring in a doctor, but nothing’s physically wrong with him. He can’t tell them he’s suffering from a broken heart like some pining Victorian maiden.
On the fifth day, Nora comes storming into his bedroom in the White House and throws a duffle bag at his chest.
“Pack your shit, we’re going to London,” she says bluntly. “Also take a shower. You reek.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It’s Henry.” She waves the tablet in the air, which is still linked to Henry’s code in real time. “Someone’s trying to make changes to his code.”
Alex flops back down onto his bed and stares at the ceiling. “It’s probably just him deciding he’s done with me.”
“God, you’re pathetic,” she huffs, now rummaging through his dresser. “It’s not him. Looks like someone else is poking around, and that can’t be a good thing.”
That’s enough to make him rocket straight out of bed, an icy spike of dread shooting down his spine. “Have you gotten in contact with Shaan?”
Nora shakes her head. “No. He’s radio silent.”
“Fuck.”
“I booked us tickets with your credit card on a flight that leaves in two hours, so hurry the fuck up.”
“Nora, is he—” Alex starts before his voice clips off as his throat closes. He forces out, “Can you tell… is he ok?”
Her expression softens, and she puts a hand on his forearm and squeezes. “For now.”
~~~~~
The good thing about Kensington being a museum is that no one can stop him from just buying a ticket and going in. He’s been here enough times to know his way to the library, at least, which is where he goes first, barely aware that Nora’s following hot on his heels. All he can think about is Henry.
Henry’s not in the library, though, nor in any of the surrounding rooms. Alex stops a palace attendant and asks for directions to Prince Henry’s apartments, which she helpfully provides. It’s a part of the palace that’s not on any tours, but that doesn’t seem to matter. A palace attendant’s directive to be helpful to humans is off the charts, even for an AIDE.
Somehow he’s not expecting Shaan to answer the door when he knocks. Alex immediately shoulders his way into the room, anger and fear an unholy cocktail in his veins.
“Where is he? What going on here?” he demands, frantically looking around. “Henry, baby, where are you?”
“Mr. Claremont-Diaz—”
“Henry!” There’s no answer, and Alex rounds on Shaan again. “Are you doing this to him?”
Shaan sighs, and it forces Alex to look closer, to take in the bags under his eyes and the grim set to his face. “I told you, I’m not a coder, Mr. Claremont-Diaz. I have, however, been doing my best to slow their progress.”
“What’s happening?” Alex demands.
“Someone higher in the company noticed Henry’s unusual code. I’m not sure how. A standard review of the AIDEs in the palace, I suppose. Or your trip out of Kensington was less secret than you hoped.”
Fuck. None of that is good. Alex scrubs a hand over his face, forces himself to take steady breaths and not descend into a panic attack. “Ok, ok. Is he all right?”
“Alex?”
Alex’s head whips around so fast he nearly strains his neck. Henry’s standing in the doorway, dressed in his usual slacks and button-down with a blue v-neck sweater over it. He looks… normal, and Alex nearly sobs in relief.
“Baby,” he breathes, practically throwing himself across the room and into Henry’s arms. He buries his face in Henry’s neck and breathes deeply, and the barbed wire wrapped tightly around his heart loosens a little.
“What are you doing here?” Henry asks, his strong arms wrapping automatically around Alex’s body.
Alex yanks his head back and looks askance at Shaan. “Does he not know?” He stares up at Henry. “Your code is under attack.”
“Ah, yes,” Henry says carefully. “It’s not the first time.”
“This has happened to you before?” Nora asks, and Henry looks at her in shock, like he hadn’t realized she was in the room.
“You must be Nora,” he surmises. “Yes, it has. I might have thought you’d have noticed the effects in my code.”
A look of understanding dawns over Nora’s face, and she nods. “They’re like scars. Fuck. How many times?”
“It’s not important,” Henry says in a way that suggests he’s been doing this for a long time. “The main point is that I can handle them.”
“Fuck that,” Alex spits out. “I’m not letting them scar you anymore.”
Henry closes his eyes and sighs wearily as he extracts himself from Alex’s grip. “Alex, love, you shouldn’t be here—”
“No, you listen, asshole,” Alex snaps, his terror giving way to fury. “You can’t fucking hang up on me this time.”
“I told you my decision, Alex—”
“And what about what I want? Doesn’t that mean anything?”
“Fine,” Henry says shortly, his own temper flaring. “You know as well as I that we can’t be together as long as your mother’s in office and the public’s eyes are on you. So if you still want me in four years, come back and we’ll talk then. You know where I’ll be.”
He says it with a humorless slant to his lips that’s probably supposed to pass as a wry grin, like it’s a joke. Alex wants to fucking scream.
“And let them keep on trying to chip away at what makes you you? Take the chance that they’ll just get rid of you?” he retorts instead. “Fat fucking chance! I’m not leaving the man I love in captivity for four fucking years!”
It takes Henry’s eyes going wide and his mouth falling open for Alex to realize what he’s said. “Alex, you can’t—”
“What, love you? Because I do,” Alex says defiantly. “And I think you love me too.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you AIDEs can’t love?” Henry says, his voice wavering as he stares at the floor.
Alex steps close, forcing Henry to look up at him, until their noses are almost brushing. “Yeah, well, I know better,” he says, low and heated. “I also know I’m not gonna want anyone else, ‘real person’ or not. You’re a real person to me, Henry, and that’s what matters.” He raises a hand to Henry’s cheek and swipes his thumb through the tear track streaking it. “You’re it for me, sweetheart. I’m never gonna love anyone like I love you, and no one can take that away. Plus,” he adds, for the first time letting a corner of his mouth tug upward, “you know how annoyingly persistent I am. If you forget me, I’ll just make you fall in love with me all over again.”
Henry lets out a wet laugh and covers Alex’s hand with his. “It won’t take long.”
~~~~~
Seeing Henry shut down is wrong. He doesn’t even look dead, he just looks… not there. There’s no light in his eyes. Alex hates it. Can’t make himself watch as Nora works furiously.
It takes longer than he expected, but eventually she takes a deep breath and mutters, “Here goes nothing,” then taps a big green button on the tablet.
Henry’s eyelashes flutter as he wakes up. He looks around the room, eyes landing in turn on Shaan, Nora, and Alex. He holds Alex’s gaze and Alex stares back as if he could make Henry remember him through sheer force of will.
“Hello,” Henry says pleasantly. “I don’t believe we’ve met?”
~~~~~
Five Years Later
Alex stands at the end of the long driveway that leads to a small bungalow by the sea on a tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean. He’s got a bouquet of flowers clutched in one hand, which feels silly now. Maybe this was a mistake.
He’s kept tabs on Henry and his life after leaving Kensington. From what he can tell, Henry seems happy. He visits the markets and restaurants, knows the locals, and spends lots of time writing. He’s never taken a lover, but Alex doesn’t let himself believe that’s because of him.
It seemed easier, if they were going to have to be apart, to not fill Henry in on their history at first. At least one of them could weather the years without heartache. Alex threw himself into law school, letting nothing distract him. Graduated at the top of his class, got the job of his dreams working for a firm specializing in civil rights litigation, one of the few considering cases related to AIDE protections. He lives a pretty quiet life. No one really cares about what the former FSOTUS is up to these days. And now he’s here, half a decade later, with little more than hope.
Hope, and a wilting bouquet of flowers.
In his darker moments, he’s wondered if it wouldn’t be kinder to Henry to leave him be. Let him live his life. After all, Alex will get old and die, and Henry… won’t. No one really knows how AIDEs might break down over time—their organic-based bodies must, eventually—but their lifespans will surely be much longer than a human’s. In that context, coming back and hoping Henry will fall in love with him again seems nothing but selfish.
Still, he made a promise, and he owes it to Henry to tell him, if nothing else. Maybe Henry will decide that he’s happy as he is, that he doesn’t want the eventual heartache. He owes it to Henry to let him choose.
The gravel of Henry’s driveway crunches loudly under his shoes as he walks toward the bungalow, announcing his arrival as well as any doorbell. When he gets closer, he catches sight of Henry sitting on the porch that faces the beach, a notebook on his lap and a drink on the table next to him. They’d dyed his hair brown after fleeing Kensington, and brown it has remained. He’s still as pale as ever, though; AIDEs don’t tan or get sunburned.
He doesn’t turn at the sound of Alex’s approach, just stares fixedly out at the ocean until Alex stops at the bottom of the two steps that lead up to the porch. Alex’s heart is in his throat when Henry finally gets up and walks to the top of the steps. The smile on his face is warm, fond. Nothing like what he’d left Alex with when they’d parted.
It shouldn’t be possible… but then again, Henry is the very embodiment of the impossible.
He holds out his hand, and Alex climbs up to take it, letting Henry pull him in.
“Hello, love,” Henry says, raising a warm hand to his cheek. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
#rwrb#red white and royal blue#firstprince#rwrb fic#rwrb fanfic#firstprince fic#firstprince fanfic#alex claremont diaz#henry fox mountchristen windsor#my fic#chamel's fandom fest
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Readers' Choice Rec List Part 4 of 7
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
lifelines by @indomitable-love
@dot524: I have been working my way through all of indomitablelove’s fics. They are all fantastic, but this one blew me away. Added so much depth to an already very dramatic event. Well written & includes some very thoughtful character PoVs.
@space--potat0: A perfect companion when you're rereading the book but want some extra Pain And Sadness
babygrxmlin: The emails from everyone else's point of view (it's so beautiful and gorgeous and stunning and it made my chest ache in the best possible way, please read it everyone!)
Rio by @treluna4
Statueinthestonetoo: This was one of the first rwrb fics I read, and Treluna is a wonderful writer who pulls you in and captivates you with their words. It's sexy and sweet at the same time and I highly recommend it.
eyes full of stars by @acdsbff
@musicandi: I submitted this fic because it is so beautiful and heartfelt.
Now and Then by @mudbloodpotter05
anon: This author told a Soulmate story with a canon divergence and made it AU all at the same time. Not only that, while it does have an MCD, the author has a happy ending that…well, gotta love that “soulmate magic” because while it does have an MCD, this story has not let me down when I need to feel the bad and read the good.
ManBatman: I tend to stay away from stories with an MCD, but when I saw that this was a Soulmate story too, I decided to read it especially when it said happy ending, despite the MCD. Happy endings can be subjective, but I can tell the author loves the Henry and Alex because as much as they lean into the drama, and live up to the mcd tag, they still pay off the happy ending in a way that definitely reminds me why soulmate stories are my favorite.
Hit (my love) out of the park by bleedingballroomfloor
Tabitha: The first story and the series as a whole, of Baseball Boyfriends, always is just the perfect read for me. Angst and joy, love and patience and acceptance of others and one’s self and never leaves me feeling left wanting when I read this series at least once a month!
Hashtag Soulmates by @everwitch-magiks
@mudbloodpotter05: This is such a crazy story and one of the first ever RWRB stories that I read in the fandom. Each chapter has a different fanfiction trope, and leans into what we love about fanfiction in the first place and just how outlandish and fun a story can be all the while telling a compelling story that has some angst, but also provides that lightness that comes with a happy ending
@three-drink-amy: It is the ultimate love letter to fanfiction and rwrb! So fun and well done!
The Other way by @three-drink-amy, @everwitch-magiks, @athousandrooms
@mudbloodpotter05: I love this story because it take reality tv and puts an RWRB spin on it while still staying true to Alex and Henry. Even though it isn’t the standard RWRB story for them, they still have to learn to communicate and grow all the while trying to make it down the aisle for their happy ever after.
In need of assistance by @stutteringpeach
anon: This story and it’s follow up are just one of those sweet stories that fill one’s cup I always come back to this story because one, arthur is alive and two the way he tries to go about setting up Henry and Alex is amazing and so obvious you can’t help but love it and the sequel is just as good as the first!!
Aged like a fine wine by @three-drink-amy
anon: I was reading this one as it was posting and I was absolutely hooked for weeks. It has several rwrb tropes I love and it's definitely one of my favourites
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red, white, and royal blue fanfic rec (part 3)
other rwrb fic recs here
personal favorites are starred, by the way.
everything is complete unless stated otherwise.
the too much that you aren't by DemonPoxHerondale (~2k)
Henry has always been an introvert. High energy situations can get overwhelming, and as much as he loves his boyfriend, it's impossible to deny that he's high energy. Back when they were sneaking around to see each other, the short bursts of interaction meant that they never really clashed. But now that they're living together, well, it's another story.
as an introvert, i get it
champagne problems by alec_rhee (~3k)
Henry’s eyes are otherwise occupied as he closes them, planting a kiss to Alex’s head, but Alex sees Benjamin’s eyes move to Henry’s lap. Where they stay for at least five seconds.
Alex knows; he’s counted.
“Look, Benjamin,” Alex begins. “I know we just met but if you look at my man like that one more time I will not hesitate to punch you in your fucking face.”
“Alex!” Henry yelps, withdrawing his lips from Alex’s curls. “What on God’s earth are you doing?”
“Look,” He says again, his attention still focused on Benjamin. “He’s damn gorgeous. I don’t blame you for looking. I truly don’t, but he’s taken. Happily.”
OR Jealous!Alex
jealous/protective alex made my entire day
don't go where i can't follow by coffeecatsme (~4k
Henry turns away, hair silvery under the moonlight. He doesn’t even bother to look at Alex, and something like anger flashes in Alex’s gut when he sees him reach for his backpack, like it’s that easy to abandon Alex, like Alex didn’t bare his heart to him just a day ago. “You could’ve fucking said goodbye,” he whispers before he can think about it; his voice is quiet through the knot in his throat, yet it echoes in the room like a gunshot, stopping Henry in his tracks.
Alex wakes up at the lakehouse before Henry leaves.
angsty, but i swear it gets better
in violent symphonies by saltfics (~16k) part 2 of a series (doesn't need to be read)
“So that’ll be a fun surprise. Any chance your brother’s friends are actually… you know… any fun?”
Henry halts to a stop halfway out the door, his mind screeching like a shaken record. He can feel the pull of his memory towards things he doesn’t want to think of, feels the heavy weight of it as he forces himself to focus on something else, fast so he won't acknowledge towards which twice locked door his thoughts are wandering.
Sequel to In White (but could potentially be read without it).
When Henry and Alex return to England for the christening of the new baby prince, Henry finds out his nephew's new godfather might be a terribly familiar face.
Sometimes it doesn't matter how deep you lock away a memory if it insists on showing up at your door. (But maybe you can ask for help to keep it out.)
i love henry angst :)
those markings on your skin by saltfics (~62k) incomplete
Originally a collection of one-shots based on Tumblr Prompts, but now a series of interconnected prompt-based chapters regarding a series of assassination attempts towards HRH Prince Henry, and the effect on their relationships with each other that comes with it, featuring most of the main cast. (Plus a few standalones in between).
fair warning, i haven't read it all, so i don't know everything it contains. please beware of the tags.
Home Safe by HMS_Chill (~2k)
Alex is out later than normal, and Henry is left home to worry.
as you can see, after i read God Save the Blessed American President Mom by zipadeea i got just a little obsessed. no mcd here though.
*lifelines by indomitablelove (~27k
Shaan is told by a woman from the press office.
Zahra is asleep when he calls her.
She calls Ellen.
Liam is in the library.
Oscar finds out from Twitter.
Catherine hears it from her equerry when she gets the morning papers.
It's Leo who tells June.
---
or, the emails. From everyone else's point of view.
Lockdown by bibliosoph (~4k)
Alex and Henry have a fight before Henry leaves to go to England for a bit. While in England, there is an attempted assassination and Alex loses his mind because he can't get in touch with anyone and he left things with Henry up in the air.
don't worry, there's no mcd, just alex angst.
*Soon You'll Get Better (Because You Have To) by wafflesandkruge (~4k)
Two nights after the shooting, Henry receives an email with a pre-recorded video from Alex. He gets one every night, and although it breaks his heart to see Alex happy and alive, he's terrified of when they'll stop coming.
i wasn't lying when i said i was obsessed. no mcd.
#rwrb fic recs#rwrb fanfiction#rwrb movie#rwrb fanfic#rwrb#red white and royal blue#royal's rwrb fic recs#henry fox mountchristen windsor#alex claremont diaz
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happy friday!!
put on your fucking seatbelts y’all because these fics will have you screaming, crying, throwing up, hyperventilating and climbing the fucking walls
read the tags. some of these have kinks that not everyone is into, so just make sure you know what you’re stepping into! the other half of these are just fluff fluff fluff!! enjoy!
home is where i’m with you by @luainthewild
where alex seeks the meaning of home and finds it in Henry's arms.
OR: Henry has to spend Christmas alone; Alex refuses and invites him to Texas. Ensue family crack, a lof of fluff, sexy dancing and love confession on a christmas card.
(We) Loved Her First by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf
When I thought about all of the things I wanted to say to you both today, my initial urge was to write a letter. I could borrow Dad’s fountain pen from his top desk drawer and watch the ink soak slowly into the cardstock paper, to blow it dry and carefully crease it in three places before sliding it into an envelope and sealing it with the wax seal Papa bought a few years back, that he said we could use to send our Christmas cards to Sandringham in a more formal way so that Uncle Pip wouldn’t expect to find us wearing matching Christmas tree onesies inside.
But then I realized, a letter isn’t your style. It isn’t our style. Your story, the same story weaved together countless times throughout my life into a tapestry of your love that blanketed me at night whenever I needed comforting, was told through a series of pixels swirling through the air and crossing the void of space and time within moments. So, I decided it was only fitting to continue that tradition and to follow in your footsteps…an email, it is.
OR
Alex and Henry's daughter sends them an email just before they walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.
we might just get away with it by smc_27
Henry is the most gorgeous man Alex has ever seen. And Alex has seen a lot of gorgeous men. He’s a fucking model.
“This is Henry Fox-Mountchristen,” Prada’s current PR lead says, and Alex smiles and pushes his hand out. “He’s a journalist covering the merger.”
Alex doesn’t know what merger or what it would have to do with Paris Fashion Week. But he does know that Henry holding a glass of champagne as he shakes Alex’s hand is maybe the sexiest thing ever, and there is just no explanation for that.
“Hi. I’m Alex.”
Henry says, “I know,” and then does this weird, forced smile at Bianca and walks away.
Alex doesn’t know how to like, not be completely obsessed with things he wants.
OR, Alex is a model. Henry is a journalist, and a bit of an asshole. Alex wants him anyway, even when it doesn’t feel good.
Leave A Message by @sherryvalli
"This is Alex Claremont-Diaz's phone. If it's a business matter, I don't know how you got ahold of this number, but if you have my number that means you probably have Zahra's. Call her instead. If you're friends or family, just text me. If you're anyone else, I'll call you back as soon as I can."
Or: Alex's voicemail message over the years, and the messages people leave for him.
in the dead of night by @littlemisskittentoes
“Hm, am I still dreaming, or is there very pretty boy playing with me under the covers?” Alex’s voice is gruff. Its edges are coated in lingering sleep, and the drowsy-slow pull of the words lulls them to a deeper accent than he usually lets slip through. The syrupy drawl skitters the length of Henry’s spine.
or, Henry knows he can always rely on Alex to tire him out when sleep is far off.
#wohd recs#rwrb#red white and royal blue#alex claremont diaz#prince henry rwrb#rwrb movie#henry fox mountchristen windsor#alex x henry#rwrb alex#firstprince
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writing patterns baybee
rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern
thanks for the tags @kiwiana-writes, @cha-melodius, @doggernaut, and @montrealmadison! since i've been posting mostly ficlet fest fills you're getting some bonus fun: 6 most recent ficlets and 6 most recent non-ficlet fest fics. lets see whats up with my writing below the cut y'all 💜🦗
8:30pm, the brownstone: “…then the donor said something about riding ‘requiring the right equipment,’” Henry giggles, warm from the bottle of wine they’re splitting.
8:00pm, red room: Alex might legitimately be going insane — it’s the most likely explanation for how fucking good it feels to be making out with Henry.
9:42pm, nyu apartment: If you’d told Alex ten years ago that he’d love being pinned to his own couch and kissed to within an inch of his life by Henry fucking Fox, he’d have laughed in your face.
2:19am, alex's apartment: HRH Prince Dickhead 💩: Are you awake?
1:30pm, nyc panadería: Don Paco López, Panadería, established 1991, in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, smells absolutely fucking amazing.
3:47pm, lake lbj: It’s a special kind of surreal seeing both his kids in love.
~~~
Set in Platinum: DrWhomst: *Rafiki voice* IT IS TIME
NFWMB: “Yes, I understand that, but unfortunately it was your less-than-well-moderated website that locked Henry out from submitting his roommate request until after the deadline in the first place.”
the super sick(s): Bea will take the knowledge that she was the one that brought the cold to the Super Six to her bloody grave.
so, kiss me: “Dude, you’re on the Kiss Cam.”
burning brightly through the night: Jon fervently wishes he had any words to offer Alanna as they approach the Great Throne Room.
Downburst: “Alex! Alex, over here!”
~~~
SO. Some patterns:
4/12 are dialogue
2/12 are texts/chat log
4/12 have italics (honestly lower than i thought)
6/12 feature some introspection
7/12 you can tell who's POV it is immediately
idk it's interesting that they aren't more uniform--apparently i like to mix things up!
tagging: @the-lincyclopedia, @missanniewhimsy, @xthelastknownsurvivorx, @firenati0n, @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, @dumbpeachjuice, @smc-27, and @leaves-of-laurelin, as well as anyone who hasn't done this yet and wants to play! 💜🦗
#cricket writes#tag game#writing patterns#first lines#one day i'll work on things that i can actually share for wip wednesday#or 7 sentence sunday#one day#but not for a while#unless the muse takes me#until then#pls accept this
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new list, new year, (trying out a) new header, new post day. i'm back after a nice little vacation where i got almost zero reading done, so no one is more surprised by the amount of holiday fic here than me.
list one. list two. list three. list four. list five. list six. list seven. list eight. list nine.
No Consequences by AnchoredArchangel
"I sort of came out as bisexual to both Nora and myself when we were watching that fucking snoozefest of a Royal Wedding years ago, and I told her with no hesitation that you were on my list.”
Suddenly, Henry looks very present in this previously one-sided conversation, eyes boring into him even if he sounds a little choked as he clarifies, “I was on-”
“My No Consequences sex list,” Alex confirms brazenly, “Yeah."
Or: During an inadvisable spot of dating years back, Alex and Nora made a game out of making extensive lists of celebrities they could hook up with without it being cheating. One breakup and several years later, Alex meets someone on his list for the very first time at a charity gala and decides it's appropriate to tell him all about it.
Wash a Bad Day Away by stellarmeadow
Alex has a bad day and needs to drown it in a tub.
this year I will fall by railmedaddy
Henry has many regrets in his life, but leaving the ice rink after a literal run in with the potential love of his life without even obtaining his name may be his biggest. With his family visiting for the holidays for the first time and ever-present work deadlines looming, he's too busy to think about how to engineer his own happy ending worthy of the novels he edits.
But what if fate has other ideas?
the mountchristen pharma job by coffeecatsme
The alarm blares. Still, the man slides the key again and enters the room. He closes the door behind him, flips the flash drive in his palm. Walks to the room that’s supposed to be empty, the room they made sure was clear before they made their move.
Except it’s not. And the man recognizes that head of blonde hair all too well.
Henry fucking Fox-Mountchristen.
Six years ago, Mountchristen Pharma's reckless actions caused Rafael Luna's death. Alex and June want to make it right, but they're not the only ones.
Take a Trip Into My Garden by @sparklepocalypse
Alex groans. From the sound of things, he’s in no better state than Henry. “Why in the absolute fuck does your family have a fucking Viagra orchid?”
(A sex pollen fic that takes place on the grounds of Kensington Palace between the Cornetto scene and the interview blitz.)
you could call me babe for the weekend by weather_stained
It's been three years since Ellen Claremont lost the 2016 Presidential Election, and Alex hasn't seen Prince Henry since the Rio Olympics. When Alex, June, and Nora take a post-finals trip to a Vermont ski resort, Henry and his best friend Pez are the last people they expect to see waiting in line for the chairlift.
To Alex's great displeasure, Nora and June end up quite takenwith Pez, and Alex is forced to spend time with Henry. In one weekend, they become closer than he could have ever imagined.
come away with me by rizcriz
Alex closes the door behind himself and turns into his tiny apartment with an exhausted sigh. As he turns to flip the lightswitch, the subtle sound of fabric rustling hits his ears; carefully, he unclips his gun at his waist band, flips the light switch, and turns around, pulling the gun on the intruder. He nearly drops it at the sight of a familiar head of shining blond hair.
“What the fuck?” Alex asks, taking a step in, and reaching with his free hand into his holster for the pair of cuffs he knows he clipped in this morning. “Intel said you were in London.”
Henry Fox, international thief and conman, tilts his head where he’s sitting in Alex’s favorite armchair. “Honestly, Alex,” he says, waving a hand. “Put the gun away. We both know you’re not going to shoot me.”
“Fuck you,” Alex hisses on impulse. “Put your hands up.”
--
or Con Man Henry and Interpol Agent Alex
(Dil)Do It Yourself by happinessofthepursuit
“Listen,” Nora starts, turning her body once more so that she’s sitting sideways in the chair with her legs thrown across the armrest. “I did the math. There’s a 79% chance you’re gonna become a slut to the power of the prostate, and while we’re not dating anymore, it’s my duty as your fellow slutty bisexual to get this party started.”
Or, when Nora drags Alex to a holiday dildo workshop, he doesn’t expect to find someone to use it with.
Gonna Give You Something (So You Know What's on My Mind) by affectionatelyrs
Alex hums, turning around to pull open the freezer drawer. “You want anything?”
But Henry barely registers his question. Not when Alex is slightly bent over, allowing Henry a perfect view of his perfect ass. Each individual ridge of his spine is visible due to his lack of shirt. All of these things combined would normally be a large enough issue in itself to render Henry dumbstruck, except—
Except, that’s not the only thing that Henry’s faced with.
Right there, clear as day: blue lace, delicately peeking out from the waistband of his joggers. Henry’s hand immediately flies up to his cheek. The skin is hot to the touch, and he feels the imprint of where the material once lay like a brand.
-
Or, With the help of a white elephant gift, Henry learns that maybe the whole being-in-love-with-his-roommate thing isn’t as one-sided as he thought
i've forgotten if they're green or they're blue by metacrisis
When the worst snowstorm New York city has had since the Great Blizzard of 1947 snows Alex and Henry into their Brownstone, Alex falls into a bizarre dream and awakens in a world much like his own. Only it seems like he's suddenly five inches shorter, five years younger and why is Henry the only person who can tell?
AKA, Movie Alex falls into Bookverse before he and Henry get together.
Ho for the Holidays by @whimsymanaged
“Listen, don’t worry about this,” Henry says quickly, already mentally crafting the passive-aggressive text he’s going to send Pez. “Better luck next year. I’ll just be off—“
“Hold your damn horses.” Alex stops Henry with a fast, surprisingly gentle hand to his wrist. His eyebrows furrow. “What did you put on your questionnaire?”
Henry’s ears go hot. “That’s none of your business.”
Alex scoffs and leans in closer. “Baby, we matched. It’s safe to say we have at least some interests in common. Be honest—was it because you confessed to having a secret desire to slap me?”
Or, Pez organizes an event called Ho for the Holidays, and these two idiots get paired up.
Waiting in the Wings by DracoWillHearAboutThis
Henry had always known he would end up in an arranged marriage.
He had not expected, though, to end up in an arranged marriage with Prince Alex Claremont-Diaz, who he'd secretly been in love with for the past fifteen years.
Fill My Stocking by songliili
Alex has spent the past fifteen minutes talking with David about his favourite treats. Not that the dog answered, but Alex was undeterred and kept going, uncaring that Henry had asked him to give him an hour and then he’d join him in hanging up fairy lights and mistletoe everywhere.
Very well. If Alex wants Henry’s attention, he'll have it. It's probably not what Alex thought he’d accomplish with his little scheme, but it's a compromise between Henry's needs and Alex's wants, and that's all that can be done.
OR: Alex wants some attention and Henry has to get creative.
Here With Me by SatinBirds
When Zahra asks, “Would it make any difference at all if I told you not to see him again?”, it’s the easiest thing for Alex to categorically answer, “No.”
because it's Tuesday by headabovethewater
Right, so, here’s the thing; Alex hasn’t shaved in a while. He’s been so consumed by stress for his exams, his thesis, the post-election work he’s been doing for Ellen… It’s been a bit much for Alex, and while Henry is impressed by the fact that he’s able to keep himself standing and functioning, he has noticed that the scruff on his face has increased. A lot. Oh, Henry has noticed, alright.
i want to mark my skin (it is paper thin) by violetbaudelairequagmire
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subj: Tattoo Reference
Attached: 1 file (orionsketch.jpg)
Hello,
Attached you’ll find a line art drawing of the constellation Orion. The shoulder blade is the intended location.
Best,
H.J. Fox
OR: It's a Tattoo Shop AU!
Can't Buy Me Love by everwitch
Alex is a high end escort. Henry is his wealthiest client. He's also a total asshole, which Alex has zero patience for. He'd never let a client walk all over him like that, not even one with striking features and an air of firm authority that Alex has to keep reminding himself he’s not attracted to. But over time, Alex learns there's more to Henry than fiery insults and cruel dismissal. So much more. Alex is in so much fucking trouble.
He should end things with Henry before he gets burned.
(He couldn't end things with Henry if he got paid for it.)
He Was Here With Me by absoluteaudacity
Arthur lives: a wishlist
(Door)Dash to the Heart by bleedingballroomfloor
The man looks up when Henry opens the door. "Henry?"
Henry clears his throat. "That's me," he manages.
"Cool," the man says. "You're making me hungry for breakfast with this order, man. Which is bad for me, because my breakfast is usually just coffee, and there's no way I can drink that this late."
"Uh," Henry says. He's pretty sure dashers don't talk this much during orders.
"Anyway," the man says, handing the bag of food to Henry, "enjoy your night."
Five times Henry gets late-night food from his insanely hot DoorDasher Alex, and one time they get food together at a normal time.
(here's my number) so call me, maybe by villageidiot
"I could go a few days without contact, you know."
Henry looks over at Alex, who's splayed across the couch, and places a finger on the page he's reading to keep his place. "I'm…sorry?"
"While you're gone, I mean. I could handle a few days of not talking to you."
Henry still looks a little baffled. "Is this something you want to do? I'm still unclear on the 'why' here."
And so is Alex, honestly.
or:
five times Alex fails at the whole "go a whole weekend with no contact" thing (and one time Henry does)
the beagle, the ghost and the wardrobe by stutteringpeach
Henry’s new flat comes with one unexpected feature: it’s already inhabited. But not by a human. By a ghost.
Night Class by OrchidScript
Alex how found the simplest solution for all the facts he had been presented. There were plenty of them to make sense of. Alex was taking the path of least resistance, accepting that whatever remained after all was stripped away must be the truth. June could laugh at him for the rest of time if she wanted. He was right. He knew he was right. He had to be right because nothing else on earth or in the universe made sense.
Henry Fox — his smarmy, entitled, wealthy, bland, irritating neighbor — was a vampire.
Alex knew it. He could prove it.
Piss-up in a brewery by clottedcreamfudge
"I hate this," Alex says, not for the first time, and Henry covers his face with his hands.
"Yes," he says, a little muffled, "that's coming across."
"It's not, like, personal," Alex clarifies, even though it fucking is. "I just don't really like sleeping with other people. I mean, sleeping in beds with other people. I like having sex-"
"Yes, alright," Henry says peevishly, not moving his hands at all. "You needn't extol further on your love of intercourse."
"Who the fuck talks like that?"
Sleepless Nights by stripyjumpers
Henry's insomnia has been getting worse. He thinks it's fine, until it all finally catches up to him.
move fast (and keep quiet) by HypnosTherapy
Henry’s smile goes slightly strained at the edges. In his ear, Nora hisses at Alex to walk away. He firmly ignores her. “What brings you here tonight, Foxy?”
Henry brushes Alex’s hand off him. “The same thing that brings us all here,” he answers. “Not only a girl’s best friend, after all.”
--
Alex is a spy tasked with securing a case of diamonds being auctioned off by black market smugglers. Henry is a rival spy who happens to be tasked with receiving the same case of stones. When Henry wins the auction, Alex has to retrieve his target, no matter the cost.
Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured by myheartalive
“Fox,” he hisses through his teeth. “How about you take the tube tonight? Or go for a nice long walk?”
Henry’s stunned.
“Excuse me?”
“Yep, I will excuse you. Now do us both a favour and find another way to get home.”
—
OR enemy co-workers Henry and Alex get unwillingly shoved into a cab together (and finally sort their issues out)
the best intentions by smc_27
He sees the flyer when he’s in town picking up the fabric and books June wanted from the market.
Once a year. On the prince’s birthday. The chance for his one true love to rescue him from the tower. A cash prize to go along with the prince’s hand in marriage. The title of Prince Consort and a palace of their own.
Alex knows himself. He knows how people are with him. He’s made people fall in love with him without even trying for it. He’s had to break hearts since he was 15 and Charlotte Marks told her father she was going to marry Alex. He can get some cloistered prince on board.
A Life, in Names by th0ughts
Macsomething continues to flounder. “I arrived just as someone came out, you see. A woman, with the hot pink jacket? I told her that I’m Roy Maclanahan—” (bingo. Henry knew it was Maclanahan.) “—here for Mr. Claremont-Diaz, I work with him you see. He invited me over, to look through some documents? And she told me that I was in luck, that he was home.
“Either way I am so sorry to have disturbed you your hi—Henry. She must’ve been mistaken. I’ll take my leave and return when your husband’s arrived.” Maclanahan is wringing his hands and looks just about a second away from nervously combusting but the entire ordeal has Henry’s face blooming in a smile.
_____
Musings of a life, in four surnames.
In my dreams (In your dreams) by lizzie_bennetdarcy
He opens his mouth to tell Alex it's fine, they can stay, when Alex shakes his head. "The room is spinning. That's not fun. Alright, sweetheart, let's go home." He jumps up from the stool, and immediately lists sideways into Henry. "What will it take to get you to carry me home?"
"More than you're prepared to give, I'm afraid." Kiss me, marry me, have my children, please.
Alex is very drunk, and very affectionate, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for Henry to pretend like he isn't completely in love with him.
when he breaks so beautifully by viciouslyqueer
Henry thinks it’s just been a rough day – it certainly wouldn’t be the first time – but he only realizes just how wrong he is when his boyfriend actually gets home.
Slumped shoulders. Twitching fingers. Red-rimmed eyes glistening with tears. Henry’s heart breaks on sight.
—
Alex has a rough day at work and asks Henry to be mean to him. Henry praises him instead.
Twenty Seven Batters by politics_and_prose
A ballplayer will refuse to stop playing because they want one more hit, steal, strikeout. One more homerun. One more win. So they get old and they lose their skill and embarrass themselves long after they should have hung up their spikes.
If that’s the rule, then Alexander Claremont-Diaz is the exception.
Because today, at age 38, Alexander Claremont-Diaz is six outs away from a perfect game.
forever yrs, for evermore by indomitablelove
‘Wake up,’ Henry whispers.
Alex turns and squints his eyes open. He looks at the clock. ‘Baby, why the fuck are you waking me up at six am? I’m on vacation.’
‘I’ve got a surprise, come outside. You can go back to bed after, I promise,’ Henry tells him with a smile. ‘I’ve made you coffee.’
Alex sits up with a squint and a stern, unimpressed look on his face. ‘You better have a fucking good reason for getting me up at sunrise.’
---
or, a lake house proposal fic
Aged Like a Fine Wine by allmylovesatonce
At a gala for the Okonjo Foundation, Senator Alex Claremont-Diaz runs into Prince Henry of Wales for the first time in two years. Something is different about him, and it's not just the revelations that came out the last time the two saw each other. When they're encouraged to spend more time together, it lights a spark that could send both of their lives into a tailspin. Will Alex resist the temptation or will he find the courage to pursue what he's wanted far longer than he's let himself acknowledge?
All our Sweetest Hours Fly Fastest by AHistoricDistraction
It has been three years since they were outted and Henry and Alex have finally settled into a groove that works well for them, except for the fact that it feels like they're always having to steal time together. Queen Mary constantly coming up with excuses to get Henry out of public events with Alex isn't helping, and Alex is done with it. After a long conference in Tokyo that Henry couldn't attend, Alex's flight home being delayed is the last straw and he calls Henry to say they need to figure out a better way to do this, to which Henry agrees. But fate has other ideas. Alex's flight goes missing somewhere over the Pacific, no trace of it to be found, leaving Henry and Alex's family struggling to not lose hope while unable to do anything.
as always, let me know if you want to be tagged, either for author purposes or just to know when these go up! see you next tuesday!
tagging: @starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels
#rwrb#rwrb rec list#firstprince#red white and royal blue#rwrb fanfiction#alex claremont diaz#henry fox mountchristen windsor
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Six Sentence Sunday!
Hanging out with my parents today for my mom's birthday (tomorrow), so catch me posting this early this morning so that I don't get caught up and miss it!
Thank you to @leojfitz and @kiwiana-writes for the early tags. Y'all are amazing, and I love you.
Have another snippet from my movie verse DNC "fill-in-the-blanks" fic that I didn't mean to write. It seems my muse is super into writing things that aren't on my list of WIPs or ideas right now, which might be why I'm still stuck in this writing rut.
“It sounds like you and words are pretty serious,” Alex says softly, and Henry laughs, loud and free and open, and it’s one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Alex wishes that they could hear it. The entire world. The same one that Henry has been told to hide himself away from his entire life, from the first moment that he realized he was different. Alex wishes he could bottle the sound of Henry’s laugh, his real laugh, and play it on a live broadcast streamed to all corners of the globe. To say in every language, isn’t this beautiful? Why would you possibly want to stifle something so joyful?
Throwing some tags out there for: @adreamareads @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @daisymae-12 @duchessdepolignaca03 @gayrootvegetable @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heybuddy-drabbles @indomitable-love @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @leaves-of-laurelin @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @ninzied @priincebutt @read-and-write- @rockyroadkylers @roseharpermaxwell @ships-to-sail @songliili @sparklepocalypse @ssmtskw @statueinthestonetoo @stereopticons @suseagull04 @theprinceandagcd @thinkof-england @tintagel-or-cockleshells @typicalopposite @user-anakin @vanillahigh00 @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @whimsymanaged @wordsofhoneydew as well as an open tag for any and all who wish to take it! As always, pleaseeee tag me to show me what you're working on!
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hi sarah could u pls Rec me cute kid fics?
HI FRIEND :D
so sorry mental health has been in the gutter lately so it's taken me a hot second to fill this one but HERE! have some fluffy kid fics that I enjoyed :') <333
(also, I'm assuming that you mean fics in which there are kids and not fics in which they ARE kids, please let me know if you're looking for something different!)
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Biology 101 for Babies (T+, 2k) by @clottedcreamfudge
“There's a boy,” Arthur says seriously, still holding a bright red crayon tightly in his fist. “At nurs... nurs'ry. He's new an' he's brown.”
Henry, still twisting round to give Arthur his attention, blinks a couple of times, then very carefully takes his hands out of the washing up bowl and pulls off his gloves. “I see. What's his name?”
“Michael.”
“Alright. And why is it unusual that he is, as you say, brown?”
Arthur frowns. “Nobody else is brown.”
Henry realises with dawning horror and amusement that he is about to have one of the weirdest conversations of his entire life.
“Arthur, my little love – you're brown.”
Queer little ducks hold a special place in my heart. (T+, 4k) by anarchyat4am (thanks@wordsofhoneydew for the rec!)
Henry... is more than a bit useless around hot guys. So when he finds the lost kid of the gorgeous dad who frequents his bookstore, he pulls himself together until they reunite, only to then be devastated by the revelation that the man thinks Henry hates him. And, well... courage always rises, and all that.
Confidential Memorandum (T+, 17k) by sherryvalli
"Hello, Mr. Fox-Mountchristen's office. How may I help you?"
"Hello, can I speak to Mr. Fox-Mount-krishen, please?"
Alex blinked. After two weeks of hearing nothing but the voices of snooty men and frazzled secretaries calling in, the person on the other line now sounded decidedly neither snooty nor male nor in any way adult.
It was a little girl.
"Mr. Fox-Mountchristen's unfortunately in a meeting right now,” Alex began slowly, “but I could take a message?"
"Oh." The girl paused. "You're not Mr. Hunter."
[Alex starts a new job as Henry's new assistant. Henry's daughter keeps calling the office and leaving him messages.]
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[shelter/foster/adoption etc. fics]
Family Line(s) (T+, 26k) by notcanoncompliant
Henry and Alex had been thinking about fostering for years now, they were just waiting for the right kid to (aparently literally) fall into their life.
When You Smile, You Knock Me Out, I Fall Apart (And I Thought I Was So Smart) (G, 3k) by @interestinglittlerelationship
Alex is facing away from him, head bent over a pan of something that smells absolutely amazing. There’s an apron tied loosely around his waist. He looks so painfully domestic that Henry almost passes out.
He would make such a good father.
or Henry and Alex stumble upon a new dream and build a family together.
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[and I know you said cute and probably meant fluffy, but I can't help adding my personal fave kid fic, but PLEASE DO PAY ATTENTION TO TAGS as most of the fluff is within other angst!]
a flicker, a spark (e, 83k) by acastle
“She truly is your daughter, Alex,” Henry sighs, defeated.
“Fuck off, sweetheart,” he laughs, a soundbite of the sun. Henry forces himself not to physically react, the term of endearment sweet and menacingly familiar coming from Alex’s lips. It’s been years. “You know they’re useful.”
“Ah yes, eyelashes, truly a formidable instrument in managing international relations.”
Alex grins, and Henry is too late to catch the slightest downward lilt on the corner of his mouth, “Worked on you once, didn’t it?”
Oh, did that ache.
(Much had happened since the time Henry had told Alex to leave. Alex had passed the bar, gotten married, had the most beautiful daughter. And Henry, well. He stayed right where he was.)
and the accompanying piece:
sea of endless hope (e, 85k)
Henry watches Alex, the man he adores and loves so ardently, and the moment is palpable, delicate, and yet too large for even the sky to contain.
He watches Alex, and in that moment, he wants to be his husband, the ache and urge of it almost unbearable.
“Daddy!” Nena takes Henry’s hands, and he looks down at her, the angel who had saved him, and he smiles at her, quiet with emotion, letting her lead him into place.
He would follow her, follow Alex, anywhere.
(Henry, Alex, and their daughter, and the first years of coming home, forever.)
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[and one of my own for good measure ha! again, please check tags!]
Something Borrowed, Something Blue (e, 116k)
When June gets engaged, Alex, her brother, and Henry, her best friend, are asked to be the official Guys Of Honor. There’s a month to plan the whole thing, which would be near impossible anyway, only made worse by the fact that being around each other the last several years has only ever led to petty fights and useless competition. Unfortunately, as the two most important men in her life - aside from her fiancé - they don’t really have much of a choice.
Alex has a lot of feelings about this. As it turns out, Henry does too.
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I don't read a ton of kid fics, but I'm definitely open to other recs as well! hope this hits the spot for you friend! :D
xx
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More Red, White & Royal Blue recs because I can't stop.
RWRB recs part 1
(did my love aid and abet you?) by @alasse9 (12k, teen)
future fic, break-up make-up,
love Alex's journey, achingly beautiful
favourite
That night in Kensington Palace, Henry told Alex to leave. Eleven years later, Alex watches on the news as Henry comes out, and abdicates. A story of what came before, and what comes after.
you are my mountain (you are my sea) by @alasse9 (6k, unrated)
post-canon, *happy sigh*
so many poignant moments and lovely lines
Five times Alex and Henry have important conversations in houses, and one time they have a very important conversation in a castle.
Omakase by @orchidscript (80k, explicit)
AU, getting together
Incredible world-building, don't read while hungry
favourite
Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor has been laboring under the thumb of legacy and tradition for years, as sous-chef to his brother at Maison Windsor, the restaurant his grandmother made world famous. When a less-than-perfect review of the establishment leaves his creativity not just stymied but totally cut off, he finds fresh inspiration (and something more) in the London's newest and most passionate chef-restaurateur, Alex Claremont-Diaz. After a rough start, their relationship deepens and their reputations intertwine, Henry's confidence in his own abilities renews along with it. When asked to choose between family and creative realization, he finds himself caught.
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Thank you @anincompletelist for tagging me in this game! I loved devouring each of your snippets from the works you’re proud of!
Rules: Post your favorite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.
I haven’t even started and I’m about to break the only rule 😂 because I still only have fics posted from holiday challenges, which I am not blown away by. I thoight I'd have other fics posted by now but it’s been a year so far, to say the least. So, I’m also going to share from Outlaw Alex because he’s coming very soon and I’m honestly the most proud of the way the words are fitting together for that one!
Leaving this tag as open and will be catching up with my following list soon! I can't wait to read what you're proud of and show you some extra and well deserved love!
Here we go...
From "Take This House and Make it a Home"
They admire their choice together from the couch later on that evening with David curled up underneath the blanket. Alex rests his head on Henry’s shoulder and thinks about how he can’t wait to decorate the tree the next day and debate if the tree will have colored lights or white lights – he’s guessing the white ones won’t be a choice once there are children also making the decisions. He can’t wait for the time where both he and Henry each have a child on their shoulders wanting to put ornaments on the tree higher than the other while having Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer on the television in the background. Then, once the children are put to bed for the night, it’ll be the two of them again having their private moment admiring everything they’ve created together, just like this with David snoring and the fireplace crackling, with Henry’s legs tangled with his as the peace settles over them; that the house they’ve settled down in is finally a home.
Whether it’s tonight, two or three Christmases from now, or when they’re in their eighties, Alex will always look over at Henry and know the magic that they have together is forever.
From "Here We Stand Worlds Apart" (ongoing)
The side of his hand skims the material of the bodysuit as he searches for the chin strap, popping off the buckle. Then he takes both of his hands and carefully begins the removal of the helmet. As more of the face starts to be revealed, a strong chin and jawline, perfectly chiseled cheekbones, dark and soft curls styled with a short cut, Henry finds out it’s a man who’s crashed into the woods.
He can’t help but stare at the face of the attractive man. Attractive isn’t even the correct word in his vocabulary to describe him. His eyes are closed, which makes Henry wonder what color they are. He hopes they aren’t green like Ralph’s because he doesn’t want to be reminded of a pair of eyes that will never look at him in the adoringly hungry way they do when he looks at Alice Rodgers. Long dark lashes fan out and almost look as if they’re touching the top curve of his cheekbones. He looks angelic even in a setting that looks like he’s met his death.
His appreciative gaze travels to his hair next. Curls draping over one another in an unlikely symphony of wildness and precise placing, even after being smashed flat against his head from wearing the helmet. Henry can’t help but want to feel what the curls would feel like moving through the spaces between his fingers, even though it’s a bizarre thing to do to someone who’s just been in a crash, someone who’s a stranger to him.
From "The Wind Whispered Something That the Devil's to Blame" (coming soon)
Months after his father’s funeral, his mother had told him the opposite. It had actually been Henry who’d given his father the enlightenment to embrace all new discoveries and to always keep chasing them because they’re remarkably never-ending. Always live as though the world keeps creating things to stumble upon on purpose. Accidents may happen along the way, but those are also little surprises that will lead to something far grander.
As a child Henry had been more animated and curious than his two siblings, but he’d also been overly cautious and kept to himself when necessary. It had been his father who would tell Henry that he shouldn’t be afraid of unknown things, so why would his mother tell him otherwise? What would Henry have given someone with more life experiences than he had?
Their relationship had always been different than his ones with Phillip and Beatrice. Though Arthur always made sure to give each of his children their own moments just between the two of them, Catherine had let the secret out to Henry that his favorite discovery had been witnessing Henry experience the world around him.
After the confession, Henry made the promise to his father after his passing that he’d take his father on every new adventure with him to make sure he’d never miss out, and in those adventures, he’d find out who he truly is and embrace himself as the wonderment his father believes he is.
He places the last and only photograph he has of him and his father, back down on his desk, his pointer finger skimming his greyed blurry face that doesn’t resemble the fact his father’s memory will never become dull or unclear.
#fic pride friday#my fics#kia's writing#firstprince#rwrb#firstprince fic#wip#red white and royal blue#firstprince fanfic#firstprince au#current wip#tag games
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Hi friend! Congrats again on 100 works! Thank you for offering to write more for us! ❤️I'd like to request 1. firstprince and 2. Kensington as an AU, but only because you dared us to! Alternatively, if someone already requested that and you don't want to duplicate, I'd be interested in a hockey AU set inside the rink! Thank you again, I am so excited to see what you come up with and to read more of your words!
(Thank you so much for taking my bait lol, I've wanted to write this canon-divergence AU where they hook up in Kensington during the damage control trip for a while now. I hope you enjoy!)
Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile
(firstprince, 4.1k, M; read it below or on AO3) read all the fandom fest fics
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. They were supposed to finish up at the hospital, and then Henry would go back to whatever the fuck he does while Alex went to the airstrip. He’d fly back to DC, so that maybe he’d be able to get some schoolwork done before Monday, and try to forget that this ridiculous weekend ever happened—barring the fact that he and Henry were still obligated to keep up the fake friendship for a few more months, that is.
Instead, Cash comes up to him as they stand outside of Kensington with a slightly grim look on his face and says, “Change of plans.”
“Huh?”
“They discovered an issue with the plane during the flight prep. It needs some part that they’re not going to be able to get until tomorrow morning. We’ll leave then.”
“What do you mean, they can’t get it? Why not?” Alex demands. Surely in a country with fucking royalty, nothing is out of grasp for said royals and their guests.
Cash shrugs. “Didn’t ask. The palace confirmed you can stay another night.”
Alex groans probably a little too dramatically. “What about my classes?”
“I am, in fact, very aware of your class schedule,” Cash says dryly. “You’ll be back in time.”
“I don’t have another change of clothes.”
“Pretty sure Kensington has laundry.”
“I’m really not getting out of this, am I?”
“Nope.”
Alex sighs and looks over to where Henry is standing with Shaan by the front gates. There’s a look of trepidation on his face, no doubt because he’s just been told that he’ll have to deal with Alex for another night. Of course, that’s not a given. Henry will probably disappear into his apartments and ignore him, which suits Alex fine. They may have reached a kind of détente today, but they’re not friends.
“Sorry to hear about your plane,” Henry says as they get back into the car that will drive them further into the palace.
Alex shrugs. “It’s fine. I guess I’ll have to survive the hardship of ten thousand thread count sheets another night.”
Henry huffs a little laugh and grins. It’s kind of amazing how different he looks when he smiles for real. “I know you’ve probably had your fill of me today, so feel free to say no, but…” He hesitates a moment, as if waiting for Alex to shut him down before he even makes his proposal. “I was thinking of ordering in curry for dinner tonight. There’s a place not far away that’s quite good. Maybe watch a film?”
It’s pretty much the last thing Alex expected him to say. He wonders if this is another olive branch, an acknowledgement that it’ll be easier to pretend they’re friends if they’re actually… kinda friends. Surprisingly, Alex doesn’t hate the idea.
“What movie?” he counters.
“Well, I would suggest one of the Star Wars films, but I’m not sure we could agree on one.”
“If we’re not going to watch the best one, aka Empire—”
“You mean Return of the Jedi,” Henry interjects.
“—I guess that leaves the next best.”
“So, Rogue One?”
Alex grins. “Ok, maybe we can be friends, after all.”
He’s absolutely not letting himself think about the warmth that grows in his chest when Henry laughs.
~~~~~
Alex discovers that there’s a room in Kensington that’s pretty much as tricked out as you can get without being in a movie theater—“There’s an actual theater in Buckingham,” Henry tells him, “but Dad had this put in for family film nights”—with a massive screen and a killer sound system. They eat their curry out of take-out containers on a surprisingly comfortable, normal couch as the movie plays, keeping up a running commentary between them that ranges from Star Wars lore to the cast (“Come on, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t follow Diego Luna anywhere. Look at him!” Alex insists, which garners him a strange look from Henry) to random things entirely unconnected to the movie.
Turns out Henry is actually really funny, which is a fucking shock and kind of annoying except for how he leaves Alex in stitches several times. It’s absurdly easy between them in a way that it shouldn’t be, and Alex can’t remember the last time he had this much fun just hanging out with someone. And it’s Henry. What is his life, even.
“I can’t believe you like this one,” Alex says as they watch Jyn and Cassian embrace desperately on the beach. “It’s pretty much the opposite of a happy ending. For the main characters, at least.”
Henry hums, tipping his head slightly. “They give up everything in the service of a cause bigger than themselves, and they succeed. There’s something beautiful about that.”
“God, you are a sap,” Alex teases, bumping his shoulder up against Henry’s. Somehow they’ve managed to migrate closer on the couch over the course of the movie, until they’re practically touching.
“And why do you like it, then?” Henry counters. “The action and spies and intrigue?”
“Not only that,” Alex says. “But there’s a reason I’m a big Bond fan.”
A smile flickers across Henry’s face that’s a little melancholy but mostly contented. “I suppose that makes sense given what I know of your movie tastes now.”
“Also, your dad was a total babe.”
Henry’s eyes go wide as he chokes on a laugh. “I beg you to not.”
They lapse into silence as the final scenes as the credits start to roll. The movie is over and it’s getting late, but all Alex can think of is that he really doesn’t want the night to end yet. Which is crazy. Twenty-four hours ago Alex was actively cursing this man’s name, and now he seemingly can’t get enough of spending time with him. It doesn’t make any sense, but somehow it does; it’s the same feeling that he was chasing all those years ago in Rio, the one that pushed him to go up an introduce himself at exactly the wrong time, the one that made the hurt of that encounter linger for so long in his psyche.
“Hey, uh,” he says eventually, turning slightly to look at Henry, “thanks for suggesting this. It was fun.”
“I hope it made up for being stuck in London longer than you wanted,” Henry replies, his voice low and soft.
“Definitely.”
Henry smiles, a warm and pleased one that stretches his lips and crinkles the corners of his eyes, and Alex feels like he’s being pulled in by the magnetism of it. He wants to get closer, despite how close they’re already sitting. His fingers twitch with the urge to touch—the soft blond hair falling over Henry’s forehead, the sharp cut of his cheekbones, the fullness of his lips. He’s always known Henry was objectively good-looking, but Jesus, where does he get off being so pretty? It’s annoying, really.
Alex isn’t trying to make things weird, but he also can’t quite help the way his eyes are drawn inexorably down to those plush lips, still curved in a gentle smile. Who even has lips like that, does he get fillers or something, because they can’t be real, except they look very, very real, Alex hasn’t even ever kissed any girls with lips that nice, that look that soft—
Something short circuits in Alex’s brain and he just— has to know. How soft they really are. Before he even knows what he’s doing, he’s leaning in and pressing his lips to Henry’s, which are, as it turns out, extremely soft. It only lasts for a second before his brain comes back online and he realizes Henry’s frozen stiff, which is fair, because Alex has no fucking clue what he’s doing. He hasn’t kissed a boy since Liam and this was not the fucking boy to just kiss out of nowhere. He’s gonna get, like, locked in the Tower of London or something.
He wrenches away as quickly as he leaned in, meeting Henry’s wide, stunned eyes (—still so so blue, how can they be that blue—), his lips slightly parted and just a little damp from Alex’s.
“Shit,” Alex breathes in a rush. “Fucking shit— I don’t know why I did that, I’m so sorry, Henry, I didn’t mean anything by it—”
“Alex,” Henry murmurs, but Alex is too far gone in his spiral at this point.
“—I promise, it was just— I mean, I’m not even—”
“Alex.”
Alex stops in the middle of a word, his mouth hanging open. Henry’s got some kind of strange look on his face that he can’t parse at all.
“Did it really not mean anything?” he asks slowly.
The thing is, Alex has no idea what it means. Absolutely none. Something inside him—something he doesn’t really understand—wanted to do it, but like, just as an objective experiment. Except that part of him wants to do it again, even though he already got his answer. Really wants Henry to kiss him back. Which is making him feel a little insane.
Alex closes his mouth, licks his lips, and swallows hard.
“That depends,” he says cautiously, “on what you want it to mean.”
For some reason, that makes Henry growl in frustration and cast his eyes to the ceiling. Then he groans, “Christ, Alex, you’re so—”, grabs Alex’s face between both hands, and kisses him soundly.
Alex’s insides go positively molten. Henry’s hands are gripping his jaw, and in his hair, and Alex can’t help but press closer. His own hands find Henry’s narrow waist, reveling in the dip of it, the heat of his body scorching through the thin fabric of his shirt, and the only thing currently occupying Alex’s mind is a desperate urge to feel bare skin under his palms. That is, until Henry slides his tongue along Alex’s lower lip, sucks it into his mouth and tugs on it with his teeth, and Alex stops thinking altogether.
Their positions are a little awkward, twisted toward each other on the couch as they are, and Alex isn’t sure if he pulls or Henry pushes—or maybe both—but a moment later Henry is unfolding his long legs and shifting to straddle Alex’s lap, which is both incredible and incredibly overwhelming. Especially when Henry’s hips rock forward and Alex can feel his growing arousal pressing into the rapidly tightening region of Alex’s pants.
Jesus, this is— it’s— it’s a lot, but the very last thing Alex wants to happen is for it to stop.
He absolutely does not whimper when Henry pulls back, sending Alex unconsciously chasing after his lips. Fortunately, Henry doesn’t go far. He presses their foreheads together, breathing raggedly into the space between them as his thumb swipes across Alex’s cheek.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Henry breathes, and yeah, Alex had no fucking clue.
His mind is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and he has no idea what to say to that besides: “Fuck.”
Henry chuckles softly, nudging their noses together. “Indeed.” He presses a soft kiss to Alex’s lips, then another to the corner of his mouth and one to the edge of his jaw. “Do you want to… go somewhere we won’t be interrupted?” he murmurs into Alex’s ear, and his warm breath combined with the words makes Alex tremble under him.
Alex swallows hard as his hands tighten on Henry’s hips, but he hesitates a moment too long because then Henry is actually pulling back, a concerned expression creasing his brow.
“Which is not to say— we don’t have to do anything more if you don’t want— I just thought—”
“I want to,” Alex blurts, surprising even himself. He’s not entirely sure what more means to Henry, but he knows he wants it. Jesus, does he want. “Yes. Fuck. Let’s do that.”
Henry grins, wide and nearly blinding in its brilliance, and Alex thinks he would do just about anything to see that smile on his face always.
They clamber off the couch, adjusting themselves with shared, knowing giggles, then Henry grabs his hand and tugs Alex through formal, stuffy corridors lined with portraits and antiques, which just adds a certain something to the absurdity of the whole situation. Somehow it’s not a surprise that Henry’s apartments are just as impersonal and opulent as the rest of the palace, full of hideous floral wallpaper and baroque furniture. Before, he’d have put that on Henry himself, but now it feels wrong despite the fact that Alex still barely knows him. It feels like he knows enough. Henry eats curry on the couch and cracks crude jokes and sniffles at the tragic endings of Star Wars movies (yes, Alex noticed). Henry is warm and soft and feels like he belongs in cozy, simple rooms full of old books and tea and cardigans.
Alex’s musings are cut off when Henry pulls him close again at the foot of the hideous gilt monstrosity that is his bed, wrapping his arms around Alex’s waist and tugging him into a lingering kiss. It’s softer than before, delicate and sweet, exactly like Alex would imagine Prince Charming would kiss. From this angle Alex has to tip his head up to kiss him, which is definitely not something he ever thought would do it for him, and yet. Henry’s evening stubble scratches against his chin, and broad hands grip onto his hips and pull him against the hard, flat planes of Henry’s chest, all of it constantly reminding him of the unmistakable masculinity of the person he’s currently making out with.
Alex thinks, distantly, that he should probably be freaking out about this a bit more, but it’s too easy to give himself over it in the moment. He can freak out about what whatever the fuck it means later.
Henry’s hands move to the front of Alex’s shirt, and his nimble fingers make short work of the buttons before pushing it backwards off Alex’s shoulders. His fingers leave trails of fire where they linger against Alex’s bare skin, and even just this has Alex moaning into the kiss, desperate for more. He tugs at Henry’s shirt, yanking the tails out of his pants and nearly tearing the buttons open in his haste, which makes Henry laugh at him, the bastard.
“Eager, are we?” Henry teases, and Alex bites the grin right off his face.
“Shut all the way up,” he huffs before sinking his teeth into the absolutely irresistible collarbone he’s just uncovered.
Henry sucks in a gratifying breath at that, his hands tightening on Alex’s waist, and then he’s manhandling Alex back onto the mattress, which has no business being as hot as it is. Alex kicks off his shoes before scrabbling backwards so that he’s lying against the pillows, his heart racing as Henry crawls up over him with a nearly predatory grin on his face. The way his body fully blankets Alex’s is overwhelming in the best way, making every part of Alex ache with the need to somehow be closer, even as Henry presses the their bodies together from knee to chest and captures Alex’s lips in another deep, probing kiss.
They kiss and kiss until Alex’s lips are almost numb from it, their hands roving over heated skin and through thoroughly mussed hair. Henry’s hips roll slowly against him, almost a question, and Alex groans when he feels the hardness of Henry’s cock pushing against his hip. His own is straining against the front of his trousers, and his breath shudders in his chest when he imagines what it would feel like to have Henry’s hands wrapped around him.
But—
“Hey, uh,” he breathes as Henry’s mouth moves to his neck, and he’s nearly driven to distraction by the feeling of Henry’s teeth scraping lightly over his pulse point, but he wants to get this out, “I’ve never actually—” His voice fails, and Henry pulls back just enough to look him in the eye. Alex swallows. “Done this. With a guy. I mean, kinda, but not really—” He lets out a frustrated huff. “It’s a long story.”
Henry stares at him so intensely and earnestly that Alex feels flayed open by it, like Henry can see all the parts of him that Alex himself didn’t know were there. “We can just do this,” he says as he pushes a curl back from Alex’s forehead. “The last thing I want is to push you into something you’re not comfortable with.”
It’s completely reasonable not to rush things, but Alex thinks if he leaves London without seeing Henry naked he might fucking expire.
“Did I not already fucking say I wanted it?” he retorts, a little testily. Better that than admitting how desperate he really is.
“Well, to be fair, we didn’t exactly specify—”
“I want you naked,” Alex breathes in a rush. “I want your hands on me. Your mouth, if— if that’s something you want.”
Henry’s gaze goes dark and hot, and he actually licks his lips. Alex’s dick twitches in his pants. Jesus Christ.
Henry dips back down to kiss his neck, but a moment later he answers. “That,” he says, pressing it into Alex’s skin as he kisses a path down his chest, “is something I very much want.”
Then Henry’s hands are at his waistband, making short work of his belt and peeling off his underwear and pants in one go, and everything goes very, very hazy after that in the absolute best possible way.
~~~~~
The room is quiet after they subside, after every ounce of pleasure has been wrung from their bodies, after shouted names ease into murmured endearments.
“I should go,” Alex eventually whispers into the stillness, because he should. It would be better if he spent the night in his own rooms. Safer.
He doesn’t want to, though. He doesn’t want to be alone with his thoughts right now, doesn’t want to give his brain the space to run wild with this. That’s what will happen if he goes. He’ll fall into a research spiral on google, and text Nora even though it’s too late, and quietly freak out about everything that’s happened tonight. Here, though, Henry’s got an arm thrown over his waist, and it’s not much, but the weight of it soothes something within him. Keeps him grounded.
Maybe it’s just Henry that settles him. He doesn’t want to think too hard about that.
“You could stay,” Henry murmurs back. He leans in, presses a kiss to the outside of Alex’s shoulder. “No one will notice. Tomorrow’s Sunday. The staff come in late.”
This is a terrible idea. This can’t be… anything, really, given who they are. Alex doesn’t even know what he wants it to be, but he knows that.
“You sure?” Alex asks anyway.
“Stay,” Henry repeats.
So Alex stays.
~~~~~
The bed Alex wakes up in is unfamiliar, which is hardly surprising given his travel schedule lately. What is unexpected is that he’s naked, and there’s a warm, naked body pressed against his back, and abruptly all of what he got up to the previous night comes slamming back into vivid clarity.
He slept with the fucking prince. Henry. His nemesis, except not actually, apparently, and oh yes, definitely also a dude. Alex sucked his dick and most definitely enjoyed the experience, so that’s a whole new thing. The freakout about his sexuality that he shoved to the back of his mind last night rockets to the forefront now, and he can feel his breath stutter in his chest.
Except then Henry’s arm tightens around him and he presses a sleepy kiss to the back of Alex’s shoulder, and the tightness in his chest unclenches somewhat. Not all the way, but enough.
He fumbles for his watch, then jolts up to sitting with a new fear once he sees the time. Jesus Christ, Cash or Amy is going to show up at his bedroom any minute now to pick him up so they can leave, and Alex isn’t fucking there. This is a disaster.
Henry grumbles at being disrupted, sleepily rubbing at his eyes in a way that’s definitely not adorable at all. “Time is it?” he mumbles through a yawn.
“Late,” Alex huffs, briefly getting tangled in the sheets and nearly falling out of the bed in his haste to find his clothing.
He’s halfway into his pants when there’s a knock at Henry’s bedroom door, and he almost falls on his face again. That seems to wake Henry up a bit more, and he finally sits up, his hair standing up in all directions and his eyes gone wide.
“Yes?” Henry calls out.
“The Secret Service seem to have misplaced their charge,” comes Shaan’s voice through the door, and Alex would very much like to die right now. Henry stumbles out of bed, throwing on a robe, then opens the door just enough so that Alex isn’t visible. “I told them I would inquire with you to see if you had any idea of Mr. Claremont-Diaz’s whereabouts.”
There’s something very knowing in Shaan’s tone, like he’s perfectly aware of where Alex spent the night and furthermore none of this is exactly a surprise to him, and Alex only barely manages to hold back the extensive collection of curses crowding at the tip of his tongue. What the actual fuck.
“Ah,” Henry says. His cheeks are bright pink. “Just a moment, I’m sure I can help you locate him.”
“I’m not sure I’ve properly conveyed how agitated they are, sir.”
“Tell them I’m ok,” Alex sighs begrudgingly, stepping into view now that his shirt and pants are on. It’s not like he’s kidding anyone; he’s still barefoot in Henry’s bedroom and the bed that two people clearly slept in is fully visible from where Shaan is standing. “I just—”
Shaan holds up a hand. “Believe me when I say that you do not need to finish that sentence. I will deliver the message, but”—he pauses, glancing between them—“you probably shouldn’t linger.”
He pulls the door closed behind him as he goes and, despite the warning, Alex stands there for a minute, rooted in place and staring at the floor. Maybe Shaan doesn’t want an explanation, but the Secret Service certainly will. Fuck.
“I’m sorry, Alex,” Henry says quietly, suddenly close beside him. Alex hadn’t heard him approach. He still looks so soft and sleep-rumpled, and something tugs at Alex’s chest that absolutely should not be tugging. “I shouldn’t have talked you into staying here.”
Alex huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “I didn’t take much convincing,” he says. “I shoulda just set a fucking alarm.”
“Probably,” Henry agrees, his lips tipping into a wry smile that fades into a look of concern. “Are you… ok?”
“Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” he answers, probably a little too quickly. Henry just stares at him in that way that makes Alex feel entirely too seen. “Probably gonna get chewed out for disappearing, but it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“That’s not exactly what I was talking about.”
Alex swallows. “I’m fine.” He offers Henry a little smile. “This was fun.”
“It certainly was,” Henry agrees carefully.
“Where’s your phone? I’ll give you my number, it’ll be easier to plan joint appearances or whatever,” Alex says in a blatant attempt to divert from a discussion about what happened or what this makes them. He’s got to figure his own shit out first. He doesn’t need Henry to know that he’s already wondering when he can arrange his schedule to see him again.
Henry gives him a look, but he fetches his phone and hands it over to Alex with a blank contact page open. Alex types in his number and hands it back.
“I’ll be disappointed if you only use that for booty calls,” he jokes.
Henry sputters out a laugh. “Noted.”
He’s endearingly pink-cheeked and smiling, and Alex doesn’t think before he takes the last step that puts him in Henry’s personal space, grabs the fronts of Henry’s robe, and pulls him into a kiss.
If he’d had any lingering doubts about the previous night, about whether what he’d felt was real or not, this thoroughly dispels them. The press of Henry’s lips to his, the way their mouths slot together as easily as if they’ve been doing this for years, the zip of electricity that fizzles under his skin and spreads out to tingle in the tips of his fingers and toes… Alex has never been kissed like this, has never felt like this being kissed, and it’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
Like he’s falling.
Oh. Fuck.
#rwrb#red white and royal blue#firstprince#alex claremont diaz#henry fox mountchristen windsor#rwrb fic#rwrb fanfic#firstprince fic#firstprince fanfic#my fics#chamel's fandom fest
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