Archive of Our Own

The last thing Alex expected barely one week after the now infamous ‘Cakegate’ was a transatlantic flight to London. No matter how much he explained to his mother that Henry had shoved him, she was acting as if the thing was completely his fault. He admits that the first scoop of buttercream on the whiskey glass might have been because of him but everything else was thanks to His Royal Highness. And now he is supposed to play nice. With Henry.

He sighs, holding the list of facts about his new best friend. Both June and Nora had laughed at him, calling it ‘divine intervention’ because apparently he has had an ‘obsession’ with Henry since ‘forever’. What a load of bullshit.

“You are acting like we are flying you to a hard labor camp in Siberia,” Amy comments dryly from the seat next to him. “Just play nice for a while and everything will be fine.”

“It might as well be Siberia,” Alex mutters, reading that Henry apparently loves Dickens and his favorite color is anthracite. How boring is a single person allowed to be?

Cash snickers somewhere behind him, obviously Alex has nobody on his damn side.

“How difficult can it be to pretend to be somebody’s friend?” Amy asks, scrolling through her phone.

“Well,” Alex sighs, again, “that depends on the person.”

And the person he is flying towards, is a massive dick.

__________

“Welcome to Kensington Palace,” a man named Shaan greets Alex when he arrives a few hours later. He is Henry’s equerry—whatever that is supposed to be—and explains that there will be a necessary discussion before he meets the prince again. A discussion Henry will not be part of, but has been informed about.

“Please, follow me,” Shaan says and before Alex can ask what the situation is about, Shaan is already walking away—faster than necessary if you ask Alex—and he has no choice but to speedwalk through the halls of the palace, Amy and Cash just a step behind him. God, every corner of the building drips wealth; gold, paintings, chandeliers in every hallway. But who could be surprised, when a wedding cake costs more than what normal people make in a year.

“Please, sit down, I will be with you shortly.” And with that, Shaan is gone. Leaving Alex in a—for Kensington standards—small room with a tea-set set out on a round table. The walls are in a light cream, stucco decorating the ceiling. The sofa and seats in a pink and cream flower print.

“Well, at least they left food,” Alex says as he sits down on the couch and grabs one of the small sandwiches on the table. He only tastes cucumber.

It takes almost half an hour for Shaan to reappear and by that time he looks far less relaxed than before. Not that he looked like a laid-back person, but now he just looks frazzled.

“What I wanted to discuss,” Shaan says without preamble, “is a…special situation concerning His Royal Highness Prince Henry.”

Alex blinks. “I thought I was supposed to come here because of the whole wedding cake…problem.” The international incident that made his mother lose voters and has become one of the most talked-about headlines of the year. He is still trending on twitter.

“Yes, that is the primary reason for your visit, however, there has been a development that would require your assist concerning matters of the Royal Family.”

Alex looks at Cash but only receives a confused shake of his head. So Zahra probably also hadn’t been informed about this. Strange.

“What exactly do you mean—” Before Alex finishes his sentence, a thick wad of paper lands on the table in front of him. He didn’t even notice that Shaan was carrying it. After looking at the first page, it was clear that it is an NDA.

“I have already signed one for Prince Henry,” Alex frowns. Henry also signed one for him.

“Yes, but this is specifically concerning the information you will receive in the following briefing, so if you could sign after reading.”

This was getting more confusing by the minute, but NDAs have not been a foreign concept for Alex since his mother won the election, both signing them and handing them out. And if the situation is so precarious that it needs its own NDA, Alex wants to know what this whole thing is about. He only skims the pages before he signs.

“So,” he hands Shaan the stack of papers, “what is this actually about?”

“As you are aware, His Royal Highness Prince Henry is an omega. Since he presented years ago, his heats have…been causing problems.”

Alex thinks that this is fancy-speak for ‘yeah our prince is getting fucked over by biology every three months and we are trying to do our best here’.

“To ease the symptoms Prince Henry is allowed the presence of an alpha during—”

“What do you mean allowed?” Alex interjects. “Isn’t it his choice?”

Shaan becomes more unhappy with every second. “The firm necessarily needs to clear these procedures. And they have, therefore, Prince Henry is allowed alpha company.”

Alex doesn’t say anything, but the system sounds terrible. If an omega wants an alpha during their heat, there shouldn’t be a vote about it.

“The issue at hand,” Shaan continues, “is that the prince’s heat has started slightly earlier than expected. We would not have scheduled your meeting for this time if we had known it would start. This means that the usual already vetted alphas are…unavailable.”

“Okay?” Alex asks, guessing and dreading where this conversation is headed.

“Since you already have signed multiple NDAs concerning the Royal Family, and Prince Henry in particular, the question is if you would be willing to…participate in the prince’s heat. His Royal Highness already stated that your smell is not off-putting, which might indicate high compatibility.”

Alex is aware that his mouth is hanging open, but he can’t do anything to change that. “Wait, did you say Henry likes my smell?” Shaan looks particularly put out, so Alex changes course. “I mean, sure, I can do that, I guess. I will take care of him.” He doesn’t like the idea of having to cater to Prince Dickhead’s needs for days, but this is all going a little too fast for his mind to fully understand what is happening.

“In matters of consent,” oh, Shaan is talking again, “both you and His Royal Highness have the right to revoke consent at any time and not continue this arrangement. If Prince Henry asks you to leave the room, you will.”

Alex nods and then he is already being ushered out of the room, Amy trailing after him.

“Please,” Shaan says, “follow me. I will bring you to Prince Henry’s quarters.”

__________

This is objectively the weirdest situation Alex has ever been in. And in the years he has been FSOTUS, there have been many weird situations. This is even worse than Cakegate. The heavy wooden doors, that—as Shaan said—lead to Henry’s bedroom are closed. That doesn’t stop the hallway from smelling…sweet. Henry always smells sweet, or at least the times Alex has met him he has, but this is extreme. This is almost overripe blackberries and pure sugar. Well, no time like the present.

“Uh, Henry?” Alex calls out before knocking on the door. “It’s—it’s Alex, Alex Claremont-Diaz.” There doesn’t come an answer from the room. “Shaan sent me.”

It takes a few seconds, but finally Alex can hear a timid “come in”.

The smell only gets stronger when he enters the room, closing the door gently behind him. When he looks towards the bed in the middle of the room, Alex chokes on his next breath. Nemesis or not, Alex isn’t blind, Henry is objectively really fucking gorgeous, so seeing him on a bed, cheeks flushed and only dressed in his underwear and an open shirt does things to him. He can see that Henry’s heat must have started a day ago already, there’s a light sheen on his face, a drop of sweat dripping into his hair. Oh yes, the Prince of Wales looks desperate.

“Alex,” Henry pants out. He doesn’t know how Henry can still sound all high and mighty like this. “Good to know that you f-found the right door.”

“Well, Your Majesty, your equerry made sure of that,” Alex snips back. And now he remembers why he dislikes the omega. Since they met in Rio, years ago, Henry has been nothing but aloof. There wasn’t a single time they talked where he didn’t comment on something Alex did or subtly alluded to the uselessness of alphas. Strangely enough, he never made these comments to June or Nora. Go figure.

“Why are you still standing there?” Henry pants out. “Just…do something.”

Alex has had a wide variety of sexual partners over the years. Male (after some moments of crisis), female, beta, omega, some of them bossy, some not. But even his one-night-stands were more emotional than this. Or if not emotional, then at least less rude. Because, come on, not even a ‘hello’?

“I suppose you haven’t invited me into your bed,” Alex grinds out. He purposefully doesn’t call it a nest because…well, it would be a pathetic one. It’s true that Alex hasn’t spent a heat with anyone, but he has seen enough nests to judge. So there is at least one thing his majesty is bad at.

Henry huffs, as if Alex is being terribly difficult. “You have a standing invitation to move and get yourself into my bed. I think you can manage that.”

Alex has to remind himself that, although he agreed to this, he can leave at any time if things get too much for him. And then the figurative lightbulb goes on over his head. He can leave whenever he wants. If Henry is surprised at how quickly Alex is inside his bed and on top of him, he doesn’t show it. A low whine escapes Henry’s mouth that is instantly muffled as he bites his lower lip. Alex hears it anyway. It’s good to know that Henry is even more desperate than he lets on.

“How long since this started, Your Majesty?” Alex asks as he leans down to suck a bright red hickey onto Henry’s neck. He doesn’t bite—wouldn’t dare to without being asked—but he doesn’t need to get his teeth out to get Henry to moan. It’s a far too sweet sound for such a massive asshole.

“Mh, yesterday,” Henry pants out. “Was early so I wasn’t—wasn’t as prepared.”

“And then you had the bright idea to get the American to help.”

“Wasn’t my idea,” Henry huffs, “they thought it was a good idea because I don’t hate your smell. And you’ve already signed multiple NDAs.”

“Who’s they?” Alex asks as he scratches his nails over Henry’s right thigh. By the sound that comes out of the prince’s mouth, one would think that Alex just made him come. This could be fun, but Alex has a better idea.

“The—the crown,” Henry’s eyes are closed, his face flushed. “My heats always take several days, they know that an alpha makes it pass faster.”

“And I was your best option?” Alex raises an eyebrow.

“I already said, it was convenient.”

Well, Alex doesn’t know about that. He could think about more convenient things than fucking your nemesis, but the Brits were always a little strange, so maybe this seemed like the most logical next step to them. They could be his guest.

Alex places his hand between Henry’s legs, digging the heel into the notably bulge in his boxers. The touch is barely there, only a tease, but Henry chokes on his breath, a high keen sounding between them. Alex smiles, circling his hand, his other one continuing to lightly scratch over Henry’s thighs. Alex prides himself on having a talent to please his partners. No matter the first or secondary gender, he’s good at bringing people pleasure. So it’s no surprise that Henry is moaning and whimpering. It is, however, a little surprising how loudly he does it. Granted, Alex has never shared a heat with anyone, but he knows what his rut is like, he barely ever sounds this desperate, especially not in the beginning.

“Can I take your clothes off?” Alex asks, deliberately not stopping the motions of his hands.

Henry moans, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide and startled. Like he didn’t expect to feel this good.

“Henry?”

Henry blinks, eyes focusing on Alex’s face. “Huh?”

“Can I take your clothes off, Your Majesty?”

It takes a few seconds before Henry nods, sitting up so Alex can pull his shirt fully off. Alex takes a moment to look at the omega, taking in his broad shoulders and small waist. Henry is breathing heavily, looking at Alex like he is the only lifeboat in a stormy sea. Alex ignores that look.

“Lie back down, I’ll take your boxers off.”

Henry nods, lying down without hesitation. He spreads his legs a little, putting the scratches on his thighs on display. Alex thinks that he can hear the faint rumble of a purr, but he must have misheard. There is no way Prince Henry of Wales would purr for someone like him.

“Very good,” Alex rumbles, pulling the boxers down Henry’s long legs. His dick is hard and red, dripping precome. He hates to admit that it’s a very pretty dick, long and slightly curved. Alex thinks about taking it in his mouth but instead grabs the shaft, a little too hard. Henry doesn’t seem bothered, moaning and arching off the bed.

“Feels good,” Henry pants, “more, give me more.”

“That’s a little greedy, don’t you think?” Alex smiles, doing everything to keep his wits about him. He can’t afford to be distracted.

“Please,” Henry whimpers, reaching down towards his cock before Alex slaps his hand away. The omega whines mournfully but doesn’t try again.

Alex strokes are slow and measured, twisting his hand at the head, making Henry cry out. Henry’s hands are bunched in the sheets, his head whipping from side to side. Alex doesn’t know if he has already come since his heat started but he is acting as if this is the first sip of water after weeks in the desert.

“Close,” Henry chokes out, looking down at Alex’s hand. “Please, I’m close.”

Alex hand becomes faster, making sure to bring Henry right to the brink. He watches the telltale signs of Henry’s body; the trembling legs, loud moans, glassy eyes. Right when he thinks Henry is about to fall over the edge, Alex lets go.

“Alex!” Henry’s voice is high, breaking on the second syllable. God, he’s pretty. Pretty, and flushed, and fuckable and if he weren’t so annoying all the time, Alex would have had the time of his life. But alas.

“Alex?” Henry is quieter this time. He sounds confused.

Alex moves off Henry and off the bed. His cock presses uncomfortably against the seam of his pants but there’s nothing he can do about that now; he will take care of it in a bit.

“Your Royal Highness, I have the right to leave your room at any time and for any reason,” he starts and sees Henry’s eyes getting wide and watery. “And the reason for me now is that you are a rude jackass and an entitled prick.”

He turns around to leave but apparently Henry isn’t giving up without a fight.

“Wait! Alex, wait!”

Alex only stops to see what kind of arguments Henry will bring, but the following seconds remain silent. As he turns back towards the bed, he sees Henry kneeling in the middle of the sheets, his hair is in disarray. Damn, everything about him is. Even his scent is turning sour, losing its sugary quality.

“What is it, Your Majesty? You will be fine like this, a heat isn’t lethal.”

Well, some are. But if that were the case with Henry, he wouldn’t be in his own room but in a hospital under constant monitoring. So, nothing to worry about.

“That’s—that’s not, Alex I can’t…” Henry doesn’t finish the sentence, he just looks up at him with big, sad, hazel eyes.

“You will be fine, but maybe you will think about how you treat people, hm?”

Henry looks devastated, Alex tries not to let that bother him too much. He should probably remember it for future references.

“No, no, wait, we can figure this out,” Henry says, making a move to get out of bed.

“Stay.” It’s not a true alpha-command, it’s more a strong suggestion, but omegas are terrible perceptible in heat, so it might as well have been. Henry stops moving, sinking onto his knees on the sheets. He looks slightly dazed, his head tilting to the side. Alex walks towards the doors before his plan gets derailed. Or someone else gets railed.

“Please,” comes Henry’s voice. “I’m sorry, can’t we…can’t we fight again when my heat’s over? Just…just two days? One? I’m really sorry.”

Alex doesn’t stop again, he opens the door and steps out into the empty hallway. Not even Amy or Cash are there. The crown truly is marvelous, being able to get the protection of the first son of the United States away.

Alex closes the door without hesitation, but not without seeing the tears in Henry’s eyes. He winks at the prince before the door is completely shut.

“Please!” The cry is muted through the door.

Alex doesn’t wait in front of the door, he walks the way back as good as he can when every hallway looks like the next. His hands are trembling slightly, but he ignores it as he searches for Amy and Cash. He wants to leave now. It would be stupid to wait for a week until Henry is up to speed to have a joined public appearance, as if he hasn’t anything to do himself.

He is about to call for anyone in hearing range right before he spots Shaan in one of the hallways, talking to Amy.

“Oh, you’re back,” she says, puzzled as she looks from Shaan to him.

“Change of plans,” Alex grits out, trying to get the sweet-sour smell of Henry’s arousal and panic out of his nose. “We don’t work well together, so I left, His Highness is fine.” He is almost sure that that isn’t completely true. “It doesn’t really make sense to stay the week when he is…unable to attend any events, so…” He leaves the conclusion open but when neither Amy nor Shaan say anything, he huffs. “Please get Cash, we are leaving.”

Leaving the palace is far less complicated than getting in, it barely takes five minutes for them to be on the road, on the way to Heathrow. Later in the plane, when Amy and Cash are sleeping, Alex stays wide awake. Every time he closes his eyes, Henry’s face flashes in his mind. So he stays awake, thinking about other things, like June’s projects or Nora’s new obsession with chess. And whatever he does, he tries not to think of any princes.

__________

The thing is…Alex knows that what he did was mean. That there’s an unwritten rule that you don’t just leave your in-heat partner alone after almost getting them off, without even assuring that they will be fine after. It’s not like his behavior hasn’t given him sleepless nights the past days, it’s just that he hadn’t quite realized how much of an ass he has been. He finds out about that particular fallacy on a rainy evening, sitting in his mother’s office with June and Nora cozy on the couch next to him. The topic of the day is Richard’s campaign—unsurprisingly—at least until Zahra rushes into the room with far less tact and consideration than she normally has in the presence of the president.

“You,” she snaps at Alex, pointing a dangerously sharp fingernail in his direction, “are going to be the downfall of this administration, your mother’s career, and your own future.”

“What—what did I do? I didn’t do anything.” Alex jumps up from the couch, confused who he could have offended in the last few hours. He barely even left the White House today. He looks to his mother, but she seems to be just as confused as he is.

“When I sent you to London, and said you should play nice with Prince Henry, what exactly in these instructions led you to believe that you should leave an in-heat omega alone after telling the Prince’s equerry you would take care of him?” The last part is barely more than a hiss. Alex can’t remember a time when Zahra has sounded this angry.

“I was allowed to leave if I wanted to!” Alex protests.

“You didn’t have to fuck him, but why did you leave?”

Alex knows the situation is really bad because he can count on one hand the times Zahra has cursed on the job in all the years he has known her. None of them were with his mother present.

“Honey,” Ellen frowns, “I thought you left because Henry wasn’t feeling well?”

“I mean, he wasn’t.” Which isn’t a lie, the prince didn’t look good when he saw him last. 

“From what I heard from my contacts in London,” Zahra says, “Prince Henry’s heats are a borderline case of hospitalization.”

Alex feels his heart drop to the floor. “You mean that he—”

“Most of the time, his heats can be managed with enough fluids, light medication, and about a week of bedrest.” Zahra’s eyes look thunderous when she continues. “But when an alpha is present during the heat, the symptoms lighten considerably, unless, of course, that alpha leaves halfway through and doesn’t make sure he’s taken care of.”

The four women glaring at Alex are the ones he respects most in his life. So instead of trying to talk back, he feels his cheeks heat up with deep, consuming shame.

“You slept with him and then left?” June snaps, sitting up straight on the couch. “Even if you have never been present during someone’s heat, you learn that in sex-ed during school. Alex.”

She sounds so incredulous that Alex doesn’t point out that as an alpha with an alpha girlfriend, she also hasn’t spent anyone’s heat with them.

“I know that wasn’t…” Damn it, what’s the right word? “…nice, but I don’t think it’s as bad as you think. I didn’t sleep with him, we just—I mean, we made out and then I left before it got serious.”

“It already was serious, damn it, Alex,” Nora sighs, dragging a hand down her face.

“Were you in his room? In his nest?” Ellen asks and she looks far sterner than when the conversation started. Alex thinks that he can see a hint of disappointment in her face.

“Yes,” Alex says, “that’s where his equerry brought me. But as I said, I didn’t sleep with—”

“You were in his nest, during his heat,” Zahra stops him. “You told his employee that you would take care of him and then proceeded to mark his room with your scent, so that no other alpha would go in there in the following days and then you left a vulnerable omega alone, in tears, and didn’t even give a detailed account on what was going on to the people picking up the pieces.” Alex stands stock still as Zahra’s voice gets louder. “That isn’t not nice Alex, that is cruel, and in some countries in Europe even illegal. You don’t do that to an omega, no matter if you like them or not.”

Alex thinks about Zahra’s mysterious omega-fiancé, a man nobody has ever seen but who Zahra cares for, nonetheless. The more Zahra talks, the more Alex realizes that he had not understood the severity of the situation. Or the consequences that would follow. So he asks the only thing he can think of.

“Is Henry okay?”

Zahra’s shoulders barely relax but she looks about an inch less furious when she answers.

“He’s as fine as he can be. He didn’t need to go to the hospital, but…he had a longer bedrest than usual. And…it’s not clear if he ever wants to have a conversation with you again.” She sighs, rubbing at her forehead. “You really fucked up here, kid.”

“I—” Alex chokes on the rest of the sentence, for once at a loss for words. He sees Henry’s face again, his sad eyes and trembling lips and wishes he had not chosen a low blow when he saw the chance. He didn’t just metaphorically kick Henry’s shin, he tripped him so the omega fell flat on his face.

“What—what should I do?” Alex looks at Zahra as he asks, but he would happily take advice from anyone in the room.

“You will apologize when you next see His Royal Highness,” Zahra says, as his mother nods, “and you will hope to anything and anyone that Prince Henry won’t make this into a spectacle, because then your reputation will take a hit as if you were in a damn boxing ring with Muhammad Ali.”

Alex nods, already thinking about the upcoming events that would have Henry on their guest list.

“The Climate Conference is next month,” Nora says, always with the fastest brain.

“Yes,” Zahra sighs, “so you will do it next month.” She stops for a moment before her glare fully returns. “I want you to fix this. If you have to grovel on your knees, do that, making the lives of omegas harder is Richard’s spiel, not ours.”

Alex looks at his shoes, feeling his face getting warm again. After Zahra storms out of the office, he turns to his mother. “I didn’t…I didn’t think it was that serious.”

“I believe you,” she says, “but that does not mean, in any shape or form, that you don’t need to fix this.”

“It will be okay,” June says, after she notices her brother’s state. “It was…a mistake.”

Are that what we are calling this now? Alex thinks as he blinks the stinging from his eyes. Mistakes you can normally fix. He doesn’t know if there is any fixing this.

__________

The tie Alex is wearing gives him the feeling of a very weak man strangling him the whole evening. It might also be his growing nerves at the thought of seeing Henry again—and apologizing profoundly—but he likes to blame it on the tie. The conference is already over, leaving the mingling of the evening; shaking hands and poster smiles. His eyes go over the swarm of people, holding out for navy blue or charcoal gray, Henry’s preferred colors at formal events. There is no cake present this time, which is a relief.

He spots Henry in hour into the evening, as he is standing with June and his mother. Henry is dressed in a deep blue suit, making the rounds and greeting the various politicians at the conference. He briefly thinks about following him but he knows that Henry has to come to him as long as he stays with his mother. Henry might try to avoid him, but he can’t not greet the president of the United States. After about half an hour, this turns out to be true.

Henry walks towards them slowly, his equerry nowhere to be found. He is the only member of the Royal Family present, so he can’t give the responsibility to someone else.

“Madame President,” Henry greets with a tentative smile. “It has been too long since we saw each other.” They shake hands, short and professional.

“Your Royal Highness, I am glad that you could make it,” Ellen says. There is a short pause, and Alex knows that his mother is thinking about apologizing on his behalf. He doesn’t want that.

“Henry,” he says, trying to get his attention. He has prepared for this moment. He will ask him if they can go somewhere private so he can apologize. He will admit that he is a total ass and that he is terribly sorry. “I was—”

“Alex,” Henry nods looking at his shoes. “I hope you are well.”

Henry’s voice is flat and timid, a great contrast to their usual hissing banter. Even when he didn’t like Henry in all the years, they saw each other at conferences or events, he could respect his stubbornness and bite. They may not have liked each other, but they were on equal footing. He doesn’t feel like that is the case anymore.

“I—can we talk? I wanted to…well, I think it would be good if we could talk.”

“I don’t think that is necessary,” Henry says, his voice still carefully neutral, but Alex notices his nervous tick, playing with the ring on his little finger.

“If you don’t want to be alone with me you could bring someone, I just think it’s better somewhere private than here.” Alex hopes that Henry will agree but the omega does not react to his statement. He just fidgets nervously, ignoring Alex’s question. Alex almost wishes that his mother would say something, but it’s clear that this is his mess and his responsibility, he just doesn’t know how to go about it.

“Henry?”

Henry looks up but stops his eyes somewhere around Alex’s collarbones. Alex throat becomes tight. It has been decades since omegas weren’t allowed to look alphas in the eyes, to keep their eyes lowered as a sign of respect. It comes up now and again when omegas are worried or scared, to make sure that they do not offend an alpha. Alex can’t remember if an omega has ever been scared of him.

“Henry—”

“Your Royal Highness,” Shaan says, appearing out of thin air. Henry turns to him, relaxing slightly. “The French Prime Minister wishes to see you.”

“Of course,” Henry says, tangibly grateful that he has an excuse to leave. “Madame President,” he says, smiling at his mother. He turns back towards Alex, his eyes twitching up to his for a split second before lowering them again, giving an aborted nod before he vanishes into the sea of people.

Alex stays where he is, blinking at the room full of people. Of the few constants in his life, the one that has kept him company the longest is the fact that Alex tries to be good. Tries to make his parents proud, even when they are too busy to see him try. Tries to not worry June and Nora, even when he will always be the youngest in their little trio and therefore the duckling that gets looked after. He tries to succeed in his studies and at school, he tries to get people to like him. And every time he interacts with someone, he tries to be nice, approachable, safe. He is a tall alpha with a family that is attached to powerful ties, he knows that he can come across as scary. And he tries not to be, stays polite and nice and courteous and hides his scent when he knows that he’s bothering someone. He has always been like that.

Except with Henry.

Henry, who he likes to tease, who dishes out as good as Alex, who is an omega that has lived under the rules of the crown, but has shown Alex a glimpse behind the royal façade.  

Henry, who he has hurt in a way that may not be salvageable, who can’t look him in the eyes anymore, who is an omega that has put his trust into the hands of an alpha and all that he got for it was a painful week alone in his room, crying his eyes out.

“Sweetheart, it is probably too soon right now. But Zahra said—”

Alex doesn’t hear the rest as he stumbles out of the room, grabbing at his collar to get more air into his lungs. The rushes through nondescript hallways until he finds a bathroom, pushing the door open with too much strength, making it clash against the wall. He barely remembers to lock the door before his knees hit the floor. His breath comes rapidly, shallow and strained without bringing enough oxygen into his lungs. He wants to talk to Henry. Tell him that he didn’t know, that he never would have done it of he knew how serious his heat could get. That he couldn’t have any other alpha in his room for the duration of his heat. At the same time, he feels pathetic for making this about himself.

It takes Alex several minutes for his breathing to be calm again. He is no stranger to panic attacks but usually they happen when he is alone in his room. When the weight of the world becomes too much in the late hours of the night. The weight of the world is pressing into his sternum right now; urging him to fix the thing he has smashed to pieces without any further thought. Alex leans against the wall, fixating on a small crack in the bathroom mirror. A place this fancy shouldn’t have any cracks in their mirrors. His deep sigh echoes in the empty space, the only sound he can hear. He wants to fix this. He just isn’t sure how. He is brought back into the present when someone knocks insistently on the door.

“It’s fucking occupied,” he says as he drags a hand down his face.

Time to get to work.

__________

Getting Henry’s phone number was easier than Alex anticipated. Zahra had been reluctant to use her connections, but now Alex doesn’t have to try and reach Henry over social media platforms that are most likely not even managed by Henry himself. But it doesn’t seem that direct means of communication give him any advantage. Alex stares at his phone screen, the messages he sent over the last hour glaring back at him. All left on read.  

Alex

henry this is alex

I wanted to apologize again for your heat

would it be okay if I called you?

henry?

you didn’t deserve that

okay?

I just wanted to make that clear

that was all my fault you didn’t do anything wrong

I’m so sorry

There was nothing more to say, nothing more he could do that wouldn’t breach Henry’s privacy further than Alex wanted. He thinks about calling the prince, but he couldn’t imagine a scenario where Henry didn’t answer his texts but would willingly answer a phone call. Alex is still staring at his phone screen when June pokes her head into his room.

“Hey,” she says carefully, sitting next to him on his bed. “Are you alright?”

“Uhm,” he clears his throat, “Henry isn’t answering me, which isn’t surprising, but I don’t know—how to apologize for something like this.”

June hums, gently pulling Alex into a hug. “I think it’s difficult going off what we learned in school about omegas and heats and the possible complications. You didn’t spend a heat with anyone before and even if you did…it could have been an entirely different experience.” She is silent for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, what you did was an absolute asshole move but—you didn’t know how bad it would be, and I think that’s an important detail.”

“I still hurt him,” Alex croaks.

“You did,” she nods, “and now you are trying to fix it. If Henry…never wants anything to do with you again that’s his right and you should respect that, but I think right now the wound is just too fresh.”

“He was scared of me.”

“Maybe he was just worried you would say something that would embarrass him. You saw him in a…compromising situation, maybe he thought you would make fun of him.”

Alex frowned. “You don’t think he was scared I would do something?”

June shrugs. “Fear isn’t always rational, but there wasn’t much you could have done in a room full of people. Try talking to him the next time and if he tells you to leave him alone…well, at some point you need to do that.”

Alex leans on June’s shoulder and hopes that he gets the chance to apologize; gets the chance to have the old banter back.

__________

The chance to set things right comes—ironically—when Alex is close to his rut. He doesn’t really have problems with it, he’s a little hornier, twitchier, and dumber than usual but he has never seen the inside of a hospital during his rut. So even though it is approximately two days away, he is fine with Zahra sending him to the birthday party of some Norwegian royal. However, one side effect of Alex’s rut is the increased sense of smell he develops. It’s not great for overcrowded ballrooms, but he manages. It is the main reason why he recognizes Henry’s smell within the crowd. And he smells distressed.

Alex’s head whips around, stopping his conversation with a boring politician in his eighties, who—for some reason—tries to convince him that his mother should become a republican. Alex isn’t completely sure if the man knows who he or his mother are, or how the American political system is organized.

“Excuse me,” Alex says, putting on his most charming smile, “but I need to make a quick phone call, there seem to be issues with…the White House lawn.”

Before the man can call him out, Alex is already walking towards Henry’s smell, dodging politicians, royals, and waiters alike. He is a little confused when he walks out of the main room, following a barely lit hallway away from the crowd. Alex briefly thinks that his nose is playing tricks on him, until he hears voices. He only recognizes Henry’s.

“No, wait!”

Alex speeds the last few steps down the hall when he ducks into the men’s restroom and comes face to face with a horrified Henry and some dude drunk off his ass, standing almost inside one of the stalls.

“You didn’t need them anyway,” the guy slurs, grinning like a self-satisfied cat.

Alex has no idea what the guy is talking about, but that doesn’t matter.

“Hey,” he says, glaring at the guy. Henry’s eyes are wide as he looks at him. “What’s going on?”

The guy doesn’t seem to notice his mood and just smirks lasciviously. “Just set something right, big man, they shouldn’t take meds.”

“Meds?” Alex asks, looking between Henry and the drunk guy.

“Yeah,” the guy looks at Alex as if they are on the same side, “bitches should go into heat, not—not take that blocking shit, you know?”

If Alex understands this right—and he is pretty sure that he is—then this guy just threw Henry’s heatblockers into the toilet. Alex has had many conversations with people who had their own opinions on blockers, but there are conversations and there is throwing someone’s medication down the damn toilet.

“Fuck off,” Alex bites. The pills are lost now, but there’s no need to keep this guy around.

“What?”

“I said fuck off, get the fuck out of this bathroom,” Alex snaps, taking care to emphasize every inch of his height. He’s not only taller than Henry.

“Okay, okay,” the guy slurs, moving towards the door, “if you wanted him yourself, you could have said—”

“Out!”

Once they are alone, he turns to Henry. “Are you alright?” Alex asks timidly, keeping his distance; he doesn’t want to crowd Henry.

“Fine,” Henry sighs, looking at the toilet as if it has swallowed all his hopes and dreams. Maybe it has.

“It—did he really—”

“I came in here to take my heatblockers and apparently that man took great offense to that,” Henry says, rubbing his hands over his eyes. “Bloodydamn shit.”  

“Uh,” Alex blinks, not used to Henry swearing. “Do you have backup? Like, in your hotel room maybe?”

“No,” Henry shakes his head, “but it doesn’t matter, I need to take my pills with no more than a ten-minute delay every day, otherwise it doesn’t work and I will…go into heat.” Henry looks miserable, and Alex can’t stand for it.

“Is there any backup? Does Shaan have any?”

Henry’s shoulder’s slump, but he nods. “But I don’t know where he is.”

“But he came with you? To the event?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Alex says, nodding his head like those stupid wiggly-toys. “I’m going to find him, you stay here.”

“What?” Henry blinks but Alex doesn’t stay long enough for him to say anything else.

He tears out of the bathroom and sprints down the hall, towards the main room. He doesn’t know Shaan’s smell as well as Henry’s, but he knows it and his almost-rut-brain is completely on-board to find the omega man. Nevermind that he would never want anything from Shaan, because no. But anyway, scent search. He must look like a lunatic as he scans the crowd, walking through the room like a man possessed. He doesn’t care because it gets him right to Shaan. He doesn’t look happy to see him, but Alex can live with that.

“No time to explain,” he takes care to speak lowly, even though he wants to yell, “Henry needs his backup pills, he’s in the bathroom down the hall.”

Shaan’s expression darkens as he looks at the time. “Three minutes left.”

“I will bring it to him, I’m faster,” Alex says, pushing out his hand. Shaan hesitates, not wanting to give him anything that has to do with Henry’s heat. But while Alex can sprint trough the building and people will make way—because he’s tall and an alpha and FSOTUS—Shaan might get stuck in a gaggle of old ladies.

“Run,” Shaan says as he gives him the packet of pills. Alex runs.

Henry is exactly where he left him, worrying his lip and twisting his ring. A look of relief breaks out on his face as Alex falls into the room, the pills clutched in his hand.

“Got them!” he yells, handing them over to Henry, who takes one of the pills out and swallows it dry. Henry checks the time right after and slumps against the wall with a relived sigh.

“That was a little too close,” Henry whispers, closing his eyes.

“But it was still in time?” Alex asks.

“Yes,” Henry smiles softly, opening his eyes, “I—thank you. For, uh, getting rid of the man and for bringing my pills.”

“That’s—yeah, you’re welcome,” Alex says awkwardly. “Listen, I know you didn’t return my texts and we didn’t really talk the last time we saw each other, but I wanted to apologize again.”

As soon as he says it, Henry’s face becomes an unhealthy red color and the omega groans.

“I—you apologized already, it’s okay, I just—it was embarrassing, and I didn’t want to talk about it in front of your mom and then you texted but I didn’t—I couldn’t—” Henry cuts himself off, hiding his face in his hands.

“But it wasn’t okay,” Alex says gently, taking a step closer. “I shouldn’t have left, no matter why but…I did it to get to you and that’s…I am so sorry about that.” Alex swallows. All or nothing. “I assumed it would annoy you and maybe make your heat more frustrating, but I didn’t think it would be dangerous, I would never have done it if I had known.”

Henry watches him like a mouse does a cat. Waiting for the claws.

“It was a bad heat,” Henry admits, looking more vulnerable than a second before. “It—the issue was that your scent was already all over the room and my bed, so no other alpha would enter. That’s not an issue normally, but I think my body was, uh, prepared for you to be there.” Henry’s face is now a pretty blush color. “I’m—glad you didn’t know what it would do.”

“What?” Alex blinks. “I would have never left if I had known—”

“No,” Henry winces, “I mean with how things went, I—I’m glad you didn’t mean to hurt me.”

Alex nods, a lump in his throat. “You don’t have to answer me, but…I was wondering if you are scared…of me.”

Henry stares at him. “Scared is a big word, I think I was mostly embarrassed and worried. And…maybe hurt, that you left.”

Alex doesn’t know if that’s better. “Okay, because the last time you wouldn’t look me in the eyes when we talked.”

“Oh, that was because I was worried you would say something about me and I—didn’t want to talk to you, after you saw me during my heat.”

“Everything I saw will never leave that room, you can trust me on that,” Alex says. “I promise you.”

“It’s nice to know that there won’t be any headlines about the needy Prince of Wales,” Henry laughs but it sounds brittle, like it had been a real worry.

“Has anyone ever…?”

Henry shrugs. “NDAs don’t always help, sometimes people just blabber.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Alex frowns, “that shouldn’t have happened.”

“No, no it shouldn’t have.”

“Well,” Alex clears his throat, “I hope the heat-blockers help, I will—uh, see you later, maybe.” He hesitates. “Do you take them because of what happened with me?”

“Not because I’m scared to have another heat,” Henry answers. “It’s more that my doctor advised me to skip at least one heat so my body can fully recover. I had a fever, and I was pretty dehydrated, so I will relax until my next cycle is due.”

“That sounds good,” Alex says, not sure what else he can say. “If you need help finding Shaan, or want company, I’m here for the evening. But I guess you know that, since we are at the same event. I just meant—if you want a friendly face, some of these people can get pretty boring. I don’t know if you think of me as a friendly face but, uh, you know what I mean, I will just—” he vaguely points to the direction of the party when Henry laughs.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Alex assumes that he just looked too pathetic to ignore, because Henry pushes away from the wall and comes closer, lifting his wrist to Alex neck. He waits until Alex nods before scenting him, rubbing the glands at his wrist against the ones at Alex’s neck. It calms him down immediately.

“I like your smell,” Alex whispers, not wanting to ruin the moment.

“I like your smell, too,” Henry smiles, before he gives Alex a quick hug and disappears from the bathroom. Most people told him he smells of summer rain and smoke.

Alex is a little dazed as he comes back to the party. His pre-rut and the lingering smell of Henry’s blackberry scent have him dizzy and distracted. He doesn’t see Henry again that evening, he takes an early night when he can’t even concentrate on easy small talk, slinks back to his hotel room to get some sleep. He doesn’t expect the messages on his phone the next day.

Henry

Good morning, Alex.

I hope you slept well. Thank you again for the help.

Alex stares at his phone for a solid ten seconds, before he breaks out into a grin.

Alex

of course you text like a Victorian gentleman

your highness

Henry

Better than talking like a peasant, Alexander.

Oh yes, the banter is back.

__________

Getting along with Henry is very different than getting along with Henry. Mainly because the second variation includes secret makeout-sessions in storage closets which include handjobs (on a good day) and blowjobs (on a very good day). It took Alex a few times until he stopped handling Henry like a very breakable piece of pottery. Henry had to cuss him out—‘if you don’t grip me harder I will bloody leave you here and tell your mother you abandoned your duties’—for him to accept that Henry had at least half-forgiven him for his major fuck-up. Alex still has to pinch himself sometimes to make sure that Henry actually lets him touch him again; make him moan and whine and come without any awkwardness between them.

He would like to think that it is because of his endless apologies and groveling, but secretly he thinks that Henry’s heart is just too damn soft, and someone should check on his highness before he does anything stupid with that squishy organ. He doesn’t dare complain, though, so he makes sure that Henry comes at least two times when they sneak away from important events, makes sure that the omega has no notes and nothing to complain about. For months, that works just fine. They never go beyond hand- or blowjobs but neither voices any desire to do so. Alex would have happily continued like this until he inevitable had to address any kind of lingering feeling towards the prince. As fate has it, biology got into his way.

__________

Alex’s phone rings on an unassuming Thursday evening, when he is lying in bed, scrolling mindlessly on twitter. When he sees Henry’s name his first reaction is—as always—being really happy that Henry thinks of him but then he remembers that London is four hours ahead of Washington D.C., which means that for the prince, it’s the middle of the night.

“Henry?” He tries to keep his calm, he doesn’t think he is successful.

“Hello Alex, I hope I’m not bothering you.” His voice is level and sweet, but Alex doesn’t trust it. Something is wrong.

“No, no, it’s fine, is everything alright? It’s late over there.”

There is a pause where Alex can only hear Henry’s shaky breathing. He waits, wanting Henry to explain in his own time.

“I was…at the doctor’s today,” Henry says finally, making Alex’s heart stop.

“Are you sick?” Worst-case-scenarios are already making a home in his head.

“No, no, nothing like that. It was about my upcoming heat.” Henry hesitates for a moment. “The doctor told me in no uncertain terms that it would be very much advisable to have an alpha there, especially since I took blockers to skip the one after…you were here. And—I mean—I wanted to ask if you would be…amendable.”

Alex chokes on air as sad hazel eyes flash into his head. He doesn’t think he will ever forget how Henry was sitting on his knees on his bed, begging him to stay. And Alex ignored him and left because he is an asshole.

“I don’t know, Henry,” he says, clenching the phone in his hand. “I’m sure you can find someone who will take good care of you. There probably is—”

“Alex,” Henry interrupts him, “if you do not want to, that is alright, I don’t want to force you into anything, but…if you still feel guilty about last time…I still want you here. I know you won’t do it again.”

“I would never!” Alex needs to make that clear again. “But…I mean do you really want me in your nest again? Maybe my smell will put you off.”

“Darling,” Henry laughs at the other end, “your smell could never put me off.”

“You don’t know that…” Alex mutters. The last times where he and Henry hooked up, Henry was happy enough with his scent. But he also wasn’t in heat.

Alex takes a deep breath. “Can you promise me that if you get uncomfortable because I’m there…that you will tell me? So I can leave and not make it worse?”

There is a pause on the other end before Henry speaks again. “I will tell you,” he says softly. “But I don’t think I will need to.”

“I just need to know that you will stop me if things become uncomfortable.”

“So you will do it?” Henry asks hopefully.

“Yes,” Alex swallows down his fear, “yes, I will be there for your next heat.” He has to remind himself that Henry has asked, that this isn’t like last time where someone else made the decision and he fucked it all up. “Are you—did your grandmother propose the idea again?”

“No!” Henry’s answer comes immediately. “She was actually against you after last time, but I said that I didn’t want anyone else and they didn’t want a hospitalization, so it worked out.”

I didn’t want anyone else.

Oh.

Oh, that sounds nice.

“I will be there,” Alex promises, “and I will take care of you, like you deserve.” Like he should have done the first time.

“Thank you, Alex.”

Something cramps inside Alex’s chest. He grinds his teeth against the mournful sound that wants to escape his lips. “Don’t thank me, please. It’s—I’m glad you still trust me…trust me again, I will not disappoint you.”

“Alex.” Henry’s voice sounds gentle over the phone.

“Yes?”

“I appreciate your worry, but we will be fine. I have—I will not lie and say that what you did didn’t hurt, but I don’t think you will do it again.”

“I won’t—”

“Alex, I know. You have apologized more times than I can count, please believe me that if I didn’t want you here for my heat, I would not invite you. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Alex croaks, “yeah, okay. I will see you at Kensington?”

“Yes, dear, Shaan will organize the rest. Please don’t worry too much.”

“Of course not,” Alex chuckles, knowing full well that he will barely sleep a wink before he gets on the plane to England. He just hopes Henry isn’t making a mistake.

__________

When Shaan guides him through the hallways of Kensington Palace, Alex can feel the sweat clammy on his palms. It’s been a little less than six months since he was here, but every time he remembers his actions, he wants to hide in a broom closet or show Henry his bared throat. God, he had been such a fucking asshole. Once they are near Henry’s quarters, Shaan comes to a stop, looking at Alex with dark, calm eyes.

“Last time, I let you leave without so much as a discussion,” he says. “That won’t be the case this time. If you hurt His Royal Highness, I will personally make sure that you do not leave English soil until the Crown’s lawyers have determined that you have done nothing outside the legal regulations of this country. Is that clear?”

“Absolutely,” Alex says. His nervousness has receded for the moment. He wants to do this right. “I—I’m sorry. About last time. I know my apology to Henry is more important and I already did that but…you had to clean up my mess, and I’m sorry about that.”

Shaan clenches his jaw before relaxing. “Henry is important to me, I will not stand to see him hurt a second time.”

Alex’s head jerks into a nod just as they turn into the hallway that leads to Henry’s rooms. They are here.

“In case of an emergency, call me immediately,” Shaan says, glancing at Alex from the side. “And if his Highness wishes you to leave, I would advise you to heed that command without delay.”

“Of course,” Alex croaks, giving Shaan a last look before he lets his shaky legs carry him towards Henry. He can already smell him through the heavy wooden door.

“Henry?” Alex calls as he knocks. “Can I open the door?”

Alex only pushes down the handle when he hears a faint “yes”. He takes five seconds to steel himself before he enters, prepared as much as he can be for the days ahead. When he finally opens the door, Alex tries not to look surprised at the fact that Henry is completely dressed. Socks, pants (expensive, by the looks of them), and a buttoned-up shirt. The only things missing are shoes and a tie for Henry to look appropriate at a public event. The flush on his face and the sweet smell are anything else than public-appropriate.

“Hello,” Alex says from the open door. “Can I come in?” Henry’s room is not his nest, but it still feels like he should ask.

“Yeah,” Henry croaks before clearing his throat. “You can come in. Please close the door.”

Alex does but ends up awkwardly standing in Henry’s room, thrown off by the missing frantic energy. Henry is tense, which is making Alex tense, and he isn’t quite sure how to fix that.

“Listen,” Alex starts, “I think maybe you should tell me—”

“I know we’ve become friends in the last months,” Henry blurts out. “But I can’t seem to…I can’t seem to relax after what happened during my last heat.” Henry pulls his legs up, setting his forehead against his knees. “It was so bad.”

And again, Alex stupidity comes to haunt him in the end. Henry hadn’t been this nervous the last time. Horny, yes. Annoyed and desperate, sure. But his hands didn’t shake, and his smell didn’t have a tinge of bitterness to it. Scared, Alex mind supplies, Henry is scared.

“I know this is…at least ninety percent my fault, and I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve already apologized,” Henry says, “there’s no need to do it again.”

“Still,” Alex says and tries to swallow the lump in his throat. “What can I do?”

Henry sniffles, but luckily there are no tears, yet. “I don’t know, it’s—normally when I sleep with an alpha when I’m in heat I’m already—well, it’s usually faster.”

“I get that,” Alex nods, “but that’s apparently not happening right now, so…should I maybe scent you? You know to…let your body know what’s happening?”

“I—yeah. Okay.”

Alex hesitates for a second. “Can I get into your nest?”

Henry’s face twitches into something unhappy, but he nods. So Alex lets his jacket fall to the floor and takes off his shoes before climbing onto the bed. The pillows are still methodically stacked at the head of the bed, the duvet lying in pristine lines. How Henry can resist the urge to make this more comfortable, Alex will never know. He stops at the foot of the bed, looking at Henry’s face to notice if anything makes him unhappy. When he sees that Henry’s expression doesn’t change, he crawls up to where he is half sitting against the headboard. Alex raises his wrist towards Henry’s neck, slowly, giving him enough time to stop him if he wants to. Henry doesn’t, so Alex gently rubs his wrist against the scent glands at his neck. Henry’s eyes fall closed a moment later.

“Okay?” Alex asks, rubbing his wrist in little circles. He loves scenting, even just with June and Nora. It calms his racing mind and makes it easier to relax. He knows some omegas hate it, though, because some assholes do it to strangers in public without asking. There have been instances where Alex almost got into a fistfight on the subway, because an alpha started scenting an omega.

“Mhh, feels nice, always liked your smell.” There’s a small smile on Henry’s lips, so Alex supposes that he must be doing something right.

He keeps up the movements until Henry stretches his arms up, looking for a hug. There are ridiculously few things Alex would deny Henry at this moment, so he lays down on top of the prince, holding him close and doing his best to show him that he’s there.

“Feel a little better?” Alex asks, his voice slightly muffled in Henry’s neck.

“Yes, thank you,” Henry sighs. “My mind was in constant fight or flight since I felt my heat coming up…it’s a little quieter in my head now.”

“That’s good.”

Henry just hums, basking in the calm before the storm.

“Hen, I think we should set some…ground rules for your heat, as long as you are still lucid and able to consent.”

Henry blinks at him, taking a little longer than usual to comprehend what he’s saying.

“Okay.”

“I…assume that I am allowed to touch you, during your heat?”

Henry’s face is so deadpan that Alex has to laugh.

“Well, that is the main reason why you are here,” Henry says, “to, you know, touch me.”

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I just wanted to have a verbal permission one time.”

Henry grumbles but looks weirdly touched. Alex assumes that many people had not asked. The thought makes him angry and sad.

“So I will get you off as often as necessary, I will knot you when you want and I will feed you and get you to drink enough water. Do you think you will notice your hunger and thirst?”

Henry looks a little put out when he answers. “Not always, you might…you might have to bully me a little bit. Snacks are easier than actual meals, so pick your battles and let me just eat Jaffa Cakes for a day. But water is important, you can, uh, blackmail me with sex if I don’t drink.”

Alex blinks at him. “Blackmail you?”

“You know,” Henry huffs, “you say that you won’t fuck me if I don’t drink half a bottle. It’s necessary sometimes because I can’t really concentrate on days two and three.”

“Okay,” Alex nods, “blackmail it is.”

Henry smiles at him, shy and pleased, and Alex wonders how many British politicians he would fight for this prince. All of them, most likely.

“I…do have another question,” Alex says, his eyes flickering to the side.

“Okay?”

“I—normally when I sleep with people while not hiding in supply closets I, uhm, draw things out? Tease a little? I totally get if you don’t want that during your heat, so I just need you to tell me if…if it would be okay if I did that or if it would bother you. Or hurt you.” Alex bites his lips nervously, catching Henry’s eyes.

“That’s—” Henry clears his throat, “that’s alright, I think. But if I tell you that you need to stop and get me off or knot me…you need to listen. Because it will start to hurt, I just don’t know when.”

“Okay,” Alex nods, “I will do that, I promise. Just say the word and I will hurry up.”

Henry still looks unsure and small on the bed. Alex wonders not for the first time how someone as tall as Henry can fold into himself so much that he barely takes up any space at all.

“Are you sure you are fine?” Alex can’t help but ask.

“No, I’m okay, it’s okay,” Henry says, laughing a little at the end. “I just don’t remember an alpha being this…invested in my heat. Usually it’s all business, you know? Fucking me and knotting me and…making sure I don’t need hospitalization, I guess.”

Alex finds that description terribly clinical. As if the alphas came to do a job and left as soon as they could. As if they didn’t have the most beautiful man of this world right in front of them.

“Well, the idea is that you enjoy yourself, as much as possible in this situation.”

“I mean, enjoyment is the wrong word for my heat, especially after day one but…I know you will take care of me, and that’s enough.” Henry looks at him for another moment, before he scoots up the bed a little. “Come on.”

Alex takes off his sweatshirt, letting it fall to the foot end of the bed. Maybe Henry will want it for his nest. He leaves his t-shirt on for now, he has more important things to do. He begins to unbutton Henry’s shirt; the prince is already sweating, so this can’t be comfortable. He lets his hands glide over Henry’s chest to his soft stomach, fingertips marking every dip and mole down until he reaches the edge of Henry’s pants.

“Is this okay?” Alex asks, letting his fingertips edge around Henry’s belly button, up to his collarbones, gripping his jaw gently. Henry head tips to the side, into his waiting palm.

“Feels good,” Henry slurs, his eyes half-closed. Oh. That was fast.

“How do you feel with me being here? Is that—does this make you feel worse?”

Henry takes a moment to think. “I like your smell,” he says, “and…and you promised not to leave like last time, so…I will be fine.”

“Never,” Alex swears, “I will never do that again, baby.”

Henry keens, letting his head fall back until Alex has free access to his throat. Fuck, that’s hot.

“So can I—”

“Please touch me more, I feel so hot.”

Well, no time like the present. Alex takes a moment to marvel at the beauty of the Prince of England—the long lashes, the soft hair, full lips, pretty moles. And he’s allowed to touch. Even after last time. As soon as Alex can shake himself from his thoughts, he takes off the rest of Henry’s clothes. He’s already hard and if the smell is any indication, there is slick running down his thighs.

“Shit, you’re so pretty,” Alex says as he takes Henry’s cock in hand and squeezes gently. The reaction is imminent. Henry’s hips buck from the bed up into his hand, searching for friction.

“Alex,” Henry pants, burying his hands in the sheets, his knuckles white. “Alex, please.”

“What do you want?” Alex asks, stroking his cock gently. His eyes track the goosebumps on Henry’s arms and the tremble of his thighs. He never wants to leave this room. “Tell me and I will give you everything.”

“I—ah, Alex!”

“Come on, tell me.” He hadn’t planned to tease the prince this early, but Alex is completely unable to fuck an omega this pretty without trying to drive him a little mad.

“Let me come! Please make me come.” Henry’s voice tapers off in a whine as he spreads his legs wider.

“Your wish is my command.” And with that, Alex strokes become hard and fast, teasing Henry’s slit on every upstroke. It doesn’t even take a minute. Henry cries out as he comes for the first time that evening, dripping over his stomach and thighs.

“So good,” Alex coos as he scratches Henry’s scalp. “Good omega.”

Henry’s eyes are glazed over as he looks up at Alex, chest heaving.

Heats are as unique as the omegas living on planet earth. Some have very light ones, they only feel a little more horny than usual and get unusually annoyed with strangers in their space. Others have severe heats that require a week off work and either a very extensive collection of toys or a partner with enough energy for marathon sex. But the sex isn’t the only thing required of those partners. Alex got the PowerPoint presentation from his mother when he presented as an alpha. It was titled ‘How Not to Be the Most Insufferable Knothead in The Room’. It had been absolutely mortifying to listen to his Alpha mother talk about taking care of someone in heat, but it had also given him far more detailed information than any sex-ed ever could.

While sex is essential during the heat, especially with the more severe cases, the care in-between is almost more important. Food, water, showers, and cuddles are crucial to bring an omega successfully and satisfied through their heat. Snacks are also highly encouraged. So even though this is just the beginning, Alex is determined to do this right. He moves to get up from the bed, wanting to get a water bottle and a chocolate bar from the little table by the window. Shaan must have stocked up on Henry’s favorite snacks, the table is overflowing. He should also get a wet towel, Alex thinks absentmindedly before he is brought out of his thoughts by two hands grabbing his shoulders painfully, nails digging into his skin.

“Ow! Henry, what—”

“Don’t leave!”

Alex breath stutters as he looks down. Henry looks far more aware of his surroundings than he did a minute ago, but the crazed look in his eyes betrays him.

“You can’t leave, you promised you wouldn’t. And I can’t—no one else will come, just like last time and I can’t do that again, Alex it hurt! It hurt so much.” The last words break on a sob, but Henry doesn’t stop looking at him, doesn’t stop grabbing at him like he is a pipe dream about to go up in smoke.

The thing is, Alex knows he fucked this up last time. He knew it while he did it, he knew it when Zahra chewed him out in front of his mom, his sister and his best friend. He knew it when Shaan was glaring at him and when Henry wouldn’t look him in the eyes the first time they saw each other again. He knows, okay. But it’s different to see it while he tries to make it right. Like he threw in a window, and just now stepped on the shards.

“Oh baby,” Alex murmurs, maneuvering him and Henry onto their sides so he can pull him into a tight hug, chest to chest. Henry buries his face in Alex’s neck, inhaling deeply. Alex tries to make his scent as comforting as possible, drawing random swirls on Henry’s back with his fingertips. “I am so, so sorry. I’m not leaving this time, nothing could get me out of this room, okay? Not even the Queen herself. I will stay until your heat is over and you feel better, doesn’t matter if that’s two days or ten, okay?” It’s not enough, it will never be enough, but Henry seems to calm from his words, his hands clutching at him with less desperation.

They stay like that almost fifteen minutes, Henry’s come now sticky and drying on Alex’s t-shirt but he can’t find it in him to care. This omega let him into his nest again after he proved that he is in no way deserving of that trust, he couldn’t care less about some dirty clothes.

“Henry?” Alex only gets a hum as an answer. “Baby you need to drink some water and eat a snack. That’s why I wanted to leave the bed, okay? I wanted to get you something to eat.”

“No, stay,” Henry says, pulling Alex tighter. Well, that isn’t going to work.

“How about this, I will take you with me so we can go to the little table for water and some snacks and then we will go straight back to your nest, sounds good?”

Henry takes some time to contemplate but nods in the end. Alex doesn’t have a better idea than heaving Henry up, arms and legs around him like a koala.

“Well then, up we go.” Alex carries Henry the few steps it takes to the table. He sees water bottles, juices, chocolate bars, Jaffa Cakes, some wraps and small sandwiches, and what he can identify as Digestives, whatever that is supposed to be. He grabs two water bottles, a chocolate-peanut butter bar and the entire package of Jaffa Cakes before moving back to the bed, laying Henry down as gently as possible.

“Here you go,” Alex says as he hands Henry his water. Dehydration is one of the main reasons why omegas in heat need to go to the hospital, and that is not going to happen on his watch.

“Thank you,” Henry whispers before he takes a sip. He looks almost normal now, no flush and no tears.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

Henry nods. “I’m sorry about that, it’s just…my last heat was exceptionally bad, and I seem to be far more on edge than usual. It’s like my body knows that I’m only feeling fine because you are here.” Henry looks terribly embarrassed, ducking his head.

“Please don’t apologize,” Alex sighs, “this is my fault so I should deal with the consequences. I will try my best not to leave you alone during the heat. We won’t leave your room, so that should be easy enough.” Thank the monarchy for en-suites.

“Okay,” Henry says, shoving two Jaffa Cakes into his mouth. Alex becomes more and more aware that the prince has a terrible sweet tooth. No wonder over half the things on the table are sugary.

“Can I help you with anything else? Do you want more cuddles or maybe some of my clothes for your nest? You said you like my smell.”

Henry frowns, still chewing his food. That absolutely won’t do.

“Or we don’t have to do anything. We can just stay like this.”

Henry takes time to respond, swallowing his food and taking long drags from his water bottle. He still doesn’t look happy.

“It’s not a nest,” he says finally, his eyes stubbornly on the bedsheets.

“What?” Alex blinks, looking between the omega and the bedding that surrounds them. He thought about how Henry’s bed isn’t a nest the first time he was here, but that was mostly spite talking. There aren’t any hard and fast rules what a nest should look like. If it’s soft and warm and belongs to an omega, it’s a nest.

“Are you…unhappy with the materials? I’m sure we can tell Shaan what you want and he will bring it. Maybe softer blankets or more pillows?”

“No,” Henry hisses, surprising Alex with his vehemence. “It won’t be right, it’s never—it never feels right.”

“Okay,” Alex says slowly, trying not to step on a landmine. Certain conversations require something more refined than brute force. “Is that a problem you always have, or is it because I’m in your nest? My smell?”

“It’s not a nest! It’s just…bedding and pillows but that’s it.” Henry grinds his jaw, his hands clawing at the sheets. “I’m a useless omega who can’t even—”

“Woah, okay no,” Alex interrupts, kind but firm. “If you don’t want me to call it a nest that’s fine, but there’s nothing wrong with you. There’s nothing wrong with your ne—bed.”

“It is wrong,” Henry says, and Alex feels panic brewing when he notices the tears in Henry’s eyes. “I’ve never learned how to do it and now I’m in my twenties and still can’t do it and it’s just…embarrassing.”

“I didn’t know there was anything to learn,” Alex admits, taking Henry’s hands in his, making sure his fingers aren’t cramping. He has seen his fair share of nests, both from friends and family, and he always assumed that it was all just instinct. Maybe that was a little naïve.

“An older omega is supposed to show you,” Henry says. “It’s a family member most of the time. Or if there isn’t another omega in the family, very close friends of the parents or something similar.”

Well, that makes sense, in a way. But it doesn’t explain why Henry didn’t have anyone to show him.

“Isn’t your mother an omega?” Alex asks carefully. Maybe that information was false.

“Oh, no, she is,” Henry nods, dragging his hand over his eyes. “But I…I presented late and at the time my father had already passed away and…well, there was no way she could have showed me then.”

The disappearance of crown princess Catherine was infamous, all over the world. And Alex’s heart breaks for the young omega who couldn’t count on his mother to help him when he needed it.

“I’m sorry,” Alex says, rubbing his cheek against Henry’s. “Was there no one else who could have shown you? I thought you were close with Shaan?”

Henry pulls away slightly, turning onto his back. “My grandmother…thought it was unseemly to have an employee help with the situation. And I don’t know if Shaan would have liked to help me anyway, I wouldn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Nests are very…private and intimate.”

Alex doesn’t say that Shaan would not have minded helping. He can’t be completely sure but what he saw from the man, there was no way that he wouldn’t go through fire for the prince.

“We could try building one together,” Alex says, grasping at straws. It’s not like he has any idea what makes a bed a nest, except that there is always a structural integrity to it that most often only the omega understands, and that it needs to be comfy enough to not leave it for several days. Apparently, category one is lacking.

“My Tío Emmanuel, my dad’s younger brother, always had the best nests when we were growing up,” Alex says, remembering the times he visited family in Mexico as a kid. His favorite spot, without any competition, had been his uncle’s nest. One time when he was sick, he was allowed to stay in there for two days and that almost made up for the fever he had. “I could try copying it?”

Henry is still frowning, but he doesn’t look as tense as before. “How did it look?”

“Uhm,” Alex feels like he is treading on thin ice. “He had a lot of pillows that he kind of arranged in a circle with blankets and duvets in the middle. He stacked the pillows so it felt…I don’t know, protected? He also had light chains in the bedroom, but I don’t think we can get them now.”

Henry takes a few seconds to think before he nods. “I will tell Shaan to bring more…supplies.”

It takes barely half an hour before Shaan knocks on the door and they are left with heaps and heaps of anything soft and potentially nest-worthy. It is frankly more than could even fit on Henry’s bed, but it means that the omega has a variety of options. These options, however, seem to overwhelm Henry more than anything. He has dumped a handful of pillows onto the bed, heal-heartedly arranging them at the edge. The moment after the pillows hit the mattress, Henry is rearranging them, categorizing them by color, then by size, before he turns away from the bed, angry and frustrated.

“Should I…help you with this?” Alex hesitates. He still stands in front of the bed, holding pillows, blankets, and a soft duvet.

“I—” Henry stops and paces through the room. “You don’t think it’s pathetic? That I can’t—can’t do it?”

“No baby,” Alex says softly, “I don’t think anything about you is pathetic.”

Henry nods as if Alex just told him a problem he needs to solve, but he stops walking around the room, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

“Okay…can you arrange the pillows like the nest from your uncle.”

Alex doesn’t feel prepared for this but starts building. He mixes the pillows in size and color but keeps everything in muted and pastel greens, blues, and yellows. There are fewer pillows at the headboard, since it already creates a barrier, so he concentrates on the sides and the bottom. After a few minutes, Henry begins to help. He exchanges some of the pillows with the ones Shaan brought and begins choosing the blankets for the middle of the bed. He makes sure everything in the nest has the right texture and gives Alex some of the pillows for him to scent. It is a little like watching a bee at work; tumbling about and arranging stuff, just as it is supposed to be. It takes them quite a bit of time, but when Henry stops flitting around the room and sits down in his nest, Alex knows that they are finished. Alex stands in front of it, he hasn’t been invited in, yet.

The nest is—if he can say so himself—fucking spectacular. It looks warm and cozy, making him want to lie down in it and never emerge again. Alex looks up at Henry with a smile, expecting to see a happy omega. When he sees the tears, he panics again.

“We can put it all away,” he scrambles, looking around the bed. Everything looks nice, but what does he know? “We can just keep it as it was and then—”

“No!” Henry cries desperately, clutching the comforter closest to him.

Alex blinks, his pulse calming a little. “Okay,” he says, “then we will leave it like this. Do you like it?”

Henry takes a second to answer, stroking the different materials surrounding him.

“Yes,” he finally nods, “it feels…nice. Right. It feels like a nest.” He smiles, his eyes still slightly wet. “It feels right.”

Alex can’t help but grin at the verdict. Henry’s comfortable and Henry feels safe, that is all that matters. He’s just glad that he is able to assist with that.

“Do you want to come in?” Henry sounds shy, which Alex understands, as he is invited into the first real nest the omega has ever built.

“Of course, thank you, baby,” Alex smiles and gets into the nest without disturbing any of the pillows. He lies down next to Henry and lets the prince cuddle into him, putting his arms around him. The calm doesn’t last long, though.

“Can you—” Henry stops, and instead minutely readjusts some of the pillows.

“Starting again?” Alex teases as he feels Henry’s dick against his thigh. The flush is back on his cheeks.

“Why are you still wearing clothes?” Henry grits out, moving his hips more frantically.

“You want me to take them off?” Alex grins, not helping Henry to get off. He will come often enough in the next few days.

“Yes! Want to feel you, want to feel your skin.”

“Okay baby.” Alex is fast while he gets rid of his shirt and pants, his underwear dies a similarly quick death. He can’t deny that it feels good to feel Henry’s skin. Have Henry’s fingers roam over his chest.

“It’s not fair,” Henry murmurs, hands gliding over Alex’s hips.

“What’s not fair?”

“You shouldn’t be allowed to be this hot, it’s appalling.”

Alex coughs out a laugh, trying to ignore Henry’s glare. He has never met someone who was mad that he is good-looking.

“Well, it shouldn’t be allowed to be in the nest of such a pretty omega, but here I am, marveling at your beauty.”

Henry blushes, which Alex sees as a great success. When he leans down to bite at Henry’s collarbones he feels desperate hands in his hair, pulling and pushing him down. But Alex asked, he’s allowed to tease, allowed to take his time when Henry is still coherent enough to tell him when fun turns into cruel torture. So he nips at Henry’s chest, biting his nipples as Henry whines above him.

“So pretty,” Alex murmurs into his skin, noticing how Henry’s smell becomes sweeter. It shouldn’t be this addicting, but Alex wants to bathe in that smell, crawl into Henry’s space and never leave.

“Alex,” Henry moans, pulling at his hair again. Alex groans but doesn’t let himself be persuaded. “You are the most infuriating alpha I have ever met,” Henry hisses, glaring down at him.

Alex grabs his cock in retaliation, giving him three fast and rough strokes that make Henry arch off the bed, a mewl on his lips. He lets go right after.

“Why—”

“Patience,” Alex smiles, letting his fingertips dance over Henry’s thighs, stroking his pointer finger up Henry’s length with a feather-light touch. Just to watch it twitch; just to see Henry’s lips tremble. “You deserve this pleasure, but you will have to wait, okay? Just lie back, let me take care of you.”

Henry swallows roughly, closing his eyes. But he nods, and Alex takes that as his go-ahead. Alex lets his fingers circle Henry’s dick again, gently, more than enough to give him pleasure but impossible to get off from it. His movements are slow, up and down until Henry is panting.

“Alex—”

“Baby, I said—”

“No!”

Alex stops his movements at Henry’s call.

“It’s starting to hurt, I need something in me,” Henry says, looking serious despite his debauched state.

“Thank you for telling me,” Alex says, letting go of Henry’s cock to instead puts one finger into his hole. It’s slick and warm, making it easy for Alex.

Henry sighs, closing his eyes. “That’s better, thank you.”

“No need to thank me baby, I told you I’m here to make you feel good.”

Henry hums, making little aborted thrusts with his hips to get Alex’s finger deeper. Alex plays along, letting the prince move his hips until that isn’t enough anymore.

“More,” Henry pants, looking down at Alex between his legs. Alex wants to devour him, build a safe little place inside his heart to keep Henry there.

“Alex!”

“Okay, okay,” he smiles and adds a second finger, feeling the wet heat inside Henry. God, he’s going to feel so good. But Alex supposes that he has played enough, the poor omega is starting to look desperate. He crooks his fingers, pressing against Henry’s prostate with smug accuracy.

“Oh!” Henry’s eyes go wide, his pretty lips formed in an obscene O.

Oh yes, this will be fun.

Alex doesn’t wait for Henry to recover, he just starts aiming for Henry’s sweet spot every time he pushes his fingers in. He’s rewarded with a moaning Henry.

“Alex, Alex more!” Henry’s hips are moving constantly, desperate to get more friction.

“You can do that politer,” Alex says, pretending his dick isn’t hard as a rock because of the sight in front of him. He never said he is a good actor.

“Just—fuck me, get in me.”

“Mh, no baby, I want you to come on my fingers first, how does that sound?”

“Then make me come,” Henry hisses, glaring at him.

“That’s still not polite.”

When Henry doesn’t say anything else, Alex raises a pointed eyebrow, stopping the thrusting motion of his fingers. Before Henry can protest, he pushes the pads of his fingers against his prostate, circling, teasing, putting constant pressure on that spot.

“Ah! Ah, Alex! Please, I want—I want—” Henry moans, his thighs closing against Alex’s torso, but Alex doesn’t budge.

“Sweet omega,” he purrs, not stopping the circling motions of his fingers.

“Too much,” Henry sobs, one hand going over his mouth to stop the sounds. So he still has enough awareness to know that he sounds debauched.  

“If you keep covering your mouth, I’ll take my fingers out.” No way he will miss out on this. Henry’s hand disappears from his face a second later, finding its place in the sheets again.

“Please,” Henry whimpers, big eyes looking up at Alex.

“Is this okay, Henry?” Alex asks, just to make sure. If Henry wants Alex to get him off as fast as possible, he will. He’s here to make him feel good, that’s his priority.

“I—yeah,” Henry sniffles, “but I need to come, you can’t…you can’t be mean during my heat. It’ll start to hurt again soon.”

“Shh, okay, I won’t make you wait, okay? Just ask me one more time and I will make you come.”

“Please,” Henry whispers, “please make me come, alpha.”

Alex feels himself getting lightheaded and is surprised that he doesn’t come on the spot. He’s evidently not the only one that knows how to push someone’s buttons. Alex leans down, taking Henry’s cock into his mouth, rubbing his tongue against it. It doesn’t take much more for Henry to come a second time.

“Feels good?” Alex asks, nuzzling Henry’s face.

“Mhh,” Henry grumbles, eyes close and sated. “Give me a second and I will…”

“No, that’s alright,” Alex laughs. “I think I will come enough in the next days that my dick appreciates the late start.” When Henry looks pointedly between Alex’s legs, he shrugs. “I’m not saying my dick got that memo…but I’m sure it’s true.”

Henry laughs, still a little breathless from his orgasm, but it sounds happy and genuine.

“Drink something.” Alex hands him a bottle of a sports drink from an unfamiliar brand, taking one for himself. Hydration is not only important for the omega during a heat.

“I didn’t ask you how your flight was,” Henry pouts once he drunk half of the bottle. He looks exceptionally put out by this fact. Alex wants to wrap him in a blanket and never let him go.

“That’s alright,” Alex laughs and kisses Henry on the cheek. “We can talk after your heat, but if you are this curious,” he shrugs, “it was fast and now I’m here, that’s the important part.”

“Mhh,” Henry smiles as he leans against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you are here.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, sweetheart.”

“Did I ever tell you that I got my first heat after the Rio Olympics?” Henry snuggles closer to him, still drinking from his bottle.

Alex blinks. “After Rio?”

“Mh, gran was so mad…she still had hope that I would be an alpha or at least a beta and then boom! your grandson will be bloody horny four times a year and likes dick.” Henry sighs, closing his eyes. “Her lectures get worse when my heat is close.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Alex says. “But can we go back…did I triggered your heat? Your first one?”

Henry opens his eyes again. “Oh…yeah, I suppose. I told you I always liked your smell.”

“That—I mean…” Alex stutters, trying to add this fact into the worldview he had for the last years. Henry who hates him. Henry who avoids him. Henry who had his first heat because of him.

“Are you okay?” Henry asks, his eyes big and slightly glazed over.

“Yeah,” Alex croaks, “we will just...talk a little about this later.”

Henry blinks. “Okay.”

“Should I get Shaan to bring us some actual food? I don’t know how hungry you are but who knows when we will get the next chance to eat a warm meal.”

“Yeah…just in case,” Henry nods.

“Okay, great, what do you feel like? Shaan can probably get us anything.”

Henry turns shy, looking away from Alex. “We can get what you want.”

Alex frowns. “Henry, it’s your heat. I’m not a picky eater, I will probably just eat what you are getting. It’s really fine.”

“It…do you think you could ask for an English breakfast?” Henry looks way more embarrassed than the choice warrants. “I know it’s not morning and you probably think it’s bland but it’s…comforting.”

Alex isn’t a big fan of English food but right now he would eat plain toast and lukewarm water if it made Henry happy.

“One comfort meal, coming right up.”

__________

They eat in comfortable silence, Alex making sure that Henry eats a full meal that covers the necessary calories. He doesn’t need to worry though, Henry truly loves bland beans with eggs, sausage, and toast and devours almost two full plates.

“Drink some more?” Alex asks after he put the plates away. Henry nods but it’s sluggish, his eyes drooping slightly.

Henry grabs the water bottle and only spills a little on the sheets. Alex makes sure that he drinks the whole bottle, just in case they won’t have a chance to drink anything else until much later. Henry feels hot when Alex touches his arm, a thin sheen of sweat glistering everywhere on his skin. Henry’s heat is officially in full swing, which means that Alex has to start looking for signs of fever or progressed fatigue. Both can cause tremendous problems, especially if they get ignored for too long.

“How are you feeling baby, you are starting to feel like you have a fever.”

Henry takes stock of his body before he answers. “It’s…not as bad, yet.” He swallows roughly, panting a little. “It will probably be the worst tomorrow, my second day is always…it’s bad, so no teasing tomorrow, I just—I will not be fully coherent in twenty-four hours.”

“And until then?” Alex asks carefully, not wanting to cause any damage.

“Feel free to make me wait a little,” Henry laughs. “Until—”

“Until you give the signal, I will make sure to pay attention.”

Henry looks distinctly pleased by the idea that the alpha he is with will keep a close eye on him. Alex hopes—despite the ugly pinch of jealousy—that Henry’s previous heat partners took good care of him.

“Okay sweetheart, how do you want to do this? Classic mounting position?” Alex asks.

It’s oftentimes a preference thing, especially in heat, and Alex is not about to dictate an omega how to take his pleasure. He would be happy with anything. Although one of these days he wants Henry to ride him.

“Mhh,” Henry hums, sliding down the bed from the headboard, lying on his back. He pulls his legs slightly towards himself, feet on the mattress. His hands go—palm up—beside his head and he bares his throat, making Alex choke at the picture in front of him.

There are two typical mating positions, the classic mount, with the omega on their front, chest to the bed and hips in the air. It’s what most omegas prefer during their heat. It makes it easier when an alpha knots them, making it possible to just fall asleep. The second one is called the King’s Yield, after some poor omega king who did it first some time during the medieval period in Europe. There are mostly two instances where it is used during a heat; either when an omega has an absolute asshole partner who wants to display their dominance, or with long established romantic pairs, oftentimes only after they have bonded. It is the most vulnerable position to be in, all soft and breakable parts on display.

“Henry,” Alex breathes, not daring to touch the prince yet. “Are you sure?”

Henry nods, arching his back off the bed, tilting his head further back. Any clearer and Alex would receive a written invitation. He touches Henry’s cheek before leaning down to plant a soft kiss at the center of his throat. There is no way in heaven or hell he would fuck this up. Not when Henry shows him more trust than he could ever hope to deserve.

Alex lets his fingers trail down Henry’s chest, touching his skin soft and reverent, like it’s something precious, because it is. Henry sighs, relaxing his muscles. Alex barely knows what to do with these newfound possibilities. He decides—because he is a little shit—to tease Henry some more. He lets his fingers circle around Henry’s nipples, before pinching and rubbing until the skin is red and swollen and Henry has started moaning again.

“You like this, baby?” Alex asks, scratching a nail over Henry’s left nipple. The sound that comes out of the prince’s mouth will haunt Alex’s wet dreams forever.

“Jerk,” Henry laughs wetly, not making a move to stop Alex. His eyes are bright, his skin flushed down to his chest.

“That’s not an answer,” Alex says before he leans down and starts biting Henry’s nipples, making the omega whimper with each pass of his tongue. “Come on, tell me.”

“It feels good, you heathen,” Henry says, biting his bottom lip. “But I need you in me in ten minutes or I’m crying again.”

“Mhh, we wouldn’t want that.” Alex isn’t even lying, a crying Henry is only acceptable when it’s because of pleasure. Discomfort or anything worse is not acceptable.

He grabs a condom from the nightstand, putting it on as Henry watches hungrily. Alex doesn’t think that he has ever been this hard in his life, his cock already dripping precome.

“Ready?” Alex whispers as he lets the head of his cock push against Henry’s hole.

“Yes.”

This part Alex doesn’t stretch out. He pushes into Henry with one smooth thrust, opening Henry up further. Alex closes his eyes, feeling Henry around him, warm and wet and perfect. “You doing alright, baby?”

When Alex looks down, he locks eyes with Henry, watching the omega trying to form words. “Alex,” Henry whines, twitching around him. “You—feel good, you feel so good.” His hips buck up, getting the angle right and making Henry moan.

“Shh, calm down,” Alex purrs, putting the softest bit of alpha command in his words. If Henry wants to ignore him, he can, but Alex has the feeling that he doesn’t want to. “I will fuck you, I will make you happy, I will make you come. But I’ll do it slowly, okay? You deserve slow.” Henry has already come multiple times and although it is always the most satisfying with a cock or toy inside you, it’s not like Henry is on the brink of insanity. That will come later.

“Okay,” Henry agrees quietly, some of the tension going out of his limbs.

“You’re doing so well,” Alex says, thrusting his hips slowly, planting kisses over Henry’s face. “Such a beautiful omega.”

Henry’s breath stutters, his eyes fluttering closed. He deserves this, deserves to be taken care of, to be cherished. Because he is the most important treasure in the whole palace.

“Alex,” Henry’s voice comes after a few minutes of slow movement. He’s panting, his eyes set on Alex’s face. The next wave must have started in earnest. “Faster.”

“Mhh, I don’t know,” Alex grins, keeping up his rhythm, “this is pretty fun.”

The glare he receives is acidic.

“You are a bloody-damn tease,” Henry spits, trying to fuck himself on Alex’s cock. Broad hands on his hips stop him, making him take whatever Alex is willing to give. Henry groans in dismay.

“Come on!” Henry sounds frustrated, trying to get his hips out of Alex’s grip. Unfortunately, Alex has the advantages that he is A) naturally stronger than Henry, and B) hasn’t lost his higher brain function to his cock. Yet.

When Alex slightly changes the angle of his thrusts, Henry’s eyes fly open and a stuttering cry escapes his lips. “Alex!”

Alex can’t help the smirk on his lips as he aims for Henry’s prostate, nailing it with each slow, deep thrust.

“Ah! Please, harder, Alex,” Henry moans, his voice already shot to hell from his previous orgasms. “I need—please I need—”

Alex keeps up his steady rhythm, trying to ignore how good Henry feels. If he hadn’t learned to control his body since he presented as an alpha, he would have already popped a knot. God, Henry is tight.

“Alex,” Henry groans, “you are so—” His voice stops before Alex can hear what specific kind of adjective describes him at this moment. He looks down at Henry and sees the change the moment it happens. Henry’s pupils blow out further, swallowing the pretty hazel Alex loves. His mouth hangs open, plush lips spit slick and chapped. Henry must have miscalculated when the symptoms of his heat would become bad. They are already bad.

“Alex.” Henry’s voice is disoriented and thin, making Alex stop the movement of his hips. He wants to ask if he should stop before Henry begins to sob.

“No, no, no,” the omega whines, tears shining in his eyes. “Need this, need you, don’t stop—please! I can’t—I—”

“Okay, okay,” Alex shushes, taking up his rhythm again. But whereas Henry had been happy with that a moment before, now he definitely isn’t.

“Alex,” Henry whines, his eyes twitching between the ceiling and Alex’s hips. “Hurts.”

“I know baby, I’m so sorry,” Alex says, trying to keep calm. He had expected the hard part to start tomorrow, and now he is in the middle of a heat fever. Alex tries to give Henry at least a little relief and reaches for his cock, not expecting Henry’s thighs to close.

“Ngh, sensitive,” Henry whimpers, moving his hips with Alex’s rhythm. “Need your knot.”

“Okay,” Alex swallows, gripping Henry’s cock more gently. Henry’s body burns like a furnace, a rosy blush going down to Henry’s chest. It would look terribly alluring if Alex wasn’t panicking that Henry could overheat. “It’s gonna be okay.” Alex nibbles at Henry’s neck, making his head fall back further for more access. He can’t bite him, even though that would soothe Henry, but even the suggestion of a bite makes Henry’s breath come slower.

“I will take care of you,” Alex pants, rolling his hips in a way that makes Henry’s back arch and mouth fall open. “You are fine, its’s okay.”

“Alpha,” Henry’s voice is high and cracked, “feels good, more, more.”

Alex thrusts his hips harder, earning moan after moan from Henry. Alex can feel his own orgasm coming on, making his hips stutter,

“Knot me,” Henry sobs, a tear running down the side of his face. His skin is flushed and hot, his body trembling. “Please, please, want to feel better, want to feel good.”

“I will, I will,” Alex pants, snapping his hips so hard that the sound echoes in the room. “Do you want to come before or after?”

“Please,” Henry sobs, clenching around Alex, making him shudder and moan.

“Baby, before or after, you need to choose.”

Henry looks up at him, uncomprehending. Which is fair, Alex thinks, when he’s in rut he can’t think his way out of a wet paper bag either.

“After,” Henry finally slurs. That’s all that Alex needs to know.

He starts snapping his hips even faster, aiming for Henry’s prostate at every other thrust. If his prince wants to come after him, he will.

“You sure you want my knot, baby?” He pants out when he feels a well-known pressure in his stomach. “Once it’s in it will take thirty minutes to go down.”

“Yes!” Henry almost yells, back arching off the bed. “Alex, Alex knot me, please!”

“Okay, okay.”

Alex closes his eyes, enjoying the feeling of having Henry under him, around him. Smelling his heat-scent and hearing his moans.

“Alpha!”

Alex comes with a punched-out moan, filling the condom as his knot grows inside of Henry. He moves his hips back and forth until it becomes impossible, then he switches to a slow circular grind. When the black spots disappear from his vision, Henry’s eyes are almost closed.

“Good,” the omega slurs out, tears flowing down his face, “feels good, alpha. More please?”

Alex swallows, keeping this moment in his mind for eternity. He feels his cock twitch inside Henry, feels his knot pulse. He hopes the omega knows how irresistible he is.

“I’ll give you everything you want,” Alex says, keeping up the grind of his hips. He must press against Henry’s sweet spot because the omega sobs, his lower lip trembling. Alex grips his cock, circling the thumb over the slit.

“Yes! Yes, please, come, wanna come, alpha make me come, please,” Henry babbles, not even looking at Alex, eyes locked on the ceiling. His legs twitch, kicking out next to Alex hips. Like Henry doesn’t know what to do with his excess energy.

“So good,” Alex pants, “pretty omega, sweet omega, most beautiful thing in the fucking castle.” He twists his hand, making Henry cry out. “You can come baby, it’s okay, just let go.”

Henry whines, breaths coming short and desperate. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s his third orgasm, maybe he just isn’t as relaxed as he should be, but Henry isn’t coming, is still holding on by a thread.

“Alex,” he sobs, “Alex help.”

Alex leans down, burying his face in Henry’s neck before placing his mouth right next to his ear. “Come, omega.”

The alpha command makes the dam break spectacularly. Henry’s body seizes, shuddering and twitching as he comes all over his stomach. Henry’s mouth goes slack, drool dripping down his chin as his eyes roll back into his head. It seems to go on and on before all the tension goes out of the omega, flopping onto the mattress until he is sprawled under Alex, completely out cold.

Alex continues to nuzzle his cheek against Henry’s hair, face, and neck, purring and making his scent as calm as possible. As far as he read, it’s not uncommon that omegas pass out during their heat, but it’s scary nonetheless.

“You’re okay, it’s okay,” Alex whispers, unsure if Henry is aware of anything that’s happening. Just in case, he wants to make sure that the omega knows he’s safe.

After a few minutes, Henry starts stirring. First a few whines, then slowly opening eyes.

“Welcome back, beautiful,” Alex grins, kissing Henry’s forehead. It’s still warm, but by far not as feverish as he was before.

“Hi,” Henry croaks, dry and raspy. Alex hands him a water bottle a second later.

“How are you feeling?” Alex asks after Henry swallowed several times.

“Mh, good,” Henry sighs, closing his eyes. “Full.”

Alex swallows. It’s not like he has forgotten that his knot is inside Henry, but the sentence makes him more aware of the pressure around him.  

“Anything hurts?”

Henry doesn’t answer for a moment, taking stock of his body. “I’m sore but…nothing that feels wrong.”

“That’s good sweetheart,” Alex smiles, brushing sweaty strands of hair from Henry’s face. The omega looks exhausted but satisfied, Alex can live with that combination. “That got worse pretty quickly, hm?”

“Yeah,” Henry says, “maybe because I skipped the last one. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“I told you, no need to thank me,” Alex nuzzles his face into Henry’s neck, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Mh, I’m fine.” Henry wiggles a little, making them both hiss when Alex’s knot tugs at his rim. “Now we only have to do this about a thousand more time over the next few days.”

That sounds—objectively—absolutely exhausting.

“Can’t wait, baby.”

__________

“These are good,” Alex says with his mouth full, munching on Jaffa Cakes. Henry gives him a disgruntled glare.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s disgusting.”

Ah, so the prince is mainly back to his usual self. That is, in equal parts, a relief and a disappointment.

“You are talking very high and mighty for someone currently sitting on my knot.”

They found out in the last few days that it is very difficult to make Henry eat while he is lying on his back. So the most logical solution was that after Alex knots him—on his front for this purpose—he rearranges them so that Alex sits against the headboard, Henry on his lap, tied together by his knot, chest to back.

“Don’t be crass,” Henry says, eating a piece of fruit. Alex raises an eyebrow, thrusting his hips up gently, moving his knot inside Henry. The omega whimpers, eyes going big. “Don’t be mean,” he whines, trying to be cute. It annoys Alex that it’s working.

“I’m sorry,” he purrs, licking at Henry’s neck. The omega giggles, making Alex do it again.

When his knot finally goes down, Alex sets Henry back on the bed, cleaning him up carefully.

“So, I assume that was the last wave,” he says casually, laying down next to Henry. It’s been four days, less than what Henry has normally, so Alex counts that as a success.

“Yes, the last one is always a little milder, so I know when it’s over.”

“That’s good,” Alex smiles. He loved fucking Henry for days, it was a religious experience, but he also feels as if his cock would fall off if he looked at it wrong.

Henry hums, cuddling up to Alex’s side, gripping his wrist as if the prince is afraid that he might run away.

“I’m so glad it was you,” Henry whispers, eyes falling shut.

Alex lets his fingers glide through Henry’s hair, massaging his scalp until the omega starts purring quietly.

“I’m also glad it was me,” Alex whispers, smiling at the man in his arms.

“Good,” Henry slurs. “I love you.”

Time halts. Alex’s hand stops moving, making Henry’s eyes fly open. A second later, he is out of Alex’s arms, hiding half his body under a blanket, as if Alex hasn’t seen all of him and appreciated every inch.

“I didn’t mean to say that.” Henry stops. “I just—you are—it just happened.” Henry looks as if he wants Shaan to bulldoze into the room and save him. “I—didn’t say anything, since, you know…I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Since when?” Alex chokes out.

“Rio,” Henry says. He has the audacity to look embarrassed.

“But—that’s—that’s—”

“A really long time, yes,” Henry sighs.

“I love you, too,” Alex blurts out. “Not…not for that long, but I love you. Your laugh, your jokes, your intelligence, your face, your scent, your heart. I love all of it, I want to have all of it. You are—the most amazing person I know.”

Henry is so flushed that Alex would have thought he is still in heat if he didn’t know any better.

“We don’t have to make this…a relationship,” Alex says, even if it pains him. “We can—”

“I want to,” Henry blurts, taking Alex’s wrist in his hands. “I want a relationship, I want you to love only me and fuck only me and I…want to be yours, if you will have me.”

Alex thinks about pinching himself.

“I will have you,” he laughs, kissing Henry’s cheek. “Just like you have me. I will be everything you want me to be.”

“Boyfriend sounds good,” Henry smiles bashfully. “Everything else…later maybe.”

The words bond and mate flash through Alex’s mind but he ignores them for now. He doesn’t want to be greedy. If Henry ever wishes to bind himself to Alex for life, he will happily tilt his head back and let him bite him. Until then, he will do everything in his power to make Henry happy. Just as he deserves.