Bea and Oscar 8


"Is this a 'it's not you, it's me' speech?" Bea asked into the phone that evening when Oscar had called her. She hadn't ever been on the receiving end of one, but she had heard the cliff notes version of them from her girlfriends who had.

"Not exactly." Oscar grimaced. "More like it's a 'we've both got a lot to lose, we need to make sure that we're making the right decision' speech."

"Well, I had an idea in that regard." Bea's sweet, syrupy voice came back to him through the phone line. "I was thinking about telling Henry and Alex. Not anything explicit or anything, just from my side. Like confess I might have a crush on you. Feel them out."

"Bea" Oscar's tone is almost pleading, but it's laced with hope.

"Hen's my brother and I owe him everything, Oscar." She rushed on. "Alex is important to me because he is the only one else on the planet that loves Hen as fiercely as I do. I can't lose them, Oscar."

"So, I get to be the creepy old guy lusting after my kids' friends, then?" Oscar retorted softly, trying not to make it sound as lewd as it actually did sound.

"There isn't that big of an age gap between us, love." Bea reminded him gently, using the pet name she knew made Oscar weak for her. "Besides, if they react positively, you could always score points with Henry and Alex if you talk to them about it as well."

"And Alex?" Oscar asked, letting the hesitation colour his voice momentarily. "Alex and I don't have the kind of father/son relationship where we get too deep. Hell, him coming out to me was the deepest conversation we have ever had."

"Perhaps it's time to return the favour." Bea suggested softly. "And yes, Alex! Alex is actually very protective of me and surprisingly, it has very little to do with Henry. Alex has this fierce protective streak. He keeps the ones he loves close to him."

"Alexander, it means defender of men. Or in Ale's case, people." Oscar explained softly. "It was the reason I liked the name so much. Of course, Ellen named him for Alexander Hamilton."

"Who is he?" Bea asked. She would never admit this to anyone, but history was never a subject she truly focused on at school and was her first subject to drop.

"You know, Hamilton? As in the musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda." Oscar suggested, thinking that everyone had heard of the musical at least. It was so widely popular.

"Never seen it." Bea murmured. "Don't know if you've noticed lately, but I have been busy recording an album and doing a world tour."

"He was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 during George Washington's presidency. As a trusted member of President Washington's first cabinet, Hamilton served as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He envisioned a central government led by an energetic president, a strong national defense, and an industrial economy. He successfully argued that the implied powers of the Constitution provided the legal authority to fund the national debt, assume the states' debts, and create the First Bank of the United States, which was funded by a tariff on imports and a whiskey tax.

After resigning as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton resumed his legal and business activities. He was a leader in the abolition of the international slave trade. In the Quasi-War, Hamilton called for mobilization against France, and President John Adams appointed him major general. The army, however, did not see combat. Outraged by Adams' response to the crisis, Hamilton opposed his reelection campaign. Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the presidency in the electoral college, and, despite philosophical differences, Hamilton endorsed Jefferson over Burr, whom he found unprincipled. When Burr ran for governor of New York in 1804, Hamilton again campaigned against him, arguing that he was unworthy. Taking offense, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. In the July 1804, duel in Weehawken, New Jersey, Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach. Hamilton was immediately transported to the home of William Bayard Jr. in Greenwich Village for medical attention but succumbed to his wounds the following day.

Scholars and politicians alike, generally regard Hamilton as an astute and intellectually brilliant administrator, politician, and financier who was sometimes impetuous. His ideas are credited with laying the foundation for American government and finance." Oscar told her, going off on a Hamilton tirade. Henry had told her about Alex's Hamilton tirade.

"You're such a politician, darling." Bea spoke softly to Oscar. Oscar was too much of a gentleman to admit that Bea's soft voice, in those gentle tones, was doing it for him more than he could have ever thought it would.

"I thought you liked that about me?" Oscar couldn't help but flirt back. It had been a long time since he had actively pursued a woman like this. But where Bea was concerned, he couldn't help it.

"Oh, I do." Bea all but purred and Oscar almost had to grip his testicles tightly to control his libido. There had been a sudden rush of blood to a certain piece of the penile anatomy, and he'd almost had a visceral vascular reaction to her words.

"Bea, Cariña." Oscar puffed out slightly. He was trying to avoid actively panting, like a dog on heat. "Something has come up and I need to go deal with it. Can we please talk tomorrow?"

"Absolutely, Darling." Bea smiled down the phone line at him. The sound of her posh accent wrapping itself around her words made Oscar harder and he didn't think that possible at his age.

With a quick "see you", Oscar didn't stick around. Immediately heading for his bathroom, stripping off. he turned the tap almost fully to cold and waited for it to run for a minute before climbing under the stream. If he let out a small yelp, at the sudden temperature of the water, that was between him and his shower stall. The water temperature was cold as a witch's thorax, and he made himself a promise. "No one can know about this." He swore to himself, before taking his sexual frustration and desire out on himself.


Bea joined her band members for breakfast the following morning. They had a three-day break in their schedule now and originally, Bea was going to hang around and visit some galleries in Alburquerque. However, her plans had changed, and she was planning to drop the news on her band mates. Last night she booked a private flight to New York. They couldn't at all pretend they were surprised by Bea's announcement. They had all noted that something was off with her since Denver, but they weren't quite sure what it was. They had wanted to know, but being a literal princess, they knew they couldn't pry. But at least if she was going to be in New York City, she would see her brother and that always seemed to right the princess, in a way that no one else had been able to.

Her royal PPO said nothing at the change in plans, didn't even bat an eyelid and she didn't exactly notify Alex and Henry she was coming, either. This was all so spur of the moment and they weren't expecting her. The only thing besides the flights organised was a town car to take Bea to Henry and Alex's brownstone in Brooklyn.

The flight was unremarkable and as promised, a black town car was waiting on the tarmac of the private airstrip. Her PPO Simon slipped in behind the wheel and Bea slipped herself into the backseat. She immediately withdrew her phone from inside her denim pocket and fired a text at Oscar. 'Heading to Hen and Alex's now.'

It was only an hour later, and she was pulling up out the front of their Brownstone in Brooklyn. Instead of parking out the front, Simon pulled into their drive and told Bea he had called ahead and that their security were expecting her. But he had emphasized that it was a surprise and not to tell Alex and Henry they were expecting her.

She used her spare key and let herself into the brownstone. Being a Saturday, Alex wasn't at school, and she wasn't surprised to smell something delicious wafting out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

"Henry, Babe, is that you?" Alex called out, hearing the front door open and close with a key. "You're home early from the shelter. Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, darling." Bea answered him from the doorway. The look of surprise on Alex's face had been worth it. His eyes lit up in surprise and he immediately moved the pan off the heat, laid the down the spoon and pulled her into one of his giant, warm, all-encasing hug. He covered his body with hers and the action always made her feel warm. The feeling was similar, it was familiar to when Oscar held her. Just without the underlying feeling of lust sizzling between them.

Pulling back and looking Henry's sister over, Alex asked. "You're really here. Did Henry forget to tell me you were coming, or is this a surprise?" He hugged again very quickly, before ushering her into the kitchen and up onto a bar stool. "Let me fix you a cup of tea and some lunch. Henry should be home in an hour. Boy, is he going to be thrilled that you're here."

She smiled at him. Alex was always a really good host and always cooking something. In the entire time that he and Henry had been together, Bea was yet to taste some food Alex had cooked that she didn't like. Henry had told her the same.

Normally Bea and Alex's conversation flowed, but she was being quiet and pensive. Which worried Alex. Especially in light of what had happened in Denver. Alex wasn't worried as such, but he was still concerned. Sometimes, Bea needed her younger brother and would confide in Henry, so he wouldn't pry. But on a three-day break, you don't organize and catch a private plan to Brooklyn, just to see your brother for something to do. He hoped Bea would at least let Henry in on whatever had driven her here on such a short visit.

"Here." Alex said, placing the mug of Lady Grey in front of her, fixed to her liking. He heated up some of the leftover stir-fry he had made yesterday, while he continued cooking his pozole that was going to be their dinner tonight. "You know, I am not Henry, but I can be a good listener." Alex offered.

"I know, Darling. But I don't want to repeat myself."


Henry stepped into the foyer of their brownstone and shed his overcoat, stowing it away in the closet by the front door. He had seen the strange car in the driveway and asked one of his PPOs about it. All they had said was the visitor had been cleared by security. He assumed it was someone for Alex, since the town car wore no symbols of being a royal visitor, due to the lack of British flags on the car.

The house always smelt so homey and warm, when Alex had been in the kitchen. The aromas were rich, warm and spicy. No matter what he was cooking, it always reminded him of the Lake House. When he stepped into the living room, He could see Alex and their visitor on the sofa, comfortably sitting side by side. But he needn't have worried too much. he would have recognised the back of that head anywhere. The vibrant auburn hair gave it away every single time.

"Bea?!" Henry called out, surprised to see her on their sofa. They weren't expecting to see her again until their Texas trip.

"Hey Hen," She greeted him and flung herself off the sofa and into her little brother's arms. "It's so good to see you, I've missed you." She mumbled into his shirt. Henry was used to Bea coming to visit by now. But what had surprised him was an unplanned visit. Especially since there were so many things logistically to plan when the three of them were in one place. A princess, a prince and the first son and each of them had their own security team.

"Not that it's not good to see you," Henry started as he pulled back to look his older sister in the eye. For as long as Henry had ever looked up to his older sister, Bea had never been able to lie to him. On the odd occasion she had tried, Henry had been able to see right through her. "Are you ok? You never just pop by to say hi. Especially when you were several states away a few hours ago and you care about your carbon footprint."

"Right." She muttered, finding that she couldn't look either of them in the eye. She began pacing the length of the run in their living room. This had been her idea, and her idea alone. She had floated it by Oscar, and he had been hesitant. But she had been insistent. If anything was to happen between them, she needed to be honest with Henry and Alex, as well as June by extension. She cared too much about her friendships with them to risk them, by not being honest.

The ringing of the doorbell startled Bea, and looking up she noticed it had also startled the boys. Both boys were dressed casually. Clearly not expecting company. Whoever had rung the bell, had made it passed their security detail. Henry figured it was June or Nora and excused himself to answer it.

"Mijo!" Oscar's voice echoed through the brownstone and Bea thought her heart was trying to beat right out of her chest. She could not believe he was here. Not when he had told her that the congress was in session, and he wouldn't be able to get away. Coming into the living room, he smiled at Bea, and she felt her knees go weak. "Oh hello, Cariña."

"Dad?" Alex asked surprised. He might not have the desire to wade headfirst into politics these days. But he knew enough about the workings of the congress and the Senate to know that they were sitting today, were currently in session. That instead of being there, Senator Oscar Diaz was taking a seat in the armchair of his living room, in Brooklyn, New York. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a father come and visit his son, Mijo?" Oscar asked Alex, rhetorically and his son wasn't buying it.

"What are you doing here?" Bea asked him, looking directly at Oscar, willing her body and mind not to throw itself into the mercy of Oscar's arms.

"Having a sick day." Oscar replied with a shit-eating grin that reminded her too much of his son's own grin. "I couldn't let you do this by yourself."

"Ah, do what by yourself?" Henry asked. Oscar had touched his hand to Bea's. It was a comforting gesture, but both he and Alex had clocked the small gesture and exchanged a curious look.

"I'm just going to come out and say it ..." Bea started and trailed off. She was nervous. She wasn't sure how to express her feelings. She was really unsure of the responses she would get. She didn't know whose response concerned her more, Alex's or Henry's.

"Bea and I ...we've been ..." Oscar begun and Henry winced at the grip of Alex's hand in his.

"Oscar if you tell me, you've been having sex with my sister, I am going to kick you in the balls." Henry threatened him.

Alex's hand in his was like a vice. his grip was so tight, Henry could swear his boyfriend was cutting off his circulation to his fingers. "Bea?" Alex asked, keeping his voice neutral, which was talking every ounce of restraint he had in him.

"We're not sleeping together." Oscar announced, trying to reassure Henry. He hadn't expected Henry's threat. He had expected Alex's anger, but it hadn't come yet. But he knew it was coming. He could see how tight his son was gripping Henry's hand.

"Yet." Bea added, and you could have heard a pin drop.