Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

'Now I did have somewhere else lined up for brunch but then I found out this establishment existed here...' Percy presents the doors with a flourish of his arms.

Henry's face pales and Alex is looking between the two men for answers. June, Nora and Beatrice finally scuttle around the corner to join them. Without much protest they finally enter the bar. Alex pulls Henry back for a moment, his fingers squeeze his shoulder tightly. 

'Baby, are you okay?'

Henry nods quickly with a false smile. 

'Baaabbbyy...' Alex gives him his Bambi eyes and Henry slouches with a huff. 

'This bar has a speciality. One that tends to make me, um, loose I suppose?' 

Alex's brows shoot in the air, this wasn't the answer he expected. As they get to their table, Alex peruses the menu which seems to be mostly vodka based if it's not edible. 

-2 hours later-

Alex is trying his best to listen to Beatrice tell him the potential line up for her next foundation concert. He's trying so hard, smiling and nodding when he thinks is appropriate but under the table Henry's hand is circling his belt buckle and unzipping his je- 

‘Henry, could you have some bloody decorum!’ Percy squeals as he gets back to the table, next to Henry. Henry’s cheeks bloom into a gorgeous pink and he hides away on Alex's chest. Nora makes a move for the bar and gets their rather lengthy bill. 

‘Let’s get out of here before you make a tabloid tit of yourself.’ Beatrice commands Henry, rolling her eyes in a way that seems awfully familiar to Alex. When he looks towards June, it all becomes clear. 

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‘Okay, what we playing boys?’ Liam sits down and passes Alex a beer, Henry and Percy clink glasses of wine. 

‘Cards Against Humanity?’ Henry suggests. Percy starts grinning like a Cheshire cat while Alex holds his face in his hand with a grunt. 

‘You love that game, Alex, why the dramatics?’ Liam asks, eyebrow raised. 

‘Cause we've only got the stupid British version. Nora and June stole mine-’

‘Took custody of, dear.’ Henry reminds him with a cheeky smile. He goes to their bookcase and bends down to reach their game drawer on the bottom. Alex’s eyes catch Henry’s grey sweatpants (he won't call them joggers however many times Henry insists upon it) where they've tightened across his thighs, the same thighs that will squeeze him into oblivion later. 

‘Earth to Alex, stop oogling your boyfriend's behind and tell me why this version is so bad.’ 

Henry is back at their coffee table with a very smug look on his face. 

‘I’ll stop oogling my fiance’s ass when you stop eye-fucking Percy whenever you're in the same room.’

Liam splutters his drink over his jeans. When two shocked faces gawk back at Alex, he covers his mouth with a hand. Henry rolls his eyes when Alex looks to him in panic and just puts his arms around his shoulders. 

‘Fiance? I did hear that correctly?’ Percy asks in a tone far higher than usual. Alex and Henry nod in unison and Percy practically tackles them into a hug. Liam is quickly sucked in, there's lots of tears and noises that vaguely reassemble words.

When they back out of the hug, Liam’s hand is intertwined in Percy’s. It's now Alex’s turn to be shocked, brow shooting up. 

‘Your engagement kind of shits on our making it official news but it took you long enough to notice,’ Liam scratches the back of his head with his free hand. Henry bursts out laughing and Alex is looking back and forth. 

‘Wait, you knew?!’

‘You truly are oblivious sometimes, my love.’

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Henry's never been to a slumber party before. It wasn't exactly a custom for royals when the people you mixed with were the prince of Sweden or some duke's boarding school brat. He fantasised about asking his parents for one after he and Beatrice watched the Princess Diaries 2 but alas his grandmother was not Julie Andrews and he never plucked up the courage.

Beatrice had arrived in New York the day before, her foundation’s concert series was hitting American shores so she used it as an excuse to visit her little brother. She enters the living room in cherry blossom printed pyjamas and bunny slippers Alex had bought her for visits. 

‘I still think those are utterly ridiculous.’ Henry points to Beatrice's feet. Alex comes in behind her with sleeping bags piled high in his arms and sighs. 

‘Quit shitting on my perfectly adorable gift and start helping me.’ 

Beatrice holds a hand over her mouth to keep a giggle in, Henry shoots her daggers before taking some of the sleeping bags. The three of them get to work making the living room look extra cosy, Alex and Henry nearly lose a fight with the air mattress but thankfully Beatrice saves them.

‘Bloody idiots,’ she whispers under her breath. The buzzer goes before the boys can reply, Nora and June have bags of groceries between them, there's a twizzler hanging out of Nora's mouth. Percy follows with a Louis Vuitton suitcase. 

‘You know we're only here for a night, right?’ June asks, eyeing up the large case. Percy shakes his head, puts a finger in the air before crouching and opening up the case. Everyone gathers round and coos, it is filled to the brim with Korean skin care products. 

An hour later, the six of them are deposited around the living room in pyjamas, with face masks on, gorging on pizza. Nora and Alex are debating which Disney movie to put on, Beatrice is painting Percy's nails and June is reading while using Henry’s shoulder as a cushion. Henry feels cosy, he can't help but think this is better than the Princess Diaries. Although he wouldn't mind the addition of Chris Pine.