Red, White & Royal Blue Stories

• Which Side of the Bed • Henry § Alex •

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• ———— •

Alex was exhausted.

He had spent the entire day mulling away in the library adorned in a ragged NYU sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms, studying page after page of law and only taking minor gaps to piss or ask Cash to bring him another coffee from the nearby Starbucks.

He adored law. He loved his university. But sometimes, he hated both of them.

Regardless, he couldn't sleep.

He had been gazing at the tall ceiling of his bedroom in the cosy brownstone he and Henry had moved into earlier that year, swaddled in thick duvets and shrouded with feather pillows for the past few hours, yet his eyes wouldn't stay shut.

He thinks - well, knows - it's because Henry wasn't cuddled up beside him, breathing softly in the silence.

He had traveled back to Britain for the week for royal duties, mostly laborious tasks Alex insisted they could do without him, but Henry simply smiled, kissed his forehead and told him he'd be back as soon as he could.

He reached across the bed automatically, clutching the emptiness as his heart squeezed painfully.

"Fucking prince and his fucking loyalties to the throne" he muttered bitterly, rolling over to reach for his phone resting on the bedside table, unlocking and quickly swiping to Henry's contact, pressing video call and balancing it on his pillow.

The soft stream of light pouring in from the moon illuminated his face enough for his glare to appear quite prominently when Henry eventually answered his spam of calls, blinking blearily into the camera.

It was early morning in Britain, the sun peeking over the horizon, casting orange glows across his boyfriend's face and Alex made a dramatised sob from the back of his throat.

"Alex, it's five in the morning" Henry groaned, rubbing his face with his free hand. "What on earth do you want?"

"You" he huffed. Henry gazed at the phone screen blankly.

"I'm arriving home tomorrow evening"

"Not soon enough" Alex said, in a childish tantrum.

Henry sighed, rubbing his face once more and squeezing his groggy eyes shut. "God, give me strength"

"I miss you" Alex frowned, purposefully poking out his bottom lip, the slight glisten of saliva catching the stream of moonlight. Henry gazed at him for a few seconds, unable to prevent his expression softening.

He rolled onto his side, tucking his free hand underneath his cheek.

"I miss you too" he admitted, "I promise as soon as I'm home we can cuddle for however long you like" he smiled lovingly, Alex bit his bottom lip.

"More than cuddle"

Henry rolled his eyes fondly, "yes, yes. More than cuddle"

Alex beamed like a child getting his own way, shuffling further into the blankets.

Henry hummed acknowledgingly, "why are you up so late, my love?"

Alex slowly frowned again, pressing half of his face into the soft surface of the pillow. "Because missin' you" he muffled, Henry sighed, he understood how hard it was to sleep without Alex, but after popping a few melatonin he was out like a light. However, he knew Alex didn't particularly like to do the same as it often messed with his internal sleep system.

"Why hasn't your family invented teleportation yet?" Alex whined, Henry chuckled amusedly.

"I still don't think you quite have a grasp on the monarchy, love. And even if we did invent teleportation, or at the very least funded it, it wouldn't be used to let you have your way with me because you're lonely" he teased, tearing a bigger whine from Alex as he slammed his face into the pillow, flipping Henry the bird.

His infectious laughter warmed his chest.

"Whatever" he grunted, finally turning back to the phone. "Stay with me?"

Henry's smile eased, "of course, try and rest, sweetheart"

Alex hummed, the warmth of love spreading through his limbs like thick treacle. His heavy eyelids fell shut and he finally, finally felt the prickle of slumber blanket over him with the distant yet constant noise of Henry's breathing luring him into a sense of security.

Until he realised something.

"Hen?" He slurred.

"Yes, love?"

"What- what side of the bed..." he trailed off into a yawn, "side of the bed you sleepin' on?"

Henry paused, shifting a little as he looked across his mattress. "The left, why?"

Alex rubbed his eyes, pushing himself up onto his elbow. Henry watched as his tired brain analysed his bed, needing a few seconds to click the pieces of information together before he began to shuffle over to the right side, turning over and holding the phone over the left section of the bed.

"There-" he smiled lazily, "room for you"

Henry bit his bottom lip, face melting in adoration as he gazed at Alex's face, not wholly against the idea that he might've died in that very moment and slipped off peacefully to heaven. It was completely and utterly unfair how adorable Alex could be in their softer moments, while the world saw his grandiose, charming personality, Henry was blessed with... this. His softly parted lips, even breathing and relaxed features. The way he flinched awake each time the phone began to slip from his fingers until realising he should probably prop it up, doing so seconds later and snuggling down into the quilt, half his face consumed by the pillow.

"I love you so much, Alex," Henry whispered.

Alex's eyes fluttered lightly, "love... you too.." he replied sluggishly, finally passing out as the sweeps of exhaustion fell over him like a thick tidal wave.

Henry didn't hang up until Alex awoke hours later.

• ———— •
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