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Considering the amount Alex paid for rent, he spent shockingly little time at his apartment.
He hadn’t planned on it being that way. Going to law school, he felt like he’d been preparing for a good third of his life by the time he took the LSATs and got accepted. When it started, he figured he would be on campus for his classes, find people to make a study group with, and they’d decide where to meet up and compare notes after.
What actually happened wasn’t far off that, but it also included Alex spending an inordinate amount of time at the library on campus.
The problem was that his apartment had distractions, as good as he was at ignoring them most of the time. But once he got used to the environment of the library, the chosen meeting location of his study group, he found it difficult to have the same amount of focus anywhere else. And he was good at focusing. Like, the fucking best.
His group had a table they’d claimed as their own, and that was where Alex sat even when he was there alone. It wasn’t near the entrance or stairs, which cut down on distracting foot traffic, but got a good amount of natural light when it was still daylight outside. The fluorescent lights in the ceiling left something to be desired, but nothing could be done about that. Not that he hadn’t tried.
He was reminded of it every time he sat in his normal chair, which had a perfect line of sight to the reference desk, and saw him.
Henry Fox was the librarian Alex saw most often, which was a problem. The heated exchange they’d shared over the choice of lights in the library was one Alex replayed in his head often, when he couldn’t sleep. He’d come with reasonable, rational, researched information, and Henry’d shot him down. Henry hadn’t even looked at the articles Alex printed out for him.
Henry Fox was infuriating, and he was also infuriatingly hot.
A smarter Alex would have changed seats, picked one that didn't face directly at the desk where Henry stood so casually, as if he wasn't academia porn on legs. Long legs at that, Alex was pained to notice every time the man came out from behind the desk. Henry wore cardigans like he'd raided his grandpa’s closet and didn't want any of them to feel neglect, and Alex hated how much that did for him.
He wouldn't have been able to make cardigan observations if he'd changed seats. (He wasn't sure if that went in the pros or cons column.)
As it was, the group had dismissed for the afternoon and Alex stayed behind, taking over more of the table with his books and notecards, no longer restraining himself to only the portion of the table in front of him. He was on a roll after their discussion, feeling good about the material they covered, but he also felt like he needed coffee.
It would have been smart to go get some before everyone else left, but his thoughts had been elsewhere.
Alex gave a quick look around, but when there wasn't anyone studying nearby he got up and strolled to the reference desk as casually as possible. There wasn't anyone else there, no one asking Henry questions or admiring the deep green shade of his daily cardigan. It was perfect timing, really.
“Hey, Henry,” Alex said as he stepped up to the desk, leaning against it as he looked up at Henry, immediately forgetting why he'd gone over there because goddamn.
There was something so haughty about Henry’s face, and Alex wanted to hate it but he was kind of obsessed with it, actually. Just like he was a little obsessed with the threads of silver woven through Henry’s golden hair, and the pinch at the corner of Henry’s mouth when he got focused. Or was annoyed. Alex hadn't fully cracked that code yet.
“Yes, Alex?” Henry replied patiently, hands folded on the counter in front of him. And Christ, that accent on top of everything else should have been illegal. “Are you in need of assistance? Or perhaps you have another grievance to levy against the facilities here?”
“I know that you know these lights are shitty,” Alex shot back, with no bite to it, then he gathered himself and flashed his most charming smile — the one that made knees weak and wills bend, in his experience. “Could you watch my stuff while I go grab a coffee? From the café next door, it'll be super quick.”
Henry’s gaze shifted over his shoulder, where Alex’s table was, then met Alex’s again. His eyes were so blue, and Alex got so lost in trying to figure out exactly what shade they were that he almost missed what Henry said.
“No.”
“What?” Alex blinked rapidly, his brow furrowed. “No?”
“No,” Henry repeated, nonplussed. “I will not accept liability for your belongings as you abandon them in a public building.”
“Jesus Christ, you're annoying,” Alex muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. He really didn't want to have to pack up all his shit only to come right back and unload it again. “It's just for a minute, and you're not busy.”
“Presumptuous.” Henry raised an eyebrow, and Alex wanted to kiss that look right off his stupid face. “I’m working, Alex, and if I recall correctly, the job description didn't include babysitting the belongings of over-caffeinated students so they can get more coffee.”
“How would you know if I’m over-caffeinated?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow right back.
“You sit in my direct eyeline and are quite loud,” Henry replied pointedly. “It would be difficult not to notice the amount of coffee you drink.”
“You watching me, Fox?” Alex asked with a crooked grin, enjoying the light blush that crept up into Henry’s cheeks.
“As I said.” Henry cleared his throat, eyes dropping to the computer screen on his desk. “Unless there's anything else?”
It was a dismissal, but Alex lingered an extra few moments, watching the blush blossom a little darker as he stood there. He eventually sighed, a tad dramatically, and pushed away from the desk to go back to his table. It took all of ten seconds for him to decide, fuck it, and only pocket his phone and wallet before dashing to the café.
Each minute standing in line felt longer when he was left hoping all his stuff would be there when he got back. Alex was downright jittery by the time it was his turn to order — probably a sign he could do without the large coffee he ordered, but fuck it, we ball. He was in and out in less than three minutes, sugar and cinnamon added to his coffee before he made the short trek next door to the library again.
All his things were still there, undisturbed, and Alex could have sworn he saw Henry looking in that direction, keeping an eye on it, before he noticed he was back.
Interesting.
A mystery for another time, because Alex had plenty of reading to do on top of case notes to study.
♢♢♢
The thing about Alex was, he was tenacious. Some had called it less flattering words in the past — obsessive, hard headed, hyper fixated — but he preferred something more like persistent. It was what saw him graduate summa cum laude from undergrad, get a baller score on the LSATs, and would get him through law school
It was also what would crack Henry’s stuffy, rigid shell.
At least, that's what Alex hoped.
Because fuck if it wasn't frustrating to see Henry be perfectly cordial and friendly to other people, not that Alex was watching. But maybe he'd noticed a laugh shared between Henry and one of the other librarians, and how it lit up Henry’s face in a way he wanted to see again. And the soft, interested look he got when someone asked him a question.
Someone that wasn't Alex, anyway.
Henry never looked interested in his questions, but Alex made it a point to go ask him something every time he was there, all part of his plan to wear Henry down and win him over. Tenacity.
“Henry!” Alex greeted cheerfully as he approached the reference desk, trying to not take it personally when Henry’s shoulders tensed at the sound of his voice. Maybe he was being too loud; it was a library, after all. “How's my favorite librarian today?”
“Is that me?” Henry asked mildly, turning his full attention to Alex as he always did. It made Alex’s skin tingle, having that focus on him. “I’m well, thank you. Are you in need of assistance?”
“I have a question.”
“Of course you do,” Henry replied, a touch of dryness in his tone. “And what, pray tell, is your query today?”
“What do you know about Madeira?”
Alex watched as Henry processed the question, the little furrow that formed in the middle of his brow. There was always a pause, like Henry was going through all his mental rolodexes to find where he'd put that particular information, if it was there.
“I can't say I know much of anything,” Henry answered slowly, his hand moving to the keyboard of his computer. “Do you need information about it?”
Because, bless his heart, Henry was always ready to dive into a research hole even when he knew Alex’s questions had nothing to do with his course of study. It was endearing as fuck, as were the wire rimmed glasses tucked in the pocket of Henry’s shirt, and Alex thought he might die if he saw them on.
“It's an archipelago,” Alex replied, as if that answered Henry’s question. “It was discovered by sailors in the service of… guess who!”
“I feel as though you're going to tell me.”
“Prince Henry the Navigator,” Alex said cheerfully. “Isn't that fun?”
“Quite,” Henry replied, and Alex could have sworn there was almost an uptick at the corner of his mouth. “And what brought on this sudden interest in Madeira?”
“It was today’s Redactle,” Alex offered with a shrug. At Henry’s blank stare, he grinned. “You don't know Redactle? It seems like something you'd like!”
“Ah, and you're knowledgeable about my likes and dislikes?” It almost sounded like Henry was teasing him, and that was enough for Alex to roll with.
“Of course I do,” he said breezily. “You like books, knitwear, research, law students…” He flashed a crooked smile up at Henry, barreling on without giving him a chance to say anything. “Dislikes include loud people, though on second thought that might go in the ‘likes’ column because you get to shush them…”
“I do not shush people,” Henry interrupted, looking slightly amused, which was the best Alex had ever gotten from him. He'd fucking take it. “That is a stereotype. You're loud, have I ever shushed you?”
“Not yet, but I’m always waiting for it, sweetheart,” Alex drawled, pleased as fucking punch when Henry’s cheeks went pink.
Henry cleared his throat, clicking at something on his computer before meeting Alex’s gaze again. “Is there anything else?”
“I think that's all for now,” Alex relented, feeling victorious with the inch of progress he'd made, ready to turn it into a mile. “I’m serious though, you should check out Redactle. It’s one of those things I use to get my brain going in the mornings, like the New York Times games. You strike me as a Wordle guy, now that I think about it—”
“Yes, alright,” Henry said, writing on a post-it before holding it up for Alex to read. “Spelled like this, correct?”
“You got it,” Alex confirmed, taking a moment to appreciate Henry’s handwriting, which was as neat and precise as he would have expected. Much like his own chicken scratch was what people expected from him. He took a step backward, still facing Henry as he started to move away. “Don't let me down, I’ll be asking you about it.”
“I'm sure you will,” Henry replied, sounding resigned but Alex was half convinced that was a put on just for him.
After almost getting a smile and making Henry blush again, he was willing to bump it up to a seventy percent chance it was an act, but he'd definitely need more evidence.
♢♢♢
“Okay, but when was the last time you ate something, like, a full meal?”
Questions like that were why Alex usually texted his sister, rather than talk to her on the phone, though he used the helpful excuse of classes and being at the library as to why calls weren’t as easy. It was more difficult to dodge when June could hear the pause, accurately read into the silence.
“Alex,” she sighed. “You can’t survive on coffee and granola bars.”
“I’m fine, Bug,” he replied, despite the fact that she knew him too well. “And they’re protein bars.”
“My apologies,” June said dryly, and he could feel her rolling her eyes. “You’ll still land in the hospital if you don’t take care of yourself, and actually eat something.”
Alex did eat more than just protein bars. He was usually good about breakfast, but the rest of the day was where shit got away from him. There was no real rhyme or reason to when he grabbed a snack, or what it would be, mostly whenever he realized his stomach was grumbling at him or he started to lose focus. The latter usually meant whatever pastry looked decent when he grabbed another cup of coffee.
“I’m fine,” he repeated, glancing up as he approached the library and stopping in front of it, out of the way from the doors. “I had toast and eggs this morning — that counts as a meal, right? See?”
“It’s the middle of the afternoon.”
“Yes, and I’ve been in class,” Alex said patiently. “I’ll text you a picture of my dinner later, will that make you happy?”
“Exceedingly.”
“Great, glad to hear it.” He glanced down at his watch. “I gotta go, my study group meets soon and I want to talk to Henry.”
“Who’s Henry?” Nora piped up, because apparently he was on speakerphone. Honestly, that was on him. He should have assumed they were both there.
“He’s a librarian,” Alex answered, ignoring the sound Nora made in response.
“Is he hot?” she asked, which was more difficult to ignore.
“He dresses like a goddamn grandpa,” he said instead, which was true.
It was also true that Henry was incredibly hot. Alex had only grown more aware of that since he made it his daily mission to try and get Henry to like him. Even Henry’s voice was hot, all posh and proper, always speaking just this side of quiet as to not disturb anyone studying. Alex wanted to hear what he sounded like when he could really let go — like under him, or on top of him, he wasn’t picky.
“That wasn’t a no,” Nora sing-songed, June laughing and clearly snatching the phone away from her.
“Dinner, lil bit,” she said, her tone soft. Concerned. “Don’t forget to send me a pic.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Alex mumbled, clearing his throat. “Love you. You too, Nora, I guess.”
There was a loud raspberry blown in the background as June said she loved him too, and finally Alex was free.
It used to be he would retrieve books first, get everything stacked up on the table, set about his work, and go talk to Henry once he needed a break. Now, Alex’s first stop was the reference desk, before he bothered with anything else. Assuming Henry wasn’t already busy. Sometimes he was, but thankfully not most of the time.
Alex didn’t know what it was about Henry, but he couldn’t get over how hot he was. Nora asking about it probably didn’t help matters. He was focused on something on his computer, giving Alex a nice look at his profile, the strong line of his jaw that Alex simply wanted to chew on. God, he needed to get laid.
“Hello Alex,” Henry said, without even looking at him.
“Henry,” Alex replied brightly, waiting for Henry’s attention, and gaze, to actually move to him before saying anything else. “Did you do today’s?”
“Mount St. Helens.” Henry smiled, actually smiled, the crows feet at the corners of his eyes crinkling. He had his stats written on a note, like a nerd, and Alex found it horribly endearing. “I had a 76% accuracy rate with my guesses, which I’m having to work on seeing as a good number.”
“Dude, I know,” Alex said with a sigh, shaking his head. “I’m a straight As guy, you’re telling me I should see that number as victory? Does not compute, you know?”
He had, in a way, cracked Henry’s code. Tapped into that research side of him that wanted to find answers, all through a silly game on the internet. If Alex was honest, he’d expected it to take a few more times of bothering Henry to get him to try it, but that first day after they’d talked about it, Henry had been ready with the answer when Alex strolled up to his desk.
“So are you going to admit it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, grinning softly at the confused little furrow of Henry’s brow. “That I know what you like?”
“Hmm.” Henry hummed in thought, as though he was actually considering. “I’ll admit that you were right about this, I do like Redactle. It’s addictive, trying to puzzle out the right clues to get to the answer.”
“I was right about more than that, but I’ll take what I can get,” Alex replied easily. “I know how difficult it is for you to give me compliments.”
“Don’t you have studying to do?” Henry asked, giving a pointed look toward Alex’s table. “I hardly believe you came here simply to talk to me.”
“I do have to study.” Alex paused, grinning a little more and giving Henry a wink. “That doesn’t mean the latter wouldn’t be true, though.”
“Yes, well,” Henry said, clearing his throat and glancing at his computer. “Do let me know if you have any questions — reference questions,” he amended, because the last time he hadn’t specified, Alex had basically roped him into a game of twenty questions. “Your group may begin without you if you don’t hurry.”
“Worth it.” Alex shrugged, lingering a moment longer before retreating to gather the remaining books they needed, sliding into his regular seat at the table with a whole minute to spare.
♢♢♢
If asked, Alex would say he worked better the busier he was.
If asked, his sister would say that sounded incredibly unhealthy and unsustainable. So it was a good thing no one was asking her shit.
It was just, Alex had worked his ass off to get to where he was, so it would be a disservice to himself not to make the most of every opportunity available. Right?
So he went to the different sessions and clinics the school offered, any of them he could fit into his schedule even if he wasn’t sure about the topic of discussion. It couldn’t hurt to have the experience, and maybe he’d learn something anyway.
Alex submitted entries to the student writing competition, hoping he might be selected for one of the journals, and applied for fellowships with the Criminal Justice Center. At least where fellowships were concerned, he didn’t have the same approach as with clinics. He wasn’t about to spend his time and energy working or clerking on a fellowship that he didn’t actually give a shit about.
He kept himself too busy to have time to stop, which he’d always found to be an asset.
“Yeah,” June would say. “Until the fucking crash.”
But June wasn’t there, or Nora, or anyone, really. No one to stop Alex from putting the pedal to the floor.
So maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised when he found himself being gently shaken in an attempt to wake him up from where he’d fallen asleep face first in his notecards.
“Alex.”
It sounded like when Henry said his name, all round vowels and the ‘x’ extra crisp, and Alex liked that a lot. He smiled to himself, not awake enough to register what was going on until he was given a slightly firmer jostle.
“Alex.”
“Wha—” Alex jolted upright, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the (florescent!) light, absently pawing a notecard off his cheek where it was stuck. He was remiss to discover it had stuck to him due to the fact he’d been drooling, and he pulled the bottom of his shirt up to wipe his face off in case there was any more evidence.
“Alex.” His name was said softly that time, and it was for sure Henry, which was only incredibly fucking embarrassing considering — well, everything about the situation.
“Fuck, sorry,” he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face to try and get his eyes to stay open better, and also hopefully cover the heat he could feel rising in his cheeks.
“Don’t…” Henry sighed, pulling out the next chair over and sitting down. “You don’t have to apologize, Alex. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, fine.” Alex cleared his throat, tilting his head from side to side to get his neck to crack. “Guess I should’ve had more coffee.”
“I sincerely doubt it was a lack of coffee,” Henry said dryly, resting his forearm on the table and leaning onto it, entering more of Alex’s periphery.
Alex gave in and looked over, immediately caught by how close they were, realizing how there had always been a counter between them every single time they’d talked before. Sure, he’d seen Henry up close before, but not this close, and apparently even that slight difference made it even worse.
This close, Alex could see the shade of his eyes better, though the name of it still eluded him. He could see the individual strands of silver in Henry’s hair, and where there was one stuck on his cardigan, on his shoulder. How incredibly delicious and kissable Henry’s lips looked, all plush and biteable. And they were right there, so close, all he’d have to do was lean–
“I think it might be a good time to call it a night,” Henry continued, which Alex knew because he was still looking at his lips, watching the way his mouth formed the words with his posh fucking accent. “You should get some actual rest. I’m sure a pillow would be better than this table.”
“Huh?” Alex’s gaze was broken when Henry rapped his knuckles against the top of the table, eyes darting over to Henry’s hand before he pulled himself the fuck together. “Oh, right. Pillow.”
They sat there, neither moving, and it only took a few seconds before Henry spoke again. “How are you getting home? Do you live far?”
“What?” Alex blinked, his brow furrowing. “Why?”
“Because,” Henry said slowly. “You look as though you might pass out again at any moment, and I’d rather that not happen if you’re behind the wheel of a car, for instance.”
“Oh,” Alex said again, and damn, he wasn’t about to win any awards for eloquence. “I, no, not driving. A few blocks off campus, I walk.”
Henry hummed and, even with his brain still half off, Alex recognized it as his thinking hum, because apparently he could differentiate between Henry’s hums. That was a thing.
“If you’d be amenable,” Henry started, looking down to where his hand was resting on the table. “I would feel far better if you weren’t on your own, walking home in this state.”
“You make it sound like I’m drunk,” Alex pointed out, managing a tired grin. “You worried for my safety, sweetheart?”
“Honestly, yes,” Henry admitted, and fuck if that didn’t make something swoop in Alex’s stomach. Not that he needed or wanted Henry to worry, but still. He was. “I would feel far better if you weren’t alone, and I’m not saying it needs to be me, I could call campus security and have—”
“I’ll take you over a rent-a-cop any day,” Alex interrupted, forcing himself to look at the mess on the table in front of him. Not that it would be difficult or time consuming to tidy up, but fuck.
“I can put the books back,” Henry offered, already reaching for one.
“Wait, you’re… aren’t you working?” Alex asked with a frown. Henry tilted his head toward the reference desk, and Alex looked over for the first time since he woke up. There was someone else standing in Henry’s spot behind it, looking diligently studious and helpful. “Oh.”
“So I’ll put the books back,” Henry repeated, rising up to do just that. “And that should give you time to gather your things.”
Alex’s gaze followed Henry as he walked away, books stacked in his arms, fully distracted by watching him go between shelves to return the books to their rightful places. It wasn’t until Henry only had one left that Alex remembered he was supposed to be doing something, too.
“Fuck,” he muttered, pushing his chair back and standing to get a better view of the complete clusterfuck that was his study materials. He’d been a little scattered, which should have been a sign that he wasn’t at his best, but he’d ignored that completely to push forward. Not that he was normally organized or neat. Controlled chaos would be a better way to put it.
“Take your time.” He looked up quickly to find Henry halfway back to him, clearly observing his lack of progress before gesturing over his shoulder. “I’m going to get my keys, I’ll be back.”
“Fucking Christ, focus up,” Alex mumbled to himself, hopping on the balls of his feet to get his blood flowing a bit more before actually managing to collect his belongings into his backpack, where everything was organized. He’d even made it as far as to toss his empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can after he’d pushed his chair in, leaving the table as he’d found it hours earlier.
Henry met him by the doors, and Alex tried not to feel any kind of way about walking side by side with him as they left. They were close again, like they’d been at the table, so close their hands kept threatening to brush against each other, and Alex resisted the urge to flex his fingers just enough to make it happen.
“All of you law students are quite studious,” Henry commented. “I believe you may win the award for most hours in the library, though.”
“Knew you were watching me,” Alex replied teasingly, bumping his shoulder into Henry’s lightly, testing the waters. The crisp night air had done a remarkable job of waking him up the rest of the way, which he appreciated since he had his favorite hot librarian literally walking him home.
“You are aware you make your presence known every time you’re there, correct?” Henry tilted his head to be able to look at him, and Alex raised an eyebrow. “You come to the reference desk as soon as you walk through the door.”
“You’re welcome.” Alex grinned softly at the huff Henry let out. “What? Clearly I value the way you dismiss my questions and attempts to brighten your days.”
“Alex,” Henry sighed, which only made Alex’s grin grow. “My point was, I hardly need to watch you to be aware you practically live there.”
“Doesn’t stop you though, does it?”
Maybe it was the fact that he didn’t live that far from campus and they were quickly approaching his stop, so there was a clock set on their walk together, close to counting down. Normally he’d flirt a little, make a comment, then when Henry dodged or brushed it off, he’d relent. That normally happened when Henry was at work, though, and Alex wasn’t trying to be a pest. Maybe it was easier to lean into when Henry wasn’t on the clock and they weren’t in the library at all.
“Tell me,” Alex said, drawing to a stop in front of the door to his building, turning to face Henry when he did the same. It felt like his shot, and fuck if he wasn’t going to take it. “Tell me you don’t like it that I come talk to you before I do anything else.”
Henry’s eyes widened, all gorgeous and blue, that blush Alex liked so much coloring his cheeks. “I…”
“Tell me,” Alex continued, emboldened, shifting half a step forward — not into Henry’s space but close to it. “That you don’t like my dumb questions.”
“They’re not dumb, Alex,” Henry said quickly, as if that was what needed to be clarified. Alex smirked, taking another half step forward, a thrill running through him when Henry didn’t move away.
“Tell me you don’t watch me,” Alex murmured, because he was close enough that he could, his gaze lingering on Henry’s lips before lifting to meet his eyes. “And I’ll lie too and tell you the same.”
“Alex.” Henry drew in a breath, holding it a moment before slowly letting it out, an exhale Alex felt against his skin. “You’re a student.”
“Graduate student,” Alex clarified, arching an eyebrow. “I’m a whole-ass adult, baby, and you’re not a teacher.”
“Still, young.”
“You’re telling me that doesn’t turn you on?” Alex teased, his smirk turning sharklike. “That I’m young, and I want you?” He lifted a hand between them, fingertips tracing along the middle edge of Henry’s cardigan. “You’re not old, Henry, even if you dress like you are.”
“They’re comfortable and the library gets chilly,” Henry said hotly, before he looked away. “I’m 35.”
“And I’m 22,” Alex replied, shrugging. “So fucking what?”
Henry’s gaze flickered back to him and Alex could see the careful barricade of excuses Henry’d built up crumbling away. It would be different if he seemed to mean any of them, rather than them simply being lip service, but there wasn’t anything behind any of them. And Henry still hadn’t moved, when he could have stepped back or walked away at any point, no excuses needed.
“Tell me,” Alex murmured. “That you don’t want me.”
“I can’t,” Henry whispered, his eyes closing.
Alex’s expression softened, and he waited several long, torturous seconds for Henry to open his eyes and look at him again.
“You want me?” he asked, even though it wasn’t really a question. “Then fucking have me.”
There was a split second where Alex saw the last of Henry’s resolve crumble, but he didn’t even have a chance to register it before Henry closed the distance between them, his hands cradling Alex’s face, kissing him like he’d been desperate to do it for a while and now that he had his chance, he wasn’t going to waste it. Alex’s hands slipped under Henry’s cardigan, fitting against his slutty fucking waist as he gave back as good as he got, teeth biting into the softness of Henry’s lower lip when he seemed like he was going to pull back, a whine in Alex’s throat.
“Come upstairs,” he said breathlessly, when they actually did manage to break apart, though it was taking everything in him not to dive in again, get his tongue back in Henry’s mouth.
“You were asleep not fifteen minutes ago,” Henry murmured, getting that cute little furrow in his brow that Alex, for once, reached up to smooth with his fingertips. “From exhaustion, I believe.”
“Wide awake now, sweetheart,” Alex replied with a grin, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Henry’s mouth. “Come up, please.”
Henry gave in easily, and Alex took his hand — finally — to lead him inside, up to his apartment. Considering he spent most of his time there asleep, it was actually tidy. His bed wasn’t made, his laundry basket was close to overflowing, but it was clean to where he knew his sister would be surprised (and possibly impressed) if she dropped in. He imagined Henry’s place to be neat and orderly, with nice things, like a good quality couch, not like the one Alex had, from Ikea.
As soon as they got through the door to his apartment, Henry pushed Alex back against it — which Alex had some feelings about — their mouths meeting in a kiss far more heated than the one outside. Alex whimpered into Henry’s mouth at the light tug Henry gave his hair, desperately wanting to tell him to do it harder but not wanting to stop kissing him, his own hands fisted into the front of Henry’s nice shirt.
He managed to get some leverage, move Henry away from the door, backing him across the room to get to his lesser yet still perfectly functional couch. Thankfully, neither of them stumbled or tripped over anything on their way, far too distracted by each other to pay attention. Henry stopped when the backs of his legs found the couch, and Alex pushed him back onto it, immediately climbing onto his lap and dipping his head down to kiss at his neck.
Henry’s cologne smelled good — expensive. It lingered there with the light scent of clean laundry and, somehow, grass. Alex let it all wash over him as he licked and sucked his way up the length of Henry’s neck, careful not to do it too hard, not leaving any marks. He did bite a little when Henry’s hands ran down his back to find his ass, using his grip to pull Alex in closer, but that was entirely Henry’s fault.
“Get your fucking cardigan off,” he muttered, fingers busy undoing the buttons of Henry’s shirt, and he felt Henry’s chuckle as much as he heard it, the vibration of his throat under Alex’s lips.
“Demanding,” Henry murmured, one hand sliding up under the hem of Alex’s shirt, making him shiver as Henry’s fingertips traced up the knobs of his spine. He was, decidedly, not taking off his cardigan. “What if I’d rather take your clothes off?”
“Not about to stop you, baby.”
Alex felt no small amount of thrill at the way Henry moaned, and he kissed him to taste it, swallowing that beautiful sound, tugging Henry’s shirt free from where it was tucked in, his fingers running over bare skin beneath it. He broke away long enough for Henry to tug his shirt up over his head, but only just, immediately kissing him again, addicted to it.
While there’d been some sense of urgency when they got inside, it had since dissipated. Alex was hard, he could feel Henry was too, but he felt no rush to hurry past where they were, because the way Henry kissed — fuck.
It was clear he’d kissed and been kissed far more than Alex, which made sense, he was older, but it was also clear he’d taken all those experiences and whittled them down to take only the best with him. Alex had never been so thoroughly kissed in his life, his head a pleasant, floaty place as Henry dismantled him with his tongue and teeth, those perfect fucking lips. He felt delirious, in the best possible way, but was pulled from that when Henry stood up with him.
“Holy shit,” Alex whined, legs wrapping around Henry’s waist, an arm looped over his shoulder with his hand tangled into that golden hair he’d always longed to touch. If he hadn’t been the most turned on he’d ever been in his life before, Henry fucking carrying him over to his bed sure would have done it. “You’re so hot, what the fuck?”
“Should I be offended,” Henry asked, and Alex could hear the smirk in his voice, unable to see it from where he’d buried his face in the crook of Henry’s neck, biting it, “at how surprised you sound?”
“M’not surprised you’re hot,” Alex mumbled, absently tugging at his hair, listening to the way it made Henry’s breath hitch. “Didn’t know you were that fucking strong under all those cardigans.”
Henry dropped him on his bed, and Alex laughed as he bounced once on the mattress. He watched as Henry slipped his cardigan and shirt off, tossing them to the side with far less care than they deserved, shamelessly looking over Henry’s broad shoulders and chest, his narrow waist, trying to figure out how to get his hands and mouth on all of him at once.
“You never asked,” Henry said simply as he joined Alex on the bed, crawling up over him, and Alex wondered if Henry would just lie on top of him like a human weighted blanket if he asked real nice, the thought of his broad body pressing down on him making his head spin. “You just made fun of my sweaters.”
Alex’s lips parted to deliver what was sure to be a witty reply, but–
“I want to blow you,” Henry said, like that was something he could say without people almost coming in their pants at the thought. “Can I?”
“Uh, yeah,” Alex managed, looking up into Henry’s eyes, the blue of them almost overtaken with his pupils blown wide from want. “Totally good with that. Great, even.”
Henry pressed a kiss to his lips — soft, sweet, but still a little dirty — before pulling back to get Alex out of the rest of his clothes. Alex shifted around to help, his throat dry from the way Henry looked at him as he lifted his hips so he could tug his boxer briefs down his legs, the last stitch of clothes to get him naked. He wasn’t shy by any means, and didn't feel self conscious as Henry’s gaze raked over him. If anything, he felt proud — that he was the one who put that hungry, wild look in Henry’s eyes.
There were hard, biting kisses delivered to the insides of his thighs before Henry even looked at his dick, making Alex writhe and whine, ecstatic at knowing there would be bruises from it. His hands found their way into Henry’s hair as he moved up, fingers tangling into the silky strands, and he lifted his head to look down and see Henry lick up the length of his cock, dropping back against the mattress as Henry wrapped those plush lips around him and took him deep into his mouth.
Alex ascended — there was no other way to put it. Henry’s mouth was so tight around him, his tongue, his throat — Alex lost the ability to catalogue all the things that felt good, his thoughts rerouting to a simple chant of Henry’s name instead. His fingers flexed in Henry’s hair, not knowing what to do but unable to stay still, his body lit up from how quickly things had been cranked up to eleven.
When he came, it was with Henry stroking hard and fast over him, having switched to his hand when Alex’s muscles started to tense up, even though he’d tried to hold out longer because it felt too good to end. He spilled onto his stomach, some getting up on his chest, a hoarse shout parting his lips and trailing off into a moan.
His first thought was that Henry could give a fucking masterclass in how to give a blowjob.
His second thought was a snarl twisting in his chest — No. Mine.
“I’ll never make fun of your sweaters again,” he mumbled, making grabby hands until Henry moved up enough to actually get ahold of, hauling him up the rest of the way and straining up to kiss him, off center and a tad sloppy but he’d tried his best. “Fuck.”
“I do like them,”Henry said softly, using his thumb to wipe at the corner of his mouth, his chin, looking so fucking endearing that Alex thought he might cry about it.
“I do too.” Alex tilted his chin up to get Henry to meet his eyes, looking as serious as someone could with their own jizz all over them. “Hey, I like them. I also like teasing you, because you blush and it’s really fucking cute.”
“You’re a menace,” Henry muttered, but he was proving Alex’s point at the same time, blush in his cheeks and creeping down onto his chest. Alex wanted to see how far down it would go.
“Sure,” he agreed, fingertips trailing over the bare skin of Henry’s chest, his abdomen, tracing along the waistband of his pants before unbuckling his belt. “But you like it.”
Whatever response Henry might have given was taken over by a low whine in his throat as Alex undid the fastenings of his pants and slipped his hand inside, cupping him over his boxers.
“Tell me what you want, sweetheart,” Alex murmured, obsessed with the minute shifts in Henry’s expression as he rubbed the heel of his palm along his length, the little sounds he couldn’t help but let fall from his kiss bitten lips. “Tell me what you’ve been dreaming about from behind that desk of yours…”
“Fucking hell, Alex.”
Alex hummed softly, then started going through a list of possibilities, pausing between each to give Henry an opportunity to speak up, but also watching that flush spread further down his chest as he went. For a moment, it seemed like he might be getting him off from the list alone, but then Henry practically mewled at something he said.
“Yeah?” Alex smiled, syrupy slow. “You want me to fuck you, baby?”
“Please,” Henry replied breathlessly, hips pressing into Alex’s touch, which was only there a brief moment more before he withdrew his hand.
“Happily.” Alex leaned up to kiss him, lingering there before forcing himself to break away, all too aware he could easily get caught up in kissing Henry again if he wasn’t careful. While that sounded delightful, that wasn’t the plan.
Alex shifted away to clean himself off, not doing a great job but it was good enough, and grabbed lube and a condom from his bedside table. Henry was propped up on his side watching him, until Alex pushed him onto his back so he could get his pants off and settled on his knees between his legs once he had him naked, hands smoothing up Henry’s thighs and hips that he’d shoved a pillow beneath.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he murmured, unable to keep from running his hands everywhere, like he needed to touch every inch of Henry’s body to convince himself he was real, he was there, and this was actually happening. Henry, with his hair mussed from Alex’s fingers, cock straining toward his stomach. Beautiful Henry, who was looking up at him with the same amount of disbelief Alex felt.
Alex watched Henry’s reactions as he opened him up with his fingers, the expressions he made, he knew he was going to see those every night when he closed his eyes to sleep, the pure, unbridled bliss. Once he was up to two fingers, he couldn’t help but scooch back enough to be able to lean down and take Henry’s pretty cock into his mouth. He’d always been good at multitasking.
Henry writhed, like he couldn’t figure out which way to angle his hips, his fingers tangling into Alex’s curls and pulling hard, making him moan around his cock and nearly choke on it.
“Sorry, sorry,” Henry babbled, hands smoothing over Alex’s hair, cradling his face, never stopping for long, like he couldn’t figure out what to do to apologize. Alex pulled off with a lewd sound, a string of saliva connecting from his lip to the head of Henry’s cock, and Henry looked torn between concern and complete arousal as he lifted his head to look down.
“Nothing to apologize for,” Alex drawled, fingers curling inside Henry, making him arch off the bed with a whine. “Pull my hair all you want, baby.”
He sunk his mouth down over him again, relishing in the salty taste on his tongue and the perfect ache that settled into his jaw as he worked him over, prepared for it when Henry pulled on his hair again, even used his hold on Alex’s curls to guide his mouth. Alex was happy to let him, even when Henry tugged him off, both of them breathless and panting, Alex steadily thrusting three slicked up fingers into his ass.
“I’m good, need you,” Henry groaned, blindly feeling around on the bed for the condom, ripping open the foil wrapper once he found it and using the hand still in Alex’s hair to steer him back up from between his legs. Alex had easily gotten hard again from everything, swallowing back a moan as Henry rolled the condom on him and gave a few extra strokes of his hand, like he needed to touch.
As gorgeous as Henry was on a daily basis, even more than he was laid out naked on Alex’s bed, nothing compared to the ethereal level he reached as Alex slowly pressed into him, inch by inch until his hips met Henry’s ass. His hair was like a halo, his lips parted in a silent moan; he looked utterly devastating and was mouthing Alex’s name.
Alex fucked him nice and deep, with languid rolls of his hips, leaning over enough to be able and kiss Henry with ease as he did. Henry’s mouth was lax beneath his, doing more whimpering than kissing, but Alex took care of that part for the both of them. He licked into his mouth, sucking at his lips, echoing moans back as he lost himself in that perfect moment.
It was intoxicating, that was the only word he could find to describe it. The more he had, the more he wanted, and if he wasn’t aware that it would be a weird fucking thing to say he might have asked Henry if he could just… live there, like that. Alex’d had plenty of sex in his life, with women and men, but it’d never felt as right as with Henry. Like they fit together perfectly, were made for each other.
Somehow, despite his head drowning with pleasure and desire, Alex was aware that was both sappy and an insane thing to say, so he managed to keep his mouth occupied with Henry’s rather than let any words come out.
Their unhurried pace turned to something more driven at Henry’s urging, moving into purposeful rather than simply luxuriating. Alex’s hips snapped in, making the bed rock against the wall with a steady rhythm, punctuated by the breathy sounds falling from Henry’s lips. Holding himself up on one hand, Alex snaked the other between them to wrap around Henry’s cock, jerking him off as he whispered how much he wanted to feel him, see him, make him feel so fucking good, until Henry came with a goddamn laugh, Alex not long behind.
He dropped light kisses on Henry’s neck, his jaw, his cheeks, forehead, the corner of his mouth, as they both caught their breath, not moving to pull out until it felt like he had to. It was a regrettable but unfortunate necessity, and Alex burrowed his face in the crook of Henry’s neck for a long moment before forcing his legs to work and getting up to get rid of the condom and find something to clean Henry off. Because Henry deserved nicer than the random t-shirt he’d used for himself earlier.
Henry looked just as devastating when Alex came back from the bathroom, all naked and sweaty and sprawled on Alex’s bed like he belonged there. He did, honestly, and Alex wanted to ask him to stay. Instead, Alex gently cleaned him off with the warm washcloth he’d brought back, moving up beside him once he was satisfied.
“You’re incredible,” he said quietly, settling on his side and resting his head on Henry’s shoulder, his arm slung over his middle. “I’m a cuddler, sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” Henry murmured, and Alex smiled at hearing his own words echoed back to him. “You’re incredible.”
“Yeah,” Alex sighed dreamily. “I know.” He yelped as Henry dug his fingertips into his side, tickling him, limbs flailing involuntarily for the few seconds before he stopped. “Fucking Christ.”
“I’m not sure what I could say that wouldn’t be true and also cause your ego to inflate even more,” Henry said dryly, fingers finding a much nicer place in Alex’s hair. “So I’m going to plead the fifth.”
“That’s only to protect against self incrimination,” Alex replied automatically. “So you can’t be forced to testify against yourself. It wouldn’t apply.”
“You really need to work on your pillow talk.”
Alex propped himself up on his elbow to be able to look at Henry, who was smirking in a far too satisfied way. It was, unfortunately, incredibly attractive. Anything Alex had planned to say was sidelined by the immediate need to kiss him, so he did — slow, lazy, indulgent. The kind of kiss he could see convincing him to stay in bed on the weekend, or coaxing him away from his studies long enough to recharge. The kind that made frantic noise in his brain settle into a dull, muffled roar.
“This isn’t just a one time thing, is it?” he asked against Henry’s lips, barely pulled back enough to speak, his voice smaller than he would have liked.
“Darling,” Henry murmured, fingers running back through Alex’s hair and lacing into it at the nape of his neck, not saying anything more until Alex opened his eyes to look at him. Which shouldn’t have been scary, but it was — not knowing if they were on the same page. Henry held his gaze, looking so fucking soft. “I certainly hope not.”
Alex pressed a firm kiss to his lips before resting their foreheads together, letting out a slow exhale. “Thank fuck, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you said yes.”
Henry chuckled, which was now Alex’s second favorite Henry laugh, after the one he did when he came. Both of them were perfect, and Henry’s chuckle made something in Alex’s chest untighten, warmth spreading outward from that place. “No, somehow you have bewitched me, body and soul.”
“You are,” Alex said, sitting up to better look down at him, “such a fucking nerd.” He brushed Henry’s hair back from his forehead, stroking over it because he could. “You’re lucky you’re so hot.”
“Yeah, I’d say I’m pretty lucky,” Henry replied, ignoring a good half of what Alex said along with that, his hand curling around the back of Alex’s neck and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Alex’s eyes closed briefly, relishing the places their bodies touched, from Henry’s hand on his neck to where his leg was crossed over one of Henry’s, their ankles linked down near the bottom of the bed. When he opened them again, looking down at Henry’s easy smile, the slight crinkle at the corners of his eyes, he couldn’t help but agree.
“Yeah, me too.”