It was Alex's idea for doing barbecue and it was worth it. He loves seeing Henry out in the field soaking in the sun with a glass of lemonade in his hand and June laid beside him in her bathing suit, hair soaking wet. She just went for a swim in the lake before she joined Henry by the dock while Alex was helping his father with the meat. Shan and Zahra headed back to their home enjoying the time they had alone and Ellen promised him Henry's safety.
It was a good day, Alex can feel it. Henry's had tried to come out to the world little by little and he is actually showing it although deep inside he can still feel the fear creeping in him whenever he is alone and the thought of abandonment still lingers in his mind. He smiled seeing June and Henry sat side by side each other and glad for once, she could fill in Bea's shoes in Henry's life. He knows no one can replaced Henry's family, his mum and his sister especially but he hoped that his family could gives him a little strength to fight this together. He didn't even noticed that he was smiling staring at them both especially Henry's light skinned reflecting the sunshine like the brightest start in the darkest night. He was wearing Alex's Hawaiian shirt with his buttons all undone in his short white pants barefooted on the ground of his Austin lake house. It felt unreal to have him like this, almost like a dream but Henry is his and his alone.
"You know the next time you and Henry had sex, maybe go a little easy on him." His father's word made him twisted his neck around so fast, "What?!" He yelled at him not believing what he just heard. "Oh come on, you think I don't know what he was doing when he hurt his wrist again? You could have at least do all the work not making him do it instead." Alex was beyond mortified at this point and tossed the spatula over the table not wanting to continue this conversation with his father anymore.
"I am gonna stop you right there paps, we didn't do anything okay. He just- twisted it roughly." Alex tried to hide his embarrassment away but his father won't stop laughing at his gesture especially when he just turned fifty shades redder. He picked up the spatula flipping through the burgers as his dad watches him, "Sure, blame the messenger. Then, maybe the mosquitoes came and gave you that hickey as well." He says grabbing the spatula from his hand and Alex's mouth gaped apart cupping his neck from his father's not even realizing that he had hickeys in the first place.
His father laughed hysterically at Alex trying to hide away his embarrassment but he knows better than to tease him for it. "I'm gonna hide in a hole right now, why none of you said anything?!" He argues but his father shook his head laughing at his response. Alex shook his head back at him before headed towards Henry on the dock and June was the first to notice him. "Hey wanna go for a dip?" She asks and Henry turned his head around to catch him smiling at Henry as he ran a little towards them.
"Maybe later." He says and sat in between them both but before Henry could say anything, Alex cupped his cheek and gave him a deep kiss that made him surprised at his sudden gesture. "What was that for?" He asks as soon as Alex released him. Alex shrugs before he leaned and kissed him again and it was the cue for June to leave. "Ooookaaay, enough. Jeez can you guys do something else for a change?" She snapped and Henry broke the kiss chuckling at her before she took her leave and left them all alone on the dock.
"I love you." Alex whispered as he leaned for another kiss and Henry smiled cupping his cheek. Their forehead leaned against each other and Alex's eyes caught Henry's bandage wrist before he took it in his hand planted a kiss on it. Henry smiled seeing his gesture and his eyes landed on Alex's neck before his own eyes widen at the sight of those red marks over Alex's neck. "Oh my God. Did I do this?" He asks pushing Alex's neck up to examine the marks and he laughs.
"I know you want people to know that I am yours but not when your parents noticed it before you do." Alex commented and Henry's eyes widen at the thought, "Oh my God, I am so sorry. This is humiliating." He says but Alex laughs at his discomfort. "I don't care, I'm happy." Alex pulled his hand away from his neck and leaned for another kiss and eventually Henry gave in and melted in his kisses too.
They were interrupted when they heard a sudden buzzing noise and wonders where it would be coming from. They knew the lake is a closed area guarded by dozens of Secret Service and no boats are out considering both Alex and his father is on land. Their eyes caught on the single drone hovering in air right above them before it finally clicks, "Fuck!" Alex cursed hiding Henry behind him but the drone followed them from above their head.
"DAD!" He screamed at his father and he saw him trying to hide Henry from the drone hovering over following them so he had to push Henry into the lake to hide himself inside. Alex saw the drone still hovering above his head on the dock and wonder who could it be spying over them right here considering not everyone knows where they are. It wasn't until he heard a loud bang coming and the drone flipped over before it burned itself and crashed into the lake.
Henry submerged few seconds later to see Alex on the dock with his hand cupping his ears and behind him was Ellen with a rifle on her hand and it was pretty bad ass to see her like this. "Take that asshole! Eat my second amendment and shove it up your ass!" Ellen says and instructed her security to canvass the area for the culprit. Whoever control the drone must have been near to be navigating it unless it would go out range considering how large the lake is.
Henry climbed the dock with the help of Ellen and saw Alex still stood with his ears cupped and his eyes lowered to where the drone crashed. "Alex?" Henry called after June handed him a towel to wipe himself and he noticed his bandage has turned red again.
"Alex, hey you alright?" He asked cupping Alex's cheek tried to lower his hand down but he pushed Henry off. "NO!" He yelled at him causing him to startle at his tone. "Babe, hey, it's okay. It's gone now." Henry told him but it wasn't the drone that made him like this, it was the gun shot that made him turned into this hostile mode.
"Alex, I'm sorry baby, you know I had too." Ellen apologized but Alex shook his head with his eyes reddened in tears. He mutters something under his breath but Henry couldn't hear what he says, it was gibberish. "Let's get you inside Alex." Henry tried to pull him by his waist but Alex jumped and pushed Henry back, "NO! Get away from me!" Alex yelled and June can see how Henry's face dropped responding to how Alex behaved and before she could step in, Alex turned and ran towards the inside of their home.
"What just happened?" Henry asks wiping his wet hair with the towel June handed him earlier. He winced at his wrist seeing the bandage had soaked red and it got them worried. "You should changed that, we don't want to get it infected. I'll deal with Alex." June says and before she turned, Henry grabbed her elbow, "Tell me why Alex is behaving like that?" He asks her and she turned her gaze towards her mother still holding the rifle in her hand.
"When Alex was in elementary school, there was a lockdown. Active shooter. The kid killed two of his friends and his teacher right in front of him. He never recovered from that actually. After years of therapy we thought he did, but I know he didn't." Ellen told him and it all make sense to him now. Their visit at the hospital, Alex was so shaken about being shoved into the janitor closet and Henry thought it was because of the closed space between them, it wasn't, it was the shots he heard but it wasn't as loud as the one Ellen shot few minutes ago. This was louder, more echoed and Henry himself still had his heart racing due to the aftershock.
"Let me check on him." Henry says but they both shook their heads, "No, take care of that, Oscar will help you, let us deal with Alex." June says and almost left again but Henry stops them. "Let me! He was there for me and I want to be there for him. Please." Henry pleads and Ellen sighed, "It's not what it looks like Henry. I don't want you near him cause he can get violence. He almost get restraint because of how he acted. I don't want you to get hurt." She told him and Henry pressed his lips together at her.
"I don't care. He was with me through my toughest time, then I will be here for him on his. There is nothing would make me changed my mind and I hope you see through it." Henry shoved past Ellen and June headed towards the house seeing Oscar is already ahead of him.
"Mijo." He called for Alex but he didn't answer and Henry can see how worried Oscar is right now. "Oscar?" Henry called tapping on his shoulder as he knocked the door of Alex's bedroom. He turned his head to his side to meet Henry soaking wet and saw the bandage covered in blood. "You should change that or it will get infected." He told him and Henry nods, "I will. Let me talk to him." He told Oscar and he sighed rubbing his temple. "I told Ellie so many times to get rid of that thing but she won't listen to me. Kept telling me it's her presidential right to have the fire arm to protect her family." Henry can see how upset Oscar is right now and that is why he is here not out there talking to Ellen. He didn't want this turned into an argument.
Oscar sat by the couch in living room while Henry went inside and he hoped to find Alex inside their bedroom but when he looked, he was no where inside and even in the bathroom. "Alex?" He called as he closed the bedroom door and his feet wanders inside the room hoping he would find him but failed.
Not until he heard whimpering inside the closet that made him stops right in front of it. He opened the wardrobe door open and saw Alex legs right under the coats hanged. He kneeled still soaking wet and saw Alex rocking his body and forth cupping his ear with his hand still. "Baby." He called placing his palm over Alex's shoulder and it made him jumped. "NO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He yelled shoving Henry on his arm and it made him fall on the ground on his behind.
"Alex, it's me. Come back to me babe." Henry pleads but the only thing he can see is Alex retracting away in the small space hiding away in his fear. "Babe, look at me." Henry begs placing his hand over Alex's wrist and he fought him again but Henry held his ground this time and wished Alex could just opened his eyes to see him. "Alex look at me! Follow my voice babe. It's safe. You're home."
"NO! GET AWAY!" Alex pushed passed Henry by his shoulder and he fell back on his behind as Alex came out from the closet pacing in his shaking hands. Henry eyed his gestured pacing back and forth almost feels like it wasn't Alex that stood before him, it was someone else. "Alex, look at me babe. you're safe." Henry tried to convince him again but Alex shook his head at him with his hands still tangled into each other, "No! He's coming, he's close. I - I need to kill him." Alex mutters and it made Henry jumped from the ground.
"Alex, it's not real. Hey, it's not real." He tried to hold him by his shoulder but Alex shoved him again and his eyes are filled with anger and fear. "He's coming." He says and shoved past Henry to the closet rummaging the item inside. "Alex what are you looking for?" He asks and Alex paced around the room looking for something. "I need to protect us. I need to kill him." Alex mutters and it got Henry worried.
"Babe, it's not real, look at me. Please, come back to me." Henry pleads as he tried to pull Alex's attention towards him but Alex took it as an act of aggression and what he did next, Henry never thought he would do it in a million years. His fist collided with Henry's cheek and it made him fell to the ground with a cut on his lips.
"Hen?" His eyes flooded with tears over his face as he saw himself standing right in the middle of the room with Henry on the ground with a bleeding lips. Henry is soaking wet and his bandage is covered with blood. Alex didn't think twice to crash into Henry's arm and hugged him right there on the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He repeats the word over and over and Henry sighed before he stood from the floor with blood running down his chin.
"Forgive me. I- I didn't mean to." Alex apologized as he fell on his knees and Henry kneeled together with him. "Come back to me darling." He whispered cupping Alex's cheek in his palm and Alex nods leaning towards his embrace. He wrapped his arm around Henry's neck and they both hugged each other on the floor with Henry still soaking wet and Alex shaking in his embrace.
.
Henry can see Alex became calmer than earlier as they both sat on the floor leaning against the bed. Alex shakiness had disappeared but Henry knows he felt guilty for punching Henry especially now the cuts had became worst with bruised starts to form on the side of Henry's cheek. He might have accidentally bit his lips when Alex's fist collided into his which explains why he had two injuries at the same time.
"I'm sorry." Alex whispered staring at the space before him and Henry sighed, "I know Alex. It's not your fault. It was a trigger. It's definitely not anyone's fault either, so don't blame your mother in this." He told Alex and he shook his head, "I never did. She was the one who pulled me out from that school." Henry was surprised at the thought of Ellen saving ten year old Alex from active shooter. It was back then before she even become a president herself so it means she saved her son by her own, no back ups, no secret service, no bodyguards, just her.
"That was badass." Henry commented and Alex snickered a smile at the thought. He never did agreed on his mother with her essential rights but if it wasn't for that, the pictures of him and Henry on the dock would have leaked to the world and soon the people would starts crowding here in their safe place. "I'm sorry I pushed you into the lake, a-and punching you." He mumbles and Henry smiled next to him.
"It was worth it." Henry says before he pulled Alex by his chin and kissed him on his lip only to winced in pain due to the cut. "Sorry." Alex apologized again but Henry shook his head and leaned into their kiss again.
.
Henry showered, changed into his sweatshirts and pants while Alex waited. He helped changed Henry's dressing that got soaked and saw the bleeding had stopped. The cut on Henry's lips are small but it's visible and the bruised had turned shades darker on Henry's pale cheek. "Shan will kill me." He told him as he rubs his thumb over Henry's bruised cheek. "He won't, I won't let him." Alex smiled pressing his kiss over Henry's forehead and later leaned their forehead together. "When did we become such a mess?" He whispers and Henry wrapped his arm around Alex's waist.
"I don't mind. We are bound for this mess and I will embraced it either way it deem fit." Alex smiled leaning his lips over Henry's lips carefully planting his soft kisses not wanting to hurt him further. "Come on, let's eat." Henry pulled him by his wrist and Alex smiled seeing Henry eagerness to enjoy their lunch.
As they both exited the room, it was only then they both heard the argument outside on the porch. "I TOLD YOU! I fucking told you to get rid of it but you never listened to me! You broke our son again and God knows how long it took for him to come back this time!" Oscar yelled at her and she sighed shaking her head, "I didn't break him! Tell me what the hell am I supposed to do? That drone can cause more chaos than we know and I didn't want Henry to suffer more than he should!" Ellen yells back and never would Henry thought they are fighting about him instead of just Alex and he felt bad being the reason for it.
"What about our son suffering then huh?! Am I supposed to let him suffer just because we are protecting the Prince?! Alex comes first! That is the agreement!" Oscar yelled back and it made Henry's heart dropped. Alex saw the look on Henry's face dropped as he heard his parents arguing about them both and he had to step in, "Dad! Enough. Both of you." They all turned and relief washes over their faces as they saw Alex stood by the door and Ellen immediately rushed to hug him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I didn't mean to scare you baby." Ellen apologized and Alex shook his head at her with a soft smile on his face.
"I'm glad you did mum, God knows what's gonna happened if you don't. I don't think we are ready to have our photos leaked again without our consent." He says and June smiled seeing her brother is not retracting away to madness. "Where's Henry?" She asks and Alex turned to his side seeing Henry is no longer standing by his side. His face dropped at the front door left opened and Henry is no longer in sight. "No, no no." he mumbles running towards the front door only to find Henry is gone along with one of their car.