Freedom 31
On the following Wednesday afternoon, Alex has no classes and Henry has come home early from the shelter. Together, they are spending a rare quiet hour on the sofa. This was something they had started doing once Henry found the hours of his day were being consumed by shelter business and he was feeling like he was missing Alex.
Usually, in their daily quiet hour on the sofa, there was an unspoken rule of no phones. On this particular day, Henry had forgotten to deposit his own cell onto the benchtop where they usually left them when they were downstairs. The sound of Henry's phone dinging with a text echoed through the main floor of their brownstone.
"Hen?" Alex said softly, when Henry didn't make a go to snatch it up off the coffee table. Alex was lying on the sofa, as he had been reading his property law textbook when Henry had let himself in, toed off his shoes and headed upstairs. Like clockwork, seven minutes later, Henry was coming downstairs in a soft solid blue tee and black sweatpants that bore the letters Georgetown down the left leg. "Better get it, babe. Looks like it's Bea."
"Bea can wait, love. She'll call back if it's important." Henry mumbled into the crook of Alex's neck. It had been a shitshow of a day with back-to-back council meetings at city hall and to top it off, Pez and Henry had to deal with some protestors who had taken offense to the LGBT shelter being in their neighborhood. Despite the fact that the building had previously been used as an outpost to support LGBT homeless folk, before Pez and Henry took over. The phone stopped ringing and immediately started again. "Oh, bollocks." Henry cursed and reached over to snatch the offending phone from the counter of the coffee table.
Henry exchanged greetings with his sister through the phone line without moving an inch from where laid, sprawled out over Alex. Both men dressed in sweats and not a care in the world. The conversation seemed to mostly on Bea's side, with Henry not saying much or doing much more than the occasional 'yeah' or 'uh-huh', before sighing deeply.
"I'm not bloody well getting changed out of my joggers and neither is bloody Alex, Bea. Give me a minute and I'll just go get my sodding laptop." Henry sighed and hung up. "Darling?"
Alex had a feeling he wasn't going to like what Henry had to say. "Yeah?"
"Philip just called a family meeting." Henry whispered. Alex didn't say anything, just waved him on. "Ah, sweetheart, that meant you too. Come on, you've got to sit up."
"Fuck Philip." Alex huffed, but there was no heat in his words. It was more just Alex having to move, or rather Henry having to move off Alex's body.
As quick as Henry disappeared, he returned with his own laptop and was quickly bringing up his video calling program and waiting for Bea to dial back in.
Alex reluctantly sat upright and got himself into a comfortable position, putting his arms around Henry. He felt his boyfriend relax into his embrace and sigh in contentment. Hearing Henry happily sigh gave him his own shot of happiness.
Suddenly, Bea appeared on the screen from where she was away, working with her own charity in Birmingham. However, she was clearly in a hotel room. Next to appear was Catherine, dialing in from her sitting room in Buckingham Palace and Martha appeared too, calling from somewhere within Clarence House. Philip was the last one to grace them with his presence and he was on his laptop, from his office at Clarence House. "Thank you all for making time for me." Philip began, taking a moment to let his eyes linger on everyone individually. He let his eyes linger over Alex and Henry for a second longer. They looked happy. They looked content and he didn't think he had ever seen his brother look so relaxed before. Not even when their father was still alive. "Before I get to the purpose of the meeting, Henry, Alexander, have the press backed off? Henry was saying to mum that you cannot even walk David some days."
Henry and Alex looked at one another. Philip's initial statement and press conference, pleading with the press to leave them be. Naturally, the American press had picked up Philip's plea and backed off ... slightly. But the British tabloids, especially the two mainstream newspapers instrumental in the email leak and outing, they had not. If anything, they had become more invasive. Shaan had filmed them rifling through the boys' trash and Dylan had been bombarded and hounded by them when he went to the bodega down the street on a sandwich run for lunch last Tuesday. He was technically off the clock and he and Cash had made a date to eat chips, sandwiches and play cards at Cash's basement apartment across the street. One of Shaan and Zahra's apartments.
Alex gave Philip the rundown on how Dylan had been treated. Before telling them that Amy's wife was offered twenty thousand dollars from a reporter to plant a listening device in their home. "Now our PPO's are being harassed as well." Henry sighed.
"We were afraid of that." Martha sighed, looking over at Philip. "Alex, Henry we're going to do everything we can to try to minimize the invasive press. But in the meantime, I want you to know that you have our support, if you decide to sue the tabloids for leaking your emails."
"Both of ours." Philip hastily added. "I cannot begin to make amends for the part I have played in this whole mess with gran. Alex, I swear, I should have done more to stop her. For that, even if you do not believe me, I am truly sorry. Henry, I owe you so much more than an apology, I do not even know where to begin."
"You're right, Pip." Bea threw in, giving him a harsh glare. "The years of systematic bullying and emotional torture that you put Henry through as gran's puppet, may have worn him down, but it hasn't broken his spirit."
"Pip, I don't think you need me to tell you how disappointed your father would be that our family has come to this." Catherine sighed in frustration. The look on her face was one that Henry recognised. It was a heartbroken look. However, he was thankful it was not accompanied by the haunted, empty look she had held for years, being wrapped up and lost in her own grief. More than anything, she wanted her family to be reunited again. To love and accept one another, unconditionally. "Our sons are at odds. Our possibly one day maybe son in-law at odds with our oldest son. Our daughter is protecting our baby boy Blue because he was being bullied by people who were supposed to love and protect him. Your father would be most upset by this."
"Dad would be happy about you joining our family though, Martha." Henry added, as he reached over and intertwined his fingers with Alex's. Martha had always been nothing but kind and considerate, even when his brother was being an ass. Henry is not ashamed to admit that on more than one occasion, he has pondered the thought that Martha is 'too good' for Philip.
"Oh, and Alex as well, I am sure." Bea laughed wholeheartedly, with watery eyes. "Gosh, could you just imagine Dad and Alex together? Especially in a room with Gran."
Philip couldn't help but laugh too. "I imagine dad would adore Alex and his humor, as well. Both Beatrice and Henry tell me you are very funny and a lively sort of fellow, Alex. In the best way, of course."
"Oh Pip, you have no idea." Bea managed to get out between her cackles of laughter. "Those two were probably too wasted to remember, but I was stone cold sober and I remember it all in technicolour detail. Henry is up on stage, singing his heart out to Queen's song Don't Stop Me Now, drunk on vodka and dressed in a silk kimono over his suit. His kimono is dangling off one shoulder so the embroidery across the back read PRINCE BUTT. Alex, well he's been screaming at the top of his lungs for two minutes straight. Doing his bit to encourage our dear Hen, despite the fact Henry is drunk on vodka and needs no encouragement."
Henry and Alex look at one another and smirk, they bit their own amusement back. Out of all the stories, Bea could have shared, the parts she knows about this story, are wholesome. Well, compared to the contents of the emails that the press leaked, that is.
" "I wanna make a supersonic woman of youuu!" Henry shouting while singing, lunging violently sideways, catching Nora by both of her arms. "Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me!" The entire bar is screaming back. "Hey, hey, hey!" Pez is practically on top of the table now, pounding the back of our booth with one hand and helping June up onto a chair with the other. Alex is cupping his hands around his mouth. "Ooh, ooh, ooh!" encouraging Hen, always his number one supporter in everything.
In amongst the noise of shouts and kicks, there's pelvic-thrusting and flashing lights, the song begins blasting into the guitar solo, and there's not a single person in the bar in their seat, not even when Hen is knee-sliding across the stage, playing passionate and somewhat erotic air guitar.
Nora produced a bottle of champagne from somewhere and started spraying Henry with it, and Alex had lost his mind in laughter, as he climbed onto the top of his seat and wolf whistled at Henry. Pez and June are dancing on the table now. All it takes is a tug on his arm and I am dragging Alex down to the stage front, grabbing his hand and spinning him in a ballerina twirl. Alex puts one of the roses I had earlier between his teeth, and we're watching Henry and grinning at each other through the noise. By this point I am absolutely beside herself, with tears streaming down my face in laughter. Henry is yelling into the microphone again, stumbling to his feet, his suit and kimono stuck to him with champagne and sweat in a confused mess. His eyes flicked upward, hazy, and unmistakably locked with Alex's. We're at the edge of the stage, Alex is smiling broadly and messy. "I wanna make a supersonic man outta youuuuu!" Henry is crooning the final words of the song, directly to Alex.
By the end, there's a standing ovation awaiting him, I steered him into the booth and into Alex's side. He pulled me into him to follow him. When I looked back, those two lovebirds were giving each other these soft heart eyes and it was at that moment, I knew, those two idiots were in love. That it was serious between them on both sides."
Henry and Alex were hiding their faces behind their hands, part in embarrassment and part snickering because there is only two people on the planet that know; none of that would have unfolded if not for Alex convincing Henry to sing by getting on his knees and blowing him in the public restroom, only twenty minutes beforehand.
"Oh my lord, Henry." Catherine let out amused at Bea's story. "That sounds exactly like something your father did on a night out with our friends when we were dating. Only it wasn't Queen, I think it was that Joan Jett song. Admittedly, I was probably more gone than you, Darling. Somehow I am not surprised with Percy's antics, though."
"And to think, the whole thing ..." Alex began but Henry cut him off.
"I will personally end you if you finish that thought out loud." Henry threatened him, covering Alex's mouth with his hand. Alex just kissed his palm, took Henry's hand in his and kissed the back of his hand again before rethreading their fingers together.
"I was just going to say the whole night was a delight and ended in burgers and milkshakes." Alex finished, glaring at Henry.
"The whole night ended with Alex, Hen and me pouring the other three of the six of us into bed, before we set off to find our own rooms." Bea amended and shot them a look.
"Somehow I do not believe that is the full story of how the night ended." Martha smirked at Bea. "You will have to tell me the unabridged version soon because I've heard some stories of Henry and vodka from you and there are some things that don't add up."
Catherine questioned Martha further and Henry hid his face in Alex's shoulder. His whole face was red and flushed in embarrassment, but secretly Henry was loving. It had been too long since they had been together and laughter had filled the air like this. Since before Arthur's diagnosis. "Oh Henry darling, don't be shy." Bea cooed in reply, loving seeing her younger brother squirm in embarrassment. "We all have our vices in this family. Mine was cocaine to feel numb. Philip likes to smoke his pipe to relax and vodka makes you a raging horny, flamboyant homosexual. Coincidentally, it's sambuca that does the same to me. Gets me going, that is. Not the homosexual part." Now Bea was feeling some of Henry's embarrassment.
"Red wine for me." Philip surprised everyone with his admission. Martha blushed just as hard as Henry was. "Makes me chatty. I can't hold it and for some reason, it gets me positively drunk, every time I drink it. See Henry, like Beatrice said, we all have our vices."
Martha was feeling sympathetic for Henry, being an only child she had no experience when it came to how the sibling dynamic worked. Or was supposed to work. But she somehow felt partly responsible for the situation he was in. She should have been more discreet. "Hand me a whiskey and I am putty in the right hands. What about you Alex? What makes you go weak at the knees? Besides our Henry, of course."
Henry and Alex exchanged their own smirks. "Tequila." Henry burst out laughing. "When Alex has enough shots of tequila in him, he's handsy."
"That's only around you." Alex argued, and Bea scoffed, audibly. The two of them were as bad as each other. Sober or not.
Philip started laughing, wholeheartedly cackling like he had taken a hit of nitrous oxide when he was already high on it. "And one hundred-year-old whiskey makes them knock over obscenely expensive wedding cakes." He managed to get out between fits of laughter.
This was the first sign that Philip had moved on from their anger about what Alex and Henry did to their wedding cake. Not so much Martha, as Henry had lunch with her when they returned from their honeymoon, set to grovel and apologise to his sister in-law, only to find she thought it was hilarious and enjoyed it. Apparently, it wasn't even the cake she had wanted. She had been bullied into it by their grandmother. That was also the day that Henry had learnt that Alex had already reached out to them, profusely apologising for his role in the cake incident, organizing for them to a have a couple's spa retreat on him. Ironically, it was the first day he realised that there was a softer side to the American President's son and more to Alex than met the eye.
Catherine felt warm and fuzzy. She was feeling the melancholy set in. Arthur would have loved tonight's meeting. Seeing all of the kids getting along and sharing stories. The friendly banter and teasing. They were just being a regular family. It was something Arthur had always strived for their little family. Their little Fox family, as Arthur frequently referred to it as. "Well, you should all be grateful you never saw your father with champagne. Henry, he would put you sliding across the stage on your knees to shame. Champagne did the ghastliest things to that man, and yet, he would frequently insist it did nothing of the sort. I am positive he did it just to get a reaction out of me. That man had no shame, in the best way." Catherine grinned. It was the first time, in a long time Catherine had really been able to fondly recall and successfully share a story about her husband with her children. Especially a story from before they were born. Without losing herself in a cloud of grief. "He definitely made me laugh, that's for sure."
Time was getting away from them and when Alex's stomach rumbled it reminded Henry of the time difference. "He made us all laugh, Mum." Henry smiled. "But, as fun as this has been, it's almost dinner time here."
"Before you go, there was an actual reason for this call. Not just to chat." Philip began, as he caught his wife's eye. "Martha and I would like to announce that in seven or so months, we'll be having a baby."
A flurry of congratulations and tears for the couple were shed, both happy and excited, as well as sad and reflective tears. Henry stayed quiet, he forced a smile onto his face and nodded. However, he gripped Alex's hand tighter like a vice and Alex squeezed him back to reassure him that he wasn't alone. Alex could always read Henry when he jutted out his chin like that and put on his brave face.
"We were thinking," Martha began softly, as if Catherine wasn't already in on the plan. As if the draft announcement notices and press releases for the media had not already been written. "If we announced that I'm pregnant, it would shift the heat from the excessive obsession they seem to have with you both, onto us. Give you both a bit of a break."
"Oh, ah." Alex stammered, looking over at Henry, feeling Henry squeeze his hand in support. "That's really nice of y'all. But one thing Henry and I have learnt from being outed by the media is the importance of doing things on your own timeline and not having that choice taken from you."
"We want to do this for you both." Philip rushed in to add. "Look, I've done some shitty things. Things I am not proud of. But I am growing and changing. I am going to therapy, and I know I have a way to go yet, but I want to help you both. This is in no way meant to make up for my part in all of this, or years of hurt, but please know I am truly trying. We want to do this."
"Do whatever you want Philip." Henry sighed softly. "I just ask that you announce it either before our shelter opening in three weeks' time, or after the shelter is opened for business."
"Hen's been working really hard on the shelter, he deserves to be recognised for his hard work." Alex reminded them. He saw that hard work, almost firsthand. He certainly heard about it firsthand.
"How about you announce on Monday?" Catherine offered, as a compromise. "Take the heat off the boys in Brooklyn and allow Henry to get the last-minute things for the shelter organised, before the opening. By then, the press will have had their fill, and the attention will be back on the shelter in time for its opening."
Somehow, it was agreed to and a done deal. Just like that.