strings attached ; firstprince

chapter six

Alex pushes on Henry's chest and puts him on his back, he bounces back as Alex hovers over him, their mouths still locked. Henry slides his hands under Alex's arm to his back, pulling him closer. Alex feels his brain become a muddle of heat and murmurs that remind him that he's forgetting something. What is he forgetting?

Alex pulls back momentarily, breathless and completely lovestruck. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm usually quite good with words, but I don't believe I have the right ones for how you make me feel." Henry smiles softly, his eyes glazed over. Alex feels a spike in his stomach, and then suddenly he remembers his list, he needs to tell Henry–or ask Henry?

"Henry," Alex says with a hint of a smile. Henry tilts his head, still looking up at him blissfully. "Come to the ball with me?"

The smile that engulfs Henry's face beneath him almost melts him into goo. His dimples on full display. "Yes."

They rejoin with a sharp inhale, Henry's hand flying to pull on Alex's shirt to bring him closer. They both smile into each other's mouths, resulting in laughs that escape through their noses and a moment of teeth clinking. They laugh, they kiss, and kiss some more and Alex feels like he's missing something but he can't quite place it. All he can think about is Henry, his mouth, his smile. Just Henry.

—

Alex feels like he's spent every day rehearsing with June and Nora. It's the beginning of August, meaning the ball is happening at the end of the month as well as classes starting back up again next month. Alex tries not to dwell on the latter. Alex decides rather last minute to add another song onto his setlist, current life events possibly influencing this decision–Alex tries to convince June and Nora it's not about Henry but they know he's lying.

"You're going to be serenading your boyfriend in front of everyone," June keeps saying, both in disgust and extreme fondness.

"He's not my boyfriend," Alex always rebuttals. "It's not official."

"Yet."

Alex has been doing the majority of his practice during meet-ups with June, Nora, Henry and Pez. Lately, he's been frequenting the local cafe which has now become a spot for the group. It's a thing now. They even have a designated booth.

Alex subconsciously, whenever he sings in front of Henry, finds his face no matter where he is and sees him watching which causes his heart to almost leap out of his chest. It adds a different type of thrill to performing, especially when Henry smiles throughout the whole thing.

It also has become a tradition after Alex performs, for the gang to get a coffee and talk nonsensical shit for hours. It's probably Alex's favourite part of his day, all his favourite people who watch him do what he loves.

"So, Pez," Nora says grandly, demanding the attention of everyone sitting at the booth. "I've noticed you're the only one without a date to the ball."

"I'm actually quite preoccupied with a girl called donation collecting for your charity ball," Pez retorts, smiling teasingly. "We're rather involved."

"That's a long ass name," Alex says. Nora and June somehow simultaneously roll their eyes in unison, which happens fairly often when Alex speaks.

"That's quite rich coming from you, Alex Gabriel Claremont-Diaz," Henry pipes up with a tight-lipped smile. Alex attempts to scoff but it ends up being more of a laugh.

"Darling, this is not an appropriate time for dirty talk," Alex says, followed shortly by a wink and the third eye roll he's caused today.

It's the next time Alex performs when he notices that Henry isn't there. Then for the next few days when Henry still wouldn't show, Alex began to feel a little on edge about the whole thing. He tries not to mentally make a list of things he could've possibly done wrong. He does not succeed.