Chapter Text
In Alex’s endorphin fuelled mind, he almost forgets you aren’t supposed to cuddle the guy who only brought you back to his place for a quick shag.
Before letting himself cling any tighter, he unwraps his limbs. “Sorry about the cuddling, didn’t mean to be clingy.” He mumbles while peeling out of this hot British guy’s bed.
Henry reaches for a limb, “stay, please,” he calls sheepishly. “I was rather enjoying the cuddle.”
Alex lets his eyes meet Henry’s crystal blue ones, noting the hope and fear they shine with.
“Yeah?”
With Henry’s nod, Alex breaks into a brilliant grin, and with no further words needed he settles back into the bed, pulling Henry tight against his chest.
He feels Henry’s arms tight around his waist and their legs tangle together. It feels good, like almost too good. He hasn’t felt this good for a while now. Actually, he doesn’t think he’s ever felt this good. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt this comfortable in someone else’s arms.
As he lets his mind run, he feels eyelashes flutter against his chest and the even breathing of another person atop him. Straining his neck for a look at Henry’s face confirms his thought, he has drifted into a deep slumber.
With a weight on his chest and the feeling of steady breath against him, Alex finds it easy to drift to sleep himself.
—-
Blinking awake, Alex is confused for a moment. These surroundings are unfamiliar and there’s something pinning him down. A someone, he realises as he opens his eyes fully. Seeing a mop of blond hair splayed out under his chin, memories of last night come back to him.
‘Stay, please’ Henry’s words echo in his mind. He was asking for Alex to stay and cuddle, not stay the night. He looks round and sees a bedside table. 9:34 the numbers flash at him. He should probably leave, although this position makes it tricky for him.
Even just the subtle movement of Alex reaching for his phone causes Henry to startle. He lifts his head and Alex is presented with Henry’s blue eyes again. Somehow more blue in the morning light.
“Morning,” he beams.
“Mornin’,” Henry slurs back, sleepy and unfocused.
Unable to stop himself, Alex reaches to sweep his fingers through the blonde strands, pushing them off Henry’s face.
Henry leans into the touch, “hmm, sorry for falling asleep on you.”
“Don’t be,” Alex comments honestly, “it was nice.”
They lay there, just staring into each other’s eyes in comfortable silence for more time than either man could count.
“I--” Alex tries to start, but suddenly uncertain with interrupting this intimate moment. Henry continues to watch his face carefully, as if encouraging him to go on. “I recently got out of a relationship. The break up was messy and I hadn’t been with anyone since.” He’s not sure why he feels Henry needs to know all this.
“Okay,” Henry responds eventually.
“Sorry, you probably didn’t need to know all that, I just…” Alex scrambles for the words, “this just feels like more than some random hookup.” Alex searches Henry’s face hopefully, “well for me at least.”
“Me too,” Henry cuts in quickly. “I, uh, this feels like something to me.” He admits. “But I don’t want to rush you into something you’re not ready for.”
“It should be too soon, it should be crazy how comfortable I feel in your arms, and how I am already imagining waking up in them every day.” Alex decides not to hold back on his feelings this time, it feels too important for that. “But it’s what I want, it’s how I feel.”
Henry surges up to kiss him, morning breath and all. Alex lets his fingers dig into Henry’s shoulders and allows their mouths to pick up the rhythm they found last night.
After lazily making out for some time they part to catch their breaths.
“Let me take you on a date?” Alex pleads.
“Please,” Henry responds easily.
“I mean soon, like today?”
“Fine,” Henry chuckles softly.
“So here’s what will happen, I am going to go home, shower and find some fresh clothes, and then I’ll be back to take you out for dinner. Okay?” Alex explains animatedly.
“We don’t have to rush anything, hun,” Henry tries to sound reasonable.
“We don’t, but I really don’t want to wait.” He explains like it’s just that simple. “I don’t need to wait because this moment is it, and I don’t want to miss it.”
Alex could bask in the brightness that shines from Henry’s smile.
“Then, okay, I’ll go out with you tonight.” Henry agrees. “But if you do need time then I will wait, you feel worth waiting for.” He admits.
“Baby,” Alex practically melts, and brings their lips together once more. Just as the kiss is going deeper, becoming more heated, scratching at the door startles Alex.
Henry pulls back laughing, “one moment, David.”
“David?”
“My dog,” Henry answers quickly.
“See when you said ‘David’ I worried that you had a husband or something hiding away,” Alex says whilst holding back a laugh, “but this is much worse.”
Henry swots his arm and Alex can no longer hold back his laugh. Bodily chuckling as, Henry climbs off him and goes to let David in.
Alex hears the scrape of paws across the floor, then the thud of weight joining him in the bed.
“Hey buddy.” He sits up before this beautiful beagle can attack his face with kisses. He scratches between David’s ears as Henry pulls on some boxers. “You like that, huh?” He fusses over David, who seems to be basking in the attention.
“Sorry about him, he can be a bit of an attention whore.” Henry jokes.
“The only thing you have to be sorry for is naming your dog David .”
“After Bowie.” Henry tries to explain.
“Then call him Bowie.” Alex can’t help but laugh, “you’ve managed to make your dog sound like a middle aged tax attorney.”
By the time Alex has finished, Henry is also laughing uncontrollably.
“Hey, don’t talk about my dog like that.” Henry crouches down next to the bed and also makes a fuss of David.
“Just saying it how it is, sweetheart.” Alex comments, feeling overwhelmed with how easy this is, how comfortable they already are. “So, I guess I should head home then.”
“Hmm yeah, or you could stay for breakfast.” Henry offers, hopefully.
“You not had enough of me?”
“I don’t think I could.” Henry admits softly, not meeting Alex’s eyes.
“Hen,” Alex says, sounding a little choked. He lifts Henry’s chin to look into his eyes, “I don’t think I could ever get enough of you, either.” He feels Henry lean into the touch. “But I think I should go home, I can get ready for this evening, and we can have a couple hours to ourselves.”
“That sounds really sensible.” Henry admits.
Alex chuckles, “yeah, it does. I just worry that we’re in this little bubble, still going from last night, and as soon as we face the sunshine the spell will break.”
“I feel like you just mashed together a lot of similes.” Henry jests.
“Yeah, probably, but you’re not disagreeing with what I said.”
“No,” Henry admits, standing up.
“Look, I’m only going home for a few hours and pick you up at seven, how does that sound?” Alex says, standing from the bed, toe to toe with Henry.
“Fine,” Henry pouts.
Alex takes Henry’s face in his hands and brings their lips together for a far too soft kiss.
“Now, help me find my clothes.”
Alex can feel Henry’s eyes on him as he gets dressed, admittedly he had more fun getting undressed.
Henry sees Alex to the door, still only in his boxers.
“I’ll see you in like seven hours.” Alex reminds Henry as he pulls him into one last kiss, before reluctantly stepping out the door.
Alex gets through his front door and sags against it, a soft smile still playing on his lips.
He pushes off and makes his way through his apartment. The whole time he spends having breakfast, getting showered and finding something to wear, he is thinking about Henry. Picturing his crystal blue eyes or a phantom feeling of Henry’s hair in his fingers.
It’s only 2:30 and Alex is ready, sitting on his sofa bouncing his knee just waiting for the time to pass.
“Fuck it,” he says to the empty room, jumping up and shoving his feet into his shoes. He throws his jacket over his shoulders and chucks his keys in the pocket.
Arriving at Henry’s door 3 hours early Alex suddenly feels nervous. It was him that suggested they have some time.
“Fuck it,” he repeats and rings the doorbell.
Henry answers the door looking pleased if a little confused.
“Alex?”
“The whole time I was away from you, I was thinking about you, going over everything I know about you.” Alex rushes through, “and I want to know more, I want to know everything.”