Walter is a little kid in this story. This is an AU, I guess you could say. Although I do hint that something HAS happened in Shepherd's Glen and that Alex took Josh with him to get away from it all. Oh, and Eileen doesn't live next to Henry, Alex does :) James Sunderland also lives there. All poetry is my own and is not plagiarized. It's too crappy to be written by a poet. #################################################
Henry remembers the first time he saw Alex.
He had just came home from the grocery store and was trying, in vain, not to drop them all over the place. It seemed as though someone was finally renting out room 303, the one next to his, and it was a man. He hadn't seen the actual tenant but there were a few things just outside the door in the hallway that suggested it was a man. There were also things that suggested that a boy was moving in as well.
There was little room in the hallway and Henry had to squeeze past the various objects that cluttered it, sidling agilely as his arms clutched around the paper bags. He had made a bad decision when he said paper instead of plastic. Once he got past the mountain of belongings, he juggled his groceries around trying to find his house keys. So he hardly noticed it when some of his spices came tumbling out.
Henry was just dead set on getting all his food inside his apartment and intact before his new neighbor came out to see him act like a clown on a unicycle. The door opened up and he fell forward slightly, bumping his elbow into the doorknob as he went. The kitchen counter was by far his bestfriend, and only friend at that.
The groceries were set down with as much care as humanly possibly but still managed to spill out across the well kept counter despite Henry's best efforts. Henry caught himself panting and he wondered why. It was only groceries. Not much heavy lifting there, besides he ate like a bird anyway. So it was just the essentials.
Henry discarded the paper bags and sighed deeply as he began to put everything away, starting with the freezer foods before anything else. As Henry was putting cans away he noticed some things were missing, namely his spices. Where the hell could they have went? It's not like they could've sprouted legs and walked off.
Cursing under his breath, he went back out into the hallway to see that they were just lying on the ground, forgotten. Henry reached down for them and as soon as he grasped them he heard a sound come from beside him. It was the tenant and the little boy gathering up their things, bickering back and forth. Henry couldn't help but eavesdrop a little.
"Why do we have to live here, Alex? Why can't we go back Shepherd's Glen?" The little boy complained, arms wrapped tightly around a backpack with spiders all over it.
"You know why, Josh," the guy named Alex grunted as he hefted up two boxes in a single bound. "Stop moaning and help me out here."
Henry stood up straight slowly, watching them go at eachother's throats and it occurred to Henry that they were brothers. They had to be because a boy wouldn't be so bold to defy his father openly. They disappeared momentarily to take some stuff in and Henry quickly ran to put the spices away, contemplating whether or not he should give his neighbors a hand.
The occupant of room 302 was never the social type, in fact he only ever left his apartment when he absolutely needed to, but this new neighbor somehow persuaded him to reconsider. Henry exhaled loudly and opened his door slowly, peeking out the side to see if they were out there again. And they were, with many boxes to go.
Henry stepped out shyly and walked towards them, hoping the nervous smile on his face wasn't too creepy. First impressions were everything. They hadn't noticed him yet so a vocal greeting would have to be issued in order to get their attention.
"Hey..." Henry spoke softly, not getting an answer or an acknowledging gaze. He tried again. "Hello there."
The little boy, Josh, turned his head toward Henry and retreated back as most kids would do when faced with a stranger. Josh clutched at Alex's arm to tug on his coat sleeve, telling him something was wrong. Alex looked down at Josh with a confused expression and followed the little boy's gaze to see what he was so uneasy about. Alex saw Henry and his features automatically relaxed.
"Oh, hello..?" Alex trailed off, prompting the other man to introduce himself.
"Henry Townshend," he clarified with sweaty palms. "I'm your neighbor. I live in 302. Right next door."
"Alex Shepherd," he said, sticking out a hand to make a formal introduction. Henry took the hand nervously. "And this is my brother Josh."
The little boy hid behind Alex until he was forced to step forward and reluctantly shake Henry's hand as well, retreating back again after they were done. Henry didn't take it too personally, though because even he still acted like that from time to time. He didn't have an excuse for why he did.
"I noticed you struggling earlier and I was wondering if you wanted some help," Henry offered timidly, hoping he wasn't coming off like a creep.
"I'd would really appreciate that," Alex sighed with relief. "Thank you so much. If you could just grab those few boxes over there."
Henry went for the boxes Alex had gestured to and tried to suppress to sound of strain that came with it, laughing it off nervously as he followed Alex into room 303. Henry craned his head around the boxes so he could see where he was going and as soon as they were in the living room, he set them down.
Josh pulled Alex into the kitchen and Henry pretended to not be interested in the interaction between the two brothers.
"I don't like it here," Josh pouted with his bottom lip pushed out.
Alex huffed out a frustrated breath and kneeled down to Josh's level, making the younger one feel like less of a child. Henry was suddenly envious. He never had a sibling and the humanity that Alex was showing Josh was endearing enough to make Henry's heart swell. It made him fall in love with Alex and he barely even knew him.
"Give me one good reason why you don't like it here," Alex said, testing his doe-eyed brother.
"Because I won't have anyone to play with. I want to go see Joey," Josh whined.
"Josh," Alex said firmly, looking over at Henry to see if he was listening and then going on to whisper just to be safe. "Josh, we've already talked about this. You know what happened to Joey. Right?"
Josh was looking away from Alex's intense stare.
"Right?" Alex repeated.
"Right," Josh murmured forlornly, agreeing with a heart breaking frown.
Alex sighed and nodded once before standing back up to walk back over to Henry, opening up the first box to occupy himself. Henry lowered his head, knowing that look of defeat all too well. He didn't if he should go or stay to help some more, but Alex wasn't telling him to leave so he stood there watching Alex.
Henry had the chance to inspect Alex more closely and noted all the things he liked about him, one being his hair. Henry could never pull off a hairdo like that, he could hardly keep his own hair under control. The second thing he admired were his eyes. Pale pools of grey searching, caring, kind, haunted. Everything about Alex could be found out solely through those eyes. Henry swallowed.
That was it. Henry had fell hard for his neighbor in that moment and he'd be lying if he said Alex wasn't attractive both physically and mentally. But he realized that silence had consumed the all too tense air of the apartment. Alex was unpacking and Josh's butt was planted firmly to the floor with a pout still on his face, arms crossed over his chest defiantly.
"So, what's wrong with your brother?" Henry asked dumbly as if he hadn't known, trying to start up a conversation to get things square again.
"He's just a little upset about the lack of children here," Alex said, not entirely lying.
"Well, there's this little boy named Walter who wanders the halls sometimes," Henry said loud enough for Josh to hear, hoping it would spark interest in the kid. "He's a few years younger than Josh, but it'd be like having his own little brother."
"Hear that Josh?" Alex asked despite the excitement written all across Josh's face.
"Does he like insects?" Josh asked elated.
Alex and Henry laughed, catching eachother's gaze through squinting eyes. After that day, Henry didn't see Alex for a whole week, but that doesn't mean he wasn't on Henry's mind. Alex was the only thing on his mind and after a night of contemplation he decided to do something about it.
Five hours and dozens of crumpled wads of binder paper later, Henry found himself at the door to 303. He took a deep breath and bent down to slip the messy note underneath the door, cursing himself immediately afterwards but it was too late.
"Beat it, you jittery cuckoo clock," James called out from his front door, irritation heavy in his voice. "People are trying to sleep, dammit!"
It was nearly three in the morning and Jasper Gein was pacing the hall nervously, stuttering out nonsense about 21 sacraments and other cult babblings. Even after James had told him to shut up, Jasper kept carrying on. James stepped out into the hallway and put his hands on his hips, scowl creasing his face.
"I said scram motor mouth!"
"S-s-screw you m-m-man! I l-l-live he-here too!" Jasper bit out.
"Don't make me call Frank, J-J-Jasper," James mocked back.
"J-j-just 'cause your d-d-daddy is th-th-the s-superintendent doesn't mean I have t-to take sh-shit from a quickie mart cl-clerk!" Jasper yelled back, voice carrying through the hall to wake even more people up.
Henry could hear everything from his room, tossing and turning and trying to block out the argument coming from down the hallway so he could sleep. He put his pillow over his ear but it didn't help. The walls were paper. At some point he heard room 303 open and he could hear footsteps trail down the hall towards the confrontation.
It must've been Alex too fed up with the commotion to endure it anymore. Henry sat up and kicked his blankets off of himself, padding out of his bedroom and walking to his front door. He opened his front door and stuck his head out to see Alex in nothing but his boxers, trying to sort out the situation calmly. But neiter Jasper nor James were backing down.
Typical men...
Henry turned around when he heard a tiny noise come from behind him and saw that Josh was awake, rubbing at his eyes drowsily. The little boy yawned and looked as though he hadn't slept in a year, teetering between his feet sleepily. He walked up to Henry, clutching a stuffed rabbit to his chest as he looked up at the older man pitifully.
"I can't sleep," Josh whimpered like a hurt animal. "Where's Alex?"
"He's trying to calm down the guys being loud," Henry said softly kneeling down like Alex had. "Do you need anything?"
"I need Alex to tuck me in," Josh whined.
"He's busy right now," Henry winced, hating the words as they came out. Josh was distressed and Henry had no idea what to do to comfort the nine year old.
Josh clutched the rabbit tighter.
"How about I tuck you in tonight?" Henry offered, hoping Josh wouldn't freak out or throw a tantrum, demanding Alex instead.
"Robbie too?" Josh inquired, holding up the rabbit.
"Robbie too," Henry reassured with a small smile.
He stood back up as Josh turned back toward room 303 and he led the boy inside with a hand gently pressing into the kid's back. They had cleaned the place up pretty well and even though they didn't have much, Henry thought it was pretty cozy.
Josh walked ahead to show Henry to his room. There was a night light on but Henry could barely see anything well enough to get a feel for what Josh was like. Josh hopped onto his bed and ducked under the covers like it was a shield, his head and Robbie's head the only things sticking out. Henry smiled at the sight before him, but soon felt awkward because he was in his neighbor's house, alone with his little brother, and clearly uninvited.
Out in the hallway Alex continued to urge the two in dispute to keep quiet, but he soon lost track and began to argue as well. He mostly kept the other two away from eachother so they didn't do anything stupid to cause more problems than they already had. Finally, Alex snapped and made them actually listen this time.
"Look, you guys need to shut the fuck up," Alex whispered quickly. "My little brother is trying to sleep right now and he has school in the morning. You can both respect that can't you?"
"Well, yeah, but this isn't my fault. He started it," James replied childishly.
"I don't care who started it. Just stop it okay?" Alex huffed out, frustrated. "Now apologize to eachother."
"I am not apologizing to this echo," James spat indignantly.
"And I'm n-n-not either," Jasper stuttered, turning his face up in snob-like defiance.
"Just make a damn peace offering and go to bed," Alex complained.
James huffed and stomped off into his apartment leaving the front door open until he came back with a carton. He shoved it into Jasper's hands and crossed his arms across his chest, watching the look of delight spread all over Jasper's face as he realized what it was.
"Oh!" Jasper exclaimed dreamily. "Ch-chocolate. Oh, chocolate!"
Alex watched Jasper hug it to his body and wander down the hallway, forgetting everything that had happened in a flash. He quirked an eyebrow at the odd exchange and wanted to question what that was all about. Alex gave James a look of curiosity and James just shrugged back at him.
"The kid likes chocolate milk," James dismissed, shutting his door and going to bed.
Henry tells Josh a quick made up story to calm his nerves, noting that the bickering in the hallway has silenced and that footsteps were getting closer to 303. Henry moves away to leave but Josh sits up and clings to his right arm, pleading for Henry not to leave him alone. He sits back down on the bed with Josh and Josh's calms down enough to let go of him.
"Alex usually kisses me goodnight before he leaves," Josh says by way of explaining his clingy-ness.
"Are you sure you want me to..?" Henry trails off, uncertain.
Josh nods.
Henry bites the inside of his cheek and contemplates the request. He knows he shouldn't, even if his intentions are pure, because this was a little boy and if Alex walked in it'd look wrong on so many levels. It'd make him look like a pedophile. Which he was far from being. But Josh was pouting now and it made Henry's heart clench.
He leaned forward and pressed a warm and caring kiss to the top of Josh's head, hearing the boy make a content sigh. Josh snuggled further into the bed and held up his rabbit, Robbie. Henry looked at it dumbfoundedly and wondered what Josh meant by the gesture.
"Robbie too," Josh beamed merrily.
Henry did the same for Robbie and as he was tucking the covers around Josh, Alex had cleared his throat to notify them that he had returned. Henry shot off the bed as if it were on fire and grabbed the hem of his shirt, twisting it nervously in his hands. He was caught and he was in big shit now. Damn.
"Alex, it's not what it looks like," Henry said cautiously, backing up when Alex advanced on him a little.
"What? You tucking in my little brother?" Alex asked casually.
"No! I swear I di-" Henry caught himself and processed what Alex had said. Alex didn't take it the wrong way and he wasn't mad. Did Henry miss something? "Wait... What?"
"Thank you for doing that," Alex continued as if Henry hadn't said anything. "I understand he can be a handful sometimes."
"Not at all!" Henry said quickly, clasping his hands together tightly. "He's quite the little angel."
"You aren't his brother," Alex chuckled softly, stepping back to let Henry by.
Henry smiled nervously and squeezed past Alex slowly, their chests brushing in the process. Alex smiled and Henry ducked his head shyly, hiding his blush behind long bangs. They were out in the living room now and they both stood there silently for a short stolen moment, listening to the blood pump through their veins.
"Well, I should probably get going. Let you go back to sleep," Henry said softly, dismissing himself from Alex's apartment politely.
"Goodnight, Henry," Alex murmured huskily, smiling at Henry as he quietly snuck out the door.
Alex had just got back from picking Josh up from school and he walked over to the mail boxes as he watched Josh run up the stairs. He chuckled to himself and opend up the 303 mailbox. His smile lessened a little when something caught his eye and his curiosity had his hand reaching towards his mail. Alex grabbed it all in one hand and he carelessly tossed the junk mail aside.
The only thing left was one blank envelope that had no postage stamp or address on it, simply Alex's name in bold cursive on the front of it. Alex smirked fondly and leaned against all the mail boxes, forgetting to shut his own as he carefully opened the envelope's seal. He faltered and the envelope ripped slightly.
Alex took a look around to see if anyone was watching and when he felt it was safe he plucked the slip of paper wedged inside, unfolding it delicately. He fliped it right side up, reading it silently to himself with an amused smile as his grey eyes twinkled with undeniable flattery.
++++++++++++++++++
You are the middle, the end, and the start
With the world weighing on your shoulders
You wear humanity and courage over your heart
But inside passion and sin smolders
Your love never falters and your words don't bend
It's a crime to say you're not true
Because when the sun dies and Earth reaches an end
Neither Heaven nor Hell will have judgment against you
++++++++++++++++++
Alex's heart started to race as he saw the cryptic message contained within and between the words, wishing that it was signed so he could thank the author personally for such adoration. He couldn't remember the last time he received anonymous poems from a secret crush or if he's ever received poetry at all.
He smiled like a goof, closing his mail box and practically floating up the stairs to the third floor and into room 303. Alex hardly noticed it when Josh ran out from his room and began to tug on his jacket sleeve, parading around a slip of paper. Josh was jumping up and down and waving it in Alex's face until the older brother grabbed the younger one's wrist to snatch it away.
"What's this?" Alex asked Josh, holding it up without looking at it first.
"It's a weird note I found on the ground near the door. I thought it was your's so I didn't throw it away," explained Josh.
Alex raised an eyebrow at Josh and unfolded the tiny piece of paper. The edges were jagged like it had been ripped out of a pre-existing page and it looked as though it was written in a haste because some words seemed to run into one another and a few were scratched out. The author had made the mistake of writing in pen. It was messy at best and Alex barely made out the words:
I looked into the depths of your eyes and I instantly knew my fate was sealed away in your heart.
"What does it mean? Is it your's? Why was it written?" Josh bombarded percussively.
"Josh..."
"Sorry."
"It's not mine but I'm sure it was written for me," Alex said.
"Why?" Josh asked curiously.
"I think I might have a secret admirer," Alex said, not noticing the smile on his face. And when Josh made a funny face he rephrased his words to, "Someone has a crush on me."
"Ooohh... Is it a girl?"
"There's no way of knowing, kiddo."
Personally, Alex couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman writing these little notes but he sure as hell knew they were from the same person. It excited Alex that someone had a crush on him and the mystery of who it was gave him something to ponder and look forward to. Alex couldn't remember feeling so giddy.
He walked into his bedroom and carefully tucked the notes away into his night stand's top drawer, hoping against hope that they'd continue to fill it's void space. Alex laid down against his covers and pillows, burying his head in the softness of it and stretched like a cat. His day had suddenly got brighter.
Everyday the notes became more frequent and the charming words grew invariably, seeding themselves into Alex's conscience. They weren't always left in his mailbox though. Sometimes they were left there but sometimes they were stuffed under his door, waiting for him or Josh to find it. Whenever Josh found one he'd never read it because he respected his brother's privacy and honestly, he had no idea what was being said half the time.
On a very rare occasion though, Walter gave him a letter.
Alex was in the kitchen washing dishes as Josh played with his new friend Walter in the other room. It had been a long day and he just wanted to collapse in exhaustion and relax for the rest of the evening, but he knew Josh would refuse to wash them for him especially if he had company over.
From what Alex could tell Josh and Walter got along quite well, even if the friendship seemed a little one-sided at times. Josh was hyper and loud and always full of energy while Walter was quiet, withdrawn, and somewhat of a follower. He knew Josh was never cruel to the little boy and Walter never showed any fright towards him so it was safe to say they liked eachother.
Despite the three year difference, Josh was always excited to see Walter come over to spend time with him. Josh would go on for hours about various insects, getting carried away whenever he started to show Walter his collection. Walter didn't seem to mind it when Josh would ramble on and on or he just knew how to hide it well.
They'd often play war with little toy soldiers and Josh would give Walter tips on a good strategy so he could win more. Walter felt better when he was given an advantage, he didn't like losing. No kid did but Josh was nice enough to "lose" sometimes. Alex couldn't really classify it as pity though.
Alex continued to scrub and rinse dishes left and right almost mesmerized by the repetition of the chore and not hearing Walter pad into the kitchen. Walter made a small sound but went unnoticed by the giant in front of the sink so he inched closer despite feeling a sense of uneasiness. Grown ups intimidated him.
"Mr. Shepherd," Walter spoke timidly, trying to get Alex's attention.
Alex jumped, a soapy dish slipping free from his grasp and almost shattering in the porcelain sink. He turned toward the small voice and sighed as he caught his breath, seeing that it was only Walter.
"Walter," Alex said slowly. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you playing with Josh?"
"He's in the bathroom," Walter mumbled, switching his weight from foot to foot nervously with his head bowed slightly. "I need to give you something."
"Uh, sure... What is it?" Alex inquired hesitantly, looking for a dish towel to wipe his hands off.
Alex threw the towel on the countertop and wiped the excess water and suds onto his pants for good measure, crouching down to Walter's height so the kid was less afraid. Walter stepped back a little and stuck his hand out to Alex with a envelope clutched tightly in his palm. Alex was puzzled.
"I'm supposed to give this to you," Walter said, still not looking Alex in the eyes.
"What is it?" Alex asked.
Walter didn't say anything in answer to Alex's question and Alex just ignored the unresponsiveness of the little boy, tearing the envelope open instead. He got it out and read it to himself as Walter stayed where he was, waiting. It was another poem from his secret admirer and his heart fluttered.
+++++++++++++++++
If my tongue were to become tied to yours
That's all the language I'd ever speak
If my breath were to become mingled with yours
That's all the air I'd ever have to breathe
If my lips were to become sealed to yours
That's all the passion I'd ever want
If my mind were to become apart of yours
That's all the memories I'd ever want to haunt
If my heart were to become merged with yours
That's all the shelter I'd need to hide in
But if my body were to become fused to yours however...
That's all the motive I'd need to sin
+++++++++++++++++
It sent pinpricks of excitement down Alex's spine and his toes curled instinctively at the last line, catching his bottom lip between his lips. He couldn't help the big grin plastered across his face and he was thankful Walter kept his head down most of the time or else he'd have to explain why he was so ecstatic.
But even though he was so caught up in the magic of the words, there was still one thing that went unexplained. Why did Walter have this letter? And why would the secret admirer need a little kid to deliver it? Unless...
"Who gave this to you, Walter?" Alex questioned lightly, making sure to sound as neutral as possible. "Who told you to give this to me?"
Walter rocked back and forth. "I'm not supposed to tell," Walter whispered secretly.
"Please. I'll let you stay the night with Josh," Alex bribed subtly. Walter didn't seem to know the difference anyway and Alex watched the boy in the striped shirt contemplate the proposition. "And I'll let you two stay up late."
"Well..." Walter looked up at Alex and the grown up's face seemed honest enough for him to let his guard down just a little. "I got it from my mama."
Alex furrowed his brows but he didn't let his slight discomfort and confusion be known to Walter's green and prying eyes. Instead, he thanked Walter for his help and gave the boy a little nudge in the direction to Josh's room, watching the tiny boy run off to rejoin his companion. Alex stood back up and sighed heavily, not particularly pleased by the answer.
He shut off the sink and decided he'd finish the dishes later because right now he had a lead on whoever was writing these notes, even if it wasn't one he was hoping for. He didn't know Walter's mother, he's never even heard of her until now which would be kind of creepy if she was the one. It never occurred to him until now, but there was an off chance he was being stalked. He shivered at the thought.
Alex set the letter on the counter and went for the front door to find, yelling to Josh that he'd be right back. To his luck, Alex had caught James on his way out and he trotted up to the blonde man with a friendly expression. He never really talked to James much but he knew the man respected him enough to give Alex a minute or two of his time.
"Hey, James. Spare a minute?" Alex asked, grabbing James' bicep to turn him around.
"Uh, sure," James spoke slowly, taking a glance at his watch, "For you I can spare five. What's up?"
"Do you know Walter's mother by any chance?" Alex inquired, inspiring a puzzling look from James.
"Walter Sullivan?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know how to tell you this but Walter's an orphan. His mother and father abandoned him years ago," James said almost too fluidly like he's said it many times before. "Why do you ask?"
"This is kind of embarrassing, but... Someone's been sending me letters," Alex said vaguely.
"Letters? Like hate letters?"
"More like... Love letters," Alex strained, blushing slightly. "And Walter gave one to me just now saying it was from his mom."
"Hmm... Maybe he's writing them?" James offered lamely.
"These letters are far too sophisticated for a six year old," Alex chuckled weakly, a hint of sarcasm seeping into his words. He was a little relieved but also frustrated at the same time. He reached a dead end. "They aren't written in crayon."
"Then I don't know what to tell you. Sorry," James said with a shrug of his shoulder, turning around to leave down the hallway.
"What apartment did his parents used to live in?" Alex called after James.
"302," James yelled back before disappearing.
302? That was Henry's apartment. But why did knowing the apartment Walter's parents lived in before have any relevance to the situation at hand? He stood dumbfoundedly in the hallway for a moment, just thinking and wracking his brain on who it could be. Who the hell was writing to him?
It was safe to assume that it wasn't James because even as Alex told him about his plight there was no indication that it had sparked any reaction from the blonde man. Jasper wasn't a likely candidate either. He didn't seem too awfully sharp and Alex had a feeling Jasper wouldn't have the attention span to sit down and write such beautiful words.
He's met some of the women on the other floors but he wasn't very familiar with their names, he barely remembered their faces. He thinks one was named Cynthia? But he only needed one look at her to know what type of woman she was and when it came down to it, she was no romantic like his anonymous author. That other woman had a boyfriend so it couldn't be her either.
Which really only left one other person...
Henry came out of his apartment at that moment and it snapped Alex out of his daze like a bucket of water. He turned towards the sound of a door closing and he saw the mousy man trying to sneak off without being noticed, but failed in doing so. Henry pretended not to see Alex standing in the hallway and walked past him quickly, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
Alex saw the small laundry basket braced between the man's arm and side, letting it be known that he was going down stairs to the foyer for some midday washing. When Henry was halfway down the hall he turned around and when he saw that Alex was still standing there, he spun on his heels and took off faster. That had odd written all over it.
It dawned on Alex that all the signs were there and if Henry was as nervous around Alex as he thought he was, then it had to be Henry. Henry had to be the one writing to him. Even though the quiet man hardly ever left room 302, Alex had to admit he felt something that night Henry had tucked Josh in. Something that plucked at his heart strings. Like him and Josh haven't been shown sympathy in such a long time.
And when Alex put two and two together, it made sense that Henry was the author. It just left Alex to wonder why Henry had fell for him so hard. They'd only ever been in the same room for a long time twice but it seemed as though Alex had made a big impression on the occupant of room 302. Henry seemed like a nice guy, if not a little quiet, and if he made an effort to get out more Alex would've definately considered handing out with him.
But Henry was too shy to say his feelings out loud which is why he had resorted to poetry and if he wanted a chance with his neighbor from 303, Alex would give him that chance. Alex never really thought of having a romantic relationship with a guy before, but if Henry was capable of saying the things he's written then Alex would make an exception.
He suddenly felt like doing his laundry now just to speak to Henry in private, but he'd just bide his time for now and slowly bring it up to Henry little by little.
Henry had just finished writing his latest letter to Alex and he was putting it in an envelope, licking the sticky seal then pressing it together so it wouldn't fall out. He took his pen and wrote Alex's name across it gracefully and carefully like he had done so many times before. With each letter his words became more bold and intimate and his courage in delivering them had shot up greatly. But he was still terrified by physical confrontation.
Alex seemed to be around a lot whenever he left his apartment, like he had been waiting for him to make an appearance. Henry was getting paranoid and he knew Alex was starting to catch on to his routine. Sometimes they'd make eye contact too and Henry could see a faint glitter of knowing in Alex's eyes.
He set the pen down and stood up from his couch, hiding the letter in his coat's inner breast pocket then going for the doorknob. As soon as he opened up his front door to drop the letter off in Alex's mailbox, he was met by a familiar smiling face that laughed giddily when Henry went pale. Speak of the devil. What were the odds of that?
It was Alex and it looked like he was getting ready to knock on the door before Henry opened it because his left hand was balled up and hanging in the air. He retreated it shyly and raked a hand through his hair to itch at the back of his head like he was feigning bashfulness. Henry knew better than to believe it. Alex was up to something.
"Hey, Henry. I was just getting ready to knock. You going somewhere?" Alex beamed conversationally. He was making it his life's work to cage Henry in his home so he could make a move.
"Well, not really-"
"Can I come in?" Alex asked forwardly, stepping a little closer into the threshold so Henry would back up.
"Um, yeah. Sure," Henry mumbled stepping aside to let Alex into his home.
Alex winked at Henry when he walked by and if Alex could see Henry's face he'd see that the other man was blushing profusely. He took a good long look around the living room, feasting his eyes on the pictures that decorated the walls. The were beautiful and well shot, like they were done by a professional. Alex wondered where he got them.
Henry was no slob either, after all he was a a single bachelor living alone and he was a shut in from what Alex could tell. There was no indication of family ever coming over to visit and Alex began to see just how alone Henry really was. His heart broke slightly. How could someone with so much beauty and charm be alone?
"They're gorgeous," Alex complimented in awe, commenting on the pictures. "Who took them?"
"I did," Henry said softly, heart fluttering just a smidgen.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a professional."
"Thank you," Henry said meekly.
Henry still stood by the door and watched Alex walk around the room, looking over everything intently to the point of making Henry squirm. He almost felt like his privacy was being invaded, but then again Henry had tucked in Josh. It was only fair to let Alex snoop.
"So," Henry tried conversationally like Alex had did so smoothly not only a minute ago. "What brings you over here, Alex?"
"This," Alex said, holding up one of the poems Henry had written for him over his shoulder. He was facing away from Henry but the gulp the man made was painfully loud and he smirked. "I'm looking for the author. Maybe you could take a look at it and tell me what you think?"
He turned around and extended it towards Henry expectantly, testing the man to reach out and grab it. Henry's hazel eyes flickered between Alex's kind, yet challenging, face to the one of the many notes he had written. He knew Alex knew, but he didn't know whether to take tue bait or not. Maybe there was an off chance that Alex was still completely oblivious? Henry would take a leap of faith. The occupant of room 302 grabbed the paper and unfolded it, pretending to read it over because he already knew what it said. His eyes drifted along the words and looked up after a moment to see that Alex was watching him read it. Henry handed it back to Alex with a small shrug. "Beautiful isn't it?" Alex asked, gauging Henry's posture intently. "I guess..." Henry replied, lowering his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets. By some small amount of fate the newest letter came tumbling out of Henry's inner breast pocket and floated to the ground between him and Alex. His breath caught and in that instant Alex's smirk grew on his face and he looked at Henry for the first time in a new light. It landed face up and Alex could see his name written on it like all the others before it. "What does it say?" Alex asked. "Bedroom. Now." Henry was no William Shakespeare... But it was a start.