Curl Me In

It was the semi final, and the heat was on. Sweden were their biggest rival and had already ploughed their way through to the grand final. Sweden hadn't dropped a set for the entire campaign. But that wasn't their main concern right now. Their main concern was not whether or not Sweden would lose the grand final.

Right now, their main concern was not fucking this next serve up. It was deciding the point of the game. Right now, they were one point ahead, but if Liam could just manage to spike the ball over the damn net without the player with the oiled up, well defined abs from Norway getting a hand to it, then they would be through to the grand final and have a shot at the gold medal.

Alex took the serve and as soon as his hand made contact with the ball, he knew this was it. This is what the last four years of planning and preparation had come down to. As the oiled abs guy swiftly smacked it back to their side of the net, Alex could hear June and Nora in the stands screaming for him. As he dived for the ball into the sand, he heard the Texan shrill of his mother's voice cheering him on too.

Liam got a hand to it and sent it soaring back over the net with a spike of his own. Back up on his feet, Alex went in for the kill. Liam set him up and with a direct hit, it was team USA for the win!

It took a split second for Alex to realise he had won them the game. He waited for the ref to call it before celebrating!

"Win, team USA." The ref declared from their seat.

With that Alex catapulted himself into Liam's outstretched arms in celebration.

There was a time, not too long ago when Liam and Alex would have celebrated a win with a shower, getting drunk and jerking each other off while watching porn back in their room.

That was before Alex worked out, he was in fact bi and came out. And that was before Liam met Spencer. Beautiful, bright and bubbly; the perfectly shaped Spencer Harding. The public relations representative for the US beach volleyball team. He and Liam had been an item for almost a year. They hooked up at the world championships and have been inseparable ever since.

These days, celebrating looks a lot different. Sure, they still showered, albeit not together anymore. Now it was warm down stretches, a shower and rub down from the team's masseuse. A strategy meeting with both the coach and head coach, a meeting with the nutritionist and a reminder of the stern no alcohol rule, before dinner with his three parents, June and Nora. Sometimes Liam and Spencer tagged along, other times it was just the Claremont-Diaz family, and Leo. Before climbing into bed for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

The grand final was in two days' time and tomorrow morning arrived before Alex was truly ready. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet, but he had twinged his back when he had taken that dive in the last match point of their game against Norway. It was stiff this morning, but manageable. But a visit to the physiotherapist was going to be a must if he was going to make it through today's training session.

He met up with Liam for breakfast and admittedly, Liam looked worse than Alex. Alex gave him a smug grin and Liam returned it with a small shrug. Liam looked like he had been railed to the moon and back last night by Spencer and he was proud of himself for it too. "Looks like a trip to the physio is in order this morning. Who the fuck did you rail leaving you looking like that, man?" Liam asked him, looking at his friend and teammate.

"That last dive yesterday, twinged up my back." Alex admitted in a whisper, not wanting to be overheard. They were in the dining room, and it was full of people. Athletes and team personnel alike, the media were swarming around the team USA's swim captain and another swimmer. A kid barely sixteen years old. The kid had won gold in the grueling 1500m freestyle last night and he wasn't even expected to win the race, yet alone place. He was an outsider.

"Come on man, you're going to need it more than me." Liam urged his teammate to stand and discreetly ushered him from the dining hall.

While Alex was in with the physio, Liam called a crisis meeting with Spencer, the coach Ethan, head coach Stella and the team doctor Rafael. As Alex emerged, a discussion took place on the best course of action. Alex was stubborn, he was not withdrawing, and they couldn't force him to. Eventually, it was decided that a lighter training schedule would be issued, and they would close the session to the media and the public.

Usually, the final training session was open to the media and fans alike, but with Sweden's track record they couldn't afford to let them know about Alex's sore back.

Alex got through training session fine and after another warm shower and massage, Alex was back in their room resting. Today, he would catch up with June and Nora away from the parental chaos of Ellen, Leo and Oscar bickering.

Expecting June and Nora's arrival, Alex had left his door ajar. What, or rather who he was not expecting was Liam and Spencer coming into the room; loud, chaotic and overenergised.

"Did you hear the news yet, Al?" Liam asked, letting his Texan twang intensify as he usually did when he was overenergised and over excited. "Prince Henry is presenting the medals tomorrow."

"So…" Alex replied, dejectedly.

"Please you want him so bad, it makes you look stupid." Liam retorted, rolling his eyes.

Spencer was watching Alex carefully. His sore back was clearly affecting his mood. But Spencer was also concerned about tomorrow's medal presentation. Alex hadn't exactly concealed his attraction to Prince Henry online when he came out as bi. If the media even caught a whiff of flirtation or banter, he would be busy putting out fires left and right, instead of proposing to Liam on the Eiffel Tower tomorrow night, in celebration.

"Don't do or say anything stupid now, Alex." Spencer warned him.

Alex wouldn't and didn't plan to. He knew about Liam's plan. Hell, he had gone ring shopping with the man and helped choose Liam the perfect ring. He didn't want to do anything stupid and jeopardise Liam and Spencer getting their happy ever after.

Game day was here, and Alex had his ear buds in, blocking out all of the surrounding noise as he focused on keeping his whole body loose and relaxed. He had done some yoga this morning, instead of his usual three mile run and he was feeling loose and limber. A feeling he could not afford to lose.

So far, they had been lucky that there didn't seem to be a snuff or snivel of a rumour about his back injury. Either through the extended team or the media. Alex had kept it such a closed secret that he hadn't even mentioned it to June or Nora. He knew if he mentioned it, June would make him tell his mom and that would unleash a hell he did not want a repeat of.

The warmups had gone well and surprisingly, Alex had managed to keep his composure when Prince Henry had arrived at the stands and settled in for the game to begin.

He had reassured everyone except Liam no less than ten times already, that he was feeling ok. Liam didn't need the reassurance. He knew Alex too well; he could see that Alex was ready.

As they shook hands with the Sweden team, Alex felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. It was a new experience for him. Usually by now he was a bundle of nerves. It was odd, but right now he didn't have time to revel in it. They were here for the men's beach volleyball grand final. They were here to go for gold and Alex was not going to settle for the silver medal.

As they got into positions, he took a quick glance into the stands to see where his family were. A ritual he performed religiously before every game. He was surprised to see that they were only two rows in front of the prince himself.

Sweden had the first serve and the game was tight. Alex and Liam were managing to keep up with them so far. It was promising to be one hell of a match. Sweden managed to best them though, but the score was close.

They were neck to neck for most of the second set too. Sweden's attacker had a cross court shot that Alex managed to thwart by chicken winging it back over the net. Sweden's attacker was spiking it back over the net. When Liam missed it, Alex took the dive without thinking about his back and got under it just in time, setting it to Liam. Liam set it up and over the net. Sweden's attacker was unprepared and missed the ball.

Point to USA

Alex managed to get back on his feet, feeling that twinge in his back return, he shot Liam a look, as they switched positions. Now Alex was the attacker and Liam was serving. Liam set up a lollipop of a serve, which they immediately returned before Alex jumped up and spiked it to the ground beside their attacker. Set point team USA. Liam issued another lollipop, and it seemed that the Swede's had underestimated Liam, not expecting it to happen again back-to-back and the set point carried itself out on autopilot.

The score was one set a piece, going into the third set.

At least they hadn't tanked out at two nil, like most of the media had been predicting.

Alex's back was almost at pain level now. But with only one set to go, the gold medal was close enough to taste it. Liam grabbed him, as they had a quick huddle. Ethan and Stella called for a time out. They saw Alex hit the sand and felt that jolt to his spine. This was definitely going to dominate the post game press conference.

Alex reassured them he was ok. He hadn't come this far, just to pull out now. Ellen Claremont and Oscar Diaz had not raised a quitter.

"GO ALEX!" He heard June call out above the cacophony of the stand as they pulled away from their huddle to take their positions on the court.

The third set was tied, and Alex and Liam were going for match point. Neither one of them looked up at the coaches, or the stand. It was just like they practiced. As memories of the two of them playing volleyball in Oscar and Ellen's backyard, back in Lometa, Texas, all those years ago became a reality. Two naive kids, barely teenagers themselves, pretending they were at match point for the gold medal at the olympics. All of that dreaming and fantasising had come down to this moment.

They couldn't fuck it up.

Alex had the serve; he was going to give it his all. This was their time to shine. Their moment. Alex's plan was aggressive. He was in too much pain to play nicely now. His plan was a jump style and to thrust the ball in an aggressive serve. Stepping back on his back foot, he felt his back pull now, as the ball was thrown high in the air and he jumped, making contact with the ball in a similar fashion to an attack, sending the ball hurtling over the net towards Sweden with an increased velocity and topspin.

Pushing through that small pain was worth it, to see Sweden scramble to make it to the ball. A hit back over the net to Liam and it was on. Liam jousted the ball back and forth before spiking it between the two of them in a direct attack.

One more point and the medal was theirs.

Again, Alex resisted the urge to grab at his aching back as he lined himself up to take what both he and Liam hoped was the final serve of the game. Alex let his weight settle in his back foot, as he pinged the ball into the air. A float serve that had no spin and floated while in the air, making it difficult for the Swedes to predict its ultimate direction or flight path. The attacker managed to get a hand to it and lobbed it back over the net to Liam, who swiftly set it back over the net. Alex took a step closer, if he was the opposing team, he would exploit the injured player. He was sure that was what they would do too. Especially if there was an olympic gold medal on the line.

He was ready.

The ball was in slow motion, as he joined Liam by the net. One last time. It was time for Alex to execute the final phase of his plan. Jump and spike. Hope like hell it landed where he wanted it to. The ball was coming and Alex timed it perfectly, leaping into the air and spiking the ball with all his might perfectly. Straight between the two Swedes. He watched the sand fly up where the sand had flung up from the ground.

"Game point and win, Team USA." The ref called out.

The stands were a chaotic mess of noise. Liam was celebrating wildly and hauling his ass up, out of the sand where he had landed. They shook hands and were congratulated by the opposition, while offering their own commiserations.

Once Alex made it to the chairs for their bags, instead of following Liam into the changerooms like they usually did. Stella was already waiting with the team doctor. Liam and Ethan managed to hoist Alex upright between them while Stella grabbed his bag and hastily followed.

The atmosphere in the stands changed instantly. Suddenly there was a lot of concern and Ellen was arguing their way down the stands and into the changerooms.

"Ma, I'm ok." Alex managed to get out, as Dr Rafael Luna, the team doctor examined Alex's back. "Back off."

"Tell us good news, Raf." Oscar demanded. They had known each other for too long and had their own history together.

"I'll schedule a scan for tomorrow, but I am pretty sure it's just an overstretched muscle around the lumbar." Raf announced, giving his family the good news.

With an injection into his spine, a warm shower and an ice pack, Alex was ready for the post game media conference. While the media were overjoyed that the USA had managed to win gold, despite their ranking of eighth after the world championships earlier in the year. Most were concerned about Alex and his injury. Stella, Ethan, Liam and Dr Raf reassured the media contingent and the fans that Alex was ok and it was nothing permanent.

Standing back in front of the stand, right in front of the sand, Alex felt those nerves he usually felt before the game return in full force now. This was their first Olympics and they had beaten the undefeated world champions, Sweden in such a close game.

Hearing their names being called out, Liam stepped up first, followed by Alex. He watched on as Liam bent his head and allowed Henry to slip the gold medal around his teammate's neck.

Henry had managed to get his wristwatch caught in the curls of Alex's head and he'd immediately flushed red in embarrassment. This had never happened before and Henry was turning as red as a tomato, and that included his ears. Alex hadn't been able to resist. He'd fired off one of his witty one liner without thinking too much about the repercussions and Alex's promise to Spencer.

The twinge in his back not even registering in Alex's brain. Henry slipped the medal over his head and felt a tug on his curls. It sent a zip of electricity right into his balls. "You tug harder than that, sweetheart." Alex retorted without thinking. "I can take it."

"Y…you couldn't handle it, Alexander." Henry replied with a slight stammer, all red and flushed as he tried to untangle Alex's curls from his watch.

"Try me." Alex grinned coyly, and he could feel the daggers that Spencer was shooting at him, but he did not care one iota. He had Prince Henry's undivided attention.

Once Alex's curls were free from Henry's watch, he pulled back. Both men were blushing profusely. "Congratulations, Alexander." Henry murmured, as he stepped back and Alex had to will himself not to get hard at the sound of his name on Prince Henry's lips.

The Star-Spangled Banner began playing as the flags were raised and Alex straightened up, standing proud and tall, alongside Liam, as they listened to the national anthem with a sense of awe.

As he stepped off the dais and joined Liam in an exclusive interview with ESPN that was prearranged, he could feel Henry still eyeballing him from where he stood. He answered the questions directed at him and nothing else. Normally, Liam couldn't get a word in edgewise. The reporter was one they both knew well from various events over the years and didn't question Alex's unusual behaviour. Putting it down to the back injury and not the exchange between him and the Prince of England.

He managed to concentrate on the interview and not the heated, zippy exchange between him and the prince.

As Liam went off to celebrate with Spencer and some of their other friends, Alex took a seat and waited for his family to find him.

A man impeccably dressed in a Tom Ford suit, Indian appearance approached him and requested a moment of his time. "Prince Henry wishes to speak with you, if you can spare a few moments of your time."

Looking around, he can see his family have stopped Liam to congratulate and check in with him. He has time.

"Sure," Alex replied and followed the man across the court to the VIP seating area where Prince Henry and his security team were seated. He learnt that the man's name was Shaan Srivastava, and he was the prince's equerry.

"Alexander," Henry spoke as he extended his hand and stood up. Alex noticed that his security briefly fell back to allow them the illusion of privacy.

"Your Majesty." Alex greeted him with a sassy grin, knowing it was wrong, but not caring.

"It's Your Royal Highness, but I am sure we can overlook that." Henry murmured, a small twinkle in his eye. "I do hope you are not in too much pain, Alexander."

Henry's polished pronunciation on his name had Alex feeling all sorts of things. Feelings that weren't entirely new, just stronger.

"It's fine," Alex winked at him. "Like I said, you could have tugged harder. I like it."

"Lord, you really are a menace, aren't you?" Henry chuckled. "I was referring to your back. But it's good to know you like it rough."

"I like it however you want to give it to me." Alex retorted with a shit-eating, charming grin that he could see had the perfect amount of impact on the young prince.

"Fuck!" Prince Henry whispered low, and Alex was pleased to have elicited such a response from the young royal. "You're going to be at the afterparty, then? What a coincidence, I will be there too courtesy of team Great Britain."

"Of course, I'll be there too. Obviously." Alex replied and before he could think any further, he rushed out. "Have a drink with me?"

Henry could scarcely reply before they were interrupted by Alex's family. A quick introduction to them and a look from Shaan, had Henry cutting the conversation short. "I really must take my leave, Alexander. I shall see you tonight." Henry replied, winking at Alex and nodding goodbye.

There was about five seconds of stunned silence from his family, before Nora, of all people, broke it. "You star spangled slut, Alejandro! The prince of fucking England wants you!"

Three hours later, there's a video of the exchange between them and it's gone viral.

Prince Henry and Alex still had a drink at the afterparty. If anyone saw them leave together, that was their business.