Red, White, and Royal Blue - Anything for You

Chapter 9

*Twigger Warning: Gore and violence*

Right when the First Son enters the door and closes it, the pit of his stomach drops and a strong wrath boils over from the scene he comes home to. His eyesight is glued to the man towering over his boyfriend as sprints over to the kitchen to grab a butcher knife.

He's there, the fucking guy in their home.

Paolo nor Henry heard him come home, so they are definitely surprised when they feel a force yank the older man off. They soon see Alex pinning the CEO to the ground, straddling his torso, and holding a knife to his throat.

"Alex!" The blonde shouts when he sees his boyfriend standing over his ex.

Paolo groans because he hit his head on the floor when the First Son slammed him to the ground.

"You stay the fuck away from us!" The black haired boyfriend screams with a shaky hand.

The CEO laughs. "You're going to be sorry." 

"I wouldn't exactly say you're in a position right now to threaten me." Alex jams the knife closer. "Once is already enough, but twice?! What kind of sick fuck are you?!"

Paolo laughs even harder. "I guess the Royal Highness left some details out."

"What do you mean?" Alex quickly averts his eyes towards the blonde after he asks this. This is the most angry Henry has seen him, including when he stormed the Palace.

"Henry, what does he mean?"

Henry looks away feeling completely vulnerable and exposed, which would make sense considering he's still naked and this is the first time someone walked in on them. Alex, however, doesn't even care neither one of them has clothes on he just wants to kill Paolo.

"This was the third time, but if we're really talking about specifics it's the fifth encounterment" The CEO responds.

The First Son feels a numbness wash over him. 5 times his partner has been harassed, 3 raped? All of this went under his nose? He promised to protect Henry, and he's done everything but that.

Since this information catches Alex off guard, Paolo pushes him backward and stands up. The older man twists the other's arm enough to make the First Son yelp in pain, causing him to drop the knife. They both throw themselves on the ground to try to grab it. They both have a grasp on the weapon until the blade slices Alex's palm and Henry hears his boyfriend yell. The blonde quickly picks up a table lamp and smashes it into Paolo's head.

This causes Paolo to fall and lose grip on the knife. Alex regains his hold on the weapon and starts by digging the tip of the blade into Paolo's neck. He intends the older man to feel everything, so he makes sure he slowly and deeply slices through like he's carving a pumpkin. A popping sound from the thick flesh occurs when the knife enters. The CEO tries to fight back, making an ungodly choking sound, but the First Son pins all his body weight onto him so he doesn't move. The meat tears carefully and delicately like a tender steak. Paolo continues to gasp as a streak of blood spews out of his neck like a fountain, covering the white carpet underneath the two of them. After a minute longer, the older man's body slowly stops struggling and the color fades out of his face.

The black haired man hovering over him stays still for a minute until he finally stands up. He takes a few breaths before he walks over to the kitchen to wash his hands and bandage up the cut on his hand. When he returns, he sees the lifeless body and his partner wearing a shocked expression. Alex decides to take a blanket from the couch to drape it over the body. After he does this, he sits on the couch next to the Prince.

Henry doesn't say anything, just still surprised and looking at the lump underneath the blanket. He hasn't taken a breath since he witnessed Alex kill the CEO. His voice is choked back in his throat.

"I didn't know it was that many times Hen." Alex tears up as he cups his face into his hands.

The Prince looks down at his boyfriend's hand. He takes hold of it and analyzes the bandage wrapped around it. Alex's scream plays out in his head as he studies the paper towels and tape, as well as the faded pink from the blood appearing underneath the layers. He presses his lips against it and kisses the injury.

The black haired guy puts his uninjured hand on the other's shoulder. "I'm ok Baby. The real concern is, are you ok?"

The blonde shakes his head yes and tries to stand up, but pain shoots from his butt to his upper back. Alex notices this and stands up to help him up. The First Son's eyes shift from the previous anger to now distress seeing Henry's body's reaction to what had happened, but that only enhances when he notices the cuts on the other man's arms. His jaw drops as his breath immediately stops. He gently takes the arms in his hands and is now the one studying the injuries of the other partner.

This somehow gives Henry room to breathe, probably from being distracted by the current dead body right in front of them. This is the straw that makes Alex break into heavy cries after holding back. "Did he do this?"

He asks this but deep down inside he knows the truth. The Prince answers, "No I did."

Alex pulls the blonde close to him and rests his hand on the other's head, pushing it close to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't keep you safe. I'm sorry I didn't see any of this. Fuck Hen, I can't even picture what this has been like. You're the love of my life, I'm so fucking sorry I didn't protect you." His voice is heavy and thick from the mucus building in his throat.

Guilt overwashes him as he holds Henry. Alex wants to take all the suffering his boyfriend has been through and take it all himself. He wants to shield him from all the evil in the world and build a paradise where it is only the two of them. He wants to do anything and everything that could possibly make up for the negligence he believes he's done. A sharp pain sits in his gut as he thinks about all the events that he has missed.

Henry holds his partner close, burying his nose into the crook of his neck. He tears up as well. "I hid everything from you, you wouldn't have seen it regardless."

"Please let me in from now on. I don't want you to do this again. I don't want you to suffer in silence just to protect me."

The Prince squeezes him tightly. "I lost my father once, I can't lose you too. I'd do anything to keep you alive. Just the thought of a life without you in it is unbearable. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I can't make a promise that I don't know I can keep."

Alex takes this in and then looks at him. "Then how about we both try to keep each other safe?"

Henry nods and exhales. He puts his forehead against the other's. "Sounds like a good compromise."

*Even though I do love romances, especially queer ones, my main preference for books and movies is thriller/horror. I wanted to go a bit in that direction with this chapter. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it.*