i'm not leaving

1.2 that's not how this works (part one)

ALEX

Lingering by the bay, Alex peers over the street and it's activity, as the sun awakens. The children with their mothers, rushing to catch the light. The slight tugs of their collars, correcting visible shoddy work of getting ready. the commuters with briefcases. With a coffee in the free, the other straggles an overdue yawn. the elderly arm in arm with their significant others, walking in tandem. Alex wondered selfishly when he could feel that again, when he could feel again.
'Hey'
June perks 'Mom's up'

After re election, with Alex on a new path in the city with Henry, June no longer needed to stay. He never asked her too, but never told her not too. Although he would never admit it out loud, having his sister around was the normalcy he needed into this new world they were embarking it. However, it all came to the overshadowing of Junes journalistic dreams. Fair to say, it wasn't a fan favourite around WH. To the point that their mom asked for her to stay but knew she wouldn't.
That's not who June is.
She goes where she feels the strongest pull and this weekend found her attracted to New York, hosting the first journalist's travelling museum. Maybe niche and corny, but this gave June inspiration and hope that her work could have an impact in the world. So, when the news hit and a gentle nudge from Cash, she hurried to his way.

As he slowly comes to, Alex pauses, before walking to a seat on the sofa, next to his sister, perched in front of the tele.

'Early this night, I received the call from Kensington that Princess Martha of Durset had passed, due to heart failure. It is hard thing to encapsulate the shear sorrow and mourning amongst myself and my family from this tragedy. The late Princess, as you all may know, was close to us here in the White House and First Family also.' President Claremont states.

June looks towards her brother, trying to edge out his current situation. But with all a meagre smile at their mothers last remark, she tucks herself onto his arm, first stiff but loosened under her persistence.

'I am here to offer the sincerest condolences to the Royal family and sending my warmest regards, saddened too by her death. Thank you'

The silence crashes. The press room fills with snaps and lights. The press secretary stumbles over the mass of questions bombarded by the scavenging journalist. Hungry for the story. Because all it was to them was a story. A sight that often lends itself to the pair bursting in laughter from the farce. But today all he could do was control his breath. Prevent his body and mind betraying himself to an action he so desperately wants to do yet knows he shouldn't...yet. So now he's just wrapping his head around the grieving and his lover's leaving.

'You're too in your head again.' She retorts 'How you doing up there?', more sincere this time.
Alex says
'I don't know what to do here, without him. I don't know what he's thinking, how he's feeling, if he's being safe, if he's-'
He swallows down, averting his drizzly gaze
'not'
He succumbs
'I'm here and I can't do anything here. I don't know anything here. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't do...'
He motions his hands around into the empty house
'this without knowing'

June grabs his hands hastily and cups them in her own - something she used to do to calm him down on the occasions he became too overwhelmed to function like himself. She brought her eyes level to his and bat them with the dual expression of compassion and fear - one Alex hated to know. Her eyes constrict - so drawn out, she couldn't muster the words to even counteract his worries - a kinda worry that she fears she isn't able to fix. They wait in the moment of insecurity, until one concedes

June spreads her arms across her brother, more so compacting him than a hug. He rested on her chest, eyes closed, bearing it out - knowing this time he could do something for her, let her find control again.

A few moments later, June relaxes, freeing Alex from her hold. Briefly studying her, she seems set free - he mimics the expression, enough to get June to rise from the sofa-made hibernation.
She leaves to the next room, not without poking, 'Guess I should feed you. Henry will never let me outlive starving you out ' And like that, she hurried to the kitchen.

It wasn't perfect but Alex was glad his sister was here. So glad, he forgot there was no food left in the cupboards - with the corn chips serving as a comfort munch while he ranted in Cash's SUV earlier, there was nothing left except

'Hey. No surprise anywhere y'all ain't got a thing, except these blue orange biscuits'
June comes out to his view, with the packaging
'You didn't eat any of these so I'm guessing they're-'.
Before she could finish the retort, Alex's eyes wrote the response needed.

/
'These are Jaffa Cakes, Alex' Henry says, pointing for the unknown delicacy before him 'True British royalty' He winks at his partner and turns to the one between the pair
'What do you say Mer'. Martha added hastily, after pausing the movie
'Not my favourite'
Alex sucks in air, laughing. Defensive now, he straightens his back and looms over
'First, wrong' and extends further to catch Alex 'Got something to add'
'Just the idea of jelly in a cookie sounds pretty nasty'
'It's not jelly' Henry and Martha say united.

The pair burst into fits, so hard, Alex could hear it even now
/

'...Alex?' June says, re merging from the kitchen, biscuit-less 'Gonna head out to the shops'
Alex, looks at her up and down and back to himself, suprised having missed the fact his sister left
'It's alright. I'll get changed an-'

June slows 'I need the air anyway'
Before grabbing her trench, she peers
'Will you be ok for the next little bit here'

Alex blinks. He squints and nods.

Outside the window, June talks to her agent around in an unmarked car, and jumps into Cash's passenger seat and they're off.

Before crashing his head in a pillow, avoiding the hard thing, his phone rings.

authors note: just the opposite... [this one took longer than expected (IM SORRY!!!!!), hoping you like the way I take the story <3]