The J14 Story Breaks

Henry's POV

A/N: Hi friends, sorry I'm just updating this. I had actually intended to leave it as a one-shot, but it got more popular than I expected. I have another chapter outlined. I'm not sure if I'll continue after that point. Maybe if people like these chapters :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Henry convinced Alex to go on a late night show to promote the new LGBTQ youth shelter. He knows Alex isn't happy about it (and really Henry isn't thrilled to have to answer more private questions), but sometimes scarifies have to be made. It's a necessary evil of being a public figure. If you want to make change, you have to be ready to let the world in.

Henry would never admit this to Alex, but a small part of him is excited for the interview. He never thought that he would be able to keep Alex. He never thought that he'd let himself keep Alex. Now he gets to go on live TV with the love of his life and hold his hand. Henry doesn't have to hide anymore. He gets to claim Alex on a national stage and no one can tell him he can't. If admitting to the world he was in love with a boy who hated him for an embarrassingly long time is the cost of that, Henry is more than willing to pay. Oh, and giving support to the shelter too. That's also exciting.

The interview begins as poorly as can be expected given that Alex does not want to be here. Henry doesn't care that Alex is being difficult though, it's kind of hot to watch. And Alex is holding his hand on national television. What more could he ask for?

Henry is so distracted by Alex he almost misses his cue to talk about the shelters. He keeps waiting for the effect to wear off. To not be driven to distraction by the simple knowledge that Alex loves him and Henry gets to keep him. By the knowledge that they'll wake up tomorrow, limbs tangled, in their house. That they can go to the grocery store hand in hand to pick up more shampoo because Alex uses a ridiculous amount. That they don't have to hide anymore. That they'll never have to hide again. But awe never seems to wear off. Alex was a pipe dream that somehow found his way into Henry's reality and Henry will never take that for granted.

Henry snaps back just in time to educate about how LGBTQ youths in America are 120% more likely to end up homeless than their straight/cis peers. About how 40% of homeless youths are LGBTQ. About how the vast majority were either forced to leave home or had to leave to escape an unsafe situation. About how the LGBTQ homeless population have unique medical needs, both for their physical and mental health. And then finally about the shelter. The services they provide. How desperate they are for donations of money and time.

And then it's over. Henry finally feels like he can breathe again. Just because he's been doing public appearances since before he was old enough to understand what a public appearance was, doesn't mean that they he doesn't get anxious. And this appearance was more important than most. These kids deserve the world, and Henry intends to give it to them.

They're into (arguably) safer territory now. Henry knows that he and Alex decided to to tell the truth of about the history of their relationship, but he didn't expect Alex to be so smug about it. He should've seen this coming of course, but he'd been so focused on other things he hadn't really processed what it would it be would be like to hear Alex tell the world that he had hated Henry.

Not to be outdone in shocking the crowd Henry simply laughs at Alex's smugness and throws out a casual "No, our rivalry was decidedly one sided. I, of course, was completely in love with him at the time." 

Jimmy looks shocked (which really, you would think he would've known based on some of the letters I wrote Alex) and stammers "So why-, why- did you push him into the cake?"