Alex and Leo had a fairly good relationship. They didn't just co-exist, there was mutual respect and adoration there. Leo had met Alex when he was twelve, right after Oscar had filed for divorce, he and Ellen had been separated for a year by then. Of course, like any pre-pubescent, Alex had been angry at the world, angry at his parents and even angrier at the new man trying to horn in on their family. Leo hadn't taken that personally. He had never tried to press the issue of Ellen's children liking him. He was willing to wait, he wanted them to like him on their own terms.
Eventually they did, too. As Ellen climbed the political ladder. First to the Speaker of the House, then Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, she began focusing more on her career and less on her children. Which, at the time, suited Alex fine. It was a time when he had begun to spiral, but he was proud of his Ma. June was away in college, so she was only around on the holidays. So he believed no one had noticed him beginning to spiral. He was regularly stealing Liam's ADHD meds, drinking, driving without a license, drinking and driving, overdosing on caffeine. His grades had began to slip too.
Leo noticed. It was a culmination of the littlest things of minimal consequence that had Leo taking note. There wasn't one specific event or anything. Leo was just observant like that. Leo did not that for a while, Liam and Alex had been close. Suddenly, Liam stopped talking to Alex and he was showing signs of spiralling further, that was when Leo stepped in.
Leo encouraged Alex to seek help for his grades. He spoke with the school teachers and the school counselor. On the counsellor's advice, he had Alex tested for ADHD. In a session with the school psychologist and Leo, Alex admitted he had been practicing unsafe sex with multiple girls in his class. Leo privately suspected that Alex had been in some kind of physical or sexual relationship with Liam too, because friendships of that quality and length of time don't just vanish into thin air. Something is always the catalyst. With that information, Leo encouraged Alex to follow up with his partners to make sure no pregnancies had occurred. Leo then had encouraged Alex into attending an appointment with a sexual health practitioner and get himself checked out, tested and educated.
Alex learnt that when times were tough and everyone seemed like they were too busy for him, that Leo would always make time for him. When things would escalate between his divorced parents on holiday dinners and June would force herself to referee, Alex and Leo would always slip away. Leo knew that the silence and removing himself from the argument, was soothing to his mind and didn't trigger a spiral.
It was in these moments that Alex learnt to appreciate Leo more. That was Leo was what Alex needed to survive being Ellen Claremont and Oscar Diaz's son and Catalina June Claremont-Diaz's brother. It was in these moments with Alex, that Leo learnt new things himself, about Alex and about his family.
Alex had been pacing his room since they returned from Brooklyn. Zahra had scheduled some Alex and mom time for 5pm that afternoon. The time slot in which he was practically ordered to come out to her in, by Zahra, after being caught with Henry in his hotel room, very early yesterday morning. He supposed that he should have been thanking his lucky stars that Zahra hadn't immediately called an emergency meeting in his room, while Henry was half dressed and had his mom waltz on in and see for herself. But it also didn't sit right with him that Zahra was forcing his hand before he was ready.
He knew Zahra meant well, that was why Ellen paid her the big bucks. Yet, it still meant that everything in his life was centered around his mom's career. Nothing was for him. Having the Paparazzi at his High School Graduation to ensure they caught Ellen in mother mode, was more for her career than him. Taking him to tour Georgetown, meant a White House photographer followed them. Upon his admission, a press release and a plug for the school had come from the Claremont Administration. There was charity drives, international conferences, press interviews, photo ops and for what, so he could be his mom's poster boy. Even his graduation from Georgetown was overshadowed by politics.
He had a lot of time to think about what he was going to say and how, to his mom and he was finding himself lacking. He had been trying to find a happy balance between seriousness and the truth. He wanted his mom to take him serious and take what he had to say seriously. He didn't want this to be some political landmine for his mom and Zahra to micromanage or navigate. He wanted it to be; this is the fact, just so you know... But his mom, being his mom and Zahra being Zahra, historically, he knew that wasn't the way it would ultimately end up going.
Flinging his bedroom door open in the residence, he set off in search for someone to talk to. Sure, June was his favourite person. She already knew all about the relationship between he and the Prince of England's hearts and she was all for it. June also knew about his newly found bisexuality. She was in his corner.
His father Oscar, was usually second. Slowly the rift between them had lessened over the years, never completely closing though. But in this case, he was terrified of what his Catholic father might have to say. Even if Senator Oscar Diaz was the patron saint of gender neutral bathrooms in California. He wasn't scared of his father, just terrified of his potential reaction. Despite the fact that his father's colleague and best friend was none other than Senator Rafael Luna of Colorado. One of the first openly gay Senators in the history of the US, itself.
Leo was his calm in a raging storm. Neither parent had acknowledged it and truthfully, Alex didn't acknowledge it as much as he should, but they all should be thankful for Leo. Alex would not be applying to law school today, if it wasn't for Leo. Hell, Alex might have already self-destructed, if it wasn't for Leo.
Tentatively knocking on the study door that belonged to Leo, he waited for the usual holler of "Come in" from his stepfather. Looking up and seeing Alex at the doorway, he gave Alex a bright, wide smile. "Hey Al, everything ok?"
He forced a smile onto his face. Leo hadn't made the trip with them to Brooklyn, nor had he joined them for the DNC. Leo had been occupied, talking to investors and the press about an initiative he is currently working on for getting underprivileged kids a good education. "Got a minute?" Alex asked, seeing that Leo had been furiously tapping away on the keyboard of his laptop. Alex regretted interrupting his flow of creativity, but time was getting away from him and he desperately wanted Leo's advice before his 5pm meeting with his Mom.
"For you? Always." Leo smiled, saving his work and closing the screen of his laptop. "What's up? You look as tightly wound as a spring coil? Is this about Raf? Because I am just as in shock as you. Did Oscar say anything?"
"It's not about Raf." Alex chuckled nervously. It would have been so much easier if this was about Raf. But it wasn't. "It's about me."
Leo noted that when Alex had let himself in, he had closed and locked the door behind him. That was unusual behaviour for his stepson. "How can I help?"
"I..." Alex clammed up and took three steps into his rhythmic pacing again. "I need some advice. I'm not sure where to turn and it needs to be fast."
Leo grinned at him. "What's going on, Al? And try not wear out the carpet in my office."
"I've, ah, been figuring some things out about myself and it's come to a crunch." Alex started, softly. "I, ah, well Zahra found out and I have to tell mom."
"Let me guess, Zahra thinks it's the end of the world and such a huge deal?" Leo asked and seeing Alex slightly wince and that was all the confirmation he needed.
"I guess, if it were to get out. I am not sure just how well it would fly with the Republicans and the conservatives." Alex hesitated. He knew he had no reason to feel nervous, this was Leo. Leo literally knew about his risky sexual escapades when he was sixteen and seventeen. Leo had held his hand when he was spiralling out of control. Leo had grounded him from panic attacks when his parents were fighting. This was Leo, the man who cheered louder than both his parents when he graduated from Georgetown, last semester. "So, like I said, I've been figuring some things out about myself."
"You've met someone?" Leo asked, softly. Leo wasn't a fool. He knew Alex had been seeing someone. Taking extra trips out of town and out of the country. All without argument. Plus his phone was glued to his hand, these days and when Alex thought no one was paying attention to him, he was staring at it with a stupid grin on his face. He had a suspicion of who, but he wouldn't say a thing until he absolutely had no other choice.
"Yeah." Alex grinned wide, thinking of Henry and their relationship. "It's been great and all. But it's not like anyone is expecting this. I guess I should say, I'm ... bisexual. Yeah?"
Leo instantly hugged him, tightly. "Thank you for telling me." He said into Alex's shoulder, the words coming out all muffled. Pulling back from Alex, Leo wiped at his watery eyes, hastily. When he had first met Ellen, June and an extremely angry, younger Alex, he never imagined that they would ever be close enough to share this kind of conversation. "Thank you."
"You're kind of the first person, I've actually been able to admit it to." Alex confessed, his cheeks dusting a small flush. "June knows and Nora, too. Zahra found out, actually caught me in my room with someone yesterday morning when I overslept."
"Now she's scrambling to control the narrative." Leo finished for Alex, shaking his head thoroughly. He liked Zahra, he truly did. But sometimes, Zahra and Ellen blurred the lines a little too much as to what was personal and what was political. Granted, Alex liked to be a little shit and push her buttons, but Zahra always seemed to expect the worst of him. "Doesn't seem like such a big deal, as Zahra's making it out to be, though."
"It's Henry." Alex explained, starting his pacing again. "Now, I've got to tell mom. Any advice?"
"Just be yourself, Al. Be honest and be happy." Leo smiled. "Be prepared. Can I just say how happy I am? Because I am really happy for you." Leo wanted to fistbump the air. His suspicions were correct.
"Thanks." Leo noticed Alex's blush. "I'm pretty stoked myself."
Leo was going to tell Alex that he had suspected about his sexuality for a while. But didn't.
Leo was going to tell Alex he suspected that Henry and he were more than friends. But didn't.
Leo was going to tell Alex every clue that had lead him there. Led him to Henry.
But what would that all of that really achieve? Quite frankly, unless Alex asked or offered. Alex's relationship with Henry was his business, not Leo's.
"Whatever happens you have my full support, Al." Leo reminded him, but he was sure that Ellen would be ok with this new development in her son's life. "I love you and want you to be happy."
"Thanks, Leo."