Red, White, and Royal Blue - Anything for You

Chapter 4

It's the next morning and Henry wakes up with a heavy fog weighing in his head. The light through the window is practically cutting into his brain like a butcher knife when he glances straight at it.

"I got you some water." He hears his boyfriend's voice next to him and looks over. He recognizes his head is placed on a pillow and a throw blanket is tucked over him. Alex must have done this when he arrived home.

"Thank you," He says and he sounds way too raspy. Like his voice box was blended up in a garbage disposal.

Henry takes a sip of water and it helps unquench the dryness in his throat.

"So what happened last night?"

He has to think about it for a second. He suddenly remembers his ex roofying him and then unsuccessfully trying to take him home.

"I vastly underestimated my alcohol intake."

The black haired man analyzes his partner for a bit which Henry picks up. "Can you please not look at me like a detective?"

"Sorry." Alex looks away before he averts his eyes back and continues. "Pez said Paolo was there."

The blonde freezes for a millisecond until he responds smoothly, "He was. At the end of it."

"I thought he lived in London."

"He said he was on a business trip."

Alex walks up and sits on the couch next to him. He tries to muster up what he wants to say. "Do you trust him?"

The blonde has to think about his response. He doesn't want to lie, but he also doesn't want to give too much away. "I'm not as fond of him as my mom or brother. Why?"

"Pez said he was like your and Philip's mentor when your dad passed."

"I guess in a way."

"So what happened?"

This is not the conversation he signed up for during a hangover. "I don't know, I grew up. Is this an interrogation?"

"No, it's not, sorry. I just noticed when we were at your mother's party you seemed uncomfortable around him."

"He's an egotistical corporate executive whose primary concerns are his status and his masculinity. Most people who would know that about him would feel uncomfortable." It is a cold statement he makes.

Alex chuckles. "Yeah, I've met those before. Very common with upper classed white people."

"Thank you," Henry laughs. In return this makes the black haired one laugh harder.

The First Son settles down and turns back to his serious voice but it is easier than before. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you realize that about him? Everyone at the party was basically kissing his ass."

"You mean my mom?"

Alex rolls his eyes. "No. I mean the others."

He once again has to think about how he wants to respond. He wants to be as truthful as he can get without crossing a line. Building layered secrets between him and Paolo with Alex is determined to jeopardize the relationship. "We have a... Past, but that's over now."

"A past?" Alex could read between the lines that Henry purposely laid out. "You and him? He's like 8 years older than you."

"Yeah, we've all made mistakes." Henry laughs through it.

The First Son is now more alert than before and is trying to do the mathematics in his head. "How old were you when it started?"

The blonde tries to calm the other down by putting on a nice smile and taking the other's hand. "You don't need to worry."