In the past few weeks, Alex had not been able to stop with the Adderall, actually he had only started taking more. He had been taking Adderall every morning for over a week now, just to get himself through the day after his few hours of sleep. To get himself to sleep at all, he would drink.
The wedding was nearly upon them, only a week away, and his bachelor party was tonight. Henry and he had agreed on no groomsmen - just June and Pez as Maid of Honor and Best Man, and Nora and Bea as honorary bridal party - but he did have a few friends from the law office and Liam coming to the party. It had been a while since he had seen Liam, about a year and a half ago he married his boyfriend Alex had first met the night his mother got re-elected. They seemed so happy together - two Texas boys. They both had been invited even when the wedding was supposed to be small.
Alex offered to fly both of them out to NYC for his bachelor party (he had unfortunately been unable to attend Liam's bachelor party because he couldn't get off from work for more than the day of Liam's wedding), but Liam's husband couldn't make it. So the party was Liam, June, Nora, Pez, and John and Craig from the office (Bea had turned down coming since she was still sober, and babysitting, in her words, a bunch of wasted bastards didn't sound like her idea of a good time– plus she wanted to be with Henry. Alex was grateful Henry wouldn't be alone tonight, since he wasn't planning on making it home until 3 or 4 am, when they would have to head to the airport for their Texas flight).
All their bags were packed, ready to go to Texas. Alex had his wedding suit and, unfortunately, his work that he would need to continue to do right up until the day of the wedding (which meant also bringing the pills) so that he and Henry could enjoy their honeymoon work-free. But first, the bachelor parties: Henry's was yesterday (Henry had come home happy and still tipsy) and tonight was his. June had planned it. He didn't know any of the details, but Alex was so excited. He hadn't had a night to let loose in a long time.
As he steps out of his law office building after a client meeting, a party bus pulls up. The door opens and there is his sister, hanging her head out and yelling, "Get in, loser!"
The smile instantly breaks across Alex's face. As he steps onto the bus, it takes his eyes a second to adjust to the dim blue light interior. Benches line the walls of the bus and sitting there are Nora, Pez, and Liam.
"Hey guys! Are we uh, going straight there? Because I did not bring a change of clothes." Alex has on his business suite. His outfit picked out for the night is back home: a colorful collared shirt he had planned to wear open with his bare chest and some ripped knee-length jorts.
"Don't worry, I brought you something," June says as she hands him a gift bag. Out from the tissue paper, Alex pulls a black, shear, glittery crop-top with fishnet sleeves. On the back, it says 'Groom To Be' in glittery pink, purple and blue text. There's also a pair of sleek, mid-thigh black shorts to go with it.
Alex had grown more bold in his fashion choices since he became more involved with the queer community over his time being with Henry. He had even worn a crop top before. But nothing like this, at least not in public. But it's clear his sister had it made, the lettering on the back was custom, so he goes to try it on.
"You'all don't mind, right?" Alex says as he pulls off his shirt.
"I think we've all seen it before," Nora says.
Liam glances over at his shirtless torso for a second. "Well a few things have changed since I last saw it." June and Nora chuckle. Liam smirks before turning his head away and Alex unbuttons his pants. Over the past few years, Alex and Liam had been slowly working on rebuilding their friendship. Liam was Alex's best friend from high school, so Alex wanted to stay friends despite everything they'd been through. But Liam still lived in Texas and had his own life and his husband, so they were both busy. They texted occasionally but not really to the point where they talked on the phone.
Alex is glad Liam felt comfortable making jokes around him though and not freaking out that Alex is stripping down to his boxers on a moving bus with no partitions except a stripper pole, which he couldn't exactly hide behind.
Liam is wearing jeans, worn cowboy boots, black collared shirt unbuttoned to halfway down and a classic cowboy belt with a big buckle. Alex guesses he decided to leave the cowboy hat at home.
Alex finishes putting on the new outfit and luckily the bus has a full-length mirror near the front. Fuck. Alex wants to fuck himself he looks so hot. Henry needs to see this. He pulls out his phone and snaps a quick pic which both June and Nora photo-bomb in the background, holding up peace signs like it's 2012.
He sends the picture off and within seconds his phone buzzes: Fucking hell it reads with the red sweaty-face emoji. Quickly followed up by, You sure you can't skip the party and come home?
Isn't Bea there? he responds.
Yeah but I can send her back to the hotel. She would understand.
You know I want to baby but June put in so much time into planning this
I know you want to go. I won't keep you. I love you, baby. Have fun tonight, you deserve it. Kissy-face emoji.
God does Alex love this man. Henry knows him- inside and out. He loved Alex's extrovertism even when Henry wanted to hide. Henry loved his ambition and drive, even when Alex took it too far. Henry loves him for him, every part of him. He couldn't wait to marry him. But Alex is also very much looking forward to this night out.
"Alright, time to turn up the music!" Nora yells as they drive off.
---
It was still early when they picked Alex up so they went to get some food first. Alex's work friends were going to meet up with them later, June said she had it all sorted. Alex was a bit wary of going out in the outfit while it was still daylight, and into a restaurant at that. But June had back-up clothes in case Alex wasn't comfortable in the clothes she brought, saying she would understand if Alex didn't want to wear it at all, but Alex reassured her that he loved it, but wore a button-down over the top for dinner. He wasn't necessarily ready for this outfit to be on the cover of newspapers tomorrow morning.
It had started to get dark as they pull up to Alex's favorite chicken-finger joint. They all hop out and grab the seats on the counter along the window. June, Nora, and Pez go to order.
"So, Liam, how have you been? It's been a while!"
"I've been good, Alex. And you?"
"Oh, crazy busy, you know."
"I know you usually are. I usually don't get too busy working as a high-school teacher. Plus I get weekends and summers off."
"Ok, you don't have to rub it in," Alex laughs.
Liam suddenly gives him this look of intensity. It uncovers a buried memory of Liam giving him this look back in high school, when he wanted Alex to know he was being serious. "Do you ever slow down, Alex? It's a week before your wedding and we had to pick you up from work for your bachelor party. Have you even seen Henry today?"
"Yeah, in the morning." Alex tries to sound causal. They don't talk like this anymore. Alex can't remember the last time he had a serious personal conversation with Liam, probably when he called because he was figuring out his sexuality after first kissing Henry.
"It doesn't count if he was still sleeping when you left."
"Well, then, no. But we'll be home in time to shower and hop a cab with him to the airport." Alex doesn't like the judgment in Liam's eyes. He has a terrible poker face. Alex changes the subject. "Can I ask you a question, Liam?"
"Shoot."
"Do your students know you're gay?"
"Well I don't make a big thing of it, but I supervise our school's GSA chapter." Previously the Gay Straight Alliance, now the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, GSA is a high school program Alex wishes they had while in high school. "So it's not a secret. My husband comes to the lacrosse games sometimes." Alex nearly forgot Liam also coaches the lacrosse team at his school, along with teaching 9th-grade English, AP English, and AP Government at the high school outside of Austin they both attended. Liam seemed to really enjoy it; Alex couldn't even remember what small-town living was like anymore.
"And you don't have any issues with it– parents and stuff complaining?"
Liam shifts towards Alex. "Why do you ask, Alex?"
"I felt like Texas was changing, for the better. Or at least, I hoped– I've barely been back since my mom's re-election. I thought Texas going blue for the first time in decades had an impact, but last year it went red again. I just... I hope that I'm still welcomed there."
"It's Austin, Alex. No one cares that we're queer. Even 10 years ago, people were chill with it."
"Yeah, but, this wedding. It's definitely gonna be the biggest gay event in Texas history."
That startles a laugh out of Liam, "It's a low bar, Alex. Is that what this is about? Are you worried about it not being accepted? Or are you just getting cold feet?"
"I'm not getting cold feet. I love Henry."
"I know you do, Alex, trust me, I know. From that first phone call, when you asked if what we had had meant something in high school, I could tell you were in love with someone. And then when I saw you two together for the first time, when I read your emails–"
"Oh you read them, huh?" That makes Liam blush.
"Oh come on, how could I not! Not all of them– but they were everywhere, in every headline. People kept asking me if I had because they knew we used to be friends, kept asking if I had known."
Alex pauses at that, "What did you tell them?"
Liam shrugs, "That I didn't for sure, but I had suspicions."
"You never told anyone about..." Alex flashes his eyes between Liam and himself.
"No, that's no one's business but ours. But Alex, if you're having cold feet–"
"Who wants chicken fingers!" Pez is holding a container in either hand, behind him Nora and June have sauces and milkshakes and french fries.
---
Back in the party bus they do make-up, Nora covers Alex's face in pink glitter. They meet up with John and Craig and those two straight boys look a little out of place in their jeans and polos, but as they start pouring drinks, everyone starts to relax. Alex has suspicions that Craig is actually queer on the down-low, but Big Law isn't exactly the most LGBTQ-friendly career. Alex is lucky, he knows that. For all the struggles he had to deal with by being queer, being the son of a President and graduating top of his class from both Georgetown and Columbia gave him more than enough opportunities to make up for it.
Finally they pull up to the club. It's a popular queer club, but they also cater to straight clientele because it's just such a cool place that straight girls go, and where straight girls go, straight boys follow (at least the ones who have enough self-confidence in their own identity that being hit on by a dude doesn't bother them).
The lights are flashing, the fog machine is going, and ripped men in glittery underwear dance on poles. They line up the shots on the bar, again and again. Once Alex has lost count of the number, his suspicions about Craig are confirmed when he sees him making out with a guy on the dance floor. John has managed to find one of the straight (or bi) girls who is shaking her ass on his groin and John looks unsure of what to do with himself. Pez and Nora are dancing together, a bit closer than friendly, but Alex is too drunk to trust his judgement, and probably so are they. June doesn't look upset as she throws an arm around his shoulder. "Having fun, brother?"
"...Yea" he slurs, "ANOTHER ROUND!"
"I don't know about that, baby bro. Why don't we just dance?"
"Nooooooooo," he whines. "One more." He taps the bar. A shot is in front of him a few seconds later.
---
Things go fuzzy after that. Alex remembers the room spinning and the lights twinkling in the corners of his eyes. He remembers the feel of June's arms around him, and then Pez coming to help support him. He remembers being on the floor of the bathroom, and the walls covered in graffiti.
He wakes up in his own bed when it's still dark outside: Henry beside him, fully-dressed, hand on Alex's shoulder.
"Alex, darling. We have a plane to catch. Take this." Henry hands him some Tylenol and a glass of water.
Alex moans as he starts to sit up. He takes the Tylenol and downs them before even taking a sip of the water.
Henry replaces the water cup with a coffee mug. "I've finished packing your carry-on for you, love. The car will be here any minute. Your clothes are on the foot of the bed," he says before walking towards the bathroom.
Alex moans again. The last thing he wants to do is get up, but Henry has gratefully kept most of the lights off. The outfit Henry has laid out is a matching pair of gray sweats with a pair of sunglasses. He slowly pulls himself out of the bed.
A/N: Please do not mix Adderall with alcohol! I tried to look it up, but I'm still not exactly sure how long you should wait between taking Adderall and drinking, so if you are on Adderall please consult your doctor.