Archive of Our Own ^beta

Let me just, set the scene

I just left the (a) party at Blake's (a mate’s) and it's Halloween

Alex is…honestly, just before he walked outside, he didn’t even know what time zone he might be in, which is a feat in itself. The air around DC must just seriously be that polluted or like, treated with chemicals or whatever because he’s never sobered up this fast.

Or it was because drunk him has you know, texted fucking Henry of all people and his brain had to remind him of that fact as he’s dressed like John Leguizamo in Romeo + Juliet and is, get this, dying inside not from a stab wound or gunshot, but crippling embarrassment as he stumbles down the street to where his car is parked from his friend’s place.

Had the keys to my car in my hand, but I didn't leave

'Cause the potential of us, it was keepin' me up all night long

He seriously should not have worn a tank top. As much as the red colour and the chequered gun holster he’d fashioned out of a pair of his father’s old suspenders, apparently, make him look “extra hot” - he’s freezing his ass off thanks to the Autumn winds passing though and his long black trousers, boots and belt are doing nothing to help that fact.

It’s almost winter again (cause you know, October) and despite not wanting to sound contentious, Alex has only got one thing on his mind and it is not the whiskey trying to warm him up so he can survive the night sleeping in his backseat (as he can’t drive, duh) and wake tomorrow morning with a backache that would kill a normal human being.

I left a text you won't read all night long

No, Alex is still thinking about Henry or, more accurately, his and Henry’s kiss from New Year’s Eve that despite numerous attempts, they still haven’t talked about. You know, the one that he just, addressed once again 5 minutes ago with a hundred and forty characters at his disposal, but more boldly by saying ‘God Henry, I wanna fucking kiss you again’ just out of the blue that Henry will most likely not read till he has a moment to be near his phone and possibly, end up having Alex blocked from that same phone by morning.

This could be a disaster, there's so many factors

Like, what if you freak out and then we're losin' it all

At the critical chapter where I say, "I love you" and you don't say it after

He’d thought about erasing it, when he’d seen the active conversation bubble he’d had up in WhatsApp still on his notification screen and opened it up. Really, he did, but in the haste of moving when party goers had seen him standing there mortified, he just…didn’t. He just drank more, tried to forget and now, now he’s actually thinking about it as his phone seemingly follows his fingers and pulls Henry’s number and the moniker of ‘HRH Prince Dickhead’ up to press dial, hoping he doesn’t answer, heart beating rapidly. 

He’s so fucked. His mother’s going to kill him. He was already front page news once in England, he didn’t need another headline along the lines of "American Dumbass Booty Calls Prince” or something equally worse, but far more creative. The click of the phone being picked up startles him to the point where he’s fumbling with it and his keys, quickly jostling them from one place to the other till his keys were thrown onto the roof of their intended home and he brought it to his ear, breath rapidly condensing in the air. “H-Hello?”

This could be a disaster, I'm pedaling backwards

By saying that I'm drunk, I really shouldn't have called

“...Alex.” Henry’s voice sounds…well, confused, a little hopeful - maybe? God, Alex doesn’t know, but he tries to save himself (and his emotions) by blurting out “I’m so sorry, I’m- I’ve been drinking, been at a Halloween party and all that. You know me. Whatever I said-” Oh yes, let’s just pretend we /didn’t/ just sext the Prince, great idea Alex ”- you can just disregard, it’s fine, I’ve probably sent so many Alex the Asshole texts tonight.”

I'm a little bit plastered, you call me a liar

Now I'm fallin' in faster, this could be a disaster, disaster

Henry’s quiet on the other end and it makes Alex’s hair stand up as he quietly murmurs ‘You don’t sound drunk.” and it’s not a question, but a statement. Henry knows him too well, as it’s not the first time that he’s sent drunk texts to the latter. It makes Alex just fall in love with him that little bit more, even if he knows that love isn’t exactly reciprocated.

God, this is a disaster.

Let me just, lose my mind

Is it purely platonic to call me, like, every night?

He knows there’s something between them. Something. He doesn’t know exactly what, but it’s something and while Henry’s breathing in his ear, he’s slowly coming to terms with the fact that he can’t exactly escape this one. “Oh…right. I mean- I have been drinking. A lot. Maybe. Oh god, I’m floundering aren’t I?”

You know Ashley (Nora) believes that there's somethin' between you and I

But if I'm readin' it wrong, man, it'd be better off if I died, oh

“You said it not me, Alexander.” He sounds as annoyed as Nora did when he stormed her office 3 days after the kiss, pointing out every little thing that Henry was doing right in front of him and practically blind sighting him to the point where this conversation is rearing the memories of that one out for his terror to see. Henry seemingly sounded like he was okay with Alex calling him and everything, but did he read it all wrong like back then, however?

And if you're readin' the text all night long

God, this is all so confusing. “God, this is all so confusing.” The thought comes out of his brain and mouth at the same time and it takes everything in him not to spontaneously melt into the pavement as Henry sighs. “I’m sorry Alex, I shouldn’t have-”

This could be a disaster, there's so many factors

Like, what if you freak out and then we're losin' it all

At the critical chapter where I say, "I love you" and you don't say it after

“Don’t.” Alex doesn’t know where it comes from, but he stops Henry in his tracks. “Do not apologise for kissing me. Seriously Henry, I’ve been having a goddamn sexuality crisis after that kiss. I wanted to pin you against the wall at the Prime Minister's dinner, the polo match you invited me to that I couldn’t come to because of campaigning- I’ve been dying to kiss you again. For real.”

This could be a disaster, I'm pedaling backwards

By saying that I'm drunk, I really shouldn't have called

Okay, so it wasn't the most eloquent drunken confession that he could have made, but fuck if it didn’t feel good to vent his frustrations on the person causing them. Of course, he didn’t really mean to and cleared his throat before he spoke again. “Sorry, Henry, like I said, I’m drunk so I’m a bit loose lipped, honestly I should really go-”

I'm a little bit plastered, you call me a liar

Now I'm fallin' in faster, this could be a disaster, disaster

“Liar.” Henry’s voice calls back, breathless, but not angry. Surprised and possibly overwhelmed, yes, but not angry with him thank god. “You are a fucking liar, Alex Clarement-Diaz and you know it.”

He knows, he really does and he can’t help but laugh, looking like a loon on the street. If Henry really does block him after this, at least he said his piece. “Goodnight Henry.” The way he says Henry’s name makes him even shiver as it’s so…emotional, but he quickly hangs up before Henry can get another word in before he’s unlocking his car and falling in, the world hazing out into blurs of colour before he’s out like a light in the camped back seat.

Maybe I'm mistaken, you're not mine for takin'

Maybe I'm mistaken, maybe I just made it up, messed it up

The next morning, Alex isn’t expecting a ticket to Paris as well as a signoff just saying ‘Let’s talk.” with Prince Henry’s name next to it, but it happens and while he has his fears that he’s about to be executed (well warranted given the Royals), he cashes it in anyway because if this is going to be the biggest mistake he’s made since the wedding, he may as well make it in person, even if it keeps him awake thought he entire flight.

Turns out talking apparently means kissing in Paris. A lot of it.

Maybe he didn’t mess this thing up after all.