Work Text:
“So you think it’s best if I just… stay in the closet?” Henry asks quietly, looking down at his feet. “I mean- if it’s the only way for me to make it, I guess it’s okay.”
“It’s for the best,” Philip nods. “Maybe once you’ve established yourself, you can come out, but it’s best if you just keep quiet about that. The industry isn’t built for people like you, Henry.”
People like you. Henry lets the words bounce around in his head as he walks back to his room.
That conversation was eight months ago. Henry’s first album was extremely successful- sold out album signing tour across the UK, endless radio interviews, late night show performances. Eventually, Henry makes the decision to move to the states on his own- Philip tries to talk him out of it, but they work it out.
Henry finds himself in the studio less than a week after settling into his Brooklyn brownstone.
“I know I’m running a little late, I am so sorry!” The woman comes barreling in through the door. “My brother is an ass and demanded he tag along so we could go to lunch after, so I had to swing by and get him.”
“You’re perfectly fine, don’t worry,” Henry smiles softly. “You’re June, correct? Hope you found the studio alright, it’s a little hidden.”
“I’ve worked here a few times.” June sits down on the couch across from Henry, pulling her notebooks out of her bag. “Oh, yes- I’m June. It’s nice to meet you, Henry, I love your first album. I’m excited to get to work with you.”
Henry blushes a bit. “I’ve seen your work, June, you’re incredible. I’ve never worked with a song writer before, but I definitely need some help. My management has requested my next album not be so…” He pauses while he tries to find the right words. “Long story short, I’m gay and my management prefers I stay in the closet for the time being. I feel it’s best to just get it out there in the open when working with someone- just in case.”
“Ah, been there with a few other artists I’ve worked with. I’m queer, and my girlfriend and brother are bi. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me,” she promises. “Now, let’s get to work, shall we?”
They get a surprising amount of work done considering how much they chat about other things. By the end of the session, they have the concept of the album planned out, ideas for a few songs, and half of a song written. Henry feels pleased. He walks her to the door of the studio when it’s time to leave.
“I really enjoyed today, and I can’t wait to get back together.” Henry smiles softly.
“Of course- you have my number, text me any time and we can work on stuff between meetings, too.” June shrugs. “I think we could have a few hits on this record, Henry.” She glances over Henry’s shoulder. “Alex, come on, I’m hungry.”
When Henry turns around, he comes face to face with the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. His brain short circuits for a second before he remembers that other people can see him. “H-hi, you must be June’s brother,” he stammers. “I’m Henry.”
“Hi, Henry.” Alex’s face is relaxed, a small smirk on his lip. “That would be me, her brother Alex. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, he says, as if he didn’t listen to your last album on repeat for two weeks straight,” June grumbles. “He’s trying to play it cool, but he’s internally freaking out, just so you know.”
“Oh, come on, June.” Alex groans quietly. “You’re such an ass.”
Henry giggles quietly. “Big sisters, huh? They can be a pain.”
“I guess so.” Alex keeps his eyes on Henry, slowly raking over him.
“Oh for fucks sake, Alex, invite him to lunch with us already.”
“Oh-” Henry blushes softly. “I-I’d love to go, but I have a meeting in less than an hour, so I really can’t stay anywhere long.”
“Maybe next time then.” Alex hums softly. “I’ll just tag along with June again.”
“Yippee me,” June says flatly. “Can we go now?”
“Goodbye, Alex.” Henry has a small smile on his face as he walks backward away from Alex.
-
The next time Henry sees Alex, he’s better prepared. He makes sure the rest of his day is free, and he knows he won’t be caught off guard this time. He is distracted during their session- if June notices, she doesn’t bring it up. They finish the song they had started last time and almost finish another. This time, Henry doesn’t turn them down when they invite him out to lunch. June leads them to a small cafe around the corner from the studio.
“How’s the album coming?” Alex asks across the table, taking a sip of his water. “Wanna spill any details?”
“It’s going really well- I think I’m actually going to have a single ready before the label wants it.” Henry smiles softly. “June is extremely talented. Gotta make sure the music is appropriate,” he scoffs.
Alex raises his eyebrow slightly. “You have explicit music. Do they not want that anymore?”
“No, not like that- just-” Henry looks around to make sure nobody is paying attention to them. “They don’t want me to sing about how much I love men.”
“Ah.” Alex’s eyes sparkle slightly. “Well, fuck them.”
“Fuck them indeed.” Henry leans back in his seat when the server brings them their food.
It becomes a thing- they go out for food after every writing session. Henry always makes sure his schedule is clear, and Alex joins June every single time. Sometimes, Henry will order pizza to the studio instead if they’re in a good flow.
“I’m just saying, audio books are clearly superior,” Alex shrugs, speaking around a mouthful of pizza. Henry doesn’t even flinch.
“Absolutely not! There’s nothing quite like being able to hold a physical book in your hands, Alex.”
“But you can’t read a book if you’re on a jog or in the car, Henry.”
“They both have their perks, but I’m with Henry.” June kicks her feet up in Alex’s lap as she leans back. “Now if you two are done flirting with each other, can we please get back to work? Henry has a deadline and we need to get this finished so he doesn’t get in trouble with his manager.”
Henry looks away with a blush, but doesn’t correct June’s words. With a small smile, he realizes that Alex doesn’t either. Before he leaves that afternoon, Alex slips his number into Henry’s hand. He barely makes it home before he texts Alex.
I still think physical books are better.
ur still wrong
i had fun today
i hope we can hang just the two of us sometime
Henry’s heart skips a beat. He knows he shouldn’t, but-
Absolutely
I had a lot of fun, too
i know its hard to be in public so like we can meet up wherever
feels weird to invite u back to mine but
if thats something ur interested in
Or you could come to my place? Might be easier with security.
just let me know when and where sweetheart
And oh-
Sweetheart. Henry feels his heart skip a beat.
Do you want to come over Saturday? For dinner?
its a date
A date. Henry absolutely does not squeal, but it’s a close call.
He spends the rest of the week cleaning his house until it’s spotless, then keeps cleaning. He makes sure to stock his fridge with wine and beer, unsure of what Alex might like- if anything. Saturday morning, Henry schedules a food delivery to arrive right before Alex. Henry is setting the food out on the table when the doorbell rings again.
“Hi,” Alex breathes, smiling brightly.
“Hi.” Henry steps to the side and lets Alex in, shutting the door behind him. “Food just got here a few minutes ago- I ordered in, I’m not the best at cooking.”
“Maybe next time I can cook for you.” Alex grins. He sits down at the table across from Henry. “The food smells delicious either way.”
“I kind of just ordered a whole spread, didn’t know what you’d like.” Henry chews on his bottom lip as he serves himself. “Thank you for agreeing to come over. It’s hard to go out sometimes. I mean- I’m not so famous that I get swarmed wherever I go, it’s just… it’s hard to be seen with men. Especially beautiful men.”
A smirk appears on Alex’s lips. “You think I’m beautiful?” He laughs at Henry’s sputtering. “I think you’re pretty beautiful yourself, Henry. Don’t worry.”
After dinner, once Henry has put away the leftovers, they’re sitting on the couch. There’s a respectable distance between them. Henry, a glass of wine in his hand, Alex with a beer in his. The silence is comfortable- but Henry has never been good with silence.
“Being friends with me isn’t always easy,” he says quietly. “Being seen out in public with June is one thing, even with you with us, but with just us…” Henry rubs his face gently. “I just don’t want you to have unrealistic expectations of this friendship, Alex. I’m busy a lot. I have a tour starting in a few months. I’m horrid at replying to text messages. I’m an insomniac-”
“Hey, hey, Hen,” Alex interrupts, reaching out to hold Henry’s hand, “breathe. It’s okay. I don’t expect your full attention 24/7. I know you’ve got your own shit going on and that’s perfectly fine. We can go out for lunch with June whenever you want, we can hang out here, we can text- it will be just fine.”
Henry knows that Alex will have regrets later on, but Henry also wants to be a little selfish. He wants Alex in his life- to be his friend, to maybe be more one day. He wants it all. He’s willing to take as much of Alex as he can get.
Alex leaves half an hour later, giving Henry a gentle kiss on his cheek before leaving. Henry’s skin burns the rest of the night.
-
“It’s a good thing you’re not an actor because man you suck at it,” June says as she sits down. “Can’t even pretend not to be disappointed that Alex isn’t here?”
“I- sorry- I think I’ve just gotten used to having him around,” Henry blushes. “I do enjoy spending time with you, too, June, please don’t think I don’t.”
June waves him off with a small laugh. “It’s fine. He said he’d text you later. A friend of his is visiting from Texas, so they’re hanging out today. He’ll be with me next week.”
“Ah. Well, I hope he has fun.”
Henry hates how much he misses Alex. They aren’t anything- they’re barely friends, yet Henry misses him like they’ve been dating for years. He throws himself into writing instead. He loves how the album is going so far, and it doesn’t take long for him to put Alex out of his head. He’s almost ready to get in the booth for his first single. He doesn’t check his phone until he’s home with his bag of takeout.
sorry i didn’t join u today
i missed you
am i allowed to say that?
sorry if im bothering u, i’ll shut up now
The texts are from over an hour ago. Henry instantly types out his response.
Sorry, I’m just now getting home, I stopped at a few places on the way back.
I missed you, too. I hope you had fun with your friend.
yeah, i showed him around. he’s leaving tomorrow.
Would you want to come over tomorrow evening? I have interviews and tour meetings for the rest of the week.
just give me a time sweetheart
Sweetheart. It doesn’t matter how many times Alex calls him that, it always makes his heart skip a beat. They text off and on the entire next day, Alex sending memes and tiktoks that remind him of Henry, and Henry replying with face palm emojis. When Alex finally arrives that evening, Henry can barely contain himself.
“It’s really good to see you,” Alex smiles softly. His smile fades as Henry just stares at him. “Is everything okay? You were still expecting me, right? Sorry, I can leave-”
Henry interrupts him. “Will you kiss me?”
“Fuck, I thought you’d never ask.” Alex backs Henry up against the wall and presses their lips together eagerly, moaning into his mouth.
Henry gets his hand in Alex’s curls and gives a gentle tug, pushing his tongue into the man’s mouth when it opens. His head falls back against the wall as Alex kisses down his jaw. His entire body is pressed against Alex’s. It feels better than he could’ve imagined, and he never wants to let go.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day I met you,” Alex whispers. He rests their foreheads together gently, smiling softly. “I just didn’t want to be pushy.”
“I didn’t wanna seem too eager,” Henry giggles quietly. “Sorry. I just- I didn’t realize how much I had gotten used to spending time with you every week until you weren’t there.”
“I’ll for sure be there next week. I like watching you work- it’s cute how into it you get.” Alex kisses Henry’s nose. “Wanna go watch a movie?”
“Watch a movie, make out on the couch,” Henry hums quietly, “same thing. Right?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
Kissing becomes a thing for them. They’re always careful in the studio, barely touching where anybody can see them, even in front of June. Henry is sure she knows- Alex tells her everything. They still go out for lunch. The closer it gets to tour, the busier Henry gets. Alex comes over when he can. They make out for hours at a time.
The first time Alex stays over is an accident. They’re curled up together on the couch, kissing lazily while a movie plays in the background. Henry rests his head on Alex’s chest. He wakes up the next morning, still in Alex’s arms, the sun shining in through the window.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Alex whispers.
Henry replies with a kiss. Alex stays all day, to Henry’s delight, and insists on cooking when Henry tries to order takeout. Henry ignores his phone all day. Alex agrees to stay the night again that night. They curl up on the couch after dinner, Henry with a glass of wine, their bodies pressed together.
“I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be able to come out,” Henry says quietly.
“Hen, it’s okay.” Alex sets his beer down and turns to face Henry. “This doesn’t have to be anything. We can just be friends. If you want more, it can be more. We can just hang out, or we could hook up occasionally, or it could become serious. We don’t need to rush anything.”
“I mean… I wouldn’t mind rushing a little.”
Alex raises his eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And what exactly are you wanting?”
“I want you to fuck me,” Henry says honestly. He barely sets his wine glass down before Alex is on top of him, pressing him into the arm of the couch with a hard kiss. He makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat as he begins moving his lips against Alex’s. When Alex gets a hand down his pants, Henry can’t believe they haven’t been doing this the whole time.
-
They agree to just see how things go. Alex and Henry go out a few times, just the two of them, nothing serious- a walk around the neighborhood, lunch in an extremely casual restaurant, the neighborhood dog park with David. It’s simple, and Henry keeps a respectable distance.
It’s still not enough for Philip.
“You’re feeding the rumor mill, Henry,” he sighs. “You cannot keep doing this. You know what coming out could do to your career. Do you want to blow everything up this close to your tour?”
“I- of course I don’t, Pip, but I’m allowed to have friends.” Henry frowns. “What, can I never go out in public with another man ever again? Besides, we’re just friends. He’s not my boyfriend or anything.”
“If the rumors keep spinning, you’ll have to stop being seen with him,” Philip warns. “Or we’ll have to create a cover story. Maybe say he’s dating one of the band members.”
“No- we’re not going to create a fake story. The real one is fine- I met Alex through his sister, and we became close friends. Nothing more. I-I gotta go, Pip, I’ll call you later.”
“Henry-”
Alex doesn’t ask questions when Henry drags him to the bedroom that night. He asks for Alex to fuck him hard enough to forget the day, and Alex obliges like always. He cleans Henry up after and crawls under the blanket with him.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Alex asks quietly.
Eventually, Henry speaks up. “My brother called,” he murmurs. “He’s not happy about us being seen together. Said it’s causing too many rumors. Asked if I wanted to blow up my career this close to my tour starting.”
“And what did you say?” Alex runs his fingers down Henry’s side gently. “We don’t have to go out in public if it’s going to cause issues for you.”
“I told him I’m allowed to have friends.” Henry tilts his head up to look up at Alex. “We’re allowed to exist in public together, even just as friends. It’s not like I’m sucking your dick in Times Square.”
“Wouldn’t that be a sight to see-”
Henry swats Alex’s chest. “Not helping, Alexander. Shut up.”
“I’m just kidding, babe.” Alex kisses Henry’s forehead. “Just get some sleep, Hen. We can talk more in the morning if you want.”
They don’t talk about it again.
They get closer. Alex spends more time at Henry’s brownstone than he does his own apartment. Henry ignores Philip’s phone calls. He gets used to waking up in Alex’s arms. His music begins to reflect his feelings, but June is able to wrangle him in and help him re-write parts that are too obvious. If she realizes the songs are about her brother, she doesn’t say anything.
Henry appreciates her more than she’ll ever know.
He starts rehearsals for the tour a few weeks after his talk with Philip. He’s honestly dreading it. He’s never done anything at this level. Bea and Pez plan to join him when they can, and he hopes Alex will join him for a short time, but he’s terrified of all the time he’s going to spend alone. The night before his first show, Alex stays at his house.
“I might be ruining everything, and feel free to tell me to fuck off or whatever, but-” Alex runs his hand through his hair nervously. It’s still wet from their post-sex shower, and Henry can see the nerves written all over Alex’s face. “I just can’t let you go on tour without telling you.”
“Telling me what, Alex?” Henry whispers. His mind is racing, his stomach churning.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Henry.”
Henry freezes. He hears Philip’s voice in the back of his mind, whispering you’re going to ruin your career over and over. People like you can’t be successful. You can’t come out. You can’t-
“Hen? Hen, I think you’re starting to panic- I’m sorry,” Alex breathes, cupping Henry’s cheeks. “Baby. It’s okay, you don’t have to say it back, I just- I wanted to give you the opportunity to end things now if you want.”
“No!” The word comes out of Henry’s mouth harsher than he means it to. “No, I don’t- I don’t want to end things with you. I don’t think I’m quite where you are yet, but that doesn’t mean I want things to end. I want to be with you, truly, I just- I can’t come out. I can’t tell anybody, and it’s not fair to keep you hidden away-”
“Hey, hey!” Alex raises his voice to snap Henry out of his ramble. “It’s okay. We’ll take it one day at a time. We can do this.”
Walking away from Alex to get on his tour bus is one of the hardest things Henry’s ever had to do. He spends as much time as he can with Alex after the show before he loads everything on the bus.
“I’ll call you every day,” Henry whispers. “And I’ll text you all the time. You’re gonna come see me in a couple weeks, right?”
“Absolutely.” Alex strokes Henry’s cheek gently. “I’ll see you before you know it. Don’t miss me too much, Hen.”
Henry laughs quietly. “I’ll try, darling. I’ll let you know when I get to wherever I’m going.”
“Okay.” Alex leans down to press their lips together gently. “Goodnight, Hen.”
Henry misses Alex more than he thought he would. He wakes up in a new city every day, a schedule pushed at him over breakfast, a heaviness in his chest. The tour is exhausting. He texts Alex whenever he can, but they don’t get to speak on the phone as much as Henry would like. It’s a month into the tour when Henry receives a picture of a boarding pass.
???
Alex is that yours?
i know u have a day off tomorrow
i can be at ur hotel by the time the concert is over
Christ, you have no idea how much I need this right now.
I’ve missed you so much.
Tour has been brutal.
gotta board the plane now, but i’ll see u soon baby
It’s Henry’s best performance of the tour. When he gets to his car after the show, there’s a text from Alex.
hit traffic :( be there in thirty
I’ll be waiting.
Henry barely has the door shut before Alex is shoving him up against it. Henry lets out a small oof as Alex’s lips attach to his neck.
“It’s been way too long,” Alex mumbles, already trying to undo Henry’s jeans. “Missed you, Hen.”
Henry struggles to bring together a comprehensive sentence. “C-careful, Alex, no marks,” he reminds him. “I’ve missed you, too, I’m sorry it took so long. Philip was insistent on keeping me busy with interviews between shows-”
“Too much talking.” Alex drops down to his knees and takes Henry’s pants with him. “Only words I wanna hear from your mouth are yes, more, please, and Alex. Understand me?”
“Uh huh, yes,” Henry nods eagerly. “Oh, fuck, Alex!” His leg ends up hooked over Alex’s shoulder, hand tangled in Alex’s curls. “Feels so good, holy shit-”
Alex pinches Henry’s thigh in warning to stay quiet. He keeps his mouth moving over Henry’s cock until he finishes down his throat, then helps Henry get his feet back on the ground.
“Mhmm, one hell of a reunion,” Alex smirks, kissing up Henry’s neck as he stands. He gently grabs Henry’s neck to tilt his chin up. “Hen, baby, you still with me?”
“M’here, just- fuck,” Henry breathes.
“You’ve said that a few times,” Alex smirks. He gently presses their lips together. “Hi, baby. I missed you.”
“Missed you.” Henry is laying in bed with Alex by the time he fully comes back to himself. “Shit, was not expecting to be accosted as soon as I opened the door, Alexander. That was reckless.”
“I didn’t hear you complaining when your dick was in my mouth.” Alex shimmies out of his sweats and curls up next to Henry. “I made sure nobody was around before I knocked, babe. Promise.”
“It’s so good to see your face, Alex.” Henry runs his fingers through Alex’s hair. “I’ve missed you, so fucking much. I didn’t think tour would be this lonely.”
“I can stay for a few days- I just don’t know if that’s allowed,” Alex murmurs. “Would you get in trouble?”
“Potentially, but I don’t care. I can have a friend come visit. We can ride separately to and from the venues whenever I’m in a hotel.”
“I’ll even just stay at the hotel or in the bus if it’s easier for you,” Alex shrugs. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, baby, but I want to be here for you.”
“Fuck, I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Henry moves to straddle Alex’s hips and presses their lips together.
This is how it goes for them. Alex stays with Henry for a few days, sneaking in and out of back doors in the middle of the night. Henry feels bad, he does, but his mind always goes back to his brother’s words all those months ago- it’s best if you just keep quiet about that. Surprisingly, he doesn’t receive a call from Philip.
“I hate that you have to go home,” Henry whispers at the end of the week, curling into Alex’s side. “These have been the best few days of the tour. I wish you could stay.”
“I definitely wish I could stay, too, but I have to go back,” Alex sighs. “Still text me or call me any time you need.”
Henry exhales shakily. “I wish I could come out,” he says honestly. “It’s a terrifying thought, and I’m worried about my career, but I wish I could just tell everybody.”
“Is it part of your contract that you can’t come out?”
“Well-” Henry stops to think about it. “No, it’s not. It’s just something my manager told me from the beginning. He said it wasn’t safe, and it would ruin my career.”
“Maybe that’s something you could think about then.”
Henry brings it up the next time he has a meeting with Philip. The idea is immediately shot down.
“Henry, we have had this discussion more than once,” he sighs. “You cannot come out. You’re at the peak of the tour, and you’d ruin everything.”
“There are so many gay singers, Pip, why do you think people would hate me? I could still be successful-”
“It’s not going to happen,” Philip snaps. “You will disgrace the family and the company if you come out, Henry. So whatever you’re trying to plan, drop it. I don’t want you seeing that man in public anymore.”
Henry feels his blood run cold. “What are you talking about?”
“I know he’s been joining you on tour, Henry, I’m not an idiot. I’ve overlooked it because you’ve kept it under wraps, but now that you’re considering coming out again, I’m putting a stop to it.”
“You can’t stop me from having friends-”
“But I can keep you so busy you won’t even have time to eat, let alone meet up with this man,” Philip warns. “Just focus on your career, Henry.”
Henry’s performance that night is… not his best, to say the least. He doesn’t bother going online to see what his fans are saying about him. He showers and immediately goes back to the tour bus, checking his phone on the way.
everything ok?
u seemed sad on stage
let me know when ur done
He ignores all of them.
He figures it’s best to pretend none of this ever happened. A clean break. Nobody needs to know.
He stops talking to Alex. The texts keep coming.
did i do something wrong?
hen please
will u please just let me know that ur ok
if this is over at least have the decency to tell me
The texts stop after that. Henry secludes himself from his entire crew- no pre show chat, no after show drinks. He goes straight from his bus or hotel room to the stage, and straight back. He checks Alex’s instagram obsessively. Checks to see if he’s having fun, if he’s with anybody else. (The answer to both is yes, to Henry’s dismay, but he doesn’t stop checking)
The only good thing to come out of this is how much writing he’s getting done. He doesn’t think any of it is usable to his label, not really, and he doesn’t expect to get much help from June anymore. He keeps writing though.
Why am I not wherever you are?
There is no distance that wouldn’t be too far
And if that means I never sing again
At least I’ll know I went out with a bang
Screaming my favorite things about you
-
“You’re being really boring, Hen,” Bea whines from the couch, throwing an empty water bottle at him. “C’mon. I’m only here for a week, you need to show me around.”
“Bea, this is my first time in Minneapolis, where exactly am I supposed to take you?” Henry sighs softly. “We’ll be back in New York in a couple of days. I’ll show you around then.”
Bea raises her eyebrows a bit. “You don’t seem too happy about going home. What’s wrong?”
“I-” Henry pauses. Bea knows about him, knows he’s gay, knows the struggle he’s been having with Philip. “I was seeing someone,” he admits. “His name is Alex. We met not long after I moved to New York, and we’ve been seeing each other for a while. It started as just fun between friends, but he told me he thought he was falling in love with me. Philip gave me another lecture and I just kind of… ghosted Alex. He already had tickets to my last show in New York, so I’m kind of dreading it.”
“Oh, Hen.” Bea sits up, pulling Henry to sit down next to her. “Fuck Pip. Did Alex make you happy?”
“Yes. So fucking happy.”
“Then you need to call him and apologize,” she says softly. “Coming out will not ruin your career. You can’t let Philip control you forever. You know your fans would still love you.”
“I don’t think he wants to hear from me anymore,” he shrugs. “It’s been a couple months. I don’t even know if he’ll be going to the show.”
“Do something big. A grand gesture. Do you think he’d like that?”
Henry hums quietly. “I think he might. I’ve been writing a song… Do you think Philip would freak?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Bea grins. “Now, let me hear this song.”
-
Henry doesn’t know if this is a good idea anymore. He’s standing on the side stage doing his vocal warm-ups, bouncing on his heels while the intro plays. He’s on auto-pilot through the first half of the show.
“Now, we’re gonna change things up a bit,” Henry says into the microphone, taking a moment to catch his breath and get a drink of water. “How does everybody feel about a new song?” He grins at the cheers. He just hopes Alex is actually in the crowd. “This song is one I’ve been working on for the last couple months. I wrote this about someone specific that I haven’t seen in a while. I hope he’s listening tonight. You know who you are, and I hope you enjoy.”
There’s a small pause while the crowd processes that Henry said he, and then they go crazy. Henry grins as the music starts up.
So come out, come out wherever you are
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you in my arms
Come out, come out, there’s no need to hide
I want you, I want you, I want you by my side
Henry can tell the crowd is fully understanding the implications of the song. He sees Bea on side stage, giving him two thumbs up with a bright smile. She disappears for a few minutes. When she comes back, Alex and June are standing next to her. Henry turns to face them.
Come on, come on, I’m ready for you
I can wait, I can wait, but I don’t want to
Henry barely manages to put the microphone on its stand before he runs into Alex’s open arms. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers, holding him close. “I was scared, but I’m ready. I’m not going to hide anymore.”
“It’s okay, Hen, really.” Alex buries his face in Henry’s hair. “This was huge, you realize that, right?”
“I know. Fuck, I was so hoping you’d be here.” Henry tilts his head up slightly to press their lips together. “Wait for me back here? I have a show to finish.”
“I’ll be here.”
The crowd is still going crazy when Henry makes his way back to his microphone stand. “Well. Hope you liked the song.” He turns to look directly into the jumbotron camera. “And if it wasn’t clear, that was my coming out. I am very, deeply gay.” He gives Alex a wink as the music picks back up.
Somewhere across the ocean, Philip is having a panic attack.