Red, White & Royal Blue Stories

• Who and What You Are is Beautiful • Henry § Alex •

𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐

I really do not know how to write like a journalist or make article titles for that matter, so bare with me

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SHOCKING Celebrity Bodies That Will Make You Feel Normal

Henry stared down at his phone screen with a bitten lip, reading over the article headline once was enough to pique his disgusted interest, at the sight of himself plastered underneath the big, bold red letters, he felt a sort of sickness swirl in his stomach.
It's been a year and a half since he moved in with Alex to New York. He's visited England here and there but usually kept himself busy with his LGBT+ Youth Centres and writing fictional novels. He was planning to get one published later in the year.

Due to sitting at a desk for endless hours of the day either going over paperwork, conducting meetings with Pez, or winding himself down with some writing, he had fallen on the left side a bit.

He hasn't attended a polo match in what feels like forever, his walks with David are constant but not enough to battle the stomach he had grown.

He didn't think anyone with eyes would consider him fat; he was chubby, borderline 'dad bod', painfully aware of the fact he and Alex had only briefly considered starting a family a month ago.

They wanted kids; but not yet.

Besides the point, Henry didn't let it get to him. He's sort of always been heavy in terms of muscles built up over years of polo, jogging and the odd weight lifting here and there (the royal family likes to keep the members healthy and active). However, recently... it's beginning to hurt.

Sometimes, he'd stare at himself in the mirror for a bit too long and wonder if it really was that bad . He didn't want to think so; Alex hasn't said a word about it, which is half reassuring, half worrying. What if Alex didn't find him as attractive anymore but didn't want to say anything to avoid hurting his feelings?

Alex might very well still love him; but finding him as sexy as he did when they were starting their friends-with-benefits situation is another story. One he didn't want to think about; he desperately didn't.

But it reached a point where it was too much.

He put on a brave face and left their bedroom, tugging his cardigan closer to himself as he pressed his hand over his stomach. He frowned and stopped a moment later. Alex was downstairs in his office, surrounded with empty cups stained with coffee, his eyes glued to his computer monitor as he typed away speedily; he had an essay due by the end of the week and was already three fourths through.

Henry leaned on the doorframe and watched him for a bit. He had no idea how Alex managed to keep himself fit. With his law school and first son duties, tending to Henry when he could and sometimes being a father to David, he still managed to wedge in a visit to the gym three times a week, four if he was lucky.

Henry was jealous of the fact; or maybe it's his own fault. After all, he doesn't exactly try to do work fast and efficiently, if he made more effort he could probably visit and work out for a few spare hours.

On the other hand, he didn't really want to. He knew without the constant comments and jibes from the public he'd be fine with himself; and as he's on a mission to take control of his life away from everyone else, he knew conforming to their beauty standards and reviving his older 'attractive' body would be going against that.

His small sigh caught Alex's attention. He blinked up, a soft smile covering his face.

"Hey, baby" he murmurs, groaning as he stretched his arms above his head. "What's up?"