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If there's one thing Henry knows, it's that he will never, ever be tired of coming home. He loves his work at the shelter, but there is nothing better than coming back, unlocking their front door and finding whatever happens to be inside. Today, it's David, his little feet tapping on the floor as he runs toward the sound of the key in the lock. Henry bends down to rub his ears, kicking his shoes off and setting his bag aside. As he settles into being home, he hears singing from the kitchen, and pressing a kiss to David's head, he follows his ears.
So kiss me at midnight on New Year’s Eve
Ring in the new year with me
In the kitchen, Henry finds Alex using a wooden spoon as a microphone. He's clearly not planning on anyone seeing him; he's wearing shorts that are sinfully short and say "America's Ass" across his butt. And he's dancing, not the way he dances at parties, but his ridiculous private dances reserved for their little corner of the world. He's also miles from the key the song is supposed to be sung in, paying more attention to the pot on the stove than on trying to seem put together. That’s not what makes Henry stop at the door, though, his hand on his heart and a smile on his lips. He’s more struck by the song, and the band. Alex dances to an angle where he can see Henry and grins almost sheepishly, taking a second to adjust his phone settings so that the music plays around them instead of through his headphones.
oh kiss me, kiss me, kiss me...
Alex pulls Henry into the dance, and Henry is very good at following the song’s instructions. Only as it fades does he look up to say, “Pansy Division?”
“They... you were listening to them on Spotify the other day, and I missed you, so I listened, too. And they’re... you know; good to dance around the kitchen to. I liked it.”
“God, I love you,” Henry says, and Alex turns back to the pan on the stove.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them.”
“When my dad passed, Bea got his music collection, and she found some of their CDs there. She texted me about them."
"Who are they?"
And then Henry does something Alex loves. He takes a breath, and he gets a little smile, bringing his hands together like he's warming up to gesture. "They were the first group where everyone was queer, or at least out, and they... I mean, you know their music. But they'd get people really excited with some of the less obvious songs, and then once everyone was into them, they'd play something obviously gay. They toured and hung out with Green Day in the early 2000s, and they were a big part of Green Day becoming more staunchly anti-homophobia from their audiences. And... and my dad listened to them.”
“So it’s just another piece of proof that he wouldn’t care,” Alex says, and Henry nods.
“Yeah. It’s... I remember him singing some of their cleaner songs sometimes, too, and he wouldn’t change the pronouns. Gran hated it.”
“Well, if your gran hated it, I’m sure it was amazing,” Alex says. Henry just laughs as Alex shifts a pan off the hot burner, then pulls him in for a hug. “I know that’s true of you. I love seeing you piss her off.”
Henry laughs again, blushing a bit, and Alex grins.
“There’s... have you heard “James Bondage” yet?”
“I... maybe?”
“Apparently my dad used to play that one on set sometimes. There’s a video Gran won’t let anyone see, but it’s... he’s in costume and everything, fully looking the role of Bond, singing and dancing to this gay song. And his cast mates are there, too, and they're all just... I don't know; they're having fun. We have it on VHS back at the palace, and transferred to DVDs for me and Bea a few years ago. It's not some fancy press version of him, not the star actor or the prince or whatever, it's just... him. Having fun with his friends, and the cameras happen to be rolling because they're actors, but it's not important that they're being filmed, they're just themselves. It’s... it’s incredible.”
“Do you have it here somewhere? Can... Would it be okay if we watch it together?" Alex looks suddenly a bit worried, but Henry just grins.
"Of course. I'd love to show you; I'd love to show everyone if I could. I want people to know that he wasn't... He was a human, too. He had fun; he wasn't just some inaccessible movie star or robot, he wasn't just Bond or a prince or any of the other roles he used to play," Henry says. "I know he tried to be as much of a person as he could, but Gran..."
Alex just hums, pulling Henry in a bit closer. "You know, if you're really interested in sharing it, this would be a great time to have a supercomputer for a best friend."
----
A week later, the video of Arthur Fox dancing to “James Bondage” appears on YouTube. The account is anonymous, and any ad revenue will go to support ACT UP!.
The minute it goes up, "IRL Chaos Demon" texts Alex a thumbs up. He grins, going to find Henry, who can't stop smiling as they watch the comments roll in.
The Queen throws a fit. Bea almost throws a watch party.
An ocean away from them, Alex and Henry dance in their living room.