TPASD 17
The girls took barely anytime to freshen up and change their clothes, which had surprised Henry. Beatrice always took forever to change when he would always have to wait on her. But he did figure that both June and Nora were anxious to get to the hospital to see Alex and Gabriella. He knew he was.
June and Nora had fussed when they had realised that they hadn't packed umbrella's but Henry had reassured them that he would leave his behind for them to use if they needed one. Not that an umbrella would do much in the deluge that was currently happening outside.
In the car, Henry made small talk with the girls about their flight and Nora admitted it was a rough flight, flying into Heathrow in the middle of a deluge. Before Henry informed the girls that it had been much more worse when Gabriella had become ill and it was supposed to get worse again the following day. "You're both incredibly lucky you were able to fly into Heathrow when you did. There was talk of cancelling flights yesterday and later in the week when the second storm front hits." Henry told them, as he led them through the hospital and into the waiting room that Shaan had managed to procure for them once more. "There's a limit of two people per patient. But I need you both to be aware of something before I tell Alex we're here.
Henry took a deep breath and mentally braced himself. "There's no doubt going to be some speculation in today's media regarding the identity of the patient taken from KP last night. They thought it was my sister at first, but a statement is going out today via our media team that it was a guest of ours. I need two things from you two. Do not speak to the media, if approached and do not tell anyone where you are staying. I promise you, I will do everything I possibly can to protect Alex and Gabriella's identity from the media."
"Henry, chill." Nora told him. "You do know that June and Alex's parents are politicians, right? My grandfather is in politics as well. We all have had some media training. Although, Alex might be a little rusty; living across the pond and all."
"I still need to protect Gabriella and Alex to the best of my ability." Henry reiterated. "Besides, the English tabloids have nothing on the US. They are ruthless, cunning and manipulative. The will stop at nothing to get a good story. The prince's best friend's child being rushed to hospital while in the prince's care. That's a good story."
"Henry, relax." Nora said, flinging her arms around him impulsively. June's eyes were wide with shock at his wife's behaviour. That was a play right out of Alex's play book. "Alex was there when the ambulance was called, as was a doctor. You did nothing wrong. All you did is love and care for Gabriella, just like June would have and just like I would have. Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault. You. Did. Nothing. Wrong."
Henry felt awful, waking Alex up to let him know he was here and wanting him to come out to the waiting room to give him an update. But it was necessary to surprise him. Alex almost fell into an emotional, sobbing heap when he saw Nora and June, standing with Henry in the waiting room.
"Bug." Alex cried, clutching tighter at June. His sister had always been his lifeline, a long time before June and Nora met. A long time before Alex and Nora met. For as far back as he could remember.
June had been the one who had always made sure Alex was prepared. The one who had taught him right from wrong. She taught him how to be strong and how to stand up for himself. June was the one who had taught him the importance of having a social conscious and fighting for the ones who can't fight for themselves. She had always protected him; shielded him from the harsh realities of life, namely, their parents divorce. She had taught him about resilience too.
Of course, their relationship was give and take and Alex had been the one to teach her how to cook, despite the fact both parents had tried to teach her beforehand. Alex had taught her be competitive at her job, to not be afraid to go for whatever she wanted. Alex had taught her that she didn't have to hide the real her in order to find her happily ever after. Alex had taught her how to defend herself against overzealous men and how to throw a great punch with either hand. Something that came in handy when someone tried to grab her during her first year in college, early one morning while on a run. Perhaps the most important thing Alex had showed her, not taught, but showed her; was that he would always be there for her, no matter what.
"You did that." Nora nudged Henry. Nora had pulled back from the hug and let June and Alex have their moment. For her, it had been hard transitioning from Alex's best friend and potential girlfriend one minute, to being June's actual girlfriend, the next. When she and Alex met, they instantly became friends. They bantered and drove each other crazy. They pushed one another to be a better person and intellectually stimulated one another. She had all but been attracted to Alex, but simultaneously she had never come close to meeting someone else she had such a simpatico with. It had seemed like Alex had felt the same way.
When Nora mentally reflects on those days, she struggles to comprehend how their dynamic changed so fast. Suddenly Alex was consciously pushing Nora, his friend and no longer potential girlfriend Nora, on to his sister. She never thought to ask either of them about the change in dynamics; just grateful that it all worked out that way in the end.
"Alex and June remind me of me and my sister." Henry smiled, not taking his eyes off the Claremont-Diaz siblings. "If I was in Alex's shoes, I would want my big sister too."
"From what I can gather, you are in Alex's shoes." Nora muttered cryptically, as Alex pulled back from June.
His face was red, his eyes were splotchy and wet. "Henry, you fucker," Alex cursed with fondness. "You made me cry in public. Look at me, I'm a mess."
"But you're a hot mess, babe." Nora corrected her brother in-law, with a sly grin. "Isn't that right, Henry?"
Henry didn't immediately reply, feeling flustered. Three expectant sets of eyes were on him and he didn't want to seem desperate for Alex to June and Nora, even though he knew he was desperate for Alex. "You know you're always gorgeous, darling." Henry replied in a low murmur, winking at Alex.
It took Henry an impressive amount of time to encourage Alex to leave with him. Even with June's instances and Nora's demands. Gabriella was still sedated, but not intubated and she was in good hands with her Tia June.
Henry managed to get Alex into the back of the royal town car, sight unseen by the paparazzi that were still hanging around the hospital, thanks to Shaan's ingenious idea of using a service entrance. Once they were enclosed in the back seat and en route to KP, Henry could see Alex slump in exhaustion.
Shaan knocked on the privacy window that he had initially put up, and Henry had immediately lowered it. "Is everything ok, Shaan?"
"Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice has texted me suggesting Alex go straight to the guest apartment and not your apartment, that His Royal Highness Prince Philip is still lingering around the palace, laying in wait." Shaan told him.
Thanking Shaan with a nod of understanding, Henry began mentally planning his route to the guest apartment when they arrived. Shaan opened the door for them and Henry climbed out first, before helping Alex out of the car. Keeping his hand on the crook of Alex's elbow, to guide a sleepy man into the palace.
"Well, well, well ... who do we have here, Henry dear?" Henry straightened up and a chill ran up his spine and into his neck. His fingernails dug into the flesh of Alex's skin, making the sleepy man jump.
"Gran," Henry greeted her. "Your Majesty." Reluctantly releasing his grip on Alex and moving to greet his grandmother.
Accepting her grandson's kiss on the cheek, Mary looks over to Alex who is barely managing to hold himself upright. "Well, Henry dear. Speak." She ordered him, glaring at him like he was a squished bug on the sole of her shoe.
"A friend." Henry answered, looking over to Alex. Henry was thankful that Gabriella was not here with them.
"I see." She said, harshly.
Alex straightened himself up when he realised that the older woman who stood before him was Henry's grandmother,the Queen. The things that Henry and Pez had said about the woman had not been kind and Alex wondered what her end game was.
"Henry, I thought we had an understanding." She spoke clearly, letting the disappointment and disdain on every word drip in tone. " I made myself clear, Henry, years ago, that if you were drawn in unnatural directions, appropriate measures could be taken. Why you have chosen to undermine the hard work I've done to maintain the crown's standing is beyond me, and why you seem set on disrupting my efforts to restore it by demanding I summit with some … boy"
"Man," Henry automatically corrected her, nodding to Alex. "He is a man."
"You, boy!" Mary exclaims, pointing her frail looking, bony finger at him. "Tell me your name, immediately!"
Alex was stunned. He had grown up in Austin. He had lived in a world where racism was still prominent. Where he and June had copped racial slurs being called at them from people on the street. He had been exposed to some of the most vile, homophobic people that America had to offer when campaigning for his father, or helping his mother. He thought he had heard it all, and here was the Queen of England demanding to know his name like he was trash.
"Alexander Claremont-Diaz, Your Majesty." Alex had answered, genuinely. He knew that she was unusually mean to Henry and he didn't want to cause any further distress to Henry.
"Henry, really? Who is he?!" She rose her voice a little and Alex tried not to take pleasure in the fact that she was getting upset. "Is he your rent boy?"
"Grandmother!" Henry gasped. "Mr Claremont-Diaz is a prominent civil and LGBT rights lawyer working with our foundation."
"Lawyer, hmm?" She murmured, pursing her lips. "And you're American?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Alex answered, using the ass-kissing tone he used whenever he would be on one of his parent's political campaign trails and he had to meet with a smarmy republican. A tone that had always disarmed his opponents in the past.
Right now, in his head he was thanking the assistant his mother had when he was sixteen. She was British and had driven the British protocol into him and quizzed him on it, extensively. "You'll thank me if you ever bump into the Queen, you little shit." She had told him back then.
"Born and bred in Texas, Ma'am." Alex gave her one of his wide, charming smiles that all women seemed to love. "My mother is the Governor of Texas, and my father is Senator Oscar Diaz from the state of California. My stepfather is Leo, he is an inventor with several creations that have been patented."
"I didn't ask for your life story, boy!" She snapped harshly, glaring at Alex in a vile manner. "Couldn't you have hired a better lawyer? A British lawyer. Clearly there has to be better lawyers out there than this ... boy. Especially given his background and lack of breeding." The words hang unspoken in the air: and his ethnicity. The Queen of England was racist.
"Mother!" Catherine snapped at her, furious from where she stood in the doorway. She was not impressed with her mother's arrival, or the tone in which she was speaking about Alex to Henry, as if Alex wasn't even there. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? It is my palace, daughter." Queen Mary replied, as if Catherine were stupid. "This does not concern you, anyway. Leave."
"Henry is my son, mother. I will not leave." Catherine argued in reply, coming to stand in front of Alex and Henry. "And it is my palace. You gifted it to Arthur and me as a wedding gift. I have the deed."
"The marriage is over. Arthur is dead. Traditionally, when a marriage is over; you return the gift." Her mother replied. It seemed to Alex that disappointed tone was just her regular voice. "A death is the end of a marriage."
"Alex, dear. You are about to fall on your face. Henry, take him to lie down." Catherine instructed Henry. Henry and Alex weren't that oblivious. Catherine didn't want them to witness the argument.
"Absolutely not." Mary disagreed, vehemently. "This is not a halfway house for illegal immigrants to welch off our family. Nor is it a place for transients to seek refuge in a storm."
"Mother, I certainly hope you are not levelling any of those untrue accusations at Mr. Claremont-Diaz." Catherine seethed. She didn't even touch the indirect slight her mother had made to Arthur and the Welsh people in general. "He is a guest here, at my son's invitation. An invitation that is supported by me and Beatrice."
"He is nothing more than Henry's rent boy, I highly doubt he is even a lawyer. People like him simply are not smart enough to become lawyers." Mary continued her vitriol.
"Mother!" Catherine exclaimed, horrified by her mother's attitude and blatant disrespect. It's very unbefitting behaviour of a queen.
"Gran," Henry intervened. He did not want his mother taking the heat for him, or his Gran thinking badly of Alex. "Alex graduated top of his class from the London School of Economics with a double degree in Law and government and politics. He passed the bar, here in London, in the ninety-eighth percentile. He is more than smart enough."
"Remove him from my palace, or I will have Geoffrey forcibly remove him; not just from the palace but from our country too." Mary threatened. Her whole body was seething and shaking with anger. She was struggling to maintain the cool and calm composure of the Queen she was supposed to be.
"You do not have the power to do that." Catherine argued, vehemently. Catherine was instantly taken back to the time when she was arguing with her mother over Arthur. Mary had never liked Arthur and quite often, would make disparaging remarks about him. Both behind their back and to their faces. Of course, the character that her late husband was, he took an extreme delight in vexing her.
"Thanks to the new counter-terrorism laws in Great Britain, all I have to do is give his name to the Prime Minister, or perhaps to the proper authorities. He is American, I am sure he has shady people in his past. Instantly, they will doubt him. After all who do you think they would believe, this … peasant boy, or the queen?" Mary reiterated. "I can and I will have him removed from the United Kingdom. By force, if necessary."
"You will not, or I will take my very valid concerns to parliament and begin the process of having you removed from the throne, under mental capacity laws." Beatrice threatened, joining them. She held up her phone and waved it around. "I have been recording this entire exchange and it's still rolling. I will take it the recording the Sun and The Daily Mail, myself. Maybe they will decide to abolish the monarchy all together, once they publish the recording for the people to see. They will return the stolen artefacts to their original owners and return our blood money to the taxpayers who fund our lifestyle. Then what? You will be nothing but a lonely, poor old woman with nothing. Not even your family will want to see you."
Beatrice stopped her phone recording and winked at her mother. Catherine returned the wink with a wide grin. "Here is how I see it, mother. You will step down from the throne, immediately and I shall take the reign. You will keep your mouth shut. Anything homophobic, xenophobic or derogatory from your mouth will not be tolerated. You will not object to any decisions that Henry chooses to make about his life, including, but not limited to coming out as homosexual, moving away from palace life, stepping back from royal duties or total abdication. You will also leave Mr. Claremont-Diaz alone. You will not harm him, in any way. Do I make myself clear?"
"He cannot do that. He is the spare heir." Mary protested. She was vocally strong, but you could see the fear in her eyes. Both Catherine and Bea noticed how Mary sidestepped her daughter's demands.
"Are you forgetting Gran, that Philip has children who sit above Henry and myself in the line of succession?" Beatrice asked her rhetorically. She saw Philip had arrived during their mother's spiel and was waiting to see if he would intervene on their gran's behalf. "I sit between Philip's youngest son, James and Henry. If you do not think that I will sit my arse on that throne and not move; then you are sorely mistaken."
"Pfft, really Beatrice?" Philip scoffed. He couldn't believe the words spewing out of his sister's mouth. "You couldn't possibly want to rule. You don't have it in you to rule a kingdom."
"I can and I will, as long as it keeps Henry away from the throne." She argued with their oldest brother. "Henry does not want it, he never has, and I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't get it."
To Alex, this was like watching a caffeine fuelled tennis match where they were playing across four courts and there were no rules. He had always thought that his parents could argue, that it was the lawyers and politicians within them. His parents were far from novice arguers. They were pros at the top of their game. They were champions, ready to go toe to toe in an epic battle for world domination.
Alex certainly knew what a dysfunctional family was like with Oscar and Ellen as parents, and with a super chill Leo, as his stepparent. They snipped and sniped just like a regular family. There was the usual tension and animosity one might find in a dysfunctional family. Yet, they had nothing on the royal family. They resorted to espionage and blackmail threats. Alex couldn't help but wonder if, in particular, Henry's sister Bea, hadn't thought about violence towards their older brother. He really was a twit.
"The choice is yours, mother." Catherine delivered the final ultimatum. "Step down, or we will take you down. I will go to parliament and Beatrice will go to the media. The choice is yours."
"If I refuse, dear child." She replied, her tone smarmy and full of faux kindness. "Henry will not be stepping down or back from abdication. He will either join the military or marry an appropriate girl of the correct social standing. If this …. boy leaves the palace immediately, I may be inclined to see about hiring him for Henry's unnatural proclivities."
"Absolutely not." Catherine argued. "My son Henry is gay. Accept that, and anything else he requests. I will not be swayed on this point."
"If Henry chooses to abdicate, he must cut off all contact with us." Mary grinned at her grandson evilly. Henry truly thought that his grandmother believed that to be a viable threat. He knew his mother and his sister would not abide by that edict, and he would still have Alex and Pez, so to him, the threat was unfounded.
"The term abdication has been taboo in our family since Edward VIII's hasty decampment on the eve of World War II to marry Wallis Simpson. It nearly toppled the monarchy. But all the same, maybe it's time for you to step aside Gran; most women of your age retired long ago." Philip whispered, backing his mother. She was the safer bet. He knew that Bea would be more than happy to run to the media. It was not a risk he was willing to take. Plus, it would piss his wife off, if he went against his mother and sister over Mary. Last time he had done it, Martha had threatened to divorce him and she had been deadly serious too. "I'd say you've more than done your duty."
"As for Henry and his guest, he will continue to stay in palace until I, as Henry's mother, and legal owner, say otherwise." Catherine told her mother in no uncertain terms. Turning, she looked over at Henry and Alex. Alex looked more tired and exhausted than he had when he arrived back with Henry that morning. "Henry, take him to lie down. A sick child is a marathon, not a sprint. Alex needs his rest."
"Sick child?" Mary asked, as Henry led Alex into his own apartment, forgoing Shaan's advice of the guest apartments. What was the point now? Their grandmother knew about Alex. Philip knew they had returned from the hospital. Frankly, Henry was still in shock that Philip had sided with him, Bea and their mother, rather than their grandmother.
"That is who was rushed to hospital from the palace." Catherine murmured, hoping she wouldn't come to regret letting the cat out of the bag. "She was in Henry's care when she suffered an anaphylactic reaction to medication that had been prescribed to her. Our palace doctor was the one who suggested the ambulance be called. I made the executive decision and ordered Beatrice to make the call."
"What kind of parent is not at home with their sick child?!" Mary scoffed, her disgust clearly heard in her voice. "Where was the child's mother? Gallivanting around like a common street whore too?"
"Dead." Catherine deadpanned, point blank. "Not that you're one to talk, Mother. You were never around when I was sick, as a child. Between the ages of ten and fourteen, I often asked myself, and father, if you were a figment of my imagination."
"I was working." Mary defended one particular long absence from Catherine's childhood.
"So was Alex." Catherine argued. "He is a lawyer, and he was in court. Henry and Alex have been friends for a while now. Since Alex lost his fiancée, actually. Henry often watches Alex's daughter as a favour to Alex, when he is in court."
Once Henry had Alex safely, not only behind his apartment door, but behind his bedroom door, Alex let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realised he had been holding. "Hen, I don't want to cause any drama for you, Gabriella and I, June and Nora, we can get a hotel room."
"Nonsense!" Henry argued. "Mum and I said you're all staying, so stay. Please."
"Hen." The soft plea that fell from Alex's lips spoke volumes. The plea for everything and nothing all at once.
"What do you need Alex?" Henry asked. They were standing close to each other, only inches left between them. Henry's hands were itching to reach out and touch Alex.
"You, Hen." Alex murmured. Alex's body was vibrating in a battle of dominance. His brain was wondering what would win out; want or exhaustion. "Sleep. You."
"As delighted as I am to hear that you want me, I am rather tired." Henry muttered his reply to Alex. "How about you lay down with me?"
Alex didn't need to be told twice. He nodded to Henry and Henry was stripping the sweatshirt off his body. There was no heat or seduction behind it, like when he'd helped Alex dress earlier. This was all purpose and rational. Leaving him in his sweatpants and tee, he nudged Alex to climb into bed.
Climbing in beside Alex, both of them sober, had been an experience unto itself. Once Henry had himself comfortable, he held his arms open and Alex sought comfort in them. Henry would later swear that Alex was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
While Alex slept in his arms, Henry let himself get sucked into his own thoughts. But he didn't stay there too long to dwell on any particular thought. Too distracted by the man in his arms. The one who had his thigh wedged between Henry's legs in his sleep. Not that his mind tried to focus on the thigh between his legs and the soft sighs of sleep escaping from Alex. Preoccupied with keeping Alex asleep as long as possible, he was absentmindedly drawing doodles on Alex's back with his finger.
Feeling his body being shaken awake, Henry panicked for a split second, he hadn't meant to fall asleep. "Gabriella?" He panicked out loud, worried he was being woken with bad news.
"Sorry Hen, it's just me." Bea whisper came back to him. It was in that moment that he realised that Alex was pressed into his back. Somehow during their nap, Henry had turned over and Alex had spooned him. Henry felt warm, he felt loved and safe. Most of all, he felt Alex's hard on pressed into his backside,
"Bea?" Henry wondered why his sister was in his bedroom, especially when he remembered locking that door behind him. He hadn't trusted Philip not to follow them. "The door …"
"Picking locks is a skill I acquired a long time ago, Henry, but that's not why I am here." She replied. The surprise of Alex in Henry's bed was not vocalized or gesticulated, but Henry could read Bea that well; he could see the wheels turning in her head.
"Beatrice." Henry, much like Arthur was able to warn Bea with one word. It was a very paternal warning but the irony was not lost on either of them.
"I thought you should know that Gran has agreed to step down from the throne and they've gone to Buckingham to take the necessary steps for succession. When they left, I heard Rose telling Mum 'Downing Street was on their way.' I assume that there will be official news soon." Bea whispered, pausing to see if Alex woke. She could see him stirring, but all Alex managed to do was tighten his grip on Henry and nuzzle the nape of her brother's neck some more. "She didn't go down without a fight, Hen. But Philip's words really got to her."
"Thank you, Bea." Henry told her, closing his eyes and letting the realisation sink in that his mother was going to be queen sooner rather than later.
Bea took her leave and Henry glanced over at the clock, doing a quick calculation. They had been asleep for five and a half hours and Henry wondered if he could recall the last time he had slept so solidly. He couldn't. Reluctantly, deciding to wake Alex was his best plan. Not that he wanted to. He was content to stay here in bask in the warmth of Alex's body. But he wanted Alex to be able to at least resume some semblance of a normal sleep schedule.
"Alex, Darling?" Henry murmured, reaching his hand back for the man behind him. He gentle rolled himself onto the other side of his body. Feeling Alex's grip slacken softly, Henry traced the shape of his face with the pads of his fingers. "Alex? Time to wake up."
"Hmm, don't want to baby." Alex murmured. Henry's body physically reacted to hearing Alex call him baby. A zip of lust fuelled arousal ripped through Henry's body. A small unconscious tremor shook his body, subtly.
Henry had never really been one for pet names before, abhorrently detesting them; once even insisting that pet names were childish. Then he met Alex, and pet names like 'love' and 'darling' slipped past his lips. Growing up, both of his parents and his Nanna Fox had used them, but Henry had never really seen the appeal of using them on a man he loved, feeling like they were infantising them. After all, pet names are something that predominantly women give to small children, to comfort them or show affection. To Henry, the idea of a pet name being used on a fully grown man who was not related to him, was an abomination. ... Then, he met Alex.
Alex has made him rethink his stance on the issue. Alex has a range of them that he whips out on a whim. Alex has pet names and uses them for everyone, especially for Henry. They have ranged from 'darlin', 'sweetheart' and now, 'baby'. With each pet name that passed Alex's lips, spoken in his slight-muted Texan twang, was more devastating to Henry's self-control than the last. To Henry, there's just something about the way Alex wraps his tongue around the word 'baby' that completely destroys Henry on a visceral level.
A small whimper escapes from Henry's lips hearing Alex's sleep-foggy voice, all husky and laced with want and lust. Reacting to the pet name on a visceral level was not part of his plan, but his body betrays him, every damn time.
"You like that, huh?" Alex smiled at Henry, their body only inches apart. "Baby." Alex teased again, enjoying seeing Henry's reaction.
"Alex," Henry's voice whimpered, pleading with Alex. Henry really wanted to kiss Alex in that moment. Alex was laying there, that devilish grin Henry loved was on his face, his eyes sleepy and his hands resting on Henry's hip, holding him close.
Alex wasn't stupid, he knew Henry wanted to kiss him. If truth be told Alex wanted to kiss Henry again too. If he hadn't been preoccupied with his worry for Gabriella, Alex would have thought of nothing but that kiss. It had turned his world on his knees.
"Hen," His voice barely a whisper. "I really want to kiss you."
"Kiss me," Henry begged, resisting the urge to grin widely at Alex's confession.
"I can't right now." Alex sighed, pulling back softly. "I need to get back to Gabriella."
"Oh," Henry pulled back too, trying to ignore the sting of rejection he felt from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
"Besides, when I finally get my lips you..." Alex grinned, the devilish grin Henry loved. The grin that he knew made the prince weak in the knees. "I intend to take my time, explore, savour the moment. I promise it'll be worth the wait, baby."
Henry couldn't reply, he felt he was going to swallow his tongue. All he could do was nod in reply.