Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Not only was Alex’s mate  the smartest, most wonderful, kindest, endlessly thoughtful person on the planet, he was also really fucking pretty. Like stopping traffic type pretty. Ignore the green light after three red lights type pretty. If the British tabloids were to be believed, Henry’s looks drove any alpha within a five yard radius doggone buck wild. It was a complete one-eighty from years prior, when Henry’s looks were ceaselessly scandalized. The internet had pumped out constant outcries, no one could begin to process the idea that the Prince of Wales was something as unspeakable as a male omega. Oh how the tables had veered off the road.

Henry found the suggestion that he had some sort of rocking body omega specific power— allowing him to awaken a feral monster within any alpha who laid eyes on him— an utterly ridiculous fabrication. 

Alex wasn’t so sure. It was no fabrication that Henry was irresistible. Half the time Alex looked at his mate, his mind was overcome by the idea of claiming him, filling and refilling the omega’s womb, being a good alpha, doing his duty. Forget been there done that, Alex wanted to be currently doing that.

The walking horny mess that was Alex Fox-Diaz had only worsened into a catastrophe since Henry’d gotten pregnant. They were mated. Sue him.

Nobody could blame him. Nobody except—

“Philip,” Henry said, picking up the phone, nodding a dismissal to Alex, while trying– and failing– to sound like he didn't want to throw the annoying rectangle, into the nearest lake. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Hello Henry," Philip greeted, equally constipated in tone. "Let’s cut to the chase, I’m sure you’ve seen this morning’s article in The Sun.” 

With a quiet groan, Henry moved the speaker away from his mouth. He dragged his free hand down his face and Alex made himself busy, scurrying to the kitchen and putting the kettle on. Both of them had seen the article first thing. The title alone left Alex begging Henry not to read it, but the point was moot. Every time their names were in the headlines it hatched a little worm that wriggled around in their brains until they caved and scratched the dismal itch.

The Internet Thinks Prince Henry Is Expecting After Spotting This Detail Of His Outfit During Recent Outing: 'Is He Trying To Outshine HRH Duchess of Wales?'

After their last trip to England, the rumor mill had done its thing and churned out countless theories about when First Prince would welcome their First Baby. They weren't incorrect in noticing that Henry had put on a little weight, especially in his thighs and ass, and that his chest was fuller, and that he had more of a tummy- and yeah okay, maybe Alex was just a teensy bit obsessed with all the minute changes to Henry's physical form since the wedding. It was addictive, watching his mate grow softer, giving him more Henry to kiss, squeeze, grip. In return, Henry appreciated the attention, at least the physical attention from his mate, anyway.

He'd told Alex, time and time again, how comfortable he felt in Texas, how happy he was to come home to his husband's cooking every night. To not have to worry about the Firm dictating his next meal. To buy his clothes and wear what was most comfortable, not what made an apolitical statement and reflected graciously upon the Crown. It was like Henry had lived underground his whole life and he'd finally come up for fresh air. 

Unfortunately, Alex wasn’t the only one noticing all the little changes. According to his Google Alerts, The Sun, and now The Daily Mail, were happy to report that Henry had been seen exiting the local H&E, bun plainly in oven. 

Which, they weren't wrong, but they weren't right either. 

"It would best serve all of us, if you allowed the Firm to release a statement addressing the child's accurate due date, and get ahead of the story, before these vultures spread more misinformation."

Alex steamed some milk, while Henry, still propped up on the couch, sighed laboriously. They'd been fighting this battle since their little moon beam hit twelve weeks. Henry’d excitedly gushed about the baby to his mother, and Catherine let the news slip to her eldest, not realizing that Pip would take the news a little differently. Immediately, he began harping on Henry to have pregnancy portraits taken, and started up a never ending plea for Hen to birth the baby at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's hospital, in London. Steam rolling over the fact that they lived in Texas. 

"It's tradition!" Philip had cried, the last time they saw him, during a state banquet for Climate Change, that Henry had been Alex's guest for. 

"It's antiquated!" Henry replied, garnering a few glances. 

Going round and round until one of them ended up bleary eyed. Usually Henry, damnable pregnancy hormones.

Birth in England would not be happening, plain and simple. They were having the baby at home, in Austin, and there was nothing Philip could do or say to get Henry on a plane to ignore that plan. 

The Plan, spearheaded by Henry and June, was intentionally flexible, but carefully thought out. He wanted to go all natural, something Alex did not even remotely envy. Soft lighting, their huge jacuzzi tub, a pathway directly to Henry's nest. The midwife would be present, laughing gas on hand, but that's as far as Henry was willing to go when it came to pain management. They'd kick start labor with spicy foods, the Miles Circuit, and of course, sex. 

"Pip," Henry sighed again. All the way from the kitchen, Alex could hear his husband adjusting himself, over the clink of the spoon, stirring sugar into the hot tea.

These days, poor Hen was never comfortable. ‘It’s like her feet are in my throat,’ Henry had bemoaned, every night for the last week. Leaving Alex to struggle through making his mate as comfortable as possible, with specialty pillows and a teeny bedside fan. It was all fruitless. Their little moon beam was pummeling her dad from the inside out, while also hiding, just so, that Alex could barely feel her from the outside. Henry assured him that she was moving, constantly. 

"Need I remind you: I value my privacy,” Henry said, scolding his brother, taking a menacing pause after each word. “And that of my daughter. These rumors are projecting I give birth in the early summer, and unless I plan to carry her an extra twelve weeks they're entirely off base."

"But when the infant is born-"

"We will release the information as we see fit." 

Nothing came over the line for a long time. Alex could practically feel the attitude shift, as Philip sighed in resignation. 

"How are you getting on, Hen?"

"Oh you know," Henry said, tone much more agreeable. "Nearly thirty two weeks, and my child continues to grind their skull against my birthing canal." 

Alex had tried to keep himself busy, giving his husband some privacy for the phone call, but even as he tidied up the kitchen, Alex swore he could hear Philip grimace from the other room. 

"Our little one is enjoying her transverse position, Martha, however-"

"Send her my sympathy." 

"She's quite envious of you," Philip said, teasing. 

"She wouldn't be if she felt as hungry as I do, but couldn’t bloody well eat any-bloody-thing." 

It had been a monumental struggle. For a long time Henry subsisted off protein shakes and plain toast. The way their midwife explained it, Henry had an anterior placenta, so the baby was growing inwards. Plus he was a tall, fit man. Which all culminated to lessen the visual effect of his bump, but worsen his pain and general malaise. He felt cramped and full and bloated all the time, with very little to see for it. Alex was so happy their baby was alright, but also weirdly disappointed in her placement. 

He wanted to join in, to lift Henry's belly and feel her kick. Their moonpie had other plans. 

All the baby blogs said they still had time, and that things might completely shift come the third trimester. But Henry was a month into the final stretch, and they'd seen nada. With their due date creeping up, it seemed more and more likely that this pregnancy would continue on its duty to make Henry uncomfortable, and send Alex's alpha into an absolute tailspin. Maybe end up on a cryptic pregnancy Reddit thread. Only time would tell. 

All in all, it was driving him nuts that he’d mated Henry, scented him so frequently they basically had one smell between them, and now that he’d accomplished his ultimate goal and bred his omega, there was no physical evidence. 

The only word for what Alex felt every time he looked at Henry was overstimulated. It was cuteness aggression times a million. It took all his restraint to keep his hands to himself, when all he really wanted to do was bend Henry into a mating press and fill him up morning, noon, and night.

Alex heard Henry shift on the sofa, again, antsy for his tea. He took his cue to deliver the tray, right as Philip wrapped up his end of the conversation: 

"I- erm- I love you, little brother." Stilted, but sincere. 

"Love you too," Henry answered, sounding ready to cry. 

Fuck pregnancy hormones, Alex was ready to cry.

He was so proud he could have punched the air, or some other action that was equally ridiculous. It was probably just a by product of Alex's own adoration of June, but he knew how much bonding with your sibling mattered. He also knew that having both June and Nora, had made his life insurmountably better. If there was any relationship with Philip— one of the only living people who truly knew Arthur Fox— that could be salvaged, Alex wanted to help Henry save it. So far, they'd been trending towards success.

The brothers had come a million miles from where they started out. Still, Philip loved backsliding. He’d take three steps forward and a hundred back, just about every time they spoke.

His most egregious blunder had come just after Alex and Henry's wedding; Philip had gotten ‘right sozzled,’ as Henry had put it, and let it all out. Nearly half an hour of him railing on Alex for 'feminizing' his brother, as if the newly minted Alex Fox-Diaz had somehow changed the younger Prince’s nature and alchemized him into the omega Henry was goddamn born as. 

Unable to take Philip seriously, Alex had laughed while he countered, "No Philip, I didn't feminize your brother. My mate is the same handsome, strapping young lad you grew up with. He just has a perfectly snatchable waist that I fully intend to round out with my children."

Alex would have liked to have kept going, explaining how Henry was going to be the perfect carrier and they were gonna have perfect babies and Philip would go bald before he ever got to see an ounce of their happiness. But Henry clapped a hand on Alex's shoulder, and given him the look that meant he'd already said too much. 

As they were wont to do, they’d gone back to their hotel room and fucked it out. 

"Your brother's a dick," Alex said in the afterglow. Only slightly regretting his wedding vow for both of them to rebuild and heal their various familial relationships. 

"I know," Henry agreed. "But he has raised a question in me."

"Oh?"

"When are you giving me a baby?" Henry raised an eyebrow and looked so fucking scrumptious Alex had almost gotten it up again. 

The very next day Alex had gone off his birth control, and Henry started planning for his heat that was still two months out. That first time had been a bust, but God or the universe or Demeter, didn’t make them wait too long. Now, eight months later, Alex yearned to hold his fucking daughter. And maybe get started on a second one. 

“Love?” Henry called, snapping Alex back to reality. He’d stood there dumbly, tea tray in hand, long enough for Henry to grab another pillow, decide he hated it, and then change his mind. 

“Tea, for the Prince of my Heart,” Alex sing-songed, kissing Henry’s forehead. “And for my little moonpie,” he added with a featherlight kiss to the barely noticeable belly. 

Taking his tea, Henry adjusted (again), a light blush dusting his cheeks. He hummed his gratitude and hid behind his cup, still a little scandalized every time his mate made contact with their baby’s temporary home.

“I think we invite Philip to the birth, really get under his skin,” Alex joked, sliding into place at Henry’s side. Henry made a noncommittal noise, cupping his tummy and sipping his tea, fit to ignore him. 

“I think two more after this one,” Henry said, in a far off dreamy tone.

Alex’s feet came to tangle with his mates’ as he silenced their phones and pulled him closer. 

“You wanna write that check, before you go through with the big part?” 

Grinning, Henry took Alex’s hand to place it on his middle. 

“I do.” 

Chapter Text

Back before they were married, mated, and before moonpie was even a dream in their heads, the doctor’s orders made the handling of Alex and Henry’s cycles crystal. Due to the Crown’s meddling in Henry’s early years, he was, under no circumstances, to take heat suppressants. Not so long as he meant to ensure the veracity of his fertility. So, he wouldn’t. That part was a no brainer. 

The other half, however, was a tougher pill to swallow. Alex would be the responsible one, keeping his rut blockers and birth control straight, while Henry would effectively raw dog his heats. Until they were ready to have pups. Which, the tabloids had speculated, would be any day now. 

Especially, Rebecca Starr Brown's whose logline read: From Normandy to Windsor, Putting the British Monarchy in Context. Alex would have thought she had her sights set on a godmother-ship, if only Henry and Miss Brown weren't fucking Anglican. 

The tabloids did have one thing going for them: the way Alex about caved, begging Henry to let him finish the job, every single heat. But that was nobody's business, aside from their own. So Alex stayed patient. Took his meds. Didn't knock Henry up. 

Over their years together, Alex had gotten mighty good at predicting Henry's heats. He could feel when they were coming on, better than the omega could. He had impeccable timing when it came to taking off work, and school, or covering off with both their families. Alex still managed to mix up his medications from time to time, but never in a major way. It helped that Henry was pretty regular, with only one of his cycles catching them completely off guard since they’d gotten together. 

It was also that precise cycle that landed them as mates.

Coming home, Alex had run through his normal Friday routine, dropping fresh flowers onto the credenza- the one that’s placement stressed Henry out so completely when he’d purchased it, Alex had to take him apart against it just to soothe the omega's frayed nerves. Then, Alex set takeout from their favorite Thai spot on the counter, and went to the fridge to snag two beers: Shiner, Alex’s attempt to convert Henry to his American tastes. 

Normally, on any other Friday in Brooklyn, his boyfriend would come up behind him and hold him close, taking him in, scenting him. They'd only separate when they’d melted around the edges and become one. 

As things stood, Alex was in the kitchen. Alone. Alex eyed their joint calendar on the fridge. They had a solid Friday streak going, five strong, the both of them, in the brownstone, engaging in some of their favorite hobbies.  

“Baby?” He called. 

No response. 

Ambling through the first floor, Alex realized not even David remained to keep him company. 

"Baby?" He tried again. 

Still nothing. 

Reaching the third floor he caught the change. The lights were dim, the air thick with Henry’s scent, and there, dead center in the middle of their room was the most beautiful sight Alex Claremont-Diaz had the luxury of beholding: 

Henry presenting. In the safety of their bed— well, what had been their bed. It seemed as though, Henry had turned the entire third floor upside down, to make the perfect, expansive nest. And now he sat at the center, an emperor on his throne, getting himself off. 

“Baby,” Alex practically wheezed, and instantly, Henry’s hands moved faster. The omega was working himself over, the wet sounds of his mechanical movements, a royal decree for Alex to join him. 

"Your heats not due for another two weeks," Alex all but croaked.

"Came early," Henry murmured. 

Usually, Alex liked to take his time with Henry, prepping him, scenting him, making sure he was wet enough for Alex's knot. He'd nose at his boyfriend's scent gland until they were both whining for it, animalistic and needy. There were plenty of alphas who didn't bother with working up to that point, felt their cycle and immediately gave way to their primal nature. Not Alex. He preferred to hold onto his sanity for as long as he could. 

He'd scent Henry, work him up until he was a writhing mess, and then, because he was a respectful alpha, do everything to put Henry's pleasure first. 

In the nest, Henry- the vision- arched his back, and forget taking it slow. Alex wanted his omega and he wanted him now. He was out of his clothes and behind Henry in the nest in two seconds flat. His hands wrapped around the omega's thighs, already wet and sticky, prying them open. Henry went willingly. Alex knew how badly he needed it, could feel his heart ratcheting in his chest. The omega's heat had snuck up on the both of them, not that Alex was complaining. He just would have maybe skipped his rut blockers the night before, and definitely ripped his scent patch off during the car ride home. 

He'd settle for fucking Henry nice and deep and slow. Alex would hit his baby's sweet spot over and over until he was crying for Alex's knot, drenching the pair of them in his slick, then he'd make him dinner, and do it all over again. Until Henry was sated or his heat was over, whichever came first. 

Before he could do any of that, Henry's thighs were shaking, chest heaving, his head and shoulders smushed into the mattress, as his right hand flew behind him to grapple for Alex. He was so fucking flexible and sexy, his long arm pulling Alex close, clasping the back of his neck, fingers pressing into his scent gland, and where, if Alex counted his lucky stars, a mating bite would go. 

"Please," Henry whispered, shifting and nearly knocking Alex over, so he'd topple right over the omega. Lucky for Henry, Alex had really good reflexes. His arms caged Henry underneath him, but they remained close, so impossibly close, and the back of Henry's neck shone with perspiration and want. He was already so out of it, so knot-dumb and over aroused, he was moaning at any contact Alex gave him, even just a brush of his fingertips against Henry's hip. 

"Please what, sweetheart?" 

"Teeth, please," Henry pleaded, his voice whiny and broken. His hips bucked against Alex's. God, he was temptation incarnate. "Please bite me, breed me, make me-"

The omega wheezed.

Alex found his footing, on his knees, behind Henry, hands going to his hips, holding him tight. His tongue traced his incisors. This was all happening too soon. Five minutes prior he'd thought they were going to be eating Pad Thai. 

"Baby-" Alex started, just to be cut off by another roll of Henry's hips. 

They'd talked about this. They were going to go the traditional- British- route, first came love, then came marriage, then came a mating bite and all that implied. They didn't want to hurry themselves, wanted to live together for a little while and make absolutely certain they were it for each other. Not rush into anything, they might have been a thousand percent sure, but only fools. 

Henry wriggled in his grasp, turning those dazzling, teary eyes up on him.

"Alexander, the doctor said-" he sniffed, and the sound was like a vice around Alex's heart. "I need it."

Running through a quick list of things the doctor had said, Alex was coming up short. She'd said that the heats would get easier as Henry experienced more of them. She'd said Henry would come into his own and it would start to, eventually, feel like his body was experiencing something natural, a part of himself, rather than something taking over him. She'd said Alex's company would make it easier. She'd said-

"You need the bite?" 

Henry made a noise of acceptance. Alex watched as his shoulders unhunched themselves, such was the relief of his mate's understanding. 

"This is excruciating, yes, please, darling, please."

Henry choked out a tearful gasp and it took all of Alex's resolve not to bite him then and there. 

"You sure it's that? You sure I can't try and fill you up, pretty baby?" Alex rubbed Henry's legs, slowly putting pressure from his outer flank towards the inner thigh, pinching the soft doughy flesh there. God, that was Alex's favorite part of Henry's body. His favorite feature that was currently clenching around nothing and, in stark contrast, inviting Alex in between. 

Rather than any sort of agreement, Henry's eyes rolled back, as he keened, silently pleading his case. His pretty, plush lips were already swollen, bitten raw. 

"You want that? You want me to fill you up, princess?" Alex's hands wandered closer to where Henry wanted him so badly, where he was aching for him. "You can just lie there, baby, lie back and let me give you every last drop, like you deserve."

Henry's lips wanted to form the words, but he was gasping for it. Alex took it as his sign to plunge inside, feeling out his inner walls with the pads of his fingers, while Henry gripped Alex tightly in return. 

"Not enough," Henry whimpered, wriggling away and turning onto his back. It was Alex's favorite way to have him, on his back, spread out and pliant, ready and Alex's for the taking. His cunt glistened in the soft glow of their nest, his useless cock hard and arching above it. Alex rolled Henry’s balls in his palm, just to give himself better access, the little whimper it pulled out of Henry didn’t hurt either. "Bite me, alpha, please, make me your omega." 

"Hen." It was Alex's turn to plead. "Sweetheart."

"My love," Henry fired back. His ability to form an argument that would have stood up in court with only a pet name was like fucking kryptonite for his alpha. 

Alex took a deep breath, bringing Henry's wrists to his lips, scenting them, then his ankles, his neck, his chest, right above his heart. All his most important places. He took another moment, leaning over Henry, blanketing his shoulders with his own.

"Alright, sweetheart."

"Al-alright?" Henry practically hiccupped. 

"Alright." Alex grinned.

Henry melted. The desperation in his features giving way to glorious promise. It was a life changing sight to behold, as his body uncoiled and his junk oozed with need. 

"You know what that means, baby? That means you're going to be mine and I'm gonna pump your cunt full of come. My come. Over and over again, until it takes." He nipped Henry's jaw. "I'll keep doing it, swell that sweet little belly of yours, just so everyone knows you're mine." He followed the next statement with a bite to Henry's earlobe, and then a kiss to the secret spot just behind his ear that always sent the omega sideways. "You want that?"

Henry nodded, his head lolling a little bit, but it was all the go-ahead Alex needed to shove his hard cock into Henry's patient hole. He gave a little attention to his boyfriend’s dick as well, gingerly oscillating between stroking it, cupping his balls, and toying with the head.  

"Gonna fuck a baby into you, Hen," Alex promised, lips trailing down Henry's neck. "Then I'm gonna give you what you need." 

Fucking hell, a baby. It was everything Alex wanted, Henry's belly to grow, and his chest to swell, and he'd be achy and sore, and Alex would be at his beck and call, like a good alpha should be. Just by existing, Henry would tell everyone what a good pupped up prince he was, how well he carried Alex's babies. They were fairly private people, at least as far as global, political, queer icons went, but the alpha couldn't deny how exciting the idea was. The world would see Henry and see a wondrous omega who got a pup fucked into him by his alpha's cock. 

The First Son and the Prince of Wales' little moonshot. Christ, it was more than everything. 

"You're going to tell your alpha thank you, aren't you?" Alex teased, nosing at the base of Henry's throat. The alpha shifted his hips, pulled out slowly, pumping back in, with a steady rhythm that knocked all the air from Henry's lungs. His hands flew into Alex's hair, pulling slightly, keeping him close, reminding him that while the omega was Alex's, the alpha was Henry's too. 

"No you're right, sweet thing, I should be thanking you, giving me this sweet pussy to knot, and offering yourself to me," Alex said, push and pull gone, as his hips simply ground into Henry's. His omega was making such sweet sounds and welcoming him inside so openly, Alex could feel his own mind giving over to its animalistic nature. Henry's body had surprised them with a heat and Alex's body had responded in kind: he had triggered Alex's rut with this little performance. Alex's vision blurred with it. 

"Fuck, H," Alex groaned. He took Henry's wrist, scenting him again, to be sure that the omega knew Alex's alpha was greatly affected. 

Henry mewled, underneath him, one-hundo-percent getting his message. 

Alex needed Henry, in a natural, instinctual way, like that first sip of water in the middle of the night, or the gasp of air when you broke water. The alpha was careful. He was always careful with his precious omega, but now he was determined to plant his seed, provide for his omega, cater to his every need. Their hips were flush, Alex so so deep inside, he swore he was touching Henry's cervix. They rocked together, hard and steady. 

In order to please his omega, truly, he had to go against his better judgement and pull out.

Henry thrashed as Alex moved back, frantically attempting to hold the alpha close and pull him back in. All Alex could manage was some light shushing as he pressed kisses into Henry's neck and nudged him to roll over. Alex left love bites on as much supple flesh as was rational (which was to say, Henry's shoulders and back looked like he lost a fight against a hoover), teasing Henry, avoiding the scent gland at the top of his spine, for as long as he could resist. His hind brain was piloting the body, but Alex still had the good sense to take his time and have fun with it. He knew this would be all the better the longer he was able to drag this out, let both of them take their time, and enjoy their turn. Even if Henry was pleading with him to just get on with it. 

Bond bites weren't something to rush over the finish line for. They meant forever. Good thing Henry was more than Alex's forever. He was everything after too. 

Getting his lips around Henry's scent gland was like sighting Orion in the clouds on your first glance up. Waking up just before your alarm and languishing in the morning sunshine. The first sip of coffee. Peace. All the planets and stars aligned, bringing Alex to the back of Henry's neck, claiming him as his own, bringing them together as one. 

For a brief second, Henry went rigid, then, he melted, gooey and pulpy beneath Alex. Utterly at his mercy. From behind, Alex sunk back into Henry's wet heat, claiming him inside as well. It didn't take very long for both of them to meld together, completely overcome with want. A gentle laugh fell from Henry's lips as he went tight around Alex, and Alex spilled inside. He'd knotted Henry, so they had time to just lay together, Alex pulled him back, so his shoulders pressed into Alex's chest, and he craned his neck to kiss Henry's swollen mating bite over and over again. 

Henry, having everything he wanted, cradled in his alpha's arms fell into easy sleep. 

That was the last heat of Henry's that took either of them by surprise. If Alex had been good at predicting Henry's heat cycles before, after they became mates, Alex had a goddamn sixth sense for it. The slightest hormonal change in Henry's body and the same was mirrored in Alex's. They'd written each other into their DNA, and the only thing left, was to tick the final box on Alex's Alpha Check list: actually breed his mate. 

Chapter Text

"Good ol' Pip has summoned us, yet again," Henry said, voice echoing from the couch, his laptop perched in his lap, his feet propped up on the ottoman. The omega was the pinnacle of rest and relaxation. He was only three and a half weeks out from his due date, and Alex had made it his life's mission to keep Henry as cozy as possible. The living room was a void of half finished baby related projects, and gizmos that they weren’t sure they would actually use but TikTok momfluencers swore by.

Henry's scent had gone sour at the news, likely sent via email. Alex would rectify that soon, scenting his mate toe to tip. For now, he’d settle for the delectable view. At this angle, the barest hint of a belly was noticeable in Henry's lap. 

It was a wonder Alex didn't start barking. 

For his part, Alex was on the floor across the living room, trying to assemble their new rocking chair. They had a classic wooden one, passed down from Alex's grandmother, upstairs. This new aged, ridiculous, death trap, would allow one of them to lay down, while rocking the baby. Alex thought it was silly, but whatever Henry wanted, the alpha was happy to supply. 

"Whatever for, husband dearest?" Alex asked, giving a shitty attempt at Henry's Received Pronunciation. 

"Martha's due," Henry said, like it was obvious.

Like the whole world revolved around Martha's baby’s birth— well, okay. He had him there. 

More accurately, like Henry wasn't also, due. One glance at his shoulders revealed a bulked up physique that was driving Alex absolutely mad. His chest was broad, and a little soft— getting ready for the baby. His arms were fucking huge. He'd let his hair go a little longer between cuts and now it was scraping his jawline. Alex lived for watching Henry tie it up into a little bun at the nape of his neck, putting his bite on display, sending his mate into orbit. 

Presently, Alex waited for Henry to continue, but nothing more came. 

"And?" Alex implored. 

Henry cut him a rancorous glance. 

"And, they want us to visit," Henry paused. Shifted. "To meet the baby." Alex snorted. 

"Or to trap your pupped up ass overseas so you have our baby, in the Lindo Wing."

Henry took a moment with that. They weren't stupid, and neither was Philip, this truly had to be a last ditch effort.

"Perhaps."

Another pregnant pause. 

"So we going?" Alex asked, returning to his work. 

“Martha’s dealt with two weeks tacked on.” Alex knew that. Hell, the kids next door knew that. The paparazzi had been extra feisty as her rumored due date was replaced with her induction date. Which, by Alex’s calculations, was tomorrow. He'd been dodging headlines left and right, plenty of them were basically identical, all surmising to the tune of:

Will Martha Fitzroy Be Induced? We Have Nothing Better to do with Our Time so We're Speculating about the Royal Baby

“And I’ll ask again: are we going?” Alex also knew better than to argue with a man who was thirty-six-and-a-half weeks up the duff. 

"No," Henry huffed. Case closed. Even the future King of England couldn’t pull a well nested omega from his home. He crossed his ankles. His stomach grumbled. "Your child is starving."

"Oh if she's starving," Alex said, hopping up and starting for the kitchen. "PB and honey, for my honey?" 

"Two. Oh and a pickle, if it's not too much trouble." 

"If it's not too much trouble," Alex parroted. Like he wouldn't go retrieve the honey from a hive of ornery bees for this ridiculous man. 

“And a spoonful of Nutella!” Henry called. As fortune would serve, Alex already had the spoon in the jar. 

Ironically, Alex and Henry had been across the pond for a long weekend, when they conceived their little bundle of joy. She hadn’t been the product of a heat cycle, just a natural occurrence of Alex stopping his birth control, and a fuck-like-rabbits mentality, that had graced their bed since it got the upgrade to marital. 

Thirty-seven weeks prior, still tanned from their honeymoon, they’d been at Sandringham for Philip’s birthday and some rather brilliant news. Martha had only missed one period, but they’d been trying for the better part of five years, so six weeks felt like a bloody lifetime. 

“We know you’re not meant to share until thirteen weeks, but we’re positively buzzing,” Philip had announced, his hand on Martha’s flat belly. The Duchess of Wales, in Alex’s opinion, looked a bit peaky. Alex figured, carrying the future monarch would do that to you. 

Picking his nails through Philip’s speech, Alex just managed to hold back a yawn. He cheered when he was meant to, laughed when everyone else did. His mother-in-law was nowhere to be found. His husband, he assumed, was with Bea.

Alex could feel the instant his mate walked into the room, and he knew his omega was off. Glancing around, fast enough to put a crick in his neck, he found Henry. And Henry was the opposite of buzzing. He looked miffed. Absolutely tamping. Fuming. Raging. 

Underneath his casual suit, Alex had a few little articles boasting his support of Arsenal, a silent fuck-you to Philip's preferred team, Aston Villa. Right then, he was fairly certain if he slipped his foot from his overly stiff loafer, he would find an exact color match for the angry flush on Henry's cheeks. 

“Hen?” Alex asked, sidling up to his husband and offering him a glass of champagne. “You good?”

“Chuffed,” Henry said, drily.  

His mouth was a hard line, as he stared daggers at a nearby potted plant, and unless he had some deep buried, pubescent, rage-filled lore with Sandringham's green population, Alex knew the fichus wasn't the problem. Henry was always a little ticked off when they were around his brother; to prevent any blowout, they'd had exactly zero time alone. Alex was trying to play buffer the best he could, but it seemed breathing the same air as Philip was enough to rile him, now. 

"Hen, baby, do we need to get out of here?" Alex’s voice was low, a light alpha’s rumble to the vowels. Just squeaking past acceptable in public territory. 

The thing was, they didn’t really have to be there. They'd already done the photo-op. Now, all that was left was mingling with Henry's extended family. There were towers of sandwiches and enough bottles of champagne to drown a small European nation, but that meant jack-dick if Henry was pouring out bad energy like one of June’s moldavite stones. 

"Of course not," he snipped, downing his champagne, quick to snag another flute. "We should celebrate! It’s my brother's birthday." 

Alex didn't mention Henry not mentioning the baby, or the way his jaw was tight enough to snap. Instead, he watched Henry white knuckle another flute of the good bubbly, plus six congratulations to Martha through various cousins and lords and ladies, before he'd had it up to Henry’s head in bullshit. 

“Huzza to the happy couple,” Henry cheersed his cousin, doing a magnificent impression of a barkeep from a Ren Faire tavern. 

"Alright Mister, that's enough," Alex said, plucking a fourth glass from Henry's piano playing fingers, and steering him towards the snack table. He needed to sober up and to do it quickly. Lucky for them, Alex had the foresight to keep it to one glass, for himself. 

"What?" Henry demanded, voice gone a little slurry. If they were alone Alex would have teased him, maybe scolded him a little bit, tied him to the bed until he told Alex what the fuck was going on, but at present they were surrounded by the fuddiest of duddiest people, and BDSM would not pair well with cucumber sandwiches. 

"Henry!" An older uncle, Fitzwilliam, or something like it, approached. He had a little plate stacked high with sweets, and Alex was hitting himself for the missed opportunity of placating Henry with cream puffs. That usually did the trick. 

"Uncle Hum," Henry cheered back, his enthusiasm as fake as the poor old guy's toupee. Alex was stuck on figuring out how one was nicknamed Hum from a long dumb name like Fitzgerald, but Henry didn't seem keen on elaborating. He bowled into a poignantly cheerful conversation with his uncle(?), about all the royal rug rats running around. According to the family's roughest of estimations, they were at twenty-two babies to be born in the next year, from all the farthest reaching cousins. 

"Hm, course plenty of them won't get great big announcements like Pip’s precious sprog," Fitztholomew said.

Alex opened his mouth to ask what the hell a sprog was, but Henry had him beat, "Oh, hardly any baby on earth would get that much attention." Henry's tone could have kept a snowball frozen in hell. Hum didn't seem to notice. 

"Hm," Hum, well, hummed. Alex was starting to cotton on about the nickname. "Say, do you think Bea will ever give your mother any more grandchildren? Hm?" 

The humming could have pissed off Mother Teresa, it was a wonder Henry kept the remaining shreds of his cool. By some form of divine intervention, he didn’t chew the man’s head off. His egg salad sandwich was not so unscathed, pinched to death in Henry's furious grasp. Silently, Alex stepped in between the uncle and nephew, while Henry did away with his plate and cleaned up with a hanky. They'd gotten really good at that kind of switch, since Philip's wedding. 

"Well," Alex chimed in, leaning on his accent to carry him past patronizing, back around to charming. "She is married. Doctors have all sorts of new fangled ways for betas to start up a family." He shot Hum that thousand watt smile that could have scored him a presidency, in a different life. 

"Hm-hm," Hum agreed. "That's nice." The old guy took a beat. Alex started to soften. "Might be able to talk her into carrying for you lot." 

Uncle Hum had been tiptoeing across the line before, but with that last comment he hadn't just crossed it, he had wildly disregarded it, he had ran past without a fleeting glance, he had taken his toe and dragged it through the line in the sand and deemed this party an all out free for all. 

Alex felt his mouth fall open, and thanked the Lord in holy heaven above, that his husband had scurried to the other side of the room and was fervently whispering something to his sister. 

"No," Alex said, at length. He really didn't want to get on Philip's no-call list, because he couldn't stop himself from going off half-cocked about his ability to get Henry good and pregnant... Again.

"Hm, no?" Hum looked perplexed, oh, like how Alex was perplexed by this line of questioning. 

"Mm-mm," Alex hummed back, in stark disagreement. "Excuse me." 

Sick of Philip's festivities, Alex squirreled away a bottle of champagne under his suit jacket. He dodged a waiter—who he tipped with a red note adorned by Henry's mother’s face— and a few more well meaning family members, as he made his way across the room to his mate. 

"We're leaving," he said, as soon as he was within earshot. 

"Yes," Bea said, just as Henry went, "No."

"Yes," she and Alex said again. With a quick kiss to Bea's cheek, and a promise to catch up later, he took Henry's hand and made for an Irish goodbye. Henry, like a petulant toddler, plunked after him. Sandringham wasn't as annoying to navigate as any of the other palaces Henry had dragged Alex's Tejan ass to, but it was still kind of a maze. Despite his rage, or maybe because of it, Alex hauled ass to their guest suite, getting there before anyone could think about looking for them. 

"So the humming, is it genetic? or like a tick?" Alex asked, once the door was behind him and his suit jacket was off, and his stolen champagne dropped on the bed. 

"Nope," Henry said, popping the 'p' as he unwound his tie. "Just a prick."

"Great, because hum that guy and hum his little hms, I hope one gets lodged up his humming arse." 

Henry cracked a faint smile at that. 

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Alex asked, nudging Henry with his shoulder. Henry started undoing his shirt, just for Alex to swat his hands away and get it for him. Happy wife, happy life, and all. 

"I'd rather not."

"Baby."

"It's silly."

"You tend to be."

"Alex."

"Sorry, I'm-" he mimed zipping his lips and kissed Henry's forehead for good measure. 

Henry still looked a little stalled up. He sat on the bed, gingerly moving the bubbly off the edge with a curious glance. Alex joined him, thigh pressed to thigh, close enough to feel, but not to smother. 

"I suppose, in this instant, I am possibly, feeling a little... jealous. Of Martha." 

That made sense. Not maybe in the wise-mind, respect for your sibling sense, but in the mated omega with an empty womb sense, sure. Henry must've read some of the thought process on Alex's face, because before he could say anything else, the omega was gently crying. 

"Sweetheart," Alex soothed, crushing Henry into his chest. Henry took to it instantly, burying his face against his alpha and letting the tears flow. "They've been trying for years. We've had one fully unmedicated heat between us."

"I know," Henry said, snot-choked. They took a moment, Alex rubbing Henry's back, his fingers lingering around his bond bite, before trailing back down his waist, then back up again. After a while, Henry's tears dried up. "I'm going to have a bath."

"That an invitation?"

Henry scoffed, like he needed to ask. Forgoing a typical response, Henry started stripping out of his clothes, silently suggesting Alex do the same. Pausing in the full body mirror, along the far bedroom wall, Alex dragged Henry in front of it, caging his omega in his arms and peppering his neck in kisses. 

"Would it," Alex started, cut off by his own need to get his lips on Henry. "Make you feel better-" a  few more kisses, "if we tried tonight?" He concluded with a final smacking kiss to Henry's mating bite, sending a full body shiver through the omega. 

"Yes," Henry whispered, which kicked Alex into gear, he crossed the room in two steps, snagged the bottle of champagne, uncorked it and took a long swig. A little liquid trickled out the side of his mouth, making Alex wonder if Henry would agree to lap it up. 

"What's the champagne for?" Henry asked, breathlessly, having watched the whole show in the mirror. Alex wiped his mouth and shot his mate a shit eating grin. 

"We're celebrating, my baby's having my baby," Alex said, after another sip. "Plus, I need to catch up."

Chapter Text

“Hen,” Alex gasped, wheezed. He ground his hips, more than thrusted them, into the sweet heat of his loving mate. He balanced on one hand, the other coming to rest at Henry’s lower belly. He swore he could feel himself, rearranging Henry’s insides, through the soft bit of tummy growing there. “Gonna put a baby right here.”

Henry’s hands came to rest atop Alex’s, blushing as they felt up the squishiest part of the omega, no matter how frequent his gym visits became. It was a wonder he still managed to be embarrassed, never mind how long they’d been married, let alone mated, they’d been going at it for two fucking hours. Alex worked Henry open slowly, the best part of fucking when Henry wasn’t in heat. Their scents pooled and mingled around them, certainly ruining the sheets beyond the royal staffers usual preference for a scentless, sterile atmosphere. 

Hips shifting, Henry bent at the waist, back coming off the bed, forcing Alex impossibly deeper. It made his tummy scrunch in a way that sent Alex reeling. Recognizing that he was downright obsessed with the soft bits of Henry now, Alex couldn’t wait to see Henry swollen with his child. Just the thought was making him a little feral. He moved his hips in a deliberate fashion, making Henry's legs tighten around his waist and clench, Alex was inching closer and closer and closer to the finish line. Every sense overwhelmed by Henry and his bergamot heavy scent.  

Before long, Alex knew he was going to come. It came on suddenly, opposed to Alex's usual slow build, but he’d basically edged himself for the better part of the last one-hundred-and-twenty minutes and Henry felt so goddamn good, so perfectly snug inside. Alex glanced down, his hand on Henry's hip moving to wrap around Henry's hard cock. 

At the faintest touch, Henry lost it, coming all over himself, and tightening around Alex. Seeing his omega's purest pleasure, Alex quickly followed him over the cliff. 

He felt his own warmth gush between them, painting Henry's insides, just as Henry had painted their outsides. Alex made a move to pull away, to get a wash cloth to clean them off. 

“No,” Henry gasped, pulling Alex close, and trying to get his soft dick to stay inside. 

“You’re right angel, need to make sure it takes,” Alex purred. He wouldn’t knot Henry, so he’d have to snag one of their toys to keep Henry plugged up. 

Pulling out, Alex couldn’t help himself, he leaned forward, pressing gentle kisses into the skin of Henry’s tummy, until Henry was swatting him away with complaints that it tickled, and he must remember to fetch the plug. Upon his return with the toy, Alex gently inserted it, kissing away the overstimulated hiss that fell from Henry’s plush lips. Alex couldn’t hold back any longer, so he caressed the rest of his omega’s perfect body. 

“You’re gonna look so good, baby," Alex all but growled. "Can’t fucking wait to raise a family with you…” 

Henry sighed, shifting contentedly and making grabby hands at Alex. As if he was under Henry's spell, Alex came when called, eagerly crawling into the unfamiliar bed. 

“Can’t believe what a lucky bastard I am.” 

"You?" Henry teased. "I just got buggered so thoroughly I can't very well walk. I'm the lucky one." 

"Let's settle for both being lucky." Alex let his fingers trail to Henry's middle, spooning his lover from behind, and content to stay like that forever.

Or, at the very least, until they were required at more of Philip's festivities. 

With Henry’s pregnancy, rapidly nearing its conclusion Alex’s usual Friday routine had shifted somewhat. Coming home to the Austin farmhouse, the usual flowers in hand replaced with Italian confections from a nearby, homestyle restaurant. (Cannolis from the supermarket were too sweet and Alex’s at home attempt weren’t sweet enough.) The vase on the credenza, which had followed them from Brooklyn, to a temporary stay at the Lake House, to its current residence in their permanent abode, long empty. The sweet smell of dying flowers had sent Henry into a morning sickness tailspin. Delivery was a thing of the past, with Henry getting too upset whenever a restaurant made a slight error with their order, and Alex’s alpha wanting to bite the head off any delivery guy who failed to mask his scent appropriately. As it stood, Alex did most of the cooking. 

Normally, his husband would come sit at the counter, playing sous chef, really just looking for an excuse to ogle his mate with his sleeves rolled up. Not that Alex was complaining. 

In the last few weeks Henry had become increasingly uncomfortable, excusing himself to the restroom every fifteen minutes on the dot. He was unable to sleep through the night, and equally unable to work during the day. Sort of in a perpetual waiting game for his body to be his again. 

This particular Friday, Henry was curled up on their couch, dozing. His snores were soft and so precious Alex wanted to take a bite out of him. 

Rather than maul his extra cute husband, Alex tried to be extra quiet as he made his way around the first floor. Maybe he could get someone on their security team to pick up pizza? Henry’d always struggled getting to sleep, but since reaching full term, it was an impossible feat. Alex would sooner cut off his pinky toe than wake him up. Besides, the sight was just so fucking sweet. 

For starters, Henry’s hair was long enough to fall into his face, and Alex half expected it to blow with his quiet snores. He came over to gently push it back, tucking the strands of gold behind Henry’s ears. Henry didn’t stir, one arm tucked under his head, the other curled defensively around his slightly swollen middle.

Henry didn’t look totally pregnant, but reaching forty weeks had made his belly finally start to bulge outwards as the baby dropped lower into place. 

Unable to stop himself, Alex rested a hand against Henry’s belly. The heat of the taxed skin leached through his tight t-shirt and warmed Alex’s palm. His skin was stretched thin over his womb, and Alex knew every inch of it, like the backside of his hand. Without removing the shirt, he could direct you to any one of the new freckles or moles gracing Henry’s skin. It was a glorious sight: Henry pupped up and serene. 

Their sweet pup. Their little moonshot. Growing into a perfect little person inside Henry’s perfect body. 

Alex could feel the baby roll sluggishly inside Henry’s packed womb, and it hit him all over again: they were going to be parents. Hell, they were parents. Henry had made him a goddamn daddy. 

Alex must’ve made some noise that went unnoticed to him, because Henry finally stirred under his palm, moving his own hand to rest alongside Alex’s. 

“I have news,” Henry muttered, voice rough with sleep. 

Alex leaned down to kiss his husband’s forehead, and then the crest of his belly.

“What is it, mi amor?” 

“Pip is coming to visit,” Henry said, stifling a yawn. 

Alex felt his eyebrows touch his hairline.

“Pip, as in Pip-Pip, as in your brother Philip, who has a three week old baby to be concerned with.” 

Henry gave an aborted start, unable to explain any of it. 

“Something about him and Martha extending their philanthropic efforts throughout the US.” Henry paused to stretch, wincing and massaging an apparent stitch in his side. “An article ran about it this morning, I hear The Post just picked it up.” 

Alex whipped out his phone and performed a perfunctory Google. Henry was right. The article was front and center of The New York Post, and utterly garbage, but the headline still read out:

Prince Philip and Martha Fitzroy's big US move - and how Henry and Alex feel about it

“Alex was quite shocked when he found out that Martha and Philip plan to do more work in America after trademarking their foundation’s brand with authorities,” a source told OK! Magazine.

Alex scoffed at that. A bad source. This was the first he was fucking hearing about any of it. 

“Hen, listen to this, ‘Although they have made a couple of trips to the US, it’s not really part of their territory and now Alex feels they could be moving in on his turf,’ like I could give a fuck where and what Philip is doing at any time of day.” 

Henry chuckled, shrugging one shoulder and signaling for Alex to join him on the couch, which Alex did, willingly. Still, he wasn’t ready to lose his phone just yet. 

Skimming the rest of the article, Alex gleaned that, apparently, the Prince and Princess of Wales had made a significant move toward launching their work in the US, just weeks after Martha gave birth to their first child. Moving past how fucking weird he found it that the royals didn’t believe in paternity or maternity leave, Alex kept reading. Reportedly, Pip and Mazzy had completed and submitted official documents to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in preparation for the official launch of their Royal Foundation charity in America. If Alex was to believe the UK’s Mirror.

Alex didn’t hate the idea of seeing his sister-in-law more, but he had hoped the next time they were all together would be his and Henry’s introduction to their niece, and ideally, Philip and Martha’s intro to a niece of their own. 

“So when’s the poster boy of colonialism, darkening our door?”

“Tomorrow morning, mum and Bea are joining him as soon as they're able.” Catherine couldn't be out of the country for too long, and Henry had felt a whole fuck ton of weird guilt about taking Bea away from her life. Alex had given up the ghost on that one, months ago. 

Yawning again, Henry tried to get comfortable, failed, and gave up, propping his feet on Alex. Pregnancy was a real mother. Discreetly, Alex finalized his pizza order— Henry was big on Hawaiian right now while Alex still preferred white pizza, so they had to get at least two— and looped the staff in to go pick it up. Jesus H. Christ, he felt spoiled. 

“I’m sure he’ll arrange a hotel stay if we ask him to," Henry said. Alex almost made the mistake of asking what the hell he was talking about, but since the dude was forever haunting the back of his mind, he realized Henry meant Philip. 

Alex nodded. He could work with his brother-in-law in the general vicinity. His own mother and sister were also going to book it to Austin the second Henry was in active labor. The only reason they hadn’t yet, was that Oscar was on standby, and Henry had stated a clear preference for the delivery to be limited to himself, Alex, and their midwife. June on standby. He’d had enough people speculating about his junk for more than one lifetime.  

“You say the word and I’ll have him chewing on a goddamn crumpet by sundown,” Alex teased. 

“I’m not worried.” Henry paused. “I don’t know if this is the baby making me hormonal and too soft, but I’m… excited.” 

Alex took a moment with that. It was a net positive that the brothers were getting along and that Henry was working through his tendency for black and white thinking. But an inkling of fear remained; Alex wouldn’t let Philip hurt his baby, again, or their pup, ever. 

Henry huffed, facing Alex, and trying desperately to get comfortable. 

“I’m more worried about–”

“Dinner’s on its way, sweetheart. I got pizza.”

Henry sighed, sinking into his husband’s side, immediately at ease, with the promise of food. 

“How do you always know exactly what I want to hear?” 

“Magic,” Alex replied, kissing Henry, soundly. “Now let me go make up the guest room in case your brother needs a place before we ship him off to the Four Seasons.”

Chapter Text

Alex woke up, instantly alert, a strange and huffing, puffing came from the other end of their bedroom. He fumbled for the light switch, in addition to his glasses, finding both in a still sleepy haze. Henry was across the room, bouncing on a yoga ball, facing away from his mate. 

“Hen?” Alex said, voice cracking. The clock showed that it was only half passed seven. 

In response, Henry hummed, looking over his shoulder, his eyes glassy with exhaustion and pain. 

“Henry,” Alex said again, voice soft and goading. He flipped the sheets, crossing to his omega. “You should have woken me earlier.”

“You need your rest,” Henry panted. “I need you hale and whole, Fox-Diaz.” 

“How close are your contractions?” Alex asked, looking on while Henry wheezed through a bad one.

“Not too close, I haven’t even thought about timing them.”  He swiveled his hips, it made Alex worry that the ball would bounce out from under him, but he had it under control, pulling it  back with more grace than the situation warranted. 

Unable to resist, Alex planted a kiss on Henry’s shoulder, then another to his mating bite. Henry sighed into the touch, reaching up for one of Alex's hands, encouraging his mate to continue. Alex loomed over Henry, taking on some of the pressure with his left hand, and gently massaging his belly with the other. Their baby had visibly dropped, making Henry, at long last, appear incredibly, irrefutably, immaculately pregnant. 

"Can I get you anything? Tea? A cool rag? Full English?" Alex snagged a t-shirt off the edge of the bed, then finding it to be one Henry had already tried, and soiled with milk, grabbed a clean one from the chest of drawers. Looking at him then, Alex realized Henry had stripped down to his coziest sweatpants, or joggers as Henry would say, and his robe- oops, dressing gown. This new one was dark blue, a stretchy, lightweight fabric, and Henry hated it. He wanted his usual house coat, one of the few things he'd brought from Kensington, a deep purple brocade, that revealed itself to be made up of blue and red swirls if you got close enough,  worn in just right. Alex loved to steal it when Henry was away, not that that was all that often these days. 

Henry snorted. He wobbled a bit on the ball, his fingers trailing the ends of Alex's sleep shirt. Fleetingly, Alex considered taking it off, as if the sight of his bare chest might soothe Henry's labor pains. He  could cook bacon and eggs sans shirt, grease popping be damned. 

"Tea and toast would be lovely," Henry said, turning to kiss Alex’s cheek. “A spot of honey for each.” 

"On it boss,” Alex chimed with a salute. “You good up here, or are you looking to relocate?”

Henry hummed before planting his feet and putting his arms out to Alex in an uppies motion. 

"I would like to be in the living room please." 

“Don’t trust me with your breakfast?” 

“Don’t trust your child with our carpet, more like.” 

In the height of their nesting, the two of them had considered lining the floor with plastic, but ultimately they’d refrained. Eyeing the floor, Alex had to agree, and helped Henry out to the living room, one shaky step at a time. They’d left the ball, so Alex dutifully retrieved it, then helped Henry to the bathroom, and back to the ball, before finally starting on his breakfast.

“Do we have any of that maple bacon left, love?” 

They didn’t, but it was Sunday. Alex fired off a text to June asking if she’d run by the farmers market, before Henry could ask for even more ridiculous cravings. They had a plan in place for the security team, and system to text their relatives, once Henry was in active labor, but for now, it could wait. His water hadn’t even broken.

Walking into the living room, Alex watched as Henry perked up, and then his face fell. Like a terrier who’d done a trick and been denied their treat.

“No bacon?” 

“Sorry honey, I have someone picking some up, but I figured we could do tea,” Alex said, lifting the tray he carried. “Maybe work through a miles circuit, then I’ll fry up as much bacon as your heart desires.” 

Henry huffed, failing to school his disappointment. 

“Alright, but hurry along, I don’t want to be arse up when Philip arrives.”

Before Alex could ask where they’d put that damn rebozo, the doorbell rang, and Cash— now hired on by Henry’s blood money, rather than Alex’s mother’s discretionary funds— rounded the corner, like a lion. Alex only hoped he’d be leaving as a lamb. 

“What can I do ya for, Cassius?” 

“Prince Philip is here,” Cash said, an unease that he usually hid better seeping into his words. “We’ve cornered him in the front office, I know you two weren’t expecting him just yet.” Lucky for Henry, their kitchen and dining room were between themselves and the foyer. Philip wouldn’t be able to hear squat from Henry’s office, which veered off the other side of the entryway. 

Henry groaned. Alex couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or another contraction. 

“You timing those?” Cash asked. 

“Not yet,” Henry said through gritted teeth. 

“June should be here in about—“ Alex checked his watch. “Twenty. Can you all keep Philip busy until she’s here?”

“Make up something about the midwife needing to check me,” Henry said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m sure he won’t ask any further questions.” 

“He’ll probably get a kick out of nosing around your office, babe.” 

“Don’t I know it.” The words came in a hiss through Henry’s front teeth. Alex took the initiative to actually text the midwife; if karma meant anything, lying to Philip meant they’d want her on the premises sooner rather than later. 

“Then we’ll pawn him off on June,” Alex said, a hint of sarcasm coloring his words, also texting his sister to hurry it up. 

Henry groaned again, louder this time. As if possessed, Alex and Cash snapped to attention. Cash made a swift exit to ‘supply Philip with some tea,’ never mind that not being part of his job description, while Alex kneeled next to his ailing mate. Silently, he opened the clock app on his phone to actually time how long Henry was going between contractions. 

They rocked through some stretches, and Alex realized he still needed to find the damned rebozo. Before he could break off on that mission, his mate gave a long pitiful whine, head lolling onto Alex’s shoulder. And since bad things came in threes, Philip called out to check in on them. Neither bothered with a response. 

“Why is he here?” Henry groused, as Alex took his left hand, and allowed his right to settle at the base of Henry’s spine, working circles into the knotted muscle there. 

“Don’t worry about him, forget him, okay? It’s just you, me, and little moony.”

Alex could feel Henry’s face break into a smile. 

“We never decided on a name,” Henry said quietly. 

“I’m staunchly anti-Bartholomew and/or Bernadette.” 

A deep laugh bubbled out of Henry’s chest at the absurdity of Alex’s answers. They had made zero progress in finding a name they liked, but they knew which names they hated. Jane was a no-go, they weren't into namesakes, Oscar Arthur, Beatrice June, and Ellen Catherine were all in the NO column, underlined in red. Additionally, Austin, Rio, London, Brooklyn- any and all place names- were for naught. 

“Equally anti-Walker and/or Luna, I know dear,” Henry said, clearly gritting through another contraction. If Alex's math was correct, they were only seven and a half minutes apart. 

“Well, you’re doing the heavy lifting, what names do you like, sweetheart?” Alex moved into a squat in front of him, offering his hands for Henry to grip. 

“Well,” Henry started, his lips pursed. “I distinctly remember you being against old-stuffy-white-boy-names.” His attempt at an American accent was astonishingly good. 

“I like some stuffy white boy names,” Alex mumbled, one hand trailing the crest of Henry’s belly, and stroking it softly. 

“I like Eleanor, either spelling,” Henry said on an exhale, “Estrella, Estelle, but those are stars.” He paused, bringing Alex’s hand to his lips. “Elena is beautiful as well. It means-”

“Light,” Alex said, quietly. “Our little moon beam, our little ‘Lena.” 

They beamed, sharing a quiet peace, for a moment. This would be some of the last time they were just them. Alex couldn't resist kissing him, searing the moment into his memory, so he'd have it when they were wrinkled and grey on rocking chairs, maybe at a lake house in Wicklow, or Llwynywermod, just to hear Henry say it. 

Henry was the one to break the silence, sighing and pressing his forehead to Alex's, still rolling his hips on the yoga ball. Without any conscious decision on his part, Alex scented him, kissing his temples and his wrists and everywhere his hind brain told him to. 

“There’s another name, it means highest love," he paused, clearly making space for Alex to tease him. It wasn't coming. "I’d like it as a middle name.”

“Hit me.”

Henry bit his lip, a light flush dusting his cheeks. 

“It’s French," he said, shortly. 

“Elena is Spanish," Alex bit back.

“I know.” His eye roll begged why would he suggest it otherwise? He puffed out his cheeks on an exhale. Henry was so stubborn it made Alex's heart ache. 

“Tell me, Hen. Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me–”

Long, elegant, piano-playing fingers met Alex's lips, bringing him up short. 

“Christ, you’re a child," Henry huffed, laughing even as he struggled to breathe with the infant currently playing soccer with his lungs. "It’s… Isme. Remember King James, the lovesick fool I told you about? His first love, before Buckingham, before Somerset, was Esme, first Duke of Lennox. He was banished, but after he died, allegedly of a broken heart, he had the heart embalmed and sent back to James.”

“Jesus tits, you wanna name our baby after that guy?” Alex was a little surprised. Henry had thrown a whole hissy fit about not sticking to royal protocols, but frankly, they were both history freaks. Finding names they liked, that didn't carry any direct royal baggage, was almost impossible.  

“I’d do it for you,” Henry said, gaze steely. 

Alex took a beat, thinking about what he could leave Henry if he died first, and the organ that kept him alive seemed a pretty good bargain. As far as utterly romantic, absurdist declarations of love were concerned. 

“Well," Alex started, adjusting to bring Henry's hands under his chin. "Seems he stopped short with his heart, he should have gone for his di–”

“Alexander.”

“Right. Sorry.” Alex pooled his sweet marshmallow smell all around them, to soothe his omega. Since being mated, and even more so since pupping Henry, their smells had changed. Henry had picked up some of Alex’s sugar and Alex had this unshakable spicy cinnamon undertone. “Elena Isme is a lovely name. Love it. Obsessed.” Truthfully, Henry could suggest they name their baby Moon-Moon, and Alex would verily agree. 

They stayed like that for an hour, lobbing names back and forth, and settling back on Elena Isme each time. With every round of names Alex liked Elena, more and more. Even as they changed their personal spelling to include an 'ai,' rather than an 'e.' Isme was the struggle-name, but he didn't exactly hate it. Their midwife was still enroute, as was June, and Alex could feel Philip getting antsy from across the house. According to Cash, the prince had a call to take, but their time was dwindling on how long that would keep him at bay. 

With another hour and a half, poor Henry was beyond frustrated, disheartened, rocking back and forth on the ball, trying to get the baby to move down, but she seemed reluctant to leave the safe confines of his womb. The pair of them were nervous and cooped up, ready to walk this baby out, but afraid to do so without the all clear from their midwife. 

To say nothing of their newest challenger, fretful Philip. 

“Martha didn’t stray from her hospital bed the entire labor,” he supplied unhelpfully, any time Henry tried to move, earning a glare from the laboring omega. For the first time, Alex was glad the royal family had such strict protocol when it came to scent blocking. Philip probably smelled like high cortisol and moth balls. 

“We need to stay relaxed,” Alex practically hissed. “Coax baby out at her pace.” He was parroting the words of their midwife, but that's about all he was good for at this point. 

“I want to walk,” Henry said, desperately, offering his hands to Alex. Without hesitation, Alex helped Henry move into a squat and then up to standing, no matter how slow and tedious the process. 

The omega made it two determined steps before he stopped with a sharp grunt. 

“Christ on a fucking cracker, she’s in my pelvis,” Henry wailed, hands balling into fists, ready to rip Alex's shirt from his torso. A little hysterically, Alex’s gaze shot back and forth between the Fox brothers. Henry was red with pain and anger, while Philip was ghastly pale. It would be just Alex's luck for Philip to throw up while Henry gave birth.

Ignoring Philip entirely, Henry wavered on his feet, and Alex’s hands darted out to hold him steady. 

A sudden gush broke any tension in the silent room. Henry's water broke, busting around his and Alex's feet, sending the amniotic fluid rapidly across the floor. With eyes the size of dinner plates, Alex quickly ushered Henry back to the couch, and barked at Philip to go find Cash, and maybe Amy.

"And get some fucking towels," Alex hollered, helping Henry out of his pajama pants. They had a plan in mind, but that plan had about a hundred percent less Philip, and a thousand percent more trained professional. Alex's heart was beating so hard he could barely hear Henry's labored breathing. Henry was undergoing a Herculean task with the most reverence he could supply, which was to say: absolutely fucking none. 

Henry's head dropped back on the couch as he yowled at the growing pressure between his hips. Alex, in a momentary bought of genius facetimed their midwife, a lovely woman named Claire from Donegal. They adored her (and her accent that put Henry's to shame).

She was also, apparently, stuck in traffic. 

The midwife's expression switched from happy to see them, to consummate professional in an instant. She was the calm Alex so desperately craved in the storm of his life. 

“Alex, you think you can check Henry for me, hen?” 

Henry's brow furrowed in confusion, he was naked from the waist down, unable to catch his breath, as their baby eagerly shifted from zero to one hundred. Alex caught a glimpse of Philip in the doorway to the living room, as he held a towel that he clearly had no idea what to do with. 

"Mierda," Alex muttered under his breath. He turned to Philip, gesturing to the water on the floor, "Tira!" He snapped. "Clean it up, Philip. I need someone to fill the tub." 

"The bath?" Philip asked dumbly. 

Alex wanted to slam his head into a wall. Whether he meant his own or Philip’s he’d never tell. Gesturing to the other end of the living room— in an alcove that they intended to use as a book nook— sat a giant birthing tub. Ideally, Claire would have been there to help Alex fill it. According to her, it was simple, if the flimsy hose that ran to the kitchen sink was to be trusted, but Alex was pretty sure Philip would be better off locked in a storage closet for the duration of the birth. 

"Right... Is it hooked up?" Like it might bite him, Philip nudged the tub with his toe. What a sopping excuse for an alpha. 

"No sign of Claire, Alex," Cash cut in. 

"She's on the phone," he said. Debating leaving Henry, so Alex could hook the tub up himself. "Could you-"

"Amy's already getting the hose for the birthing tub set up, Miss June called us, said she picked up the groceries you asked for but there's a closure on the interstate so she isn't sure when she'll arrive."

Christ, Alex was going to make Henry give their staff the craziest Christmas-in-July bonus they'd ever seen. Henry whined again, pushing all of his weight against Alex, one princely foot, against a muscled, runner's thigh. Philip was clearly trying to be useful, basically pushing amniotic fluid in a circle with one oversoaked towel, and avoiding looking in their direction at all costs. 

"Here sir," Cash handed Alex two clean, warms towel for Henry to sit on, and took another spare- the dirty ones they kept under the sink- and finished Philip's job. Never mind that it was too late for their already amniotic fluid covered couch. All of Alex's privileged entitlement hit him square in the chest. He'd have to circle back to that when his husband wasn't actively giving birth. 

"Alex," Claire said, bringing his attention back to the little square in his hand. "I hear your team is setting up the tub, can you clue me in for how our Henry's getting on?"

“My measurements might be a little off—”

“Guesstimate for me.”

“Hi baby,” Alex said, the whole world melting away. He tried to push some of Henry’s hair away, but it fell right back into place. He was lathering his mate in his soothing scent, if Philip- or anyone else- caught the fumes, Alex couldn't find it in himself to care. 

“Hi,” Henry grumbled. His face was red and his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. Alex would have to get him one of their workout hairbands, if he ever had the time to run to the freezer. 

“I’m gonna step in for Claire real quick, alright? See your progress?” 

Henry grunted his consent, moving his robe out of the way— there really was no modesty in pregnancy. Hands shaking the entire time, Alex checked him, quick and painless as possible. The mayhem came back, crashing around Alex as he used his clean hand to grasp for his phone.

“Around six, seven?” 

“He’s in transition, so hang tight.” Claire carried her voice for the next bit, “Don’t push, Henry. We’re not quite there, yet. But soon. Just like me, alright? I’ve been ten minutes out for thirty minutes. For now I need you to relax.” 

Henry let out a short, snotty, “ha,” while Alex took the opportunity to run off to the kitchen and clean his hands. While he was there he grabbed all the crackers and digestives he could see, a lone sleeve of Jaffa cakes, the frozen headband, and clicked on the electric kettle. He was married to an Englishman. Tea never hurt. 

Looking down at his phone, Alex gnawed on his lip. “What do I do if he gets to ten?” 

She gave Alex a stern look, one that knew how many birthing classes the two of them had taken, how many questions Alex asked at each appointment, how many late nights he'd spent stumbling down research rabbit holes from medical podcasts to mommy blogs alike, and how many books he’d read over the past ten months. Claire once said Alex was the most over prepared parent she'd ever seen. She also admitted that she hoped it wouldn't make him underprepared in the end. 

“You catch your baby.”

Alex hadn’t left Henry’s side since he returned with a mug of Earl Grey, a cold rag for his head, and an ass ton of crackers. Cash had come in after with a bucket of ice chips and Alex spent the following forty-five minutes alternating between feeding Henry the ice, baby sips of tea, and bites of cracker. Alex refused to let go of Henry’s hand. Just like he wouldn’t stop kissing him and calling him gorgeous. It was worth every flushed eye roll and bone shattering grasp of his phalanges, lasting through each contraction. He was the most stunning person Alex had ever seen, even when he looked ready to kill him for saying so.

They'd settled Henry in the tub, and, reluctantly, sent Amy and Cash back to the guest house that doubled as a security headquarters. One would think, after they stepped back from the limelight, such a thing would no longer be necessary. But neither Alex nor Henry was willing to put the other's safety at such a risk. 

For his part, Philip continued to fret. He had come and gone from the living room twenty times in as many minutes. He kept looking at the ceiling, as though Henry needed the privacy. If he only looked at his brother, Philip would realize Henry's chest and shoulders were covered by a towel, and the rest of him was submerged in the birthing tub. 

Their doctor, and June for that matter, were still no where to be found. Her words, you catch your baby, continued on an endless loop in Alex’s brain. He would catch their infant, sure, but he also had to be present for his mate. Support his partner. Be the alpha of this house. 

That was an utter impossibility with an omega, who was almost-nearly-fully dilated, a brother-in-law tiptoeing towards an anxious break down, and no midwife. 

"Hi sweetheart," Alex murmured, kissing the sweat from Henry's forehead. "You're doing so good."

"Well," Henry corrected, with great effort. Even in the throws of labor, he was still the bratty bellend Alex loved. 

"That too," Alex said, kissing his crown again. "Can I-"

"If you finish that question, I will scream."

Notoriously, Henry loathed being the center of attention, and admittedly, Alex had been laying it on a little thick. He mimed zipping his lips, but kept on eyeing Henry, eager for a task to complete. 

Looking a bit guilty for his sharp tone, Henry nuzzled under Alex's chin. "When you have a moment, I would like to be rid of this tub."

"On it, Maj," Alex teased, instantly lifting the bulk of Henry's weight. Alex used an extra soft towel to dry him off, helped him back into his robe, and waddled him back onto the couch. Henry allowed himself to be pampered, and for a moment it felt like they were the only two people on Earth. 

"If she doesn't get out soon," Henry admitted, in a hushed voice. "I fear I'm going to do something drastic." 

"You know," Philip chimed, retaining eye contact with the ceiling fan. "Even with the induction, Mazzy was in labor for twenty-three hours." 

"Not helpful, Your Royal Highness," Alex chided, debating shoving Philip out of the living room and banning him from reentry. 

"Well we're nearing that then," Henry mumbled, almost to himself.

Alex gave him a befuddled look. "What are you talking about?" 

As far as Alex was aware, Henry had been in labor since around five am, not since fucking lunch the day before. There were a million things he would have done if he'd known Henry was in labor. Namely, not let Henry wrap a hand around his dick when he said he was struggling to fall asleep, and then pass out before he could return the favor. 

"I started cramping yesterday around this time, just thought it was Braxton Hic-" cutting himself off, Henry's hands went to his lower back, arching it, with a pained hiss. 

"Baby-"

"Oh bollocks, somethings different, Alex. Fuck, Alex, I think she's coming." One hand held his hip, the other fluttered at his side, grasping for his mate. 

Meeting him head on, Alex leaned into Henry's grip. 

"Baby," was about all Alex could manage to say, trying to guide Henry's body onto their makeshift birthing mat- Alex would never see yoga the same way, that was for sure- and keep him in the least amount of pain. Henry sobbed, grinding his teeth, despite the plushness of the matt.

"Not like this," Henry wheezed. "Need to squat."

"Alright," Alex said, a little hysterically. He couldn't support Henry from the front and catch the baby. That's why they'd hired the midwife, that and a never ending list of other reasons. The birthing stool they'd ordered had never come in, but they hadn't been all that worried. "I'll be your birthing stool, mi amor," past Alex had promised. God, what a tool bag that guy was. 

Alex lowered him into a squat, holding Henry's hands and allowing him to push into him. His mind refused to stray from the impending drop of their little baby, and the fear of her hitting the hard, hard, floor. His head shot around, trying to find a wall Henry could lean on instead, curse them and their impeccable interior design. 

"Pip," Henry called, shocking Alex out of his mind and back into reality. 

"Pip?" Alex shot back, just as Philip ambled over with a curt, "Me?" 

"Counter pressure," Henry whined, dropping Alex's hand to beckon Philip closer. Alex shifted out of the way, as Philip took his place, crouching in front of Henry in his expensive dress pants. 

"What can I do, mi amor?" Not for the first time, Alex wished he could take his mate's place in all of this. 

"Catch her," Henry said through gritted teeth as another contraction crashed through his body, forcing their daughter out. 

"God willing," Alex said to himself, lowering his body, behind Henry. Desperate to help, Alex rubbed tight circles into Henry's back. It wasn't enough, but by the way Henry leaned into it, it had to help a little. He checked Henry, and almost screamed when he felt the baby's soft fontanel. "You're so close now, Hen."

"Just a bit more, old boy," Philip managed nervously. Fleetingly, Alex worried that their baby would have traces of the Received Pronunciation. He swallowed that worry, and moved to support Henry's thighs, making the omega moan in relief. That feeling didn't last, as Henry let out an animalistic growl, the baby clearly doing something painful inside him. Claire would have been able to tell Alex what, tell him how to help. As things stood, Alex felt fucking useless. 

"Hurts," Henry whimpered. 

"It's probably the shoulders," Philip said helpfully, for the first time in his entire life, probably. "Twisting so she can actually come out, bend your leg up- yes, Alex, support his weight- on the next one-"

Henry didn't bother to wait for Philip's guidance, just groaned through a big push. 

Everything happened very quickly after that, that final contraction hit and Alex felt a super human strength take over. One hand held Henry open, while the other palmed his daughter's head, and eased her into the crease of his arm. Finally feeling some small repose, Henry fell forward into his brother's chest, dampening him with sweat and blood and only God knew what else. Alex was in the awkward position of holding the baby, basically underneath Henry.

Piercing cries broke through the room and Alex swore everyone on the block took their first breath of the day. 

Henry's legs refused to hold his weight any longer. It took the help of Cash and Amy- who had returned unannounced at some point during all the chaos- to lift him into a seated position, the ruined couch cushions pulled to the floor, and Henry atop them, like a king in his castle. Amy had the good sense, and endless professionalism, to cover him with  the robe, leaving his chest exposed for Alex to all but dunk the baby onto.

Delirious and sleep deprived as he was, that was all Henry wanted, his baby safely on his chest, and no matter how much Alex enjoyed holding her, he'd enjoy Henry having her even more so. 

Gently, Alex handed off the wriggling, gross, perfect infant, and Henry took her greedily. 

"Oh hello gorgeous, oh hello, yes I'm here, you're okay." As soon as her face touched Henry's skin the shrieks tapered into quiet, snuffling whimpers. Less sounds of imminent peril and more generalized confusion at being born. 

Before Alex could catch his breath, or even get a few words out to his daughter, he heard the front door open, and both June and Claire barreled into the living room, muttering apologies the entire way. 

"Oh," Claire muttered, taking in the sight of their living room. "It seems we missed the fun bit." 

"Jesus," June said, only loud enough for Alex to hear. Their eyes met and, just as June had since she learned to talk, she read Alex and got to moving, sensing exactly what he needed and making it happen. Something Alex had been hoping to nurture between Philip and Henry, but who knew where they would stand after the events of the day. "Philip, why don't we go dig in Alex's closet, find you something else to wear." 

To Alex's astonishment, the prince sent Henry a parting glance, as if it pained him to leave. Then he looked down at himself, noticed the sheer state of his dress, and was quick to run after June. 

Quickly, Claire washed her hands and got to work. She walked Henry through delivering the placenta and helping Alex cut the cord, despite the shake in his hands. By some miracle Henry hadn't torn. She borrowed the baby to clean her up and take her measurements, letting Alex tend to his omega. 

"Why don't you get all cleaned up and comfortable and I'll bring her back, two shakes of a lambs tail." 

Alex had to ignore a pang in his heart to do it, but he knew he had to take care of his other baby, before he got comfy with his new baby. 

"Sweetheart," Alex said quietly, running a warm wash cloth up Henry's legs. "Should we relocate to the bed?" 

Henry could barely nod his head, setting Alex on task. The omega didn't need to know that Alex had started benching more weight at the gym in preparation for this very moment. He lifted Henry bridal style, reveling in the light blush on Henry's cheeks, despite his exhaustion. They showered together, a quick, perfunctory rinse, with Alex holding both of their weight the entire time.

"I feel like a homunculus," Henry said, lifting his arm limply to prove his point.

"I didn't know Frankenstein was so sexy," Alex replied, kissing his forehead and ushering Henry into yet another towel. They were gonna have so much laundry to do. For now, he helped Henry into something that was effectively a diaper, and made him kind of look like an imported fruit. They both giggled at the sight, before Henry gasped for breath and Alex got back on track. He helped Henry into some comfy pajamas, buttoned his shirt without an ounce of horniness, and propped him up in their plush bed. They already had a bedside cradle for the baby, Alex just needed to get their girl. 

He opened their bedroom door and almost slammed into June, who was holding an itsy pink bundle. 

"Baby delivery!" June chimed, her voice soft and low. 

Alex cleared the way for her to pass the baby off to Henry. 

"Don't you want to hold her, love?" Henry asked, batting his big blue eyes up at him. 

Alex scoffed, coming around the bed and wrapping his arms around Henry's waist. 

"Already got my arms full." 

June smirked, lifting the infant for a whiff of that new baby smell. "If you don't want her, I can-"

"Baby, now, please," Henry said, reaching for the bundle, as if June was actually going to steal her. 

She passed her off gently, revealing her perfectly sculpted little face. Alex couldn't breathe, his hands went tight around Henry's waist. 

"She's perfect, baby," Alex said, voice so full of reverence he worried he might cry. Shit, he was already crying. 

"Claire said she's only five pounds, ten ounces," June chimed in. 

"Didn't feel so little when she was tearing out of me," Henry said, the irritation masked by a soft coo directed at their baby.

Like she knew she was being talked about, the aforementioned baby started rooting around, her little eyes shut tight, trying to wiggle free of her swaddle, and get to Henry's boob. Alex snorted a laugh into Henry's shoulder, while June murmured an excuse, and made herself scarce. 

Nervously, Henry pulled back his sleep shirt. "Should we call Claire-"

"Do you think we need her?” Alex asked, pulling the shirt the rest the way, and kissing Henry’s exposed shoulder. “Give it a shot, I'll go grab her, if we can't figure it out.” 

With a look of determination, Henry maneuvered the baby into place, while she suckled impatiently at his chest, until his nipple popped into her mouth. With something akin to divine intervention, she latched, sucking hard enough to make Henry wince, as some milk dribbled down her chin. 

"Look at you!" Alex cheered, his voice still soft, leaving kisses up and down Henry’s cheek. "She's a natural, Hen you're a pro."

”I feel it necessary to remind you, that we very well may need a new sofa,” Henry chided, not looking away from the baby on his chest. 

“For you, giving us Laina? I’ll buy ten.” 

“Laina,” Henry echoed, choked up with amazement.

“Our little moonpie is finally here, H.”

“She’s here,” Henry said. Alex kissed him again and Henry turned, seeking a real kiss. They were so overwhelmed, so stupidly happy, they couldn’t help but cry into it. 

If their tears dripped on the baby, she wouldn’t be able to remember it. 

Chapter Text

“She’s perfect, Henry,” June cooed, looming over where Alex held her at the edge of the bed. Henry had been reluctant to put Elaina down, but he was so sleepy and out of it, he was equally concerned about dropping her.  

Alex didn't have the energy to argue that it took two people to make a baby, plus June was right: Elaina was absolutely perfect. Ten ruddy fingers and toes, dangerously long eyelashes, and a sculpted little doll's mouth. She was the spit of Alex, dark swirls on her head and big brown eyes that drew you in whenever they blinked open. 

They’d taken their sweet time with the baby, just the three of them, in a sleepy, golden haze. Letting her eat her fill, supported by Alex, as Henry dozed for a little while. The bed was halfway to nest, with it's half a dozen of extra pillows, smelling so strongly of the pair of them, it was a wonder Elaina didn't cough.

Their respite only came to a close when Claire ambled in, to do a final check ensuring that Henry was all set to feed her, that Elaina was swaddled properly, and her diaper able to be changed. 

After her were Amy and Cash, for “purely security related reasons,” and certainly not to ogle the fresh, precious bundle of joy— before the Queen of England. (Everyone got a little kick out of breaking that particular royal protocol.) June had barreled in immediately after them, ready to photograph her niece, and spread the news far and wide. Selfishly, Alex was glad he didn't have to be on just then; let June alert the Super Six group chat, so long as he and Henry could stay nested for a little while longer. 

“Knock knock,” Philip mumbled, stiffly making his way into the bedroom. In a rush of alpha-related confusion, Alex realized he’d never actually seen Henry’s brother on the second floor of their home, let alone in their bedroom. His haunches raised as the other alpha came in, but Henry's hand found his hip, immediately bringing him back to reality. The sight was actually quite silly, Philip looked like he'd fallen into a lost and found. Henry's trousers were too long on him and Alex's shirt a touch too short in the sleeves, but too loose in the chest.

“Uncle Phil!” Alex greeted, taking the baby’s hand and making her wave. Bringing Elaina to his neck for a split second, Alex scented his daughter, a relaxing wave of sweetness washing over her, before he extended her out for Philip to get a better view. 

“Hello little one,” Philip said, all buttoned up, but still so earnest. “I still think Phillipa is a lovely name for a baby girl.” 

“Not on your life, Pip,” Henry said, from the comfort of his pillows. 

Philip rolled his eyes, but didn’t look away from the baby, offering her a finger to grip. “Is now a good time to remind you that you’re supposed to call Mum?” 

Forget the Queen of England, Alex had to call his mom.

“Oh shit— Bug?” 

June waved her phone dismissively at the three of them. “All global heads of state former or otherwise have been notified, at once, via text group chat.” 

“Well, that’s certainly an efficient, if a little schismatic, way of doing things,” Philip said. 

“Be sure to let them know, Pip and I are closer than ever,” Henry joked. Philip let out a chuckle that was more gasp than laugh and started raising his finger, still tight in Elaina's grip. 

“I hear Philomena is catching on in Wales—“

“She already has a name, Pip," Henry announced, cutting his brother off. 

“Care to share with the class?” June asked, her screen alight, clearly ready to inform their family en masse. 

“I think we wanted to tell everyone at once,” Alex replied, watching as June lifted her phone in rebuttal. “In person, I mean.” 

“I never planned for Philip to meet her before Bea and Mum,” Henry said, biting back a yawn. “Let alone Pez.” 

Alex could recognize that Henry meant that Percy actually resided in the same country as them, and had occupied their guest room for at least one weekend out of every month since they moved into the ranch house, but he could also see the pinch in Philip’s face at Henry’s unintentionally harsh words. 

"You wanna nap it off, baby?" Alex's gaze nervously stayed on Philip for a second longer, until Henry didn't reply, prompting Alex to turn back to him.

Henry was already out cold. He turned, snuggling into the Alex scented pillows, and snored softly into the fluff. Birthing a baby would do that to an omega, even the insomniac ones. Similarly exhausted from her grand entrance, Elaina yawned and rolled in Alex's grip. If only she'd been so keen to sleep when Henry slept any time in the last two months.

Gently, Alex transferred her to the bassinet, turned on the baby monitor, and shooed June and Philip out of their room. 

In the awkward silence of the hallway, Alex found himself nervously rubbing the back of his neck and making eye contact with his shoes. "You know," he tried, voice cracking a little. "Henry didn’t mean it like that, he’s exhausted."

“I know," Philip said, meekly. "Couldn’t blame him if he did though. He was always closer to Bea, and I understood Percy as his be all end all in school… I think, for a long time I was jealous of the chap." He gave June a pained smile, before he finally looked at Alex again. The tension had only worsened.

In a frantic need to change the subject, words flowed from Alex's lips before his brain could try and stop them: 

“So the buzz about you starting a nonprofit, here?”

Philip went bright red, and for the first time, Alex saw the resemblance between the brothers. 

“Right. Yes. We are, looking into it, but erm, this visit was more of a personal nature.” He was prattling. Alex had seen Philip uncomfortable before, maybe even veering towards nervous. He’d never seen him so timid, almost like he was embarrassed. 

Just then, June's phone pinged, giving her an excuse to disappear into the guest room. Pez and Nora hadn't been able to get away from the city just yet, but they'd be down soon, now that Elaina was actually here. June had taken up the task of coordinating visitors, it made Alex want to pick her up and spin her around. Philip hadn't been apart of their plans, but her ability to pivot had always been impressive. June squeezed Alex's shoulder in silent encouragement, and promptly abandoned him with his brother in law. 

“I, erm, understand not wanting to travel to and from with a newborn," Philip added, clearly following his own train of thought, but leaving Alex out to hang. "Obviously, Martha thought I was out of my mind when I suggested all three of us pop over, Lizzie is the only reason she’s not here as well." 

Alex crossed his arms over his chest, gaze drifting towards his bedroom door. He could envision his sleeping daughter and his conked out mate so easily, the door between them was painful enough, he couldn't imagine a fucking ocean.

“Philip, what are you not saying?”

The Prince fidgeted, his toes shifting on their carpet, before he started for the stairs. Only two steps down he turned to face Alex again, asking, “Do you have anything to drink?”

“Tea?” Alex asked. They were drowning in the stuff, surely Philip knew that. 

“Anything harder?”

"Oh," Alex started, a bit taken aback. "Yeah, in the outside fridge." Christ, living with Henry had made him into such a rich asshole. "Follow me, Your Royal Highness."

"Please don't," Philip said, turning back once more, his face screwed up tight, making Alex mutter an apology and put some pep in his step to get Philip down the staircase. 

A Prince of England sitting on the work bench in the garage was such a novelty, it made Alex want to take a picture. The one and only time Henry had joined Alex in changing the oil of his ancient Jeep, they'd taken each other apart against the hood of the car. Damn even trying to make it to their bedroom- Alex had been bereft, just the sight of perfect, proper Henry, juxtaposed with his own forearms smudged in oil and grease had him at half mast.

Eventually, Henry had gotten him back, taking him out on the Domino, a ship named for one of Arthur's films.  He'd steered the thing, easy as breathing, tying knots, reading the wind, and leaving Alex to play damsel at the view. 

Presently, Philip remained the only man who had sat in Alex's garage without horny motives. He offered him a Shiner from the outside fridge and propped himself against his Jeep, doing his best to look relaxed. 

"So what are you doing here, Phil?"

The nickname clearly shook Philip, making him bite his bottom lip in what Alex hoped wasn't disgust. 

"My mates in secondary school actually called me Flipper," he mused. "Sometimes just Flip."

 Alex had to bite back a guffaw. He knew British folks didn't play about their nicknames, but Flipper? 

"Must be tough, nicknaming a Prince."

"Nah," Philip said, tossing his hand in indignation. "You managed with Henry, I'm sure."

"Mostly just Wales, in the beginning."

Philip nodded. "I got a fair amount of that too."

"You're real good at dodging questions."

Philip made a little humming sound, which turned into a laugh. "'s all second nature I'm afraid... I came because I was worried."

Alex took a moment with that, trying not to jump to anger, but feeling his pulse steadily gather speed regardless. "About?"

"Him. The baby. Having her at home."

"I did think it was a little scary when it first came up," Alex supplied. 

"Not just scary, preposterous! I thought it was the most horrifying thing I’d ever heard, and when I couldn’t get him to come to a hospital back home, I thought I would at least be able to talk him into one here." 

Alex had never heard Philip speak like this, his hands flailing, beer sloshing from its bottle. He bit his cheeks to keep from laughing, and raised his beer to cheers Philip's.

“Look man, don’t tell H, I thought his plans were a little woowoo," he stopped, when the lip of Philip's bottle met his. "We compromised by going to half a million baby classes." Plus spent a half a mill on a contracted midwife, birthing pool, oils to massage Henry's aching body, and a bunch of other snake oil shit they hadn't used in the end. 

"I should have done more of that with Mazzy." 

All Alex could do was hum. The most basic Parenting 101 covered not comparing yourself to any other parent, at any cost, and even though Alex was only about two hours in, he knew better than to say anything too critical.

"Speaking of, how is she doing?"

"Perfect," he sighed, his eyes going a little hazy. "She's a natural. Really the best mum, makes me feel a bit shit at it all, if I'm honest. I'm going home tomorrow, since I saw Henry through the birth."

"You did more than that," Alex cut in.

Philip chuckled, teeth cutting into his bottom lip. "I don't think Martha will believe I actually, bloody held him through it." 

"Ting-ting," Alex said, cheersing Philip again. 

"I'm glad I was here, but I miss Lizzie more than I thought possible. I've got Martha's equerry sending me photos every half hour." Philip rubbed at his chest like there was a physical ache to soothe and Alex reached out, letting his fingers land soundly on Philip's shoulder. 

"Thank you, I don't know how we would have managed without you today."

"Stubbornly," Philip quipped, but his grin colored the word. 

They finished their beer in comfortable silence, Alex had the baby monitor open on his phone in case the loves of his life stirred even an inch, and Philip was delighted to show that he had the same nanny-cam app on his phone, showing off a lovely yawn from Elizabeth Victoria Anne. Such a long name for such a little girl. 

"I hope they'll be close, despite the distance," Philip said, so sanguine it nearly bowled Alex over. 

Alex pulled him into a hug, clapping him on the back. "Yeah, me too." 

Philip and Henry still had a long way to go, but as far as speed running familial bonding went, Alex was pretty sure aiding and abetting the birth of your brother's first child was pretty high on the list. If things went according to plan, the baby cousins, only three weeks apart, wouldn't know a thing about sibling rivalry. 

Chapter Text

Their darling Elaina Isme was the perfect baby. Alex wasn’t one for probability or conjecture, but his daughter was objectively perfect, just like he knew she would be. She wasn’t colicky or jaundiced or any of the things people told horror stories about, well into their children’s teens. She slept easy and ate greedily and made her dad look like the perfect parent. 

At least... One of her dads. That led to the only genuine issue with Elaina. She fucking hated Alex’s guts.

“She's just a baby, darling, she doesn’t know how to hate,” Henry constantly assured him. A sentiment that was less reassuring, when it came after Henry had to wrench Elaina from Alex’s desperate hold. Just for the baby, who had been crying for two hours, to quiet herself instantly. She was happier than a pig in shit just to be in Henry’s arms, while she acted like Alex had head lice every time he touched her. 

Elaina hadn’t really left their property yet. Alex and Henry took her outdoors, walking around the expansive ‘yard,’ and doing tummy time on picnic blankets. They didn’t want to risk any photographers snagging a picture of her, so Alex did the shopping, and their families came to them. 

They’d had to send edible arrangements to all their neighbors, after they shut down the neighborhood for the Queen of England to meet her granddaughter.

They didn’t need a nanny, but they sure considered hiring a maid for their revolving door of guests. A new baby had a way of pulling relatives out of the woodwork, happy to help, so long as ‘helping’ meant bouncing a happy Elaina on their knee. 

It worked out that Henry was staying home with Elaina; still, Alex couldn’t help but feel increasingly distant from the little girl, not to mention his relationship with his mate. On the upside, his sister was around more. The New York polycule had taken up temporary residence at the lake house, all too eager to lend a hand to the new parents. 

“She doesn’t know she’s a separate being from Henry yet,” June had tried to convince Alex. Elaina liked her just fine, easily snoozing in her arms and taking a bottle from her like June was a seasoned professional. “She’s just eager to get back to what she knows.”

“Or she’s pissed you gave her that awful name,” Nora teased. Thankfully, Henry was taking full advantage of the babysitting opportunity and sleeping.

“Henry named her,” Alex moaned into his mug. He’d gotten about the same amount of rest as Henry, but planned on straightening up the house while Henry caught some zees. 

“Point still stands,” Nora chided, stealing a sip of his coffee and groaning at the taste. 

“You never like it,” Alex mumbled. 

“And yet, I persevere,” Nora said, humbly. 

Alex stole a glance at Elaina, who happily kicked her tiny feet, big eyes watching every move June made. Happy to be burped and placed into her rocker, so long as Alex wasn’t the one putting her there. 

“Maybe it’s your alpha funk,” June said, voice disguised as a coo for Elaina’s benefit. “Upsetting her little nose.” 

“You and me both, sister,” Nora quipped, giving Elaina’s limp fist a bump. 

“Are you gonna make fun of me or help me with the ass-“ Alex cut himself off, little ears. “Aaaah, abysmal.” Nailed it. “The abysmal amount of laundry.” 

Waving him off, Nora hopped off the kitchen counter and made her way to the living room, gliding the rocking bassinet with her. She had brought brunch and wagered that meant she didn’t have to participate in aiding the cleanup crew. Fortunately, that meant two eyes on Elaina, so Alex couldn’t be too angry. 

“Don’t worry about her right now, let’s tackle the venomous diaper pit, hm?” 

“Alright, and you can tell me what you’ve been getting up to with Pez,” Alex said, grin reaching his ears. 

June cackled, hand clamped over her mouth. God forbid she disturb Elaina- or worse, wake Henry. “You sure you wanna know?” Her eyebrows danced across her forehead, inviting Alex to a race he hadn’t realized June commenced, until they were crashing through the nursery together, frenzied to be the first one to touch the dreaded Diaper Genie. 

Being around his sister and best friend did wonders for Alex’s less than stellar state of mind, reminding him of what really mattered. Namely, that Elaina could hate him until the cows came home, she was healthy. She was crushing her milestones. Her pediatrician gave her- and by proxy, them- endless praise. Her weight was up, and her bathroom habits were regular. He really couldn’t complain, so he didn’t. They had a healthy, perfect baby girl, who also happened to loathe her father. 

Unfortunately, Alex’s ever worsening feelings of isolation came flooding back the moment Nora and June took off. The lack of intimacy was killing him. Only heightened by the lack of a different type of intimacy. Henry hadn’t had a heat since a few months before they’d conceived Elaina. According to his trusty specialist, Henry’s body knew he wasn’t ready for another baby, and the heats would come back once his omega was strong enough to handle them. Meanwhile, Alex’s alpha was getting a dose antsy. 

His body had no such notice that its mate wouldn’t be gearing up for a heat anytime soon, and Alex could sense the coils of a rut edging at the back of his mind, just waiting to take over. 

The alpha stood at the foot of their bed, unsure if his body would be too overwhelming for his mate. It certainly had been for Elaina; most babies were soothed by both their parent’s scents, but Alex’s seemed to aggravate her, sending her sneezing, or worse. (Henry still hadn’t forgiven him for coming home so smelly from a run that he woke the baby, that he'd spent two hours putting down.)

About a week prior he started wearing scent patches to bed, making matters even more unbearable for himself, but easy on his omega and pup. Henry’s scent was so mingled with Elaina’s, and so lacking in Alex’s, it almost felt like sleeping with a stranger. 

“I can go back on rut suppressants,” he’d supplied, taking special care to affix the patch over the scent gland in his neck. Earlier that evening, Henry got Alex off in the shower and asked for nothing in return. He was happy to give to Alex, but still a teensy bit nervous about receiving. So far, the only touching Henry was comfortable with, upon his own person, had been kissing, when and if they found the time.

Thrice now, he’d followed some heavy petting with a sultry drop to his knees, driving Alex to distraction. It was an invitation towards normalcy, but also kind of made Alex feel like a sleazy jock from an 80s flick, taking with nothing to offer. It wasn’t like they had enough time for Alex to kiss Henry into a keyed-up stupor, prep him, and then get the pair of them off. Sex was something that had been wriggling around in the back of Alex’s mind since the baby, but he hadn’t found a way to bring it up that didn’t make him feel like a pushy asshole. 

“Why would you do that?” Henry asked, dropping his book onto his middle and giving Alex a calculating look. In another context, Henry’s scrutinizing gaze would have been hot, but at present it just made Alex feel small.

“I don’t want my body to take a lead that yours can’t follow,” he explained, pulling a loose cotton t-shirt over his head. Most nights, Henry was the one in fancy, matching pajama sets, a comfort of his royal life he’d never quite given up, while Alex slept next to nude. 

At the sight of the t-shirt, plus a pair of long, worn-out sweats, Henry tossed the book aside and sat up properly. Turning away from the baby, peacefully snoozing in her bassinet round Henry’s side of the bed, he patted the edge of the bed and crawled to meet Alex there. A touch timid, Alex sat. 

“How’s your heart today, my love?” Henry’s voice was goading and soft, inviting Alex to crumble into his side and confess everything. He stalled, playing with the edge of his t-shirt. How could he say that most days he felt like more a hindrance than a help with Elaina, he didn’t believe Henry craved his affection anymore, and he was haunted by an incessant want for alone time with his mate, and how guilty he felt about all of it. 

“Heavy,” Alex replied, letting Henry’s arms come around him. They’d found early on that asking after the heart or the brain was a simpler task than asking how they were both doing. ‘How are you?’ Was too easy to brush off with a ‘fine,’ or ‘doing alright.’ Thinking about how their hearts, brains, and even bellies were faring made the madness a touch easier to quantify. 

“The brain?” Henry asked.

“Which one?” Alex shot back. 

“Darling,” Henry started, a bit sternly, getting Alex back on track. 

“Bad,” Alex sighed. “Full of bees.”

“Oh, no,” Henry said, kissing Alex’s temple. “Not the brain bees.”

“Yeah,” was all Alex could muster, falling into Henry’s side. 

“Can I do anything to clear these bees away?”

“Doubt it.”

“Do you have anything… inviting these bees?” 

“Laina hates me,” Alex said, fully aware of how pitiful he sounded. “And don’t say she doesn’t, she hates my scent, and my lullabies, and how warm I am.” 

“Claire says it’s perfectly natural for her to only seek out one parent at a time.” Henry glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping baby, like he couldn’t resist.

“I know,” Alex replied, tears welling in his eyes. “I think I’m just sensitive, is all. Pre-rut and all that rubbish.” Christ alive, Henry was rubbing off on him. 

Henry stiffened at the mention of an impending rut. “You’ve got one coming on, then?”

Alex couldn’t help but adjust in his spot, he felt like he was in the middle of the DNC, giving a speech for his mother’s campaign, stark naked. Henry didn’t budge, a constant, comforting presence, always at Alex’s side. 

“Think so,” Alex sighed. “My scents real heavy, and I’m cotton brained as hell.” 

That made Henry stifle a chuckle. He rubbed Alex’s arms, like he was trying to put the warmth back into them. 

“Do we need... Do we need to have June, Nora, or Pez come babysit? Or, let them take her to the lake house? Just to ride out your rut?” 

Ruts weren’t like heats. Without Henry’s heat to react to, Alex’s cycle wouldn’t be very long, twenty-four hours, forty-eight max. He still didn’t like the idea of sending their baby away to deal with something that, hypothetically, only occurred to make more babies. 

“She’s chest feeding, we’d do better to send me off on my own.”

“Darling,” Henry chided, the pout overly apparent in his tone. 

“We’re not even on birth control. It’s not worth it.” 

“Darling,” Henry said, again, stretching the two syllable word into four, in a way that only a true Brit could manage.

“What, H?” He sniffed, wiping at his watery eyes.

Henry pulled Alex into his lap, repeatedly trailing his fingers down Alex’s spine. Somewhere, deep in his mind, his alpha was slightly wary of being cowed by his omega, but Alex wasn’t like most alphas. He was all too happy to curl up in Henry’s arms and let his Earl Grey scent wash over them both. 

“I think we get you some short term blockers, hold it off for just a week, I’ll spend that time pumping and freezing milk for her, then we let June take her to the lake house.” 

Alex moved to protest, but Henry was faster. 

“And I will personally retrieve her as soon as we’re finished.” 

It was Alex’s turn to laugh. If they really were going to ride out Alex’s rut, Henry wouldn’t be able to move afterward, let alone drive nearly an hour out to pick up their daughter. 

Normally, an alpha’s ruts would sync up with their omega’s heats so thoroughly, they would stave off when their mated omega had no heats coming on. Alex’s biological pause should have been amplified with a new baby in the house. Unfortunately, Alex and Henry had never been your run of the mill alpha or omega. 

Henry’d talked Alex into his insane plan. Their daughter, a hair shy of four months old, would have her first sleepover at the lake house with her three aunties. It wasn’t like the alpha was fit to argue, even with the blockers, Alex was feverish and finicky. His senses were heightened and his need overwhelming.

As Friday drew near, poor Henry couldn’t walk past, without Alex grabbing him by the hips and pulling him into a kiss that left them both breathless. 

“Sorry,” Alex panted, his forehead resting on Henry’s shoulder. 

“‘S alright, love,” Henry said, sounding more British by the hour. Their cycles had a way of doing that, taking them down to their base form and amplifying every little trait, until they were burning bright as a supernova. 

For six days, Friday couldn’t come fast enough. Once it was there, Alex was a mess. He was torn between pawing at Henry, frantic to get his mate naked and underneath him, and clinging to their pup’s bassinet, beyond hesitant to let her out of his sight.

“Lets send our little love off, and then I’m all yours,” Henry said, with an ever patient grin.

Despite himself, Alex was sniffling, blinking away tears as June took the car seat out the door. He could hear his omega holding back tears, something that broke his heart wide open, even though all he could see was Laina’s paci working a thousand miles a minute. 

“Henry, baby,” Alex pleaded, his knees weak, his heart matching the rhythm of Elaina’s overworked pacifier. He closed his eyes as the door slid shut, taking all his restraint not to tear through it after her.

The next few seconds were a flash of blonde hair and large, sure hands, and the cloying smell of bergamot. All of Alex’s senses overridden by Henry, Henry, Henry, as he kissed Alex’s sweat soaked forehead and quieted him down, all the while peeling him out of his sweaty clothes and lowering the mindless alpha into their nest. 

“Gonna make you moan,” Alex said, already teetering on delirious. “Wanna hear you. All whiny whimpers, begging me for another baby.” 

Distantly, he could make out Henry’s chuckle, but he couldn’t be angry, because Henry’s hand was on his cock, and he was finding a steady rhythm, and Alex was so hard he could die. 

“This came on fast, love.”

“I never come fast,” Alex said, his voice sounded more like a recording coming from someplace else. 

Henry’s laugh rang out like a bell, before he kissed Alex soundly, pressing the alpha firmly into the mattress. Alex’s hands found the omega’s hips, and it felt like coming home.

“I know you’re a bit knot-brained, right now, my love, but we have to lay down some rules.” His graceful fingers released Alex’s cock, making his hips stir, and trailed up his chiseled chest. “You won’t knot where you can breed me, but you’re more than welcome to knot me elsewhere, understood?”

“Crystal,” his hindbrain was putting out little waves of disappointment, yearning for that slick soaked hole, but the last thing he wanted was to hurt his omega. 

“That’s if you even manage to knot me,” Henry teased. Those clever fingers were back around Alex’s dick, stripping it, leaving Alex to writhe and moan. He gripped the bedsheets, tight enough to tear. “You’re so worked up, sweet pup. I don’t think you have any bite left in you.” 

With an embarrassing cry, Alex came undone in record time, covering their bellies in spunk. It was fast and dirty, but it took the edge off, lifting the veil from Alex’s eyes, allowing him to see clearly for the first time all day. 

“Hi baby,” Alex greeted sweetly, as Henry grinned and leaned in for another world changing smooch. 

“How long until you drop again, do you think?” He asked, running his fingers through the hair on Alex’s chest. 

“Not long,” Alex murmured, already feeling the horny fog around the edges of his consciousness. God, he wanted to take a bite out of Henry. 

“Do you wanna prep me, or shall I?” 

If Henry were in heat, it wouldn’t be necessary, all his holes would be so ready and open for Alex’s consumption. He must’ve groaned out loud, because Henry was swatting his chest and reaching for the lube. Alex wasn't sure when his omega had undressed, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. Henry hadn't gained very much weight during his pregnancy; honestly, he'd gained more weight in his first year living in the States. So his shoulders were broader than when they'd met, and his hips were curvier, but all the little differences just made Alex want him more. 

“Stuff probably has cobwebs,” Alex commented, eyeing the top drawer of their nightstand. It hadn’t slid open in about twelve weeks. 

“Shut it, you,” Henry shot back, taking the barely warmed lube to his hole and hissing at the contact.

Alex took control then, working his fingers into his mate just to revel in the light puffs of air punched from his lungs. He laid Henry out on his back, carefully lifting strong, pale legs up onto his broad shoulders. Taking Henry’s ass firmly in his hands, spreading him open, Alex had to lean back to watch as he twitched and gasped. It was a wondrous sight— he paused, taking it all in and dropping one of Henry’s legs. Alex crouched to blow some cool air on his hole, delighting in the wail he pulled from his omega. Henry’s leg locked around Alex’s waist, heel digging into his back to bring the alpha closer to where he wanted him most. Alex had had his fun, so he didn’t leave his poor baby waiting any longer. He vaulted forward to kiss him- a filthy, dirty thing- leaving Henry gasping, and then slid home. The omega gave into his own delirium, the perfect little knot warmer, like Alex had carved out a place inside and set to live there forever and ever. 

Seeking out the most tender spot inside his lover, Alex reduced Henry to single-word answers, and little grunts, moans, animalistic noises to express his pleasure, and nothing more. Alex stayed firmly inside, rooted, basking in the slick heat of Henry’s backside. 

Henry was equally content, eager to stay full up, bowing back on Alex’s cock until his climax took him, almost by surprise. That didn’t slow the alpha, who continued bucking his hips, finding his own pleasure. Giving as good as he got, Henry milked Alex’s dick for all he had, clenching around him and making the alpha howl. 

Locked together, Alex slumped on Henry’s chest, Henry’s legs spread wide to accommodate him. He found a temporary moment of post-nut clarity, but Henry was honing in on sleep, so thoroughly wrecked by his orgasm. Needing to prove to his omega just how much he loved him, Alex propped himself up, covering every inch of pale skin with kisses and bites, until Henry was alert and worked up again. 

“You comfy, baby?” Alex asked, hips finding their own rhythm, as his rut-brain started to take over once more. He reached in between them for Henry’s hard cock. “Want me to touch you?”

Henry couldn’t manage more than a fucked-out nod.

“So lucky,” Alex slurred. “I have such a pretty omega, makes such pretty, perfect pups.” 

Henry thrashed at that, hands finding Alex’s shoulders and clawing. Leaning in, Alex found Henry’s ear, nipping it, his hips moving in a slow, thoughtful grind.

“Gonna look so good with my litter, my pretty boy,” Alex practically cooed. 

It didn’t take long for the pair of them to come again, thanks to Alex’s controlled, concerted effort. His omega was a panting, wanton mess, just how he liked him. Alex fucked them through yet another orgasm, just to bust inside Henry one last time. They’d both be sore and achy when they woke up, but for now, Henry could pet his hair and hold Alex in his rightful place. 

They promptly fell into a bone-tired slumber, Alex resting atop his omega. Separating was no use. His knot had him locked in place, snoring softly, curled into the side of Henry’s neck. 

Waking a few hours later, Alex tried, and failed, to stretch. He could feel his spend gushing around him, while he attempted to pull out of Henry’s filled hole. His knot had gone down, but Henry was gripping him close, silently begging for just a few more minutes of closeness, and who was Alex to deny his prince? 

“Of course, baby, you deserve it.” Alex’s voice was rough; he would need to get them some water, and maybe a snack, but Henry was so warm and willing before him. Suddenly, leaving the nest felt impossible. After all, he had a job to do. They could eat when his mate was good and full of his spend, never mind the come already leaking down Henry’s thighs. 

Henry whimpered his agreement, hopelessly battling to keep all of Alex’s hard work inside him. He clenched. It made Alex wheeze. 

Alex couldn’t resist kissing him, dry mouth and all, until they were both winded.

“You’d be so hot,” Alex panted, unsure of each word as it fell from his lips. “Baby on your hip and another squirming in your belly.”

“Alex,” Henry gasped, his heavy cock pinned between his and Alex’s bellies. 

With a strength he didn’t know he possessed, Alex pulled out, watching his spend leak from Henry’s puffy rim.

A high whine fell from Henry’s lips at the loss, but Alex was quick to recover the dripping spend. He scooped a healthy amount and brought it to Henry’s hard prick, working him over, using their own sticky mess as lube. It left the omega wordless again, thrashing against the sheets, trying to offer Alex his holes, his dick, anything he wanted. A surprising level of clarity washed over the alpha as he brought his omega over the edge. He didn’t want to miss this. 

Watching Henry come was like discovering the Eighth Wonder of the World, the soft laugh that fell from his lips, the way his muscled thighs tried to come together, even when Alex was the solid mass separating them. The light pink flush that spread from the apples of his cheeks to the happy trail at the bottom of his belly. 

It brought Alex to the edge at an accelerated pace, but he held off. Biting his lip and thinking of England, determined not to come too soon. An instinctual part of himself wanted to plant the seed deep within his mate, so much so that his fingers danced around Henry’s opening.

It made Henry moan- loud- and beg his alpha for more. 

Quickly, Alex supplied, toying at his delicate entrance, until it dampened, shining with the omega’s want, his back arched and toes curled. Alex was never hard-pressed to screw Henry with his fingers, his own dick jerky and desperate, as he collected another fingerful of last nights spend and fucked it inside.

“Alex,” Henry whined, canting his hips upwards towards him. “One more? Inside me, please.” 

“Just the tip,” Alex promised, pressing his dick to Henry’s glistening- glistening- hole. 

“Fuck me, alpha,” Henry moaned. “Fill me, please.”

Alex let out a slow breath, his jaw clenched, his hands tight around Henry’s hips. He tried, really, genuinely, to keep his thrusts shallow and to pull out when the time came. But Henry had his ankles crossed behind his back, and was literally crying for Alex to finish the job.

His hindbrain was buzzing, flashing images of Henry, heavy with Alex’s child, at such a rapid pace it left the alpha dizzy. He’d already wasted his knot, and Henry would probably be walking funny the next day from that alone, but none of that would stop him from coming inside. 

With his alpha in full command, Alex mounted his omega, sliding in deep, until he hit home. Henry was so slick, so ready, it was hard to believe he wasn’t in heat. Neither one of them were going to last long, that much was obvious. They breathed into each other’s mouths and slammed their hips together, desperate to reach one last peak together.

With a few strokes of Henry’s useless cock, he was clenching around his alpha, and Alex was coming undone, his vision gone spotty, and his legs turned to jelly. He came more than he had all night, claiming Henry, filling him to the brim. In return, the omega’s hands gripped Alex’s shoulders and back roughly, surely leaving marks, but all Alex could do was moan and fuck him harder. As Henry shook with aftershocks beneath him, Alex couldn’t help but picture his spend, being pulled deeper inside, while Henry coated them with his own come, his belly full of Alex’s. 

“Fuck, baby, I couldn’t stop myself.” Alex looked up at his mate, the desperation plain in his face. He expected reproach, maybe even a reprimand, but meeting Henry’s eye, he found none of that. Just the blissed out love of a claimed, happy omega. They, Alex decided, were both too exhausted to really deal with any of this, anyway. 

“I’ll get you the morning after pill, promise,” Alex managed between yawns. 

“I can get one when I pick up Laina,” Henry slurred, equally sated and sleepy. 

There was a loud bang, bang, bang at their doorstep, jolting Alex from sleep. The alpha was beyond exhausted, sweaty, and spent, but someone was knocking- no, pounding- on his front door. Didn’t they have a security team to handle shit like this?

By some grace of god, Henry was snoring right on through it. With a parting kiss to his omega, Alex donned a clean pair of boxers and flounced down the stairs, hoping his legs wouldn’t give out and upend him across his living room floor. That reminded him, they still needed to have the floor professionally disinfected, from Elaina's grand entrance four months prior. Taking care of an infant really took over everything.

He threw open the door, ready to bite the head off whatever idiot was on the other side, but there, a bit frazzled- dare he say haggard?- stood his sister. 

“Take her,” she said, point blank, holding out Elaina’s car seat. Inside, Elaina was screaming her little head off. 

“Bad night?” Alex asked, biting back a yawn, and making quick work of the buckles and snaps that held his daughter in place. 

“The night was fine,” June hissed. “This morning, and I mean morning, sucked. Little demon woke us at five a.m. and hasn’t shut up since.” 

“What time is it?”

“A quarter after nine.”

“Did she eat?” On instinct, Alex held the baby in the crook of his arm and started a bottle, single-handed. Retrieving a bottle from the counter-top disinfector and heating up milk from their freezer supply.

June gave him a flustered look. “I think she spit most of it back up.” 

He didn’t really need his sister to tell him that, he could hear it in the way Laina was crying. Well, not so much crying anymore, just a little bit of whimpering, and she was- God, she was rooting. Alex couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“No, sweet girl, but looky here.” He got her attention with the bottle, pressing it to her perfect little doll mouth, and she took the milk gluttonously. 

Alex was shirtless and smelly from his rut, Henry was still out like a goddamn light, but the baby slumped into his chest like there was no place she would rather be in the whole wide world. She kicked her little feet, downing the bottle so fast he worried she might choke.

In the interim, June had passed out on the couch, tuckered out from a single night on baby duty. To avoid waking her, Alex wandered out to the backyard, carefully parking himself on the porch swing. With his baby still pressed to his tacky chest, so happy to be home, Alex swore the sun shone brighter.

Chapter Text

Parenting an infant took up about ninety-nine percent of Alex and Henry's time. What precious moments weren't spent tending to Elaina, they attempted to get some work done, or cleaned their house, or, in some holy cases, slept. But, what they didn't do was check their Google Alerts. 

Alex knew word of their daughter was out there, the Firm had announced her birth when she was about three days old, and the self checkout aisle was the only way to avoid his mate's face plastered across shitty gossip rags. So far, the former first son had been too preoccupied as a first time dad to stop and smell the cowpat. 

When Elaina hit sixteen weeks, Alex decided he was ready to come out of his bubble, to face the real world and see what the internet had been saying about him. What a paradoxical phenomenon of technology- to be engaged in the 'real world,' one had to be attached to a screen. He opened his Safari app and typed in Henry's name, the phone screen tilted away from his face, like he needed to avoid a physical slap. 

After reading the first three headlines, he would have preferred the hit. 

Good Morning America: Rumors swirl that former HRH gave birth at home ...  Why Prince Henry is anti-hospital. 

BBC: Royal Waterloo Baby Watch: What is it like to have a home birth?  

The Guardian: Royally Risky Business - New Photos of Prince Henry Arise Around Time of Waterloo Baby's Birth

Alex closed out of the tab and ignored the insurmountable comments on his mate's appearance. It was one thing to critique an alpha who had missed their weekly gym visits given the newborn at home, but to go all in on an omega wasn't just rude, it was fucking blasphemous. They had no right, and no idea how soft Henry's hair had gotten, nor how much Alex enjoyed playing with it. Henry would probably argue it was equally horrible to make digs at Alex's looks, but what his husband didn't know wouldn't hurt him. 

If he thought for even a millisecond about the public nicknaming Elaina the Waterloo Baby, he might actually suffer a stroke. 

"Alex!" Henry called, grabbing his attention with enough force to knock Alex's phone from his hands.

"Yeah baby what's up?" Alex answered, jogging into the room, and ignoring how his joints ached. His gym routine was nonexistent, his sleep was suffering, and damn his body was letting him know. 

"Look," Henry implored, crouched on the floor before Elaina's mat. She was doing tummy time like a pro, especially with her preference for hanging out on either of their chests any time she realized they were trying to be cozy without her. Some babies like to be rocked, or walked, or to perch on your shoulder- they liked the solid pressure on their brand new bellies- but Elaina held a strong preference for one of her dads flat as a board. 

A close contender was her plush playmat spread on the living room floor, where she was presently showing off, holding her head up, like it was no big deal. 

"She rolled over," Henry beamed. 

"That's great," Alex said, smirking to himself. Henry was such an omega. Alex was as proud as he could manage, especially given that he hadn't seen this new trick yet, but he fully recognized that the moment Elaina did it for him, he'd be filming it to show off to all of Laina's aunts and uncles.  

"You know Lizzie hasn't quite mastered that one yet," Henry cooed.

They were trying to be as easygoing as possible, they really were, but sometimes their niece, and her legion of nannies, made it so fucking easy to be competitive. Studies showed kids with round the clock, well-rested care and attention on average performed better, and Alex and Henry were determined to prove them wrong.

Philip and Martha planned to raise their children bilingually, Alex and Henry were going for tri. Princess Lizzie had her own room at Anmer hall, and a newly refurbished wing at KP, adorned with the best baby monitoring system money could buy. Henry and Alex were more than willing to sacrifice some privacy for Laina's crib to remain in their bedroom. Lizzie was formula fed, Laina was chest fed. All of Lizzie's clothes were light blue, and her nurseries were sad and beige. While no one could say the word Montessori around Henry or Alex, without getting an earful of what the term actually meant and a first class tour of Laina's playroom. 

"She'll catch up," Alex said, trying not to sound too smug. 

He decided not to mention the headlines, instead lying on the floor with Henry and watching with intent as Elaina rediscovered her toes. Each time it was a new adventure, with the clear goal of getting the tiny digits into her mouth, much to her fathers' dismay. 

Alex and Henry were, of course, invited to Princess Elizabeth's christening, in England, which was less than a month away. Never mind that they had their own baby who was only four months and some change. Those three weeks Lizzie had on Elaina were really putting in the work. Philip and Martha had actually delayed Elizabeth’s christening by a month, hoping to make Alex and Henry’s travel a bit easier. But between Elaina’s sleep regression and a gnarly case of diaper rash, they’d had no such luck. 

The tabloids were running a muck with speculation, whether or not #FirstPrince would be in attendance. Alex's feed was clogged with headlines to the tune of: HRH Prince Philip and Martha Fitzeroy confirm a very special date for first royal baby's christening, followed by threads of royal babies past's christening photos. Henry's were the cutest, Alex wasn't even being biased, Henry was just a chubby little towhead, and the pictures went straight onto to Alex's list of reasons for wanting even more babies with his mate. 

It only managed to confuse Alex more, and more. How was Philip the Prince, of Cambridge now, not Wales- or was he Wales again since Catherine took the throne?- and his wife remained Martha Fitzeroy. The whole mess of royal entanglements, despite Henry's efforts to distance himself from royal life, made Alex want to lock the doors of their farmhouse and never come out. There was only one person who wanted them to come, for more than appearances sake.

"I've basically duplicated her nursery at KP," Bea supplied, via facetime, from the aforementioned room. It was unorthodox, but Bea and her husband continued living at Kensington, even after Catherine took the throne and relocated to Buckingham, while Philip and Martha refurbished Anmer Hall for the umpteenth time.  "And I'm offering you twenty-four seven babysitting."

Bea was married, to a fellow beta, so there were no pups in her future. Unless she sought medical intervention and even that wasn't guaranteed. It made sense that she'd want to soak up all the time she could get with the most perfect kid in the history of the royal family's lineage. At least, according to Alex.  

"I won't fall for your tricks," Henry said, nose going up in defiance.

Bea could want all the time in the world with Elaina, that didn't change the fact that she'd never kept a baby for more than a couple of hours, and that Elaina had inherited her dad's insomnia. Her track record of good sleep had timed out when she hit three months. At this rate, they worried she would never sleep again. 

"You won't promise that when it's half past two and she's cutting teeth and needs baby Motrin," Alex said, coming up behind his mate and unceremoniously forcing himself into Henry's phone call. "Hi Bea." 

"Hi Al," she said back, her face screwing up in faux annoyance. "I'll get her all the Calprol she can handle, I know a guy." Bea winked, making Alex snort. 

Henry didn't laugh, but Alex could see his defenses breaking down in the tiny rectangle on his screen. He had to know they were both being dramatic, Elaina had at least two months before teething became a dire concern, but Henry was already experimenting with frozen baby safe snacks to help once they got there.  After a full two minutes of the siblings staring at one another, in a silent conversation Alex was not privy to, Henry broke. His free hand came to his forehead, and he sighed, long and laborious. Even without his glasses Alex could make out Bea's blurred grin. 

"Fine," Henry said. "We'll be there." 

They had kept to mostly staying at home with Laina, but never to do anything by halves, decided that their first family outing would be overseas. Bea had supplied most of her nieces' daily comforts, so they only really had to worry about the diapers, clothes, a few bottles, and toys to get her through the flight. Plus, Henry's preferred pump. Despite feeding Elaina, what felt like every fifteen minutes, his chest was constantly achy and full. 

To make matters worse Henry had a touch of a stomach bug and was staunchly anti-travel. Which basically meant Alex would be in charge of their bags, whilst he wore Elaina on his chest. It wouldn't have been an issue, but Alex was bringing a metric fuck ton of clothes for himself. He was comfortable walking around shirtless in their own house, but at any of the palaces he needed Crown approved suits, and all that accoutrement for being photographed with the Queen, kicking it at home clothes, work out clothes (he really did want to take Bea up on her babysitting offer), and pjs.

Plus, he knew Henry had a tendency to find comfort in Alex's hoodies and t-shirts when they were in dreary old London, so he accounted for that as well. Bea swore Henry had oodles of abandoned suits in one of the rooms at KP, but Alex wouldn't let him count on it, insisting that he bring his new Henry chosen suits, rather than wear the Firm approved attire of yore. 

The elephant in the room was that Alex didn't expect any of Henry's old clothes to fit.  Nor should they, he'd had a fucking baby. Coming into his own as an omega had meant a shift in his body's overall shape, before he'd ever gotten pregnant. If those clothes were suited to a version of Henry that was suped up on testosterone to trick his body into being an alpha, there was no chance in hell they'd fit his post-pregnancy body. Alex would sooner eat his own foot than say so. 

"Good God, Alex, are you planning to have us move in?" Henry asked, eyeing Alex's absurd amount of luggage. 

"Just being prepared," he said with a meager grin. 

"For what, war?" Henry didn't move a muscle to help him load the bags into the car, instead opting to check Elaina's diaper bag for all the necessary things, and to make sure he hadn't forgotten a crucial piece of his pump. 

"We could definitely build a polycarbonate barricade, in a pinch," Cash supplied, offering Alex a hand with the fourth and fifth bags. At this rate, their security team wouldn't be allowed to bring anything of their own. 

"Always thinking ahead," Alex chimed, tapping his temple. "Now let's roll out, before anyone gets cold feet." 

The plane ride was nine hours, every second that ticked by felt like an eternity. Henry's stomach bug worsened on the plane, leaving Alex alone with a screaming baby, while his mate vomited up a lung during takeoff. Choosing between which one to comfort was one of the most stressful situations of Alex's life thus far, and he'd been apart of an international political scandal. Twice. 

Just as she'd promised, Bea was waiting for them on the steps of Kensington Palace. She swept Elaina out of Alex's arms the second he lifted her from her car seat, groggy and fussy, and in need of the baby equivalent of a restorative yoga class. Speaking of needing a stint of restoration, Henry was still a bit green around the gills, and Alex looked equally worse for wear. 

"Hello darling," Bea murmured, taking in the smell of Elaina. 

"Hi Bea," Alex said, holding back a yawn. 

"Wasn't talking to you," she said, teasing, never taking her eyes off the baby. 

"Good to see you too, sister mine," Henry said, the fatigue heavy in his voice like a dozing cat. 

"Go! Take some time for yourselves," Bea said with a suggestive wag of her eyebrows. Elaina blinked blearily at them, she'd barely slept the whole flight, and her exhaustion was finally catching up with her.

"I'd rest easier knowing where my daughter was," Henry snipped, just as tired as their little girl, and half as patient. 

"You'll see her soon enough," Bea said. "Philip wants to join us for dinner, so you'll need to get ready for that anyway." 

Alex was almost certain their daughter would be sleeping through dinner, and then keeping them up through the night, but honestly, he was so desperate for a shower and a moment alone with his mate, he couldn't bring himself to care. 

Just the thought of getting Henry alone, for the first time in weeks, had his endocrine system doing a complete one-eighty. Practically pushing Henry towards the guest entrance, Alex took Bea's lead. 

He ushered Henry through the familiar halls of the palace, to the guest quarters where they'd be staying. It was bittersweet not making their way up a million steps to Henry's old rooms, but equally enticing to go to the spot where Alex had first started to question Henry's status as an alpha. The guesthouse was as sterile as ever, just begging for Alex and Henry to coat the place in their mated musk. 

Their mouths came together like magnets, bedroom door slotted shut behind them, as Alex kissed his mate absolutely senseless against it. 

"Alex," Henry wheezed, pulling away, and pressing himself back against the solid, cool wood. "Let me brush my teeth, I was sick on the plane-"

"Don't care," Alex said, kissing him again, tender this time. He moved back, slackening his grip for Henry to swat him away if he really wanted to. 

"You can't possibly be riled up right now," Henry grumbled, gesturing to himself. He was wearing an orange and grey sweatsuit, loudly advertising support for UT, stolen from Alex's side of the closet. At present, it was covered in a cross-continental flight's amount of mysterious baby stains. 

"Can't I?" Alex teased, a glimmer in his eye, as he grasped one of Henry's hands and brought it to the prominent bulge in his jeans. 

"Alpha," Henry wheezed. 

"First one to the shower gets on their knees," Alex said, all too cheerily, breaking into a sprint to get the water going and out of his clothes, before Henry could blink. He wanted to make Henry feel good, and if he got a taste of his sweet, milky, omega all the better. 

Alex was stripped and on his knees in the shower, before Henry even made it to the bathroom. He knew what he looked like, light spray dousing his curls, and trickling down his collarbones, his chest. His omega was putty in his sure hands. Tossing the sweatsuit aside, Henry stepped into the steam, small smile splayed across his plush mouth. He hadn't lost any of the baby weight, but Alex never let him be insecure, taking time to worship Henry's body every chance he got. 

These days comments of "you're gorgeous," were met with conciliatory humming, rather than bellows of "piss off," as had been routine just after Elaina's birth. 

Tonight was no different, as Alex took his time, trailing kisses across his mate's plump chest, the soft bit of pudge at his ribs, the course hair that lined his lower belly, like a beacon signaling Alex home. Alex scented him as he went, hoping his over eagerness didn’t sour the sweet marshmallow smell. His heart thudded, heavy in his chest, and part of him wondered if Henry could hear it, or at the very least, feel how badly Alex wanted this. Wanted him. 

Deciding not to waste any more of their limited time, Alex got busy, pressing a kiss to the side of Henry’s cock before lifting it out of his way and nudging him to turn around. Pressing Henry into the cool tiles, one hand warm around his prick, Alex shouldered his way between Henry’s legs and licked a long stripe from his balls to his waiting hole. 

He’d expressed some worry about things looking different since the baby, and Alex wanted to assure Henry that he loved him just the same. Hell, he loved Henry more now that he would have thought possible five years prior. 

"Oh fuck," Henry cried, frozen under Alex's touch. It was a real ego boost, making Alex smirk, even with his tongue busy inside Henry's warmth. His hips tipped forward, pressing his dick into Alex's palm, while Alex remained busy mouthing at his hole. 

It didn’t take much to get Henry off on his tongue, the secondary hole was desperately sensitive, and when all else failed he’d cup his balls and play with his dick, fingers circling the head almost like it was a clit. It left Henry bereft and panting. 

Guest bathroom thoroughly christened, showers had, Henry and Alex had split off to get dressed, before meeting the rest of the family for dinner. Alex preferred to get ready in just a towel, knowing if he screwed up his hair routine he'd have to duck his head back under the shower- plus, he liked the way the sight of himself in a low slung towel made his husband blush. 

From what Alex could cobble together from the slew of swearwords and angered French coming in through the doorway, Henry's trousers didn't fit. 

"I told you not to bother with those suits Bea swore by," Alex called from the ensuite. His hair would be a little damp at dinner, but with the right amount of gel, no one would bat an eye. He spritzed himself in the cologne he knew his mother-in-law was so fond of, before Henry interrupted, another swear ringing out through the guest room.

"Alexander," Henry said, his voice gone stony and cold. "These are my slacks. That I brought. From home." 

"Oh," Alex mumbled, his blood flooding to his cheeks as he dropped his toothbrush back into his toiletry bag. Spinning on his heel, he faced Henry, or more accurately he faced Henry's backside. Coming up behind him he hooked his chin over Henry's shoulder, to see him in the floor length mirror and sure enough, his pants were taxed around his thighs and gapped at his front, a little pooch of belly, firm, in a very specific way, preventing the zipper from coming closed. It was crazy that they hadn't noticed this yet, or seen it coming. Alex guessed Henry's preference for loungewear was at least a part of the blame, but their romp through his rut even more so. 

"Are you-"

"Shut up, I don't even want to speak that into reality."

"Henry."

Henry pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. "I know."

"I'm just saying-"

"I. Know."

They both took a beat, standing there in silence, Alex unwilling to so much as breathe and break the glass bubble forming around them. Henry sighed, eyeing his ill fitting pants in the mirror once more, he tried to pull the flaps together to no avail. 

"Isn't it a bit early for me to be showing?'

"They say that happens with second pregnancies," Alex supplied, hands coming around Henry's hips to cradle his hard, bulging belly. "Or it could be twins."

Henry groaned, hiding his face in Alex's shoulder. 

"This is your fault."

"I know," he nodded, not sounding- or feeling- the slightest bit sorry. Henry flushed down to his belly button, meeting Alex's eye in the mirror. The lust there was so thick, it would take an industrial saw to slice through. 

"Do you think," Alex started, fingers trailing up and down Henry's side. "We could get in another round before Bea gets sick of our daughter?" 

"I don't know," Henry grumbled, swatting Alex's hand off. "Do you think you're really that quick?" 

Both of Alex's hands found their place at Henry's sides, thumbs caressing the barely there belly. It felt sacred, kissing his mate, the potential of life growing between them. 

"Baby," Alex grinned into Henry's lips. "You know I am."

In the end Henry managed to button his trousers by laying down on the bed and pulling them low on his hips. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it would do. Henry complained about surviving the next week and a half this way, but Alex reminded him that they only had to make it through the christening. They would work in ways to be comfortable, or his name wasn't Alexander Fox-Diaz. Reminding Henry that they were a united front, always brought a flush to his cheeks and an ease to his nerves.

They made their way to dinner, hand in loved up hand. 

Alex hadn’t expected Laina and Lizzie to be included on the formal dinner invitation. But, when they made their entrance, only a little out of sorts from their second round of first-time-without-their-infant-in-nearly-two-months sex, and spied Philip soothing Lizzie, Alex felt some tension at the base of his spine dissolve. He’d been gearing for a fight, about etiquette and who was allowed at the table, but no such argument was coming. It was possible he and Henry had assumed the worst, when the worst was buried at Westminster Abbey. 

Before he could say anything, Catherine was pulling both of them into hugs and giving a lovely little speech about how happy she was to have all her children home again. 

"And your grandchildren," Bea mused, flitting around the corner with Laina perched on her hip. "She just woke up."

"Great," Alex said, voice a low grumble, doing the math for how impossible it would be to get her back to sleep. He nodded to Bea's husband Andrew, kissed Martha hello, and shook Philip's hand. They were closer now, but hugging still wasn't in Philip's repertoire. 

Immediately aware of her dads' presence, Laina let out a piercing, excited screech reaching for the pair of them. Henry was quick on Bea's heel, taking the baby and talking excitedly about how much he'd missed her in the three hours since they'd arrived. 

Taking cues from her cousin, Lizzie shrieked eagerly, curiously babbling in Alex's general direction. He dropped into a crouch near Philip's chair to get on her eye level, and grinned. She was a clone of Martha, little red curls and big blue eyes, situated above the roundest rosiest cheeks Alex had ever seen. 

"Hello princessa," he said, tone mockingly formal. Alex did a little bow. "Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, your royal highness." 

It made everyone giggle, but no one more than the tiny princess in question. She laughed hysterically, even if she was too little to understand the joke, clapping her pudgy hands together and rocking her little body in Philip's lap. They all talked quite frequently in the big family group chat, and Alex and Henry had met their niece via facetime, but nothing compared to the real thing, with Alex offering her a finger to grasp and Lizzie babbling along with him. 

"We were trying to get her fed, before everyone came in," Martha explained, gesturing to the demolished plate of bangers and mash on the elaborate dining room table. 

"Naturally," Henry agreed, finally coming over with a limpet Laina in his arms. Martha waved at her from her spot at the table, clearly reading that Henry was tired of handing his baby over and would be keeping her to himself for the time being. 

“Liz,” Philip said, a bit exasperated, as she smeared another handful of mashed potatoes down his front and grinned her gummy smile at him. She had two little teeth, making her age difference with Laina even more glaring, and leaving Alex to question if she really was struggling with rolling over. 

“I didn’t know she was taking solid foods,” Alex said, his comment more a question, and finding himself more curious than jealous. He counted his blessings that they weren’t there yet. He’d take breast milk diapers any day over legit shit ones. 

“Just a few spoonfuls a day, since she’s got the teeth,” Martha supplied, her head balanced on her chin as she eyed Philip with more love than Alex could stand to bear. 

Seeing Lizzie in person killed any sort of competition Alex felt towards Philip and Martha’s parenting. Aided, only a little bit, by how much Alex enjoyed Martha’s company. 

She was willing to listen to Henry complain about his milk ducts, something that had turned every other person at the table’s stomachs, and asked Alex about his mother’s retirement, and June’s new book. Her kind care often left him questioning how she ended up with a dud like Philip. Then, he had to remind himself that girls like Martha probably grew up dreaming of marrying guys like Philip (or Henry, for what it was worth), and trained to be engaging and interested all their lives. Things like taking their toast plain or having a homophobia related midlife crisis wouldn’t exactly turn those girls away.

At some point during dinner, Lizzie’s nanny took both girls for a bath. It worried Alex sick the whole time, but when his daughter returned, smelling of baby lotion, her hair combed into a classic baby curl, zipped up in footie pajamas, he couldn’t be mad. He had a wondrously clean baby and hadn’t had to get himself half drenched to do so. 

“While we’re on holiday,” Henry murmured, snuggling close to Elaina. “I figure we can let someone else do more of the hard bits, hm?”

“Agreed,” Alex yawned. 

It was easy to see how the nannies just made their lives easier, taking away the stressful parts, but Alex would be happy to kneel by the bathtub once they were back in Austin, no matter how much it pained his back. 

The real surprising part was how much Philip and Martha still managed to parent and the good it did on their countenance. Dad Philip was more human than Prince Philip. His energy was less boring, mean pod-person and more kindly gent. Alex was ready to drop all comparison and pretense to just love on his niece, but Henry beat him to it. 

Settled on a sofa, which was worth more than their car, Henry had one squeaky clean baby poised on either of his sides. In a soothing voice, he read Pat the Bunny and Alex swore it was the most wonderful rendition he’d ever heard. 

He could see it more clearly now, him and Henry, back in Austin, Elaina a little older, a little wiser, and a brand new baby to toddle behind her and learn everything she knew. Christ, he needed to call June. 

“You okay there Al?” Bea asked. Alex didn’t know when he’d started crying, or when she’d appeared, but she had a hanky in hand, which he graciously took. 

“Just missed you guys is all,” he said, voice thick. 

“Even Pip?” She teased. 

“Yeah,” he replied, voice gone low and soft. “Even Pip.

They managed eleven days in London. After the christening, they’d taken a proper holiday, really avoiding the inevitable of flying home with a baby. Getting to know their niece and Bea's partner. They'd just gotten Laina adjusted to the new time zone and were going to be screwing all that up again. 

Equally so, Alex was ready to get home, to go back into his office, to run his usual couple miles around the neighborhood, and even more pressingly: schedule a visit with Henry's OBGYN. 

They’d been teetotal the whole trip. Which garnered a few jokes and a few raised eyebrows, but no one pressed too firmly on why. Henry was breastfeeding– which only actually mattered if he planned to get sloshed– and everyone bought that Alex wouldn’t do what Henry couldn’t. Which was at least partially true. 

Their flight was in half an hour and Alex couldn’t imagine anything he wanted to do less. He checked his luggage for the millionth time and realized that in his packing he’d forgotten to leave out something to wear on the flight home. 

”Alex,” Henry groaned, head in hands, squatting before his suitcase. Henry was stripped down to a fuzzy robe on lend from Bea. 

“Yes, love of my life?” 

“My trousers really don’t fit and I’m completely buggered.”

“I’ll say–”

“Alex, please,” Henry begged, looking up at Alex with the saddest, biggest, bluest eyes, that always managed to crack Alex’s heart like an egg. 

He stood to his full height, at least four inches over Alex on a good day, and Alex felt his mouth fill with saliva at the sight. There was something so hot about watching Henry struggle to put his pants on. The little irritated huffy breaths, how pink his face went, and, the pièce de résistance, the fact that Alex’s baby was putting him through this struggle.

Alex pulled out a couple articles of workout gear, something he’d fully intended to use, but never found the time while they were away. He tossed his loosest basketball shorts and a flowy muscle tee at Henry, dressing himself in similar attire. 

“You cannot possibly expect me to wear this out of KP, and onto the plane.” 

“It’s a private airstrip, baby,” Alex said, already slipping into his shortest pair of shorts. “I can go shirtless. Really take the heat off.” 

Henry groaned at the sight of his chiseled, statuesque mate. (If Alex flexed a little that was totally his concern and no one else’s.)

“This is unfair.” 

“Agreed,” Alex intoned, he couldn’t get over how good Henry looked with a slight swell to his middle. He’d be lucky if Alex ever stopped touching him at this rate. “We could work up a sweat, really sell the outfits.” 

Henry crossed his arms over his chest, his head cocked to the side, working his jaw, like he really planned to give Alex what for. Alex was so excited he could burst. Then, Henry checked his watch. 

“You’ve got five minutes, Fox-Diaz.”

“Sweetheart.” Alex grinned, his hands already at home on Henry’s waist. “I only need four.” 

He did it in three.

Chapter Text

Despite being in Alex’s lazy day’s best, or more likely because of it, Henry slept through the plane ride home. Leaving Alex with a real grouch of a baby, again, but lucky for him, the second time was the charm. Elaina stayed fairly quiet, so long as Alex was up and holding her. He marched her up and down the private cabin and bounced her through turbulence, for the majority of the nine hour flight. In that time, Alex rewatched all of Ted Lasso, and reread Elaina’s favorite board books until he could recite them from memory. 

If his suspicions were correct, Henry deserved the nap. Growing one baby was hard, but two–

Alex would be waiting on him hand and foot, until the cows came home. That was to say, until Henry popped those suckers out. Probably even a long while after. 

They weren’t going to be able to see the midwife for another week after they were back in the States. It didn’t matter all that much to Alex; his mind was made up, Henry’s ass was knocked up.  

The first time, Alex knew he’d pupped Henry by the changes in his scent. Unfortunately his alpha sense of smell wouldn’t be able to do all the work this time. Henry always smelled a little milky, a little fertile, paternal, these days. It masked any changes the alpha would usually be able detect. 

Henry wouldn’t let himself get that excited. Writing the protrusion of his midsection off as bloating. The nausea and fatigue he’d experienced thus far were just that, nausea and fatigue. He shut down most conversations about it, preferring to wait until after their doctor’s visit. While Alex was chomping at the bit to start new born prepping.  

Alex was begging him to take an at home test, or talk to Martha, or anything really. 

“I just don’t want to get our hopes up until we’re a thousand percent sure,” Henry replied, to every request. 

Alex’s eyes would drag down to his stomach. As if to say: how much more sure can you get? Then Henry would cover his body, self consciously. That was the worst part. The idea that Henry had any-fucking-thing to be ashamed of was utterly preposterous. Jesus H. Christ, Henry’s British was rubbing off on him. 

Alex wanted his omega to glow with it, to be so fucking happy he couldn’t keep the news from spilling out of his pores. Instead, he was met with embarrassment. The feeling set Alex’s teeth on edge. 

“Let’s wait, see what the doctor says, love.” 

The morning of, Alex was out of bed and rearing to go before their alarms had the chance to sound. Elaina was spending a few days with Alex's mother in Dallas, and despite their night alone, Alex and Henry had done little more than sleep. He took the chance to spoil his baby, bringing his tea up to their bedroom, ready to wake the love of his life with a shower of kisses. 

Unfortunately, Henry’s body clock beat him to it, he was up and hugging the porcelain throne like his life depended on it. Upon Alex’s entry Henry retched again, burying his head further into the toilet. Alex made the executive decision to dump the tea down the sink and fetch a cool rag for his mate. 

“You believe me now?” Alex teased, pressing the damp cotton to the base of Henry’s neck. He had to brush long blonde locks out of the way to do so— it sent a little thrill down his spine. He worshiped every iteration of Henry, but long haired, pupped to hell and back Henry was proving to be his favorite. 

“Let’s just get this bloody over with.” Henry gestured for Alex to help him up, and he moved without thinking. 

“You want some peppermint tea in a go cup?” 

Henry’s face screwed up. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be caught dead drinking anything that wasn’t the highest quality Earl Grey, but June had got Alex hooked on the stuff whenever he had a sicky tummy (it was all an elaborate ruse to decrease his caffeine intake— and surprisingly, it worked). 

“I got a fresh sleeve of digestives,” Alex offered, kissing Henry’s temple and guiding him down the stairs. Praise the international aisle in the grocery store. 

“Dark chocolate?” Henry asked, a bit sheepishly. 

Alex scoffed, his face split into a bright grin, “What else?” 

Alex smiled at the receptionist as he signed them in, bouncing from foot to foot all the way. He wasn’t this ecstatic about proving Henry wrong, per say, but he was so beyond thrilled about being fucking right, he didn’t know where to go with all of it. 

“Did you take a test yet, sugar?” The nurse asked, leaning into a Texas twang that rivaled Alex’s grandmother. 

Henry shook his head no. For his own inane reasoning, Henry hadn’t wanted to do an at home test. Superstitious didn’t begin to cover it. Henry and June were cuckoo for cocoa puffs when it came to  pregnancy myths. Still, the nurse cheerily passed him a piss cup and showed him to the nearest bathroom. 

It left Alex to buzz around the waiting room like a hyperactive bee, talking the poor receptionist’s ear off about Elaina and how excited he was to start over. She feigned interest, but Alex swore she sagged with relief when Henry returned, and managed to beam when another nurse called out the less alerting moniker of 'Fox.' Call it a school boy’s crush, but Alex was always a bit giddy to be Mr. Fox. 

Henry's midwife, Claire, was her usual pleasant self, inviting him to disrobe to his comfort and averting her gaze as Alex helped him onto the table. It was all too familiar, amplifying Alex’s anticipation by the nanosecond. Up on the exam table, Henry adjusted himself, revealing his already swollen, firm belly to the doctor. His slacks were unbuttoned; Alex had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning. 

“Bet you didn’t expect to see me back here so fast,” Henry said, with a self-deprecating little chuckle. 

Alex’s grin grew strained. He shot Henry an inquisitive look, but it went unnoticed as he kept his placid, press ready smile trained on the doctor. 

“Ach lad,” she said, with a huffy laugh of her own, “I never seek to scald my lips with another’s porridge.” Claire brushed him off with a wave of her hand and lifted the squeeze bottle of cool turquoise jelly. “Are we ready to see your wain?” 

Her smile was infectious, but Henry still looked like a field mouse avoiding a house trap. 

“Alright, Henry?” Claire had taken to calling him by his first name much smoother than countless others from the UK. (They couldn’t ask where the bathroom was without some poor fool stuttering through Henry’s previous titles over there.) Alex assumed it had to do with having been so intimately acquainted with Henry’s vagina. 

“It’s just nerves,” he gushed, pulling his shirt higher, and ushering Claire closer. 

She stayed firmly in place, examining the pair of them and silently encouraging Alex to figure out what the hell his mate was trying to pull. 

“Babe—“

“I’m fine,” Henry said with a slight groan. “Let’s just get this over and done with, hm?” 

The little ‘hm’ pierced straight through Alex’s heart. To make matters worse, Henry’s earthy scent had a distinctly sour note to it, making all the hair on Alex’s body stand on edge. 

“I, for one, am over the goddamned moon,” Alex said, giving Claire a look that suggested she leave the room. Quickly. She nodded her ascent, giving them some privacy, as Alex turned to his mate. “Henry… Sweetheart, why doesn’t it feel like you are?” 

Henry sighed, looking heavenward for strength. He took a moment twiddling his thumbs and Alex left him to it, knowing he liked to gather his thoughts completely before speaking them into the ether. 

“I am… a bit worried about Elaina. What this means for her. My ability to care for her.” He paused, but Alex didn’t interrupt, even though he really wanted to scream to the skies how wonderful of a father Henry was and how these fears were fabricated bullshit brought on by his mental illness. Instead, he tapped the edge of the exam table, lightly. “I am dreading what the media will have to say about all this.” 

“Oh fuck them—” Alex couldn’t hold that one back. “Sorry, continue, darling.” 

“No you’re right, fuck them. But they were nasty the last time and my body hardly changed, it doesn’t look like I’ll luck out like that again.” Henry’s hand trailed his lower abdomen, and Alex tracked the movement with his own gentle touch. “Additionally… I can’t help but feel as though we just made it into Philip’s good graces, and I don’t want to backslide.” 

Tears filled the big blue eyes that Alex knew like the back of his hand. 

“Babe, fuck Philip too. If he’s anything less than motherfucking ecstatic, I’ll punch him.”

Henry let out a wet chuckle, a small smile spreading across his splotchy, tear stained cheeks. 

“Hey,” Alex started, kissing Henry’s knuckles and wiping his tears away, with a gentle stroke of his thumb. “Philip sounded real interested in name cred, so maybe we couch it like Philomena and Phillipa are on the way.”  

That earned a full bodied laugh and Alex allowed the lower half of his face to settle into a soft smile. One hand drifted to Henry’s stomach, while the other snaked around him, pulling his mate close, Alex nuzzled into his neck. 

Preferring to sit in the quiet that was always so homey, when it was just the two of them, Alex gave Henry a moment alone. Well, as alone as they could be, their little interloper(s) notwithstanding. 

“Are we really ready to do this all over again?” He asked, pulling back just enough to read Henry’s expression. 

Henry set his jaw. “It’s sooner than I expected, but I think I am.” His hand came to rest on his stomach. “Be a dear and fetch Claire? Also maybe apologize for my behavior.” 

“No sweat,” Alex said, kissing Henry’s forehead and both his cheeks. He paused, leaving a quick peck on his lips and his nose for good measure. He walked off, just to turn on his heel and dive in to kiss his chin.  “Had to cover my bases,” he muttered, and then shifted to actually fill Henry’s request this time. 

It was Henry’s turn to interrupt, pulling Alex back, for an earth shattering kiss— doctor’s office be damned. Alex couldn’t help but linger, really kissing his mate, making sure the omega knew he meant it. In seconds, they were pooling pheromones like they were paid to do it. Claire was gonna have to open a goddamned window. 

Alex wasn’t sure how long they kissed and cuddled and cried, but after a while Claire let herself back in with a gentle knock. While he didn’t want to think about their scent trailing out under the door, he did notice that she wheeled in a fan upon her return.  

The ultrasound machine whirred to life and the fast paced whoosh of two distinct heartbeats filled the exam room. Alex felt like he’d won the fucking lottery, but he played it cooler than a cucumber— or at least, cooler than a cucumber forgotten in a black car in the middle of a parking lot out in west Texas. 

His glee was contagious, pouring over to Henry, who gripped his hands tight and said to choke back the wave of emotion crashing over the pair of them. 

Claire leaned closer to the screen and clicked her tongue. 

“So we have two teeny sprogs to account for here, and it looks like they’re monochorionic diamniotic twins,” Claire said, fingertips clacking away on the keyboard. “Which, doesn’t mean much of anything yet, but it could be serious for us down the line. I’m sure you both know that twin pregnancies have practically nothing in common with singletons.” 

Alex nodded, feeling a shift in the room, as Henry straightened on the bed, and Claire cut them a severe glare. 

“Mo/di twins share a placenta, but each have their own amniotic sac,” she explained, gesticulating with her hands. “I don’t want to scare you with that, just know we’re going to keep a closer eye on the three of you, and you’re at higher chance of induction and maybe even a cesarean if one of them gets cheeky at the end.

“You can go about your business as usual,” Claire said, with a wink thrown to Alex. “Around thirty weeks we’ll see about bed rest or other options.” 

“Should we be worried?“ Henry asked. Claire opened her mouth to answer, but Henry extrapolated, “Or is this something we shouldn’t go through with?” 

Alex felt his stomach drop at the question, but then his mind filled with Elaina’s angel baby face, forcing himself to consider what this meant for the daughter they already had. If Henry got hurt– Alex wouldn’t even let himself go down that pathway. Like sure, yeah, okay he loved the prospect of what could be, growing inside his mate right now, but he’d known Henry for a whole lot longer than he’d known them. It was no question of who to put first. 

“I don’t want to short change you,” Claire cut in, humming to herself. “Di/di twins would have been ideal. But it could have been mo/mo, which would have heightened our worries ten fold. Plus you’re a big fella with a big strong alpha at home, and not to toot my own horn, a bang-on medical team. I’m sure you’re going to do great.” 

It was hard to take the news as positive with Claire droning on, noting how they wouldn’t be able to have a home birth and how from here on out she’d want to see Henry weekly to check in. They scheduled a standing appointment during Alex’s lunch break on Wednesdays. Claire encouraged them to bring Elaina along, but they’d probably look into getting a sitter. 

“Chin up, lads. You’re going to be fathers to three in no time,” Claire said with a toothy smile. Alex had to suppress his own grin at her pronunciation of ‘three.’ 

With that, she wiped Henry’s belly of the gel, gave Alex some optional reading from reputable sources. Claire had learned the hard way that even if she begged Alex not to Google something, he was going to. 

They were both nervous,, worn out and a bit shaken up from the whole endeavor, but they still had an empty house to enjoy when they got home. 

“What time is your mum popping round with Laina?” Henry asked as they slumped into their empty foyer. The house seemed dimmer without their giggling little ray of sunshine, like all the colors were muted when she wasn't around. 

“Ma mentioned staying for dinner, so six?” Alex said, dropping the hefty pile of paperwork Claire sent onto the credenza. He'd be sure to read it all in agonizing detail when he wasn't reeling, half in shock, half glee. 

Henry visibly checked his watch and sighed. It was hardly noon. “Part of me wants to go get her now.” Alex could relate, he'd be able to fly through the fille on the woes of twin pregnancy, so long as he could lean over and get a whiff of that special baby smell from the crown of her head. There were few comforts in the world as great as holding their baby. 

There was definitely one thing that came close.  

“We could go get her,” Alex supplied. “Or, we could take advantage of our king sized mattress.”

Take full advantage they did.

Alex loved Henry endlessly, and he was going to show him that. For the first time since their stay in England, Alex made love to Henry, slow and saccharine and full of all the things they struggled to voice. This pregnancy was going to be their scariest adventure yet, but they were going to do it together. 

The omega was laid out at the center of their nest, with his alpha's hand placed delicately on his belly the whole time. Their mated scent hung so heavy in the room, anyone else would struggle to breathe. Wordlessly, Alex guided Henry's legs into place, while Henry's hands came to land at Alex's neck, pulling him into a long drawn out kiss. Their lips met in the middle, in perfect synchronicity, forever attuned to each others needs. Some would say it was like that for all bonded pairs, but Alex wasn't so sure. What he and Henry had wasn't run of the mill mating, it was fucking kismet. 

Holding Henry by his hips, especially when he was like this, felt special— anointed, sacred, goddamned holy, and Alex gleefully knelt at the alter. 

Before he met Henry, Alex never knew something as simple as eye contact could be so erotic. One set of eyes finding a home in a second. Seeing the want spelled out so clearly in those blue eyes, darkened with desire, sent Alex's center of gravity full tilt every time.

They came together, foreheads touching, bodies in locked rhythm, kisses grown sloppy, hands solid and sure as they found their pleasure in one another. 

Sated and pliant, Alex leaned in to kiss Henry's crown. He stayed there for a beat, breathing his lover in, making sure to catalogue this moment, labeling it as precious. 

"I love you," Henry said, with a tender smile. Normally, Alex would practically cut him off with a responding confession, but sensing that Henry had more to say, Alex let this one sit, weighty in between them. Henry's hands trailed from Alex's shoulders down to his belly, then with a final squeeze of Alex's hips, Henry released him. His hands came to rest on his own middle, where their little trouble makers were. He looked down at his body, face contorted in deep consternation. Alex breathed through it, counting the seconds as he waited for Henry to say something, anything, and after what felt like a year, Henry met his gaze, eyes steely. "I'm going to be okay." 

"I know you are," Alex said, blinking away tears he hadn't felt come on. "Cause I'm gonna make sure of it." 

Their lips met, taking their time to really feel it, the slide of their tongues, and the slight clack of teeth. With one hand Alex cupped his mate's jaw, and the other played at Henry's hip, as if waiting for an invitation. Henry, almost exasperated in his movements, gripped Alex's hand and brought it to the apex of his belly.  

"I love you, too," Alex added. "In case that wasn't clear." 

Henry scoffed, rolling his eyes affectionately, and kissed him again. 

Henry’s second pregnancy was nothing like the first. To start off, the jump from one baby growing in there to two was no joke. He popped around fourteen weeks and his belly jutted out from his body in a painful, distracting manner by twenty. Strangers were having a fucking field day eying the pregnant previous prince, and Alex couldn’t recall a time where photos of Henry’s belly weren’t going at least a little viral on Twitter. 

If you asked Alex, Henry’s body suited pregnancy perfectly. He hadn’t thought he could be more in love with his mate, or their daughter, but his heart just kept on growing. He loved those two little nameless blobs so much his heart was fit to burst. More than anything it cemented how much he loved Henry for willingly forfeiting his body to give them this. Alex was fucking mystified. Every new stretch mark on Henry’s hips had to be kissed and loved on, every time the silly app on his phone compared the babies to a fruit, Alex searched the nearest grocery store and proudly marched into the living room holding a mix of avocados, papayas, and grape fruits. 

That last one earned him a bit of scolding, as neither of them could eat grape fruits, due to their various medications. Alex maintained the visual was worth it. 

Henry wasn’t so keen on his twin belly. Alex had lost count of the times he’d found his mate, near tears over the changes in his body. Every newsstand in America, and Britain alike, was making bank off his so called "torpedo belly." Alex was just about ready to make his own statement about it, with Bea and Martha in tow, but Henry didn’t want to draw even more attention to himself.

“I know I’m bloody impossible to ignore, but it’s only a handful of weeks left,” he explained. Claire had hesitated when it came to giving them a proper due date, on account of twins being unpredictable. They knew twins usually came two or three weeks early, then with them being mo/di that shaved another week and a half off. Henry was at thirty weeks right now, and with no complications or signs of early labor, hadn't been put on bed rest or any medication to stace

At present, they were stuck on a conference call with the Royals. Alex had offered— yet again— to go bar for bar with some of the meaner journos, and it landed him on a three way call with his siblings-in-law. Just to be sure he got the message of how unwanted his input was.

Every day a new magazine alleged they knew Henry was pregnant first, and had insider knowledge of when the babies were due, citing pap shots from before Henry and Alex had known he was pregnant. They included close ups of his hand placement and his "pregnancy nose," which Alex had to assure Henry was photoshop. Even Philip was tired of the constant scrutiny. 

From the instant his belly popped, Reddit had oodles of threads titled "streets saying Henry pregnant AGAIN!!!" which sent Alex’s mentions spiraling. #Firstprince fans implored him to leave his man alone, and announced their belief that Henry should be at the club! 

Alex could admit… Some of the memes were a little funny, but how many pups he and his omega produced was nobody’s goddamned business. Plus the mind boggling truth was that Henry had gotten those particular jollies out of his system long before he got to know Alex. 

Typing Henry’s name into Google populated dozens of ‘related searches,’ all about typical weight gain for male omega pregnancies, Martha’s dress measurements, how much Henry weighed when he was sixteen versus now. The list went on and on.  

Alex understood, Henry’s belly was visibly cumbersome and they’d never publicly stated that he was carrying double the trouble. There were dozens of new parents freaking out that they would carry like Henry was. In response, "informative and helpful" individuals explained Henry was only so big because it was his second pregnancy. Which riled an equal number speculating that if he was this big this time, he couldn’t have been the one to carry Elaina previously. It was exhausting.

Even Philip was tired of the constant scrutiny. 

“I’ve announced two nonprofits,” Martha complained. “But all the questions jabbed at me are asking if I’m jealous." 

"I'm sorry about that Martha," Alex said, biting his thumbnail and wracking his mind for anything that could take some of the heat off Henry. Outside of leaking photos of Philip's dick he wasn't sure there was much that could be done. 

"It's okay, pet," she replied, her voice tender. "How are you both getting on? I can't imagine you can even leave the house right now." 

That made Henry laugh. Alex's boss had originally granted him two work from home days a week, with a half day on Friday. Due to the current media frenzy, his permissions had quickly turned into a work from home week, with Alex sometimes going into the office for a half day on Fridays. He wasn't doing any courthouse appearances, because- to quote his supervisor- it wasn't worth the "distraction." They'd had a few blissful weeks of Henry handling the day shift with Elaina, with Alex managing dinner and bath time, just to come together for bedtime. With both of them home their schedule had gotten sloppy and they were basically rock paper scissoring every chore. As Henry's body became less his own, more of the responsibility landed on Alex's shoulders. It was work he was happy to do, but it was about as exhausting as it was to see their names in every newsstand they happened across.

Alex never thought he'd say it, but he missed being in England where they could just pass their daughter off. Or maybe he just wished someone else could do the dishes and the laundry and the hoovering- fuck, vacuuming- while they did their bit, raising a human child. 

"We need a vacation from being us," Alex said with a groan. 

"Here-here," Henry agreed. 

"Have you considered a babymoon?" Came Bea's cheery falsetto over the line. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"Like a honeymoon, but before the baby's due to arrive," Bea explained. 

"That could be good," Martha said. "Maybe we could hire doubles for you both and have them flounce around London or New York, while the both of you runaway to Mallorca." 

As if she could tell she was being left out of the conversation, Elaina let out a high pitched squeal, followed by a hefty thunk. She had launched something from her crib across her room, where up to that point she'd been enjoying her afternoon nap. She had a habit of latching onto a wildly inappropriate toy and insisting it joined her for naptime. It had proven easier to let her grip the toy while she slept, and made for some interesting fodder for the family group chat. 

"Fell asleep with a tonka truck," Henry explained, as Alex made for the stairs to retrieve their princess. Distantly, beyond the plonk, plonk, plonk of his feet hitting the stairs, Alex heard Henry say the next part, "Y'all seem to have forgotten we have a daughter." Good to know the vocabulary run off went both ways. 

"Buenos días princesa! ¿Dormiste una buena siesta?" Alex asked, smiling brightly at the mess of curls and equally brilliant smile, beaming up from him in her crib. 

Elaina babbled in response gleefully bouncing and encouraging Alex to pick her up— as if he could ever tell her no. She was going to be a great deal of trouble when she could actually talk. 

He changed her diaper, and her clothes, making nonsense small talk all the while. Just as he was explaining, in exaggerated detail, the plot of the final episode of Ted Lasso— the last chance he'd had to watch TV had been on the plane back from England nearly six months prior— Henry waltzed up behind him, long lithe fingers gripping Alex's hips from behind. He laid a kiss on Alex's shoulder, turned sideways so he could get close enough, managing to send a shiver down Alex's spine. 

"Hey darling, what's the word from across the pond?" 

"Well, it would appear, our siblings have coordinated in our having a 'baby moon,' and we leave tomorrow."

"Our?"

"Bea rung June in," Henry said with a huff. "She, along with Pez, will be invading our home, while we mosey on over to one of our favorite haunts for the next week, June's words."

Alex's stance straightened, adjusting Elaina on his hip. As if she understood Henry's words, she gave a fussy grumble, annoyed to be left behind, and nuzzled closer to Alex. 

"What happened to Mallorca?" 

Henry snorted, gesturing down to his middle. "You can ask your very own knot that."

"Point taken." 

"Besides," Henry said with a put upon sigh and an arch of his back, which put his gravid belly on full display. "You've never complained about a trip to the lake house before." 

Alex perked up, like a dog after a bone. "We're going to the lake?"

"That we are, if you can help me pack-"

"We need clothes?" Alex interrupted, pout audible in his voice. 

Henry chuckled, gave his ass an affection swat, and left the nursery, an apparent sway to his hips. 

Chapter Text

Henry was at that point in pregnancy where he couldn’t reliably put his shoes on by himself, but still stubborn enough to insist that he was able. Alex found it at least partially entertaining, watching his mate put the maximum amount of effort into something ultimately so fruitless. Especially, when he was able to swoop in and save the day. 

The belly was becoming the main event of their lives. When/if they braved the public sphere, every smile and notion of congratulations left Alex puffing his chest with pride. He had done that to Henry. Those were his babies. He could see Henry blushing with it too, no matter how much he complained, he was loving it. 

Loving it did not fix the issue of his shoeless feet. 

Shooting Alex a pitiful puppy stare, Henry conceded. He lowered himself into a chair and lifted one foot and then the other, his labored breathing begging for Alex’s intervention. 

“You really ought to let me help you more,” Alex said, words soft as he kissed Henry’s forehead. He kneeled down before him, happy to carefully slide Henry’s feet into the tennis shoes, with another kiss to each ankle bone.

“Or I could order slip-ons like a sensible adult," Henry sighed. "For now, you'll have to be on call if I should want to go anywhere." 

“As you wish,” Alex said, mentally taking note to order Henry the pair of Birkenstocks that June suggested. They’d be waiting at the house when they returned from their babymoon. They weren’t his usual style, but neither was a belly that barred his view of his feet. 

Speaking of the babymoon, that was something that absolutely had to happen. They both loved their daughter, enough to make more little clones of themselves, but if they didn't have some alone time soon one of them might actually blow up the whole house. 

While a break in their schedule hadn’t been– well, scheduled, it was well thought out. Any time June and Bea put their heads together, they managed to prove just how well they knew their brothers and just how much smarter they were in every conceivable way. 

Eagerly trotting around the Jeep, Alex helped Henry into the car, cringing as his oblong belly bumped into things and just generally remained a nuisance. The poor omega fit so awkwardly in the seat, his legs at odd angles to both support and spread for the bump, it was a wonder Alex didn't drop to his knees in their driveway. He just managed to contain himself, setting a goal to keep one hand on the wheel and one on Henry's tummy the entire drive. 

Par for the course with their second pregnancy, everything that conceivably could went wonky on their way to the lake house. Five minutes from the driveway Henry realized he needed to pee. Then, after they ducked into a dingy gas station, he informed Alex that he’d left behind his pump, so they should return to the house after all. Going back to the house meant they had to dodge a throng of reporters, staked outside their neighborhood vying for a glimpse of pupped up prince pus—

Henry didn’t like it, but it was true. 

Alex argued for buying a whole new kit on the way, but Henry complained that he’d worn theirs in just right. They took the long way home, and started for the lake house again a full two hours later. 

They were going with Claire’s blessing and the heavy understanding that since Henry was at thirty-one weeks, they were jetting to the ER if anything felt off. Not that this trip was outlandish. It was barely an hour from their house. The first hint of a contraction and they were to call her, if not just go straight to the hospital. Henry thought it was all overkill, but dutifully agreed to hear Claire out. 

“You’ve done this before,” Claire had said, equal parts reprimand and encouragement. “But you’ve never done this before. You get me?” 

They did.

Within seconds of arriving at the lake house, Henry was stripped down to nothing but his stretchy paternity boxers. They had an expansive property to themselves and Henry was going to use it to the fullest. 

“I hope you know… I have no plans of wearing any clothes all week.”

“I wouldn’t ask for anything else,” Alex said with a smirk, rolling up Henry’s discarded shirt to swat his ass. 

The sun was high and it made the very air vibrate with the suffocating heat. Alex unloaded the car alone, choosing to get everything into the air conditioning and then divide their luggage amongst the rooms later. Henry had other plans. 

When Alex shut the front door, dropping their last bag on the hardwood, he was met with a brilliant view: Henry crouched, attempting to lug their huge yeti cooler across the living room. Between completely missing the wheels and being unable to see where he was going, it was obviously quite the struggle. The very thing Alex had spent the past month chiding him over, always trying to do for himself, rather than asking for help.

He gave it another ten seconds, heart erupting in equal parts smug satisfaction and tender pity.  

Unaware of Alex’s watchful stare, Henry sighed in defeat, and dropped the cooler. He opted for flopping back onto the deep couch, rubbing at his bump the whole time. From the looks of things, the twins were unhappy campers, pushing against the dome of his belly in every way they could. 

“Need some help?” Alex called, quickly snagging the cooler and dropping it in the kitchen.  

“Yes actually, remind me will you, who gave me this ridiculous figure?” 

Glancing at Henry, the poor omega's belly managed to look even bigger, more pronounced as he tried to get comfortable on the couch, a light sheen of sweat making his dewy skin glow. 

“Some hot alpha,” Alex shot back. 

Henry didn’t dignify Alex with a response, instead, turning to face the back deck, like the view they’d seen a million times was the most interesting place in the world. 

Alex came into Henry's line of sight, crouching before his mate, for the second time that day. 

“Baby,” he said, imploringly, bringing one of Henry's feet into his lap, gently gripping a swollen ankle. “This week is about you resting.” 

“No,” Henry said. “It's about us resting.”

“You letting me love on you puts my mind at ease, it is me resting.” 

Henry couldn’t do more than whimper at that, as his strained belly writhed between them. Sometimes it looked like it was barely attached, pulling his skin taught and hanging on for dear life. Alex tried to soothe the babies with a pass over the belly, stroking it slow, but firm, just the way Henry liked. 

Alex pressed a kiss into the taxed skin. "Please?" 

"Please what?"

"Promise me to go slow this week, and to let me... How would a writer put this? Be the wind beneath your wings? The, uh, Corinthian column that holds you up? The pedal to your metal?" 

The last one had Henry cracking a smile and gesturing for Alex to meet him on the couch. "Alright, alright. I got the memo."

Alex climbed onto the sofa, accepting the sweet swift kiss from his mate.

"I promise, love."

Alex managed to keep Henry planted on the couch for the rest of the afternoon, each of them taking turns reading to each other, with Alex routinely ducking into the kitchen to put the kettle on or to grab snacks. Right around dinner time they were both itching to see their baby, so they got dressed and FaceTimed June. At the sound of Elaina’s babbling Alex felt a white hot thread of worry unravel in his spine. He hadn’t realized leaving her was something he'd be so concerned over, but that was the sacrifice of being a parent— he was constantly thinking about how things would affect his Laina.

They told her about their day, how much they missed her, and she attentively watched the screen, clearly recognizing the sight of her daddies if her big, broad, baby tooth filled smile was anything to go by. Pez and June had left her in the playpen, they'd already fought her through a jar of baby food, and apparently it was all hands on deck to make Elaina’s nightly bottle. 

“It’s milk in a warmer,” Alex muttered just for Henry to hear. “How hard can it be?”

Henry swatted at him and pulled the phone screen closer so Laina could only see him. If she was still looking that was, keeping her attention was a daunting task— something she’d inherited from Alex, unfortunately.

She wasn’t quite weaned, and as soon as June made her return with her bottle, Laina made it everyone’s problem. Alex didn’t need to see the screen to recognize the exact piercing wail Laina made at the sight of her baba. It was so loud that it piqued the microphone on June’s phone. Garbled by static, Alex could hear June encouraging her to take the bottle, but Laina was too busy sobbing her little head off. 

“Tell Pez to crawl his lazy bones into the playpen,” Alex said, plugging his ears at the sound. 

“He’s trying to navigate your ridiculous kitchen and cook for us,” June said, the struggle clear in her voice. Laina wasn’t letting up, positively howling. It made Alex wonder if she’d just registered that he and Henry wouldn’t be home for bedtime. 

After a few more scuffling sounds, like magic, the crying stopped. Alex came around the couch, perching behind Henry to sneak a peek and on screen was most of June’s torso and a bottle blissed Elaina Isme. She was back to her usual snuggly self, sucking down the bottle like June might decide she couldn’t have it after all. 

“Oh my God,” Henry said, all but dropping Alex’s phone, pulling his shirt away from himself. “Laina, sweetheart, daddy loves you so very much, but I have to go now. Kisses.” 

She grunted, obviously more worried about her bottle than she was either of them, and Alex reached for his phone as June asked if something was wrong. 

“All good,” he said, eyeing Henry curiously. “Love ya Bug, call if you need anything.”

“We won’t!” She said, ending the call. Within two seconds his phone lit up with an ‘I love you too,’ text and about thirty pictures of Elaina going to town on her bottle. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked, pocketing the device and sliding next to Henry on the cushion. 

“I’m leaking,” Henry said through gritted teeth and Alex finally got a good look at his shirt, previously navy blue and loose, was now clinging to his chest and mysteriously darker in very non-discreet circles. 

“I think it was her crying that did it,” Henry said, a little sadly as he rolled his shirt off. It was one of very few that could comfortably fit around his torso, belly and all. 

Alex hummed his agreement, eyeing Henry’s chest with nothing less than greed. He’d been dying to get his mouth on Henry’s chest since before Elaina was born. He only hadn’t because Henry was always a bit paranoid about having enough milk for Elaina, but they’d left her with nearly two month's worth, and it wouldn’t be smart for Henry to pump, freeze it, drive home, and freeze it again. 

“Alex,” Henry said, a bit desperately, scrabbling to stop the leaking with his ruined shirt. “Did you hear me, I asked you to fetch my pump?” 

“Oh, sorry baby,” Alex said, immediately standing, but still unable to tear his gaze away. They stayed there for a beat, Alex locked in limbo. 

“Darling?”

“Are you sure…” Alex started, licking his lips. His eyes dragged down Henry’s front and he was sure Henry could see where his dick had chubbed up in his shorts. “Sure you don’t want me to help?”

“Alex,” Henry said, huffing as his cheeks went pink in that delicious way Alex adored. Unintentionally, his sticky sweet marshmallow scent poured from his pores, his very cells putting in the work to entice Henry. Alex couldn’t help it, he was biologically inclined to want Henry, and right now the omega looked like a vision materialized out of Alex’s wildest wet dreams. 

“I can’t believe you’re attracted to me like this,” Henry said, voice low and gravely. 

“Well, believe it.” 

Alex swallowed and moved without thinking, hovering over Henry, before completely enveloping him body and mind. He kissed Henry soundly. It was natural, like breathing was natural, something their bodies did on instinct to survive. Nuclear threats couldn’t have pulled them apart, as they moved together in a delicate dance. 

Even though Alex was putting in more effort, holding his body weight above the omega, Henry was the one to pull away gasping. His hands found the collar of Alex’s shirt, now equally soaked with milk, as he silently pleaded for just a moment, his damp forehead coming to touch Alex’s. 

While Henry caught his breath, one hand gripping Alex by the collar and the other steadying his heavy belly, his chest continued to leak in a steady stream. He was red all over, Alex couldn’t tell if it was the influx of milk, or his usual arousal, either way he wanted nothing more than to traverse the flushed skin with his mouth.   

“This is humiliating,” Henry said, a touch of a self deprecating laugh to the words. 

“No,” Alex said. Gingerly, he traced the edge of Henry’s nipple, making him groan and bite his lip, both hands tightening in shirt. “This is so hot I’m gonna lose my goddamn mind.” He laid a trail of gentle kisses along Henry’s hair line, which Henry greedily leaned into. “Let me help you, baby.” 

Silence permeated the lake house for a moment. Alex could hear the cicadas outside and cars from three streets over, but not a word from his loving mate. Even Henry’s breathing had calmed down, leaving them to sit with Alex’s request raging between them. Alex briefly wondered if he’d never speak again, that he’d pushed him too far this time. Then Henry gently moved Alex’s hair out of his face, and whispered, “Alright.” Giving Alex all the permission he needed. 

Alex set to task, massaging Henry’s chest with gentle touches, until Henry started to squirm and Alex knew he should up the anti. With careful precision he guided the milk out, swallowing each of Henry’s little breathy noises with his lips. It was taking everything in his power to not duck his head and follow each of the little pearly rivulets with his tongue, but Henry hadn’t asked him for that and Alex promised to help. Never mind the fact that he was goddamn milking his mate, tasting him was an entirely different thing. 

“That feels good love,” Henry said, encouraging him to continue, as if on cue. As if he understood Alex’s particular habit for over thinking better than Alex knew himself. As if this was just as good for him.

Henry swore under his breath, drawing Alex’s attention back to his chest, and double bloody hell there was a lot of milk pouring down his front.

A soft whimper escaped Alex’s lips and their eyes locked. Henry bobbed his head in an infinitesimal nod, go on, love, prompting Alex to dive into action once again. His lips found Henry’s swollen nipple and latched, his hands shaking a little as he positioned himself just so against Henry’s bump. There wasn’t much room in his lap for Alex, but he would sooner burn the lake house down than let a little belly stand in his way. 

Distantly, he could make out a slew of curses falling from Henry’s perfectly plump lips. Mostly encouragement and appreciation– something that would normally light a fire in Alex, but was currently being put on the back burner as he focused on the primary task at hand. Relief washed over Henry as he melted under Alex’s ministrations.

Buoyed by a glance at Henry’s face– the very picture of bliss– Alex kept at it, massaging one side, while he lapped at the other, only switching when Henry encouraged him to do so, with a desperate paw of his hand. When Alex needed to breathe he paused in the middle of Henry’s chest, pressing a gentle kiss to his sternum and scenting the skin, hoping that the brand to Henry’s body would remain, permanently marking him as Alex’s own. 

After what could have been seconds or forever, Alex had lost his grip on time, Henry’s stream started to lessen. His chest looked lighter and Alex couldn’t help but be  a little disappointed that it was over so soon. He shifted in Henry’s lap, recognizing that familiar hardness pressed to the bottom of Henry’s belly. Alex was quick, moving Henry’s soft cotton shorts out of the way, and bringing him to release with only a few passes against his cock. Henry’s grip tightened in Alex’s curls as he fell apart, a surprised laugh ringing through the house. In a Pavlovian effort, Alex came too, painting the insides of his basketball shorts. 

The alpha hadn’t even realized he was hard. 

For the second time, in what Alex assumed was less an hour, Henry pulled away. He was struggling to catch his breath, hands forced to support the cumbersome belly pulling on his core. 

No words were exchanged, Alex's instincts were still running the show, operating on the order to care for the omega. Without thinking, Alex moved to fetch Henry some water, and maybe a cool rag, grimacing at the quickly cooling come shifting around in his underwear. Before he could take another step, Henry was reaching for him, his breathing steadied once more, and Alex grasped Henry’s hand, kissing the back of it. 

Glancing out the window, Alex realized with a start that it had gotten dark while he was busy consuming, and being consumed by, Henry. Maybe it had been more than an hour after all. 

“Christ, I’m so sticky,” Henry said, a shiver jolting his belly, as he gagged at the tacky texture of his own skin. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up, huh?” Alex leaned over the couch, offering Henry a hand in standing, and carefully guiding him towards the bathroom. 

The bath tub in the master suite was huge, big enough for the both of them. At some point, Alex had sprung for a little inflatable bath pillow that suctioned onto the back wall and had the jets professionally cleaned. That extra thoughtfulness would be paid for in spades. If he wanted to, he would, or whatever. 

Alex had to help Henry into the tub, but once his ass hit the water he sighed in pleasure, sinking into the water and adjusting against the pillow as the steam curled around him. 

“Feels good, baby?”

“So bloody good,” he said on an exhale, sinking further into the bath. 

Alex had to bite back a grin at the sight, no matter how full the tub, Henry’s belly was determined to creep just above the water line. 

“Something funny?”

“No,” Alex lied, still grinning. “You’re just so fucking hot like this I’m gonna start barking.”

Henry opened one eye to glare at him, not making room for Alex in the bathtub, but still shifting and putting the bump on full display.

“You are so knot brained I don’t know how you manage to get anything done.” 

“You and me both, babe.” 

Alex didn’t need to check in a mirror to know his eyes were dilated, pupils growing ridiculously wide as Henry cupped water in his hands and brought it over the apex of his belly, clearing his skin of the dried milk. There was no invitation for Alex to join, so he stayed in place, transfixed by Henry’s diligent cleaning. Alex was fairly certain that the next time a relaxation audio told him to ‘picture his happy place,’ it would be this very sight: Henry peacefully settled in a bathtub, hair just long enough to float on the water, the portrait of serenity, their pups nestled safely in his womb. 

A peal of laughter burst Alex’s bubble as Henry tried, and failed, to contain himself.

“You look–” Henry cut himself off, gnawing on his lip to curb his laughter. Alex could feel Henry’s eyes sweeping up and down his form, but he couldn’t tear his own gaze away from Henry’s belly. “Painfully hard right now, love.”

Finally looking down at himself he could make out a detailed outline of his dick, pressed against the red mesh of his shorts. “Fuck… Remind me never to wear these to the gym.”

“Noted,” Henry said, still struggling to bite back a smile. “You could get ahead of that and just get rid of them now.” 

Alex didn’t need to be told twice, the shorts were off and landed in the bathroom trash can, before he took another breath. Henry snorted at his little performance, but beckoning him closer anyway. 

With the addition of Alex, the water threatened to spill over the edge of the tub, but neither of them found themselves hard pressed to get out. They had to navigate some strategic maneuvering, at first trying to go toe to tip, then debating the effort of Henry straddling Alex, and eventually settling on Alex replacing the pillow, cushioning Henry’s back from the tub itself. 

It was a little annoying, read: they had to strain to kiss at this particular angle. And yet, Alex managed to crane his neck to leave a trail of tender love bites along Henry’s shoulders and neck. He got a mouthful of Henry’s hair numerous times, but Alex would sooner suffocate around Henry’s golden locks than complain. Henry was quick to lean back, angling his neck and putting all his weight against Alex, to grant him better access to his pulse point on the underside of his jaw. 

“You were like a cat on the prowl earlier,” Henry said, easing himself deeper into the warm water. 

“You saying I’m no longer a horny animal?” Alex asked, just managing to intercede his initial retort about Henry as his cartoon saucer of milk.

To further his point, Alex’s fingertips trailed along Henry’s middle, making the both of them shudder. With his left hand posed on the physical reminder of just how much of a horny animal Alex could be, his right ventured lower, seeking out Henry’s ignored cunt. Henry whined at the contact, whole body going rigid in Alex’s arms.

“I want this whole week to be like this for you,” Alex murmured, lips grazing Henry’s ear, making gooseflesh spring up on his shoulders. “Me pleasing you, so endlessly, that when we go home you’re completely sated.”

The thing was, that had been the only thought that crossed his mind when June and Bea initially pitched the babymoon idea. A week to lay Henry out and fuck him every which way until his pussy was swollen, numb, and Henry would tell Alex he’d had enough, just to whine and complain whenever he pulled out. Just like he did every heat. 

Gently, his fingers slipped inside, reveling in the loud needy moan that the motion, really just the slightest movement, pulled from Henry. 

“Maybe I’ll wear you out, so this tight little pussy is nice and loose for the big day.” 

There had been a time when dirty talk was as easy and expected as talking about who would take the trash out or who would be cooking dinner. Ever since Elaina, their frequency of naughty conversation had halved, and since Henry hit the second trimester it was nearly nonexistent. 

In what Alex assumed was equal parts shock and excitement, Henry gasped, hands flying out of the water, going up and back, finding their home in Alex’s curls, which inadvertently bowed his back and drove Alex deeper inside. 

“You want that?” Alex asked, already knowing his answer by the way Henry clenched around just the hint of his fingers. 

All Henry managed was a grunt of agreement, trying to shift his hips to steer Alex to that sweet spot inside that always left him howling. 

“Use your words Mr. English Lit degree, or are you too knot-struck to have any?” 

“Yes,” Henry keened, his right hand releasing Alex’s curls just to grip his wrist, trying to drive Alex’s fingers where he wanted them. Alex stayed firm in place, shallowly fucking into Henry, playing like he was unbothered by whether his mate came or not. “Want you to use me.”

Alex clicked his tongue. “I said I wanted to pleasure you, so what does that mean, sweet thing?”

“I–” Henry tried, pulling air into his lungs like he was drowning. “I have to use you, tell you what I need.”

“There you go,” Alex said, voice a mirthful coo, finally crooking his fingers, making Henry cry out in relief. 

It didn’t take long, Henry’s second orgasm never did, but as soon as that precious laugh hit Alex’s ears he knew he was living on borrowed time to get Henry rinsed off for real and into bed. Henry’s insomnia was nothing against the power of a good climax, and pregnancy orgasms were basically his own personal brand of Nyquil. 

After a quick rinse and an enthusiastic agreement to forgo pajamas, Alex tucked Henry into the king sized bed in the master suite. Good riddance to the bunkbeds of yore. 

“No,” Henry complained, laying on his side, snuggling into the pillows on the unfamiliar bed. Alex packed a couple from their nest, just to help Henry sleep easier, and it looked like years worth of their scent worked magic on the omega. For once, Henry’s eyes were drooping and sleep was crashing over him like a shore. 

“No, what?” Alex asked indulgently, adjusting Henry’s pregnancy pillow to best support his belly, at least until he inevitably had to roll over to breathe. 

“You didn’t get off,” he said, pitiful and petulant, reminding Alex of their ten month old daughter. 

“That’s okay.”

In defiance Henry lifted his leg, holding his thigh back and exposing his flushed center to Alex. “Use me.”

“You’re falling asleep, Hen-”

“Alex,” Henry said, eyes opening just to glare at his mate. “I want you to fuck me to sleep.” 

“And I want you to rest.”

"Darling,” Henry practically wailed, his grip on his leg tightening. “I need it. Need you to claim me. Treat me like I’m in heat.”

Alex’s gaze traveled to Henry’s thoroughly claimed belly, but in doing so strayed to the dripping cunt that, in all honestly, did look dreadfully empty.

Finding himself unable to deny his mate, especially after Henry had given him so much, had given him everything, Alex curled up behind Henry. It was a little silly, the pair of them cradled in the pregnancy pillow. Alex couldn't find any fucks to give. His hands replaced Henry’s, holding his thigh up, spreading him open and ready for Alex’s cock.

Henry yawned, which would have been a buzzkill, if he weren’t actively shifting his hips, grinding his ass against Alex. 

“You,” Henry said, fighting another yawn. “Like me this way, s’much.” 

“I know,” Alex groaned. “I’m a total perv.” 

“All big ‘n exhausted from growing your pups all day,” Henry continued. Alex’s cock jumped at that, the hand on Henry’s thigh gripping him harder. Any other night Alex would have trailed his fingertips along Henry’s hipbones all tender and wanting. Muttered ‘you’re beautiful,’ into his skin until the words stopped sounding like words at all. 

Taking his time, Alex angled his hips just right and all but molded Henry into the best position. Tilting Henry, until he laid flat against Alex, Alex sent up a silent prayer of gratitude for his sizable dick, and shallowly thrust his hips. The sound Henry made in response wasn’t as full bodied as he would normally sound, but it was just so pleased. Like Alex was giving him everything he’d ever wanted, which if so, the feeling was entirely mutual. 

Alex thrust back in, no need to tease his omega, Henry was loose and ready, allowing Alex to just plow into him. Every movement all force and want and drive, like he was trying to knock Henry up all over again. Sleepily, Henry made a soft, but evermore wanton moan. Taking that was the incentive that it most certainly was, Alex kept pace, chasing his pleasure in a spot that was only available to him. 

It was hard to imagine that only a few years ago they'd both suffered under the delusion that Henry was an alpha and that neither of them would ever get what they really wanted from life. Flash forward to Henry, claimed to high heaven, only sure to sleep if his alpha fucked him into a stupor. It was enough to make Alex's heart race.

His pulse wasn't the only thing that picked up. Alex's orgasm caught him off guard, coming out of left field when Henry shifted in his almost sleep, reaching for Alex, anchoring them together. Alex didn’t pull out, falling into blissful, easy sleep, wrapped up in his mate with no worries of babies or paparazzi or royal business to cheapen his rest. 

Chapter Text

By the end of the week at the lake house, Henry looked, and more pressingly felt, like he was carrying a boulder on his front, and was positively miserable about it. He was ready to go home, crawl into his nest, and stay there until the babies were ready to come out.

Alex was ready to go home too, he missed his baby, and all the other comforts of home. He could tell Henry was getting techy without their daughter as well. All he’d seen of Elaina was a video June texted, pointing the camera at the baby, goading her into saying, “te amo.” No dice. Not yet anyway. 

At least with Laina under his care, Alex could feel helpful. He had her nighttime routine- something he and Henry had previously done together- down to a science. When it came to his mate, Alex was the epitome of useless. He could rub Henry’s aching extremities for hours and they’d remain sore. Henry had cravings, but he was turned off of them after one bite. He’d ask for a cuddle and then sweat them both to death. 

Intimacy was becoming difficult to achieve. Unless Henry was game to bend over, wearing a belly band (that made him feel, “the absolute opposite of sexy, love.”), with Alex doing all of the work, it was basically impossible. His ass had grown and it made laying on his side uncomfortable and he was too heavy to ride– no matter how much Alex protested that there was no such thing. Henry couldn’t manage a full breath laying on his back and the twins impeded on his lungs in such a way that even blowing Alex was impossible. Their last day at the lake house had proved that much to be true. 

"I want to say thank you," Henry had gasped, on his knees, one hand on his belly, the other anchoring him to Alex. 

"I don't need a thank you," Alex said, trying to assure him, his erection flagging as he watched Henry struggle to catch his breath. Henry gave him a look, that said that he was getting a thank you whether he wanted one or not. It made Alex's heart pick up in his chest, as he reached for Henry's hand, bringing it up to his lips, brushing each knuckle with a featherlight kiss. 

"I just want to taste you," Henry said, lips in a worrisome frown, his hand retreating to put counter pressure on his lower back. 

"You craving me?" Alex asked, teasing lilt to his tone. Before Henry had time to answer, Alex sank to the floor so he could kiss the ridiculous pout off his ridiculous mate's face. He loved this stubborn man more than life itself, but he wasn't about to let him go out sucking cock. Even if Henry had once said that was his life's calling. 

Returning to the house meant Henry was on bedrest. Less prescribed by Claire and more Henry being unable to do much of anything due to his never ending discomfort. His belly had dropped and was sitting low in his pelvis, tugging his skin and making it beyond uncomfortable to breathe or eat or sleep. 

It left Alex feeling like he was perpetually on. He was ready to book it to the hospital on the drop of a dime, getting up at all hours with Elaina, who was going through another sleep regression, and tending to Henry's every need. 

A week and a half after their much needed babymoon, Alex was tending to one of those needs, running out on his lunch break to get Henry one of his latest cravings: Hawaiian kettle chips that could only be found at World Market. He returned to the house, armed to the teeth with purple and orange plastic film and crispy bits of potato, but no sign of his omega. 

The acute emptiness of the living room struck Alex the millisecond he walked through the front door. Henry had been all but glued to the couch for days and Elaina was itching to crawl so her playpen had become the safest spot for her. She was also MIA. The third sign something was awry was the sound of a strained whimpering coming from down the hall. Henry was always breathing a little heavy these days, but this was decidedly different. 

There was no time for trepidation, Alex dropped the groceries where he stood and booked it for the second floor of the house. They’d taken to sleeping in the downstairs guest room to avoid any added strain on Henry’s hips, but the sound amplified with each step Alex climbed.                                                                                                                  

“Hen,” he shouted, his footsteps growing frantic, feeling like he was equally likely to take flight and fall ass over tea kettle down the stairs. 

An acrid smell filled his nostrils as he came close to their bedroom door, making his heart jump in his throat and his pace double in speed. 

That was when he nearly busted his ass in a puddle of something, splashed on the floor in front of their linen closet. Alex cried out as he righted himself, his wingspan just wide enough to catch on either side of the hallway.

“Alex?” Henry called, throat hoarse, fear rampant in his tone. 

“I’m here baby!” Alex said, already making his way to their ensuite. “Are you okay?” 

Carefully, Alex stepped around the snail trail leading to the bathroom. There he found his mate, curled around his belly on the cool tile, pain clear as day. Henry’s water had burst and the poor omega couldn’t even cry for help. 

“I’m scared,” Henry said, blue eyes shining towards his mate. 

It was clear to Alex that their clock had run out, just shy of thirty-four weeks. There would be no smooth transition and quick trip to the hospital, this was go time. 

Henry was only thirty-three weeks and five days along, but the twins were coming and soon. Alex didn’t trust himself to drive to the hospital– hell, he didn’t trust himself to get Henry back down the stairs. He briefly considered calling up Cash, but today was his and Amy's day off, the only member of their security team on site was a fresh faced former marine named Luke, who had joined them on Amy's recommendation, but never really warmed to Alex and Henry.  

The best he could do was call an ambulance. He dialed 9-1-1, his fingers shaking and bit his lip. Alex loathed the waiting game of birth, but at least this way the scary part wouldn’t rest on their shoulders. 

Well, while he had his phone out, he could also text Claire to meet them at the hospital. And Luke, to tell him to expect the ambulance. 

“It’s gonna be alright, H,” Alex said, trying to soothe his omega, while crouching on the floor and simultaneously shooting a ‘GO TIME’ message to the family group chat (minus Henry’s number to avoid unnecessary concern). An automated voice informed him that he was being connected to an emergency dispatcher. 

A spike of worry shot through him as he realized they were alone in the bathroom, or more likely the house. “Where’s Laina?”

“Your mum is with her at the park, she sent some lovely photos,” Henry said, sniffling. “I thought I could manage some light tidying while you were both out.” 

Alex didn’t have time to chew Henry out for what a shit idea that had been, he was too busy telling the emergency dispatcher, a soft spoken woman named Star, their location and the current situation. He could make out a commotion from the first floor, probably Luke if he should try and move Henry himself, or clear the way for the emergency responders. 

Alex ignored them, brushing Henry’s sweat soaked hair from his forehead, and coaching him through a contraction, while Star agreed to keep time for them over the phone. 

The twins weren’t showing any signs of distress, but Henry was already rung out and panting from the pain. Henry was so pregnant he couldn’t lay on his back. They’d added a huge supportive pillow to their nest, so at least going to bed could be comfortable if not actually restful. The EMTs supplied Henry with oxygen and allowed him to sit up for the short ambulance ride to the hospital. 

Upon their arrival they’d been dumped in a random hospital room and just sort of left there. He’d made the transition from gurney to wheel chair, just uncomfortably shifting, and suddenly eager for the relative comfort of a hospital bed. The staff assured them that Henry's birthing suite would be ready soon and they'd be moved there swiftly, but for now they sat quietly, Henry in the wheel chair and Alex forced to stand around and twiddle his thumbs. 

Eventually his pacing got to Henry. 

"Alex, dear, go find yourself a coffee, please."

"But Hen-"

"I'll be fine, I'll text you if they move me, please. I'd love some tea if you can track it down."

No one had prepared them for the discomfort of waiting. Alex was happy to be given a task, but so stressed about leaving Henry he was ready to pull his hair out. Admittedly, Alex was kind of ready to go full Britney and shave his head anyway. They hadn’t planned out what to do for this part, the birth part, the part they were supposed to think about incessantly. Alex hadn’t had time to worry about it yet, and had assumed– wrongly– that doing it at the hospital would make everything easier. He’d been the one walking Henry through Elaina’s birth, and was beyond relieved to hand the twins over to the professionals. Somehow he’d forgotten that doctors were human too. 

Claire was bouncing between three delivery suites, a first time omega who was expecting a ten pound pup, a female alpha due for an emergency induction, despite being on baby number four, and Henry with their twins. Alex wasn’t meant to know all that, but nosy was his middle name. Plus one of the nurses, divulging that she was a #FirstPrince fan, had allowed him to use the staff Keurig. A different member of the team had breezed through the on-call room, paying Alex no mind, and loudly announcing how he did not envy Claire in the slightest. 

“Why do you say that?” A bright eyed twenty-something with a resident’s badge asked him. 

“She’s got three patients and they’re all insane, something bad's bound to happen,” the loudmouth said, flopping onto the couch and kicking their feet up on the table. “Inductions are always tricky,” he added, lifting one finger to start his list. “Twins are unpredictable,” a second finger went up in solidarity. “First time parents never fail to piss me off,” a third. “And I think I heard someone say the Prince of England is back? Didn’t he like just have a baby?”

That was Alex’s cue to make himself scarce. The only thing worse than someone bad mouthing his husband, was someone who switched up when they were caught. His phone chimed with a text from Henry, panic flooded his system, until he processed the message. Just the room number and a blue heart emoji. Alex picked up his pace anyway. 

Claire had beat him back to the medical suite. Based on the twin grimaces she and Henry wore, it wasn't good news. 

"What's wrong?" Alex asked with a sigh, quick to return to Henry's side and anchor himself to his mate. He rubbed small circles into the back of Henry's right hand and Henry gripped the back of Alex's in return. They made quite the pair, hanging on to Claire's every word. 

"Henry's only dilated a centimeter." She held up her pinkie to further her point and gestured to Henry's still full belly. "And nobody's in distress... So we might try and stave off labor for a wee bit, just to ensure everything's smooth." 

"How? My waters-" Henry asked, brow furrowing. 

"Leaked a little bit," Claire said. "You've still got plenty of fluid in there and if we give you a round of antibiotics, to protect the babies, dexamethasone to speed up their lung development, and tocolytics to stall contractions for a few days we might be able to get you to thirty-four weeks. We'd keep you nice and cozy, under constant supervision until your little ones are rearing to go again." 

Alex's jaw was stuck, down near his chest.

"You're joking. You want me to stay in this- this stasis," Henry managed, face turning a brilliant shade of red. 

"I told you this pregnancy, namely this birth, would be completely set apart from your first one, Henry." Claire wasn't one to mince truths with them. 

"Speaking of," Alex said, lodging himself into their conversation. "What do we do about Elaina, she's still chest feeding?" 

"No solids yet?" Claire looked confused. "She's almost a year." 

"Two weeks out from her birthday," Henry said. "She takes solids, but we have a routine."

"I'm sorry, Henry, but you'll have to disrupt it," Claire said, a bit harshly. The three of them stood for a moment, nothing left to be said. "Pump here, have someone pick up the milk."

Henry scoffed and honest to god rolled his eyes. Alex had never seen him so outwardly angry at someone who wasn't family. For all his wisdom, Henry  could be so fucking stubborn. Which was how he landed himself in a standoff with Claire, both of them refusing to speak or break the angry staring contest. Alex felt his hackles rising, some innate sense of needing to defend his omega, but knowing deep down the midwife was right. He brought Henry's knuckles to his lips, then to his scent gland at the base of his neck, nuzzling him- no use in being discreet in front of Claire, she'd seen it all already. 

"Mi amor," Alex said, urging Henry to look at him. "Let's give it a shot, and if it sucks we'll do whatever it takes to get those suckers out." 

At Alex's words, Henry visibly crumpled, tears springing from his eyes as he folded in half- or as near as he could with his belly in the way. 

"I'm just ready to meet them and this to be over with," he said, sobbing. "I feel completely out of myself this go round, and we don't even know what we're having, and- and- you want me to sit here and wait two more bloody days." 

"You don't know the sexes?" Claire asked, forever talented at the art of talking Henry Fox-Diaz down. 

Alex and Henry both shook their heads. 

"Well, I could have told you that." She waltzed to a computer in the corner, click-clacked her way into the system, and swiveled the screen away from them. "Gentleman, would you like to hear the sex of your twins?"

They exchanged a look, Alex knew his face was a clear picture of hope, but it was ultimately Henry's call. Alex figured putting that secret in Henry's hands could make a little leeway in his eternal debt to him. His push gift from Laina's birth had been a custom solid gold bracelet from David Yurman. An everlasting life debt seemed like the logical next choice.

"It would make naming them easier," Henry supplied, biting his lip. They'd bounced some names back and forth, but didn't have a concrete plan. They'd considered keeping the same initials as Elaina, but they'd only cooked up middle names that suited. 

"It might make the days go faster if we have an idea of what's waiting for us," Alex suggested. 

"Alright," Henry said, just for them. 

"Alright," Alex agreed.

They both looked to Claire, who was covering the lower half of her face, her glee clear as day, regardless. 

"Misters Fox-Diaz, I am proud to inform you that you are expecting, two more beautiful little girls." 

There was no choice to react on Alex's part. He felt himself jump up and shout, so happy he couldn't contain it, with Henry right there with him, smiling so bright he belonged with the stars. They cried, completely lost in the silly, happy bubble for a minute, kisses and praises exchanged. Two more girls. It was a wonder. Claire made herself busy, putting the  medical orders in, soon to return with Henry's IV cocktail to stave off birth.

"Darling," Henry said. He was blinking back happy tears. "What happened to my tea?"

Alex swore, unable to stop smiling. He'd left both drinks in the staff room, too distracted to complete his one job. "Want me to try again?"

"No," Henry laughed, equally giddy. "Tell Ellen to sneak the good shit in, I know she can do it." 

"One Starbucks order, baby on the side, coming right up," Alex said, fishing his phone out to give his mother an update call, too much had happened for a text. 

Despite their extra security and private birthing suite, most of the hospital staff treated them like they had no idea who Henry and Alex were. Even with the Waterloo Letters, and Cakegate debacle to boot, people were far more likely to recognize Bea or Philip as royalty. The number of comments Henry got about looking so familiar, but just out of reach, then asked if he was an actor, had been astronomical. Maybe it was because Henry looked more like Arthur than his siblings did, or the longer hair he'd been sporting since he got pregnant with Elaina, or even his ability to hide his accent behind a charmingly faux American one. According to Henry, it got him through his Slut Era quite nicely.

Alex felt a bit like Clark Kent, refusing to bother with his contacts, rocking day three stubble, and hair grown longer than he'd worn it in high school. Things Henry appreciated across the board. If he liked it half as much as Alex enjoyed Henry's mane, the unkempt look was well worth it. 

Carting milk to Elaina had gotten old as quickly as they expected it to, but Alex was eager to entertain her during their long days at the hospital, sending her home to Nana Ellen and their stockpile of frozen milk once visiting hours came to a close. She was a bit grumpy, and clung to Henry whenever they started packing her up for the night, but Henry needed to rest and they didn't want to further disrupt the sleep habits they'd worked so hard to cultivate. They'd finally, permanently, moved her from the master bedroom to her own discreet nursery, and Alex was antsy to keep nurturing her profound ability to self soothe. 

They'd made it to day three, Henry was officially over the hump of thirty-four weeks, his labor meant to start up again that evening. Henry was nursing Elaina, their last feed before Alex's mom would show up in a pumpkin and whisk her away before midnight. Alex was taking extra care to memorize every last detail of their final hours as parents to one. It was a bit fantastical, watching his heavily pregnant mate feed their pup, but more than that it was beautiful. Every last cell of Henry was the epitome of life.  The way Henry's hair stuck up at odd angles thanks to the hospital bed. His tired but loving gaze as he wiped Laina's cheek. The way his belly looked with their first born curled around it. 

"You're perfect," Alex said, kissing Henry's temple. 

"You've a fetish," Henry said, teeth cutting into his bottom lip with his smile. 

"Normal biological urges." 

Henry hummed, looking down at Elaina, passed out in a milk stupor against him. Plenty of people said she was too old for this, but Henry expressed he benefitted from the closeness, the comfort, just as much as Elaina did. Alex reached over, fingertips brushing her dark curly hair. They both hated to move her when she was like this, but they were operating on borrowed time. 

"You think she's gonna be good at sharing?" Alex asked, one hand finding her little back, the other coming to rest on the dome of Henry's belly. 

"The best," Henry replied, a slight waver to his voice. 

In real time, Alex felt Henry's belly tighten under his hand, watching the pain wash over Henry. 

"You need me to call Ma to take Laina?" 

"Not yet," Henry said through gritted teeth. He breathed through the worst of it, shifting the baby in his arms. They had twenty minutes to coo over their sleeping baby, before another contraction wracked his body. The next followed only fifteen minutes after that, Henry's body spelling out that it was ready to expel the twins from their temporary home. 

"It's time?" Alex asked, already reaching for Laina. 

Henry nodded, slight smirk coloring his words, "You ready, Papa?" 

Alex didn't have the chance to assure his mate, as another contraction stiffened his belly and left Henry crying out in pain. They were coming on and fast. He started pressing the call button before Henry could begin to ask him to and dialed Mama Bear. This was it. 

Chapter Text

With the next contraction Henry cried out in pain and thrust Laina into Alex's arms. The baby woke with a start and crying her little heart out, scared and confused, and clearly upset by Henry's distress. Everything was kicked into motion from then on out. His mom was suddenly there, gone as fast as she came, baby in tow. 

One minute Alex was holding Elaina close to his chest, trying to calm her down— an impossible feat, with her dad so clearly in pain. The next he was supporting Henry from behind, while that same mouthy nurse from before said, “You got lucky alpha, both babies are in position.”

The thing was, Alex didn’t feel lucky when his mate was crying, pleading, wailing for this to end.

"Alpha," Henry said, his voice nothing more than a whimper as he reached behind him, desperate for his mate. 

Alex was there, his brain in overdrive. He thought Elaina's birth was scary, it had nothing on this. Something about the sterility of the room and what felt like hundreds of doctors and nurses made Alex yearn for the privacy of their home and- bizarrely- his brother in law. Maybe Philip would be the first call this time, keep with tradition. God there were so many relatives to call, Alex wanted to start ticking them off his list, but he needed to stay present, to help Henry, but there really wasn't anything he could do to take the pain away.

"-got that alpha?" 

"Sorry?" Alex had been out of his body, he wasn't sure for how long, it was like he'd stepped out of reality to watch a film reel of his life.  

"Hold this for your omega, kay?" The nurse handed him a gas mask, and it felt a bit like smothering Henry to put it over his face, but his shoulders unbunched the second he inhaled. "Keep him breathing."

Yes. A task. Alex could do that. Christ, he should have learned that the first time. Maybe they should have done a refresher course or something. This had to hurt, logically Alex knew that, but he also knew looking at the crease in Henry's forehead that this fucking hurt, a lot. His poor baby couldn't even talk, just moaning and grunting in agony. 

"Breathe, baby," Alex said, voice reassuring, as he took a deep slow breath, trying to get through to his ailing partner. 

"Fuck that," Henry spat back. So he could talk, okay. Cool. Cool. Cool. 

"I know fuck me, I'm the goddamn worst," Alex tried, hoping for a smile. 

Wrong answer. 

Henry snarled at him, something they'd have to revisit at another time, gripping his arm tighter. 

"You're so strong, H," Alex said, opting for a different route. "I'm gonna get enough Jaffa Cakes to fill our bedroom after this."

"Fuck this hurts," Henry said, the words crumbling into a painful moan. Alex wasn't sure his words were making any sort of dent in his husband's pain, but he kept going, promising increasingly absurd gifts as time went by. 

After what felt like endless rounds of Henry 'riding the wave' and pushing through his contractions, the first baby was crowning. Poor Henry had sweat through his hospital gown, opting to leave it completely open in the back, where Alex applied counter pressure to his back. The alpha was just as sweaty as the omega, in equal parts effort and fear. 

With Claire guiding Henry to give this push his all, Alex heard the baby rip its way into the world. 

Cheers erupted around the room as the exhausted parents tried to catch their breath. There was a heartstopping silence from their infant, but as the midwife gave her back a firm tap, cries flooded their ears. 

Claire set the first baby on Henry's chest, just for his belly to ripple with another contraction. His body refused to grant him any sort of reprieve, booting the first baby out, and gearing up for the second one. This, Alex decided, was mother nature's greatest act of torture. 

On what Claire swore would be the final push, she reached forward and put pressure on Henry's belly, helping him force the second baby out. 

Her wild trick worked. With that push, both girls were here and perfect and loud. But they were also so much smaller than Alex thought possible. It almost didn't seem viable. All of Claire's extra warnings came back at once and Alex wanted to get the babies somewhere sterile and safe and to keep them there until they were eighteen at the very least. 

"Great job, lads," Claire was saying. She seemed so far away, like she was in a different room, but she was less than a foot away from Alex reaching for Baby B. Instinctively, Alex wanted to curl around her and keep her close, but he knew the doctors had to weigh her, get her clean, all perfectly routine things. It was too much too soon, he didn't want anyone prodding or poking her, she didn't even have a name yet. 

"I need your angels for a few tests, twenty minutes tops, and then we'll all be together in the NICU."

"We can't keep them in this room?" Henry asked, begrudgingly handing over Baby A. 

Claire pulled a face at that. "Sorry dearie, hospital policy." 

"Surely with our security concerns-"

"The NICU is card access only," the mouthy nurse said, all but wrenching Baby B from Alex. 

"The sooner we get through this part the sooner they'll be back to you," Claire promised, whisking the babies off in a flurry, and just like that they were alone. 

"Why do I feel as though our children have been kidnapped?" Henry asked, far more coherent than Alex felt. 

"I'm gonna tell Amy to stay with them," Alex said, heading for the door, but a firm grip on his hand held him back. He turned back to his mate and his heart could have fallen through his chest. 

Like a ship on a rocky shore, Henry was visibly wrecked. Alex came to his side, scenting him and praising him, endlessly. He was perfect. He was everything. He'd birthed two children, no epidural, in a little under four hours, and lived to tell the goddamn tale. Alex was so in awe of him, he couldn't string together more than two word phrases of extolment, blurring his knowledge of the English and Spanish languages together until he was nearly unintelligible. Henry didn't seem to mind. 

A light knock on the door was the only thing that broke Alex's concentration. 

All of Alex's family was in town and eager to visit, but they'd agreed on one visitor at a time. Apparently, Alex’s sister drew the lucky straw.  

June was on point for the after part. She'd frozen some pads sprinkled with witch hazel and aloe vera gel, then brought them to the hospital in Alex's two-hundred-dollar Yeti. The first time Alex heard the word padsicle he'd about lost his shit laughing, but the relief that flooded Henry's face as he sat on the cooling cotton, made him eat his words and then some.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Alex said, pulling June into a bone crushing hug. 

"You're so welcome, Little Bit." She kissed the back of her hand and laid it flat against Alex's head, just like their mom always had when they were young. "Entonces... Así mi manera de decir que no tienes más bebés." 

Alex barked out a laugh at that. As far as he knew they were finished. They'd agreed to three and gotten their three, a bit sooner than they'd planned, but mission accomplished nonetheless.

"I hear you," he said, between snickers, his gaze trailing to the gigantic bag hanging from June's shoulder. "What's in there?" 

"Fun stuff you wouldn't think of, courtesy of the Super Six." She opened the bag and began unpacking endless items. "Embroidered PJs, for both tall and impeccably short grown men-" a shocked squawk interrupted her, but June continued undeterred, "cinnamon dulce k-cups, an avocado hair mask, some sheet masks since it looks like you'll be here for a couple days, and a faja."

Alex had been ready to fire back with the fact that he was a perfectly average height, but the last item on June's list brought him up short. He shouted in indignation, ripping the bag from June's grasp. 

"You did not bring my beautiful husband a faja!"

"Martha actually a suggested it to Bea, so technically your other sisters, sent your beautiful husband a faja."

"I'm throwing this out."

"Shouldn't you consult your beautiful husband on whether or not he would like the— what was it? Faja, dear?" Henry cut in. He pronounced the word with too much space between the syllables, it made Alex want to kiss him. 

"No," Alex said, tossing the shapewear into the nearest trash can. "Your little fruit holder is plenty." 

"Netting," Henry corrected, with a small sigh.  

"Whatever! Thank you for the delivery, June, I think my silly husband needs to rest."  

"What happened to beautiful?" Henry asked, taking his own turn hugging June from the bed. 

"Don't make me wax poetic right now, Hen, what I have to say isn't for my sister's ears!" 

"That's my cue," June said, still holding onto Henry. "So proud of you, love you both, I will sent pictures of your daughter when I get to the house." 

"Thank you, dear. You have all my love."

"Love you lots," Alex called, as the door shut behind June. They'd had the sheets changed on the hospital bed and there was just enough room for Alex to slide in next to his mate. Once Claire's team was finished running some tests they'd both be outfitted in PPE and pair off with a baby in the NICU. For now, he could put his full attention on Henry. Without June it was decidedly obvious that there was no baby to speak of in the hospital room, something Alex instantly went into overdrive to distract from, "Well! looks like you got your wish. Ahead of schedule too."

"What?" Henry asked, his head cocking to the side and forget kissing, Alex wanted to eat him whole. 

"When you were pregnant with Laina, you told me you wanted two more children."

For some reason, that Alex couldn't discern, Henry blushed, dropping his chin to his chest, refusing to meet his husband's eye. 

"Hen, did you change your mind?" 

It was a little too late for that, but whatever, Alex had read up on postpartum depression, he'd get Henry the best shrink money could buy. He’d beg their sisters to move in. They’d get another dog. Whatever it took. 

"Not exactly," Henry started, fiddling with the edge of his hospital blanket. "If I recall correctly, what I said was that I'd be willing to manage two more pregnancies."

Alex nodded along, even though he wasn't following. "Right, we got two for the price of one." 

Henry hummed, still not quite meeting Alex's eye. Alex tried to ration out what Henry wasn't saying, but it was hard to think after four days in the hospital and the birth of two fucking infants. Watching as Henry nervously pulled on the collar of his hospital gown it all clicked. 

"Oh my god, you want me to knock you up again," Alex cried, completely aghast. "How many babies are you trying to get out of me, Wales?" 

Hands flew to cover a beet red face, as Henry tried to shrink into the hospital bed. 

"Just alert the entire hospital, why don't you?" 

A laugh burst out of Alex's chest, Henry was being absurd. First of all, the hospital staff had seen worse, from this very room, not even an hour before. What was truly absurd was that Henry could go through all that and talk calmly about doing it again. Henry wasn’t budging, his entire body vermillion with shame. 

"Baby," Alex said, realizing he really had embarrassed him. "I'll give you as many pups as you want. You want a whole litter? Done." 

"Alex-"

"No, I'm down, let's fucking outdo the Tudors."

Henry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and finally lolling to the side to meet Alex's gaze. "Elizabeth of York was a bit of a showoff, wasn't she?"

"Or a crazy omega witch," Alex said, earning a snort. 

"Best not to buy into all the rumors you read about the royal family, I find." 

"I dunno, worked out for me." 

Claire was back, with a wheelchair for Henry. Alex eased him into it, mentally noting that they should get him a cushion of some kind. "Ready for the tour?"

"As I'll ever be," Henry muttered. Alex was fighting between the urge to hold Henry's hand and to push his chair. He settled for a little combination of both, with Henry’s right arm across his chest to hold Alex’s left on the handle.  

The NICU wasn’t as horrible and scary as Alex mentally prepared for, the girls weren't even in incubators, it was genuinely just hospital policy to cart any babies with health concerns up there. In their case, the girls were six weeks early, but around expected for twins. According to Claire they'd need to get their weight up to five pounds before they were discharged, so long as no other concerned cropped up after the fact. 

"How far are we from the finished line, doc?" 

"Well, Baby A is four pounds ten ounces, so not too far off for her, but Baby B is four pounds six ounces. That differential could have given us trouble eventually, but I think your little sweethearts will be out of here in no time." She smiled at both of them, ushering them closer to the basinets. Alex and Henry opted to squeeze in between them, both marveling at one little girl, eventually swapping to coo at the second one. 

"They're so small, Hen." 

"Didn't feel that small when they were still inside." 

"You're amazing," Alex said. He meant it. 

"You too, I know that must have been difficult to watch."

Alex scoffed, "No sweat." Letting it drop for now, Henry gave an agreeable hum.

"What are we thinking about names? They can't be Fox-Diaz A and B forever." 

Just the thought of naming them made Alex groan. He dropped his head into his hands and refused to look at any of them for a full minute. It was evil to go through the ordeal of childbirth and then take someone's existence into your hands, and give it something as profound as a name. He'd let them stay little amorphous blob creatures forever, if it meant avoiding this. Or maybe he just needed a fourteen hour nap. 

"Can't they?" Alex asked, blinking through his fingers at Henry. 

The look Henry gave Alex in return could have curdled milk. 

So far Henry'd crossed off Elinor, Darcy, and Emma, and Alex vetoed Josephine and Maria. Besides that they didn't have much to work with. Let alone enough for two names. 

"So I know I like Isobel, kinda like my dad's sister Isabella, and you like Estrella for my abuela," Alex tried to taste the names as he said them. Imagined himself calling Estrella or Isobel through their already chaotic house. 

"Your grandmother goes by Ella, right? There wouldn't be any confusion?" 

Alex couldn't help but snicker at that, his family was so steeped in nicknames two people having the same name was never something to worry about. "I'm not worried about that, no." 

"So Estrella and Isobel, or is that one name?" 

Alex mouthed them together. He liked them that way. 

"One name." 

Henry nodded, beaming down at Baby A. "It suits her I think." Alex held her teensy fingers between two of his and took her in. Estrella. Their little star. She, just like her sisters, was perfect. 

"Now what about our last little ray of sunshine?" 

"Funny you should say that, there's one name I didn't run by you," Henry said, shifting to take in their third daughter. "It's French." 

"Never stopped you before."

"Ha-ha... I know we both liked Iliana, but how do you feel about Soleil?"

"Soleil. Like literally sunshine?" 

"Effectively." Henry smiled warmly down at Baby B. "Soleil Iliana is breathtaking." 

"Kind of a mouthful for such a little baby," Alex said, vowing to name one of their children, eventually.

"We'll figure out nicknames I'm sure. We kept calling Laina moonpie until she was a few months old." 

At that both girls managed to erupt into twin cries. Reality set in, no matter what decisions Henry and Alex settled, this would be their life for the next year at least. 

"Alright, divide and conquer, you take Sonny, I'll take Cher."

Crinkling his nose, Henry took the newly minted Soleil and started the tiresome task of teaching a new born to latch. They swapped babies for feeding and cuddles and burping and even though Alex vowed to handle all the diapers until Henry was healed, they switched off, getting reacquainted with their old friends Pampers and Huggies. Neither of them had ever seen a preemie diaper before and both had to fight tears at the smallest size. Teamwork really made the dream work and even though it was the scariest hill Alex had ever set out to climb, he knew he'd make it so long as Henry was at the summit. 

Chapter Text

The first bullet on Alex's million point to-do list, after returning to the ranch with the twins was quite simple: Call Philip. 

So it was obviously the last thing in the fucking world that he wanted to do. Suddenly his phone felt like a hot iron in his pocket, burning through his jeans directly into his skin, branding him as a shitty brother-in-law. They'd talked with Bea and Catherine every day, they were going to come visit for Elaina's first birthday and to meet the twins. 

June, Nora, and Pez all came to the hospital, camping out at the lake house and not so secretly planning a birthday party for Alex and Henry's first born. They would be forever grateful for their long list of family who would drop everything just to be there when Alex and Henry needed them. Even his dad had taken a few shifts, staying with the twins while Henry and Alex showered, slept, and spent some much needed time with Elaina. 

Alex's mom and Leo were still staying at their house, happy to stay with Laina and eager to be extra hands with Soleil and Estrella.

Confidently, Alex could say that his parents got on much better as grandparents than they had as parents. But that could also have to do with the whole retired from government part. Things got techy if someone brought up politics at the dinner table, but every time Ellen and Oscar were in town Alex enacted a strict no-shop talk policy.

The rule also got wheeled out when Philip and Martha were at their table, but their conversations were typically far more tame. Kid focused, really. Being the future King of England meant nothing when the future Queen couldn't get the royal baby to latch. Alex learned a lot about nipple creams. A lot.

Bringing the twins home, laying them in their bassinets, should have brought a sense of peace. They were good, they were healthy, they were eating on schedule. Alex should have been passed out in their nest, like his lovely mate was. He just couldn't relax. It was well past bedtime in the UK, but if there was any higher power at be—

“Hello?” Philip’s greeting sounded more like a check for proof of life, gruff with sleep, or lack-thereof. 

“Shit, sorry, I totally woke you up. I’ll call you back.”

“Alex,” Philip interrupted. “Good god man, you manage to say so many words so quickly, it’s a wonder Henry understands you. Is everything alright?” 

“Yes.” 

“The girls are home and well?” 

“All three of ‘em.” 

At that, Philip sighed. Alex could hear his fancy night clothes crinkling, as the mic tried to pick up important words and none came through. “Mazzy and I look forward to meeting them.” 

“I’d say the same of Star and Shine, but they don’t really know they’re outside of Henry yet.” Henry continued to veto Alex's Sonny and Cher as nicknames, but they were working out the kinks. Estrella had become Starbaby, Estrelita, and occasionally Rella-Bella. While Soleil was coasting on Sunshine. The little variants rolled off the tongue so easily, it would be a wonder if they ever started calling their kids by their Christian names. 

Philip snorted. “Star and Shine, that’s cute. I remember you used to call Elaina moony.” 

“We did,” Alex said, feeling the awkward trepidation creeping up his spine like ivy. 

“Well, I’m happy to hear you’re all well.” Philip paused, surely this was just as uncomfortable for him. “Martha and I… I hate to say it but I fear we envy you lot.” 

“How do you mean?” Alex and Henry didn’t live in a fucking castle, no drivers, no chefs, no hired help for their kids— although they may need it once the grandparents had their fill of baby time. For a moment it seemed like they might have their privacy. That had gone awash too. 

“We’re having trouble… Conceiving,” Philip admitted, quietly. Alex had read about that. “Heir and a spare and all that.” 

If he were closer to Philip he would shoot the shit about how they were putting too much blame on Martha, he needed to get his alpha checked out. As it were Alex replayed headlines he’d seen lately in his mind: 

“Martha’s Fertility was ‘Tested,’ before she married Prince Philip…” 

“FACT OR FICTION: Prince Philip and Martha Fitzroy used IVF to conceive Princess Lizzie?”

“Don’t feel bad for Martha… Even James Bond himself had to have his swimmers tested before he married Queen Catherine.” 

Hell, while he was going for a lunch run at the hospital his YouTube algorithm suggested a video titled: ROYAL WOMBS and the OBSESSION with Royal Fertility. Alex weighed clicking on it versus throwing his phone into the nearest trash can, but ultimately called Henry and calmed his ass down. 

“Sorry to hear that.” 

“Comes with the territory. Mazzy understands.” 

“Still fucking blows, man.” He meant it. Hand on heart, the whole prospect sucked. Alex’s internal alpha would ride on the high of pupping Henry when he wasn’t in heat until he took his final breath. The sheer thought of going through that many heats with nothing to show for it was devastating.

Frankly, if it were up to Henry, they’d have ten kids before they hit thirty-five. 

“Maybe,” Alex said, cringing at the thought of offering this without running it by Henry. “Maybe you guys could come out here. Take some of the heat off." Alex knew first hand how closely big cities watched the royals. Henry had a look-a-like they used to send out in Brooklyn any time he wanted to pop round for a shopping. Poor guy had his work cut out for him when Henry got into baking and was always running back for more sugar. If Henry couldn’t go to Whole Foods, Alex didn’t know how Martha managed an OBGYN. 

Philip wasn't saying anything, so Alex kept going, "Bea said you were sending presents for Elaina's birthday and you know we hated to miss Elizabeth's-” 

"Don't start, if Henry tried to travel in his condition I would have grounded the plane myself." 

He laughed at that, maybe a little too loudly with three sleeping babies in the house. 

“Thank you, for the invitation,” Philip said, after a beat. “I’ll look at our schedule.” 

“Talk soon, Flip.” 

Philip let out a short laugh then stumbled through his mumbled goodbye. They weren’t at brotherly I love yous, Alex wasn’t sure they’d ever be. Certainly, he’d never be as cool with Philip as he was with Bea, but if Philip kept working on it, so would Alex. 

The Fox-Diazes didn’t fight. Sometimes they got loud, or excited, or even a little pissed off, but they didn’t fight. Babies changed couples sure, but this was uncharted territory. Especially about something so stupid. Henry had let Alex sleep through all of the night feeds and Alex was beyond pissed, he wanted to be Henry’s partner in all of this, not just when it was convenient for Alex. 

This had never been a problem with Elaina, when she was a newborn they traded off seamlessly, or at least Alex thought so. With Soleil and Estrella it was like Henry was challenging himself to do it all alone. Henry didn't see it as a problem and Alex couldn't put into words how much it was one. 

It had been so long since Alex was truly, righteously angry with Henry he didn't really know how to handle it. To make matters worse, Henry was falling asleep where he was standing. So the only thing Alex really wanted to do was scoop Henry up and take him back to bed, but that wasn't really an option. Even with his mom and Leo helping out with the twins, they still had a nearly one year old to contend with. Presently, Alex had Elaina balanced on his hip, who was cutting teeth and pissed at everyone about it. He could relate. 

"I know," Alex cooed to Elaina as she fussed, fetching a pacifier filled with frozen fruit for her to gnaw on- baby inventions were so crazy. "Papa feels you mi amor, it's terrible."

At her whimpering, Henry's eyes fluttered open and Alex watched as he tried to rally from his easy chair. "Do you want me to-"

"No," Alex said. "I want you to take a nap, Fox-Diaz. I want you to wake me up next time. I want to be your husband- your mate." His scent was coming off in molten waves. The sweet marshmallow gone charred and hot. It made Elaina start bucking to get away from him, which only made the scent stronger. 

Elaina welled up, they could both recognize the signs of a meltdown, and if she started wailing the twins were likely to follow. Henry shot to his feet, coming over to place a soothing hand on Elaina's back and a second on Alex's scent glands. He shushed the pair, his forehead coming to meet Alex's, and all too quickly Alex was the one in tears. 

“You do so much, baby.” 

Henry hummed. Alex could tell Henry was doing his novel best to disagree without actually disagreeing. “You support us too, love.” 

“Not enough,” Alex said, crumbling.  

There was a ticking clock above their heads, once Laina’s birthday came to pass it would only be them, with three children. Alone. Fucked. For all their preaching and harping on never wanting to hire someone else to raise their children, they were up shits creek without a paddle.

“I know you think it’s fine right now, but eventually, one day, if you changed your mind, or started to resent me for it… I couldn’t survive that, Henry.” Just the thought of Henry loving him, even an iota, less, cleaved Alex’s heart in two.

Henry crossed his arms over his chest, shuffling his feet. “I don’t want us to affect your livelihood." 

Work life balance had never come naturally to Alex. He was an all or nothing, preferential to chaos, Type B workaholic. He’d tasted big law for the few years they’d spent in Brooklyn and found it to be just like empty calories, expensive, wasteful, and unfulfilling. He preferred the pro bono stuff he did with Pez and Henry’s youth shelter, ten fold. When they moved to Texas he’d shifted gears, found a smaller firm, handling important cases. The pay was shit, comparatively speaking, but enough that Alex could afford their bills without Henry’s monetary input.   

Suffice to say, Alex loved his job, but not nearly as much as he loved his mate and their pups. 

“My livelihood? Henry, you're my family. You are my life.” Alex’s shoulders rose and Henry’s calming scent assaulted all his senses, all but cowing the alpha into a zen state. All omegas could do it, but Alex swore Henry’s scent glands were magic. 

Alex went up on tiptoe, smashing his lips to Henry’s forehead and both his cheeks. “You’re more important.” 

He felt more than saw Henry’s lip wobble. Then, he heard it, the telltale whimper that meant one or both twins was about to lose their ever loving shit. Henry pulled away head whipping around between where Alex stood with Elaina and the stairs leading to the twins. 

“I think we need to hire someone to help,” Alex said, the urgency in his voice strong enough to bowl Henry over. “At least while the twins are small." 

Henry nodded, shifting his weight, his concentration already on Soleil and Estrella.

"Just think about it," Alex said, breathing through his nose. "Here," he added, passing Elaina to Henry, he made a small gesture to himself and then to their bedroom. 

"I can-"

Taking the stairs two at a time, Alex called to Henry, "Sit with her, I'll feed the twins." Halfway there he added, somewhere between shout and whisper, "Think about what I said!" 

"I've thought about what you said," Henry intoned, as soon as they were alone in bed that night. Well, the twins were present in their bassinets, but sleeping twelve day old infants weren’t exactly gathering intelligence to sell to gossip rags. 

Just the six hours, between Alex bringing it up and now, had been enough to leave him grinding his teeth in anticipation. They hadn't had time to eat dinner together, taking shifts with each of the girls— who clearly had a sixth sense for dragging bedtime out. The second one child was fed, a different child needed to be changed. When that one was clean and ready to be put down, another had a blow out. Back when Elaina was their only, it felt like they were mountain climbing, but three turned them each into Sisyphus.

"Your parents— all three of them— have separately offered to move in, by the way." 

Alex had to laugh at the mental image. Even if he wanted to ask for help, he wasn't sure either of them wanted their parents to be the ones providing it. All three of his parents under one roof for a weekend was insanity, months would put every last one of them into an early grave. “We could turn the security squat into an actual mother-in-law suite.” 

“Or we could swap with Oscar, take the lake house for ourselves,” Henry supplied. “How long until someone notices?”  

“You wouldn't last a day,” Alex said. 

“On the lam?” 

“Away from our kids.” 

Henry smiled softly at that, his gaze flitting over both sleeping infants and Elaina’s baby monitor, before landing back on Alex. "I think for the time being we contact Claire about hiring on a night nurse."

"Agreed," Alex said, nodding so hard he felt like a Beatles bobblehead. His hands instinctively found Henry’s soft hips, grounding him in the conversation and pulling Henry the slightest bit closer. 

"We can also start interviewing nannies so that you," Henry said, stopping to poke Alex in the chest. "Can go back to the office without worrying about us four." 

Freeing Henry’s hip, Alex caught the accusatory hand and kissed it. Alex grinned into the palm, cocking his head to the side, before he asked, "Did we ever decide you were staying home?" 

Henry didn't even bother responding. His day-to-day included Zoom meetings and working on his book. All very lowkey. He always pointed out that he could answer emails from anywhere, while Alex had clients to meet and cases to win. Alex wasn't even on paternity leave this time, he'd taken his full lot after Elaina was born, and there hadn't been enough time for that type of leave to recoup. Instead, Alex was on unpaid family leave, which he could end whenever he liked, or extend to the full offered twelve weeks. By the end of his time at home with Elaina, he'd been out of his mind. Probably how they ended up making more babies so soon.

Alex didn't just like the work he did, he needed it. The routine, the sense of urgency, the work kept him getting out of bed, and made him feel ready to face the next day. The main problem with building a routine with babies in mind was that they were completely antithetical to the entire concept. 

“I literally can stay home with you until they’re a few months.”

“Darling, I want you to work. I don’t want you to feel like you’re trudging through your days in a haze with no greater purpose.” 

Asking Henry about his own purpose felt redundant. He’d told Alex years ago all he’d ever wanted was a quiet private life. Staying home with the girls gave him that. 

“You’re not worried about what the media will say?” Alex could premeditate headlines with seventy-eight percent accuracy, according to Nora. Him going back to work was sure to generate buzz about AFD Leaving Henry High and Dry. AFD Another No Good Alpha. Three Pups and No Alpha in Sight: Even Princes Can’t Have it All. 

“I don't give a damn what they say. I have you,” Henry said, loving glint in his eye. It was so saccharine it would have gagged anyone else, but Alex knew Henry, and he knew Henry meant everything he said. Alex kissed him soft and slow, pouring in all the gigantic things he felt towards this perfect man. 

"That reminds me,” Henry added, putting a pause on Alex with a palm to the center of his chest. “We need a birth control schedule.” 

Chapter Text

Taking the twins to the doctor after their first week at home was a slam dunk. From just a week out of the hospital their weight had gone up exponentially. It was growing harder to tell they were premies. The doctor might as well have given Henry a blue ribbon in a chest feeding contest. Alex could see the pride in his walk as they made their way to Claire's office for his own two week postpartum check up.

They were determined to discuss the fated birth control schedule. Claire's health team was on a new mission to convince Henry to block his heats altogether, now that they'd managed three children, but Alex and Henry still held concerns for his fertility.

His Gran had all but put the omega through puberty as an alpha. The mental trauma alone was enough for Henry to shy away from heat blockers— to say nothing of the physical trauma caused to his reproductive system.

Claire was in full support of starting traditional birth control for Henry, but was dragging her feet about his refusal to blockers.

"I really recommend adding a heat blocking component to maintain the full effect," Claire explained, tapping her nails on the edge of the counter, a large swivel screen displaying Henry's health records for the three of them to see.

The big problem was that without heat/rut blockers the family planning calendar was quite rudimentary. Their main course of action was putting Alex on a hormone-free pill to block sperm production, and Henry the same but for ovulation. Claire also offered a scrip to both of them for oral scent blockers— less likely to trigger any unexpected heats or ruts that way— which they declined.

Since they didn't want to outright stop their cycles, the final piece was simply to keep track of Henry's heat cycles and Alex's ruts. The night nurse and potential nannies would come in handy for that bit.

"I know you haven't really had the chance to manage pups and cycles before, but children aren't like jobs. You can't take off from being a parent to roll around in the hay for a week or more," Claire said a bit testily, typing like a hacker in a cop procedural, while she updated Henry's digital chart. 

"Or more?" Alex asked, scoffing. It was the least pressing part of what Claire said, but it was also the most outrageous. He'd sooner literally knock Henry up again, than deal with mating cycles that went over the average seven day period. Historically, they'd gotten off lucky, Henry's heats only lasted about three days, and Alex's ruts half of that. A week was just uncouth. 

"Since you aren't interested in blockers," Claire continued, with a deep sigh. "I feel an emergency contact who is ready to drop everything and provide childcare is a must."

Her words felt like an accusation, but she was never the one to sugar coat things when it came to Henry and Alex. Initially, Claire supported them in their refusal to take cycle blockers, but now that they'd experienced two kind of bizarre pregnancies, she'd clearly changed her tune. 

"Ergo the night nurse," Henry said. They'd already asked for her recommendation on the matter. If Alex didn't know better he'd say she was reluctant to put them in contact with one.

She hummed her acknowledgement, still typing.

With no further comment on the nurse, Claire continued, "I would suggest keeping a gel based birth control on hand for Alex, in case you can't get him to swallow a pill during his rut." She directed this bit to Henry, making Alex feel like a horny dog being put on an abstinence leash. "I'll also send you home with some emergency contraceptives to take after the fact."

"Thank you," Henry said, tone clipped. He dipped his head, in a futile attempt to hide his blush. Alex knew for a fact it went from his cheeks down to his toes.

"After Henry's first postpartum heat, we can work out a better timeline," Claire said, simply. "I know Alex's body has been unpredictable when it comes to his ruts."

They must have done something to piss her off. Claire had never been so short with them, or so uncompassionate to their preferences. Maybe Alex could have flowers delivered to her office to smooth whatever this was over.

"If you experience another haywire rut, I will insist on blocking them," she said, turning to Alex. He could admit his ruts were a little wonk, but nothing to write home about. 

Alex gave her a little salute, desperate to get home with Henry. Fuck the flowers, maybe they'd find a new midwife.

They both visibly deflated the instant the elevator doors closed behind them. 

"You'd think we were threatening to get her in the family way," Henry muttered. 

"Right?"

The rest of the day would be focused on their birthday girl. June was already at the house setting up with the help of their parents. Apparently, she had been running the show like the goddamn navy. She'd sent their dad to the airport on royal retrieval, even though they had their own security to do just that, she claimed that she didn't want anyone "getting lost." Alex suspected Bea and June were in cahoots about something, but god forbid he figure out what.

Upon their return, Alex expected a few extra black cars out front, signaling the arrival of Catherine and Bea. He expected balloons tied to the mailbox, and maybe some loud decor in their yard that Elaina would have no chance of remembering let alone understanding. He would have even put money on his dad loping off to the front porch, under the guise of greeting him and Henry, but in reality sneaking away for a smoke.

What he did not expect was a giant vehicle, labeling itself THE FARMYARD, in bold red cursive letters across the side. Nor did he anticipate the group of individuals leading various farm animals around the side of his home, including, from his guesstimate, three cows, two donkeys, a plethora of chicks and bunnies, and— no. There was no way. Petting zoos didn't carry those things. At least not any fucking respectable business that Alex had experienced at any of his classmates' birthday parties growing up.

"Is that—?" Henry didn't have the chance to finish his question, Alex was shifting gears and throwing his body from the car. He was on a mission to throttle his sister.

"Darling!" Henry called.

Looking over his shoulder, Alex kept his pace, determined to find June and get that creature off his property.

Henry was standing in the driveway, his head cocked, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing to the backseat of their car. There were at least two car seats containing precious cargo back there.

Right. Yeah. Duh. Alex could put his vengeance on pause to get his sweet girls inside.

As soon as the twins were settled in their bassinets, and Henry was geared to pump, which was to say half an hour later, Alex set off again, just to be stopped by a newly awoken Elaina. She was still in her jammies, and by the look on Alex's mother's face it was his job to wrangle her into the uncomfortable birthday fit.

"Ma, what's going on?"

"Ask your sister," she said, exasperated. She passed Elaina to him like a squirmy bag of flour. "You sure have raised a daddy's girl."

"She doesn't have much other option."

"Ha, Henry's set with the little ones?"

"Yep." On instinct, Alex stepped in front of their bedroom door. Henry was private about pumping, he didn't really like to do it in front of Alex, let alone his mother in law.

"Tell him to holler if he needs something, I'm gonna go save Cat from your father."

"You do that," Alex said, hoping the nerves weren't obvious in his tone. He couldn't help but fret any time his parents were in the same place for too long, but they knew the rule: play nice or no grand babies. It was surprisingly effective.

"Well hi there, sweet girl," Alex cooed to Elaina, masking his dread with a kiss to her downy curls.

She blinked her big brown eyes at him and Alex knew this was going to be a struggle. Laina hated most things that limited her range of motion, including her sleep sack, which she'd somehow learned to break free from.

"Let's get you ready, and then go tear your Auntie Bug a new one, huh?"

The outfit wasn't actually that bad, it consisted of a pair of bloomers and a little shirt that came together with ribbons on her shoulders. The light pink color felt like it was asking for a blow out diaper, and the ribbons were going to get pulled loose, he just knew it, but for now she looked cute as pie. The real challenge would be getting her to wear the little felt crown he and Henry had made to celebrate her first birthday.

Alex made the executive decision to pocket the crown and fight her into it when the cake came out. For now, he was going to greet his guests, and hopefully not commit avicide.

Henry was the first one to take Elaina from him eager to see their eldest after their stressful morning out. Alex couldn't blame him, she was their cuddle bug. Free from baby duty, he set his sights on his sister, but no dice. His stepfather dragged him into a long discussion about kitchen set up for maximum grazing throughout the day. Leo had also deputized himself bartender, which mainly meant he was on mimosa duty for all of Alex's aunts and Henry's snottier cousins.

Their house was chock full of people, his entire extended family, and from the looks of things plenty of Henry's as well, but Alex had seen no sign of Catalina June.

He was pulled into plenty of conversations. Yes, Elaina was hitting all her milestones. No, they weren't trying for a fourth, right now. No, there wasn't a secret meaning behind, 'right now.' No, really they had no concrete expectations for a fourth child. Yes, the twins were good sleepers. No, they couldn't go peek at them. But oh look June's tres leches!

Then finally, the telltale swoosh of a long dark ponytail, sent him careening into the yard.

"Bug!" He shouted, a bit too harsh for a house full of guests and two sleeping babies upstairs, but a little yelling never hurt nobody. Truth be told, Alex would resort to hair pulling if that's what it took.

"Hermano," June replied, a slight slur to her voice. She'd certainly been partaking in Leo's mimosas.

"What the fuck is that?" Alex asked, pointing an accusatory finger at the beast, fenced in at the edge of the lawn.

June smiled, bright enough to show all her teeth. "That's Sweetpea."

"Sweetpea?"

"Uh-huh!" She said cheerily. June sipped her mimosa and dropped her head over her shoulder, he swore it made her ponytail swish in a question mark. "Is there a problem?"

"You did this on purpose."

"What? Got our sweet girl a petting zoo for her birthday, you're welcome by the way."

"Catalina June, what goddamned reputable petting zoo carries turkeys?"

"The Farmland," she said, matter of fact, pointing out the side of the traveling petting zoo's van. June traced the letters in the air like they might do for Laina. Alex was at a loss. There was nothing to win when June got like this.

"She's one," Alex said, at length.

"And she can pet the cows, hold the chicks, and break a family cycle of abuse towards turkeys."

"You're not bringing my baby anywhere near that thing."

"I won't," June said, hands going up in surrender. Then her face shifted from the picture of innocence to a devious grin. "If you go pet the turkey."

"Oh fuck that—"

Alex pet the turkey. There was photographic evidence. Nora and Pez had threatened to sell it to the Daily Mail if he didn't fix his smile. He was at least ninety percent sure the whole ordeal took six years off his life.

The rest of the party went off without a hitch. They cut the cake, no one fell in. The ribbons came off Laina's dress and Ellen was there with a onesie ready to go. Laina got to pet the cows, bunnies, and chickens to her little hearts content. Alongside her favorite person in the world: Princess Lizzie. Martha's arrival had been a surprise, but no one was more delighted than Elaina. Giving her another child her age to play with was like watching a secret light come on. Alex hadn't realized children that young could play together, but every day as a parent was a surprise.

The twins slept through the whole three hour affair, with Bea and Catherine jumping at the chance to feed them, when the party wound down. Philip had been the one Royal left standing, holding down the fort, king of the castle, just like he always wanted.

"Pip's making sure the country doesn't crumble while I'm away for two days. At least, that's what I let him think," Catherine said, conspiratorially. She was rocking a sleepy Soleil, while Bea suffered through burping Estrella. Their little Star had a touch of acid reflux and loved to throw up everything Henry fed her. It was nice to let someone else worry about the blast zone, for even one feed.

"Maybe when we get back you can convince him to go on holiday, with me and Andrew," Bea said, shifting her hold on Estrella.

Martha snorted, an action Alex had been sure they'd trained out of her in early childhood. She was quick to cover her mouth and excuse herself. She wasn't laughing at Bea and her husband. Bea and Andrew were apparently quite loved up, which Alex understood to be Henry speak for they'd be mated if that were an option. They didn’t see much of their brother in law, as Andrew just wasn’t really a party person, whatever that meant. Plus Philip was determined to keep them busy, until the crown was on his head.

"I'd be lucky if I could Philip to take the afternoon off," Martha said.

"Maybe mum can ban him from Buckingham," Henry said, words forming around a yawn.

"I think that only works when they have lovely Americans to run away to," Martha said.

Henry cleared his throat, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm sure it works with lovely Brits who enjoy cold water swimming—"

"I did that one time!" Martha cried. Immediately cringing and covering her mouth, given the sleeping and dozing babies in the room. 

"And Queen and country shall never forget."

"You lot should take a trip to Frogmore, get away from it all for a little while. Lovely spot for photographs," Catherine said.

It was also a lovely place for baby making, if the stories Catherine told when she was a bit sloshed were to be believed.

"If you can convince Philip—"

"I'll talk to him," Alex chimed in. "We have a rapport."

Martha adjusted Lizzie in her lap, clearly not believing him but not jumping to call him out on it. But Henry gave him an inquisitive look, that Alex just kept smiling through. It wasn't worth stewing on. Sure, Alex wished he and Henry could drop everything and have a week away from it all.

Even though they'd had very little to do with planning the party itself, it was obvious they were both beat. Alex needed a vacation from his paternity leave. Oh to be Philip, only concerned with making another baby, not raising the one he already had.

Okay, that wasn't fair. Alex didn't really feel that way, it was just the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head.

He looked at Lizzie, sleeping so peacefully and brought him right back to earth. Lizzie was a little angel knocked out in her mother's arms. The girls had played all afternoon and played hard with Catherine hot on their heels all day. Laina was somewhere, probably being passed between her three American grandparents. They had to soak up the last couple of hours with her, before Oscar went back to California and Ellen and Leo went back to their spot in Dallas.

Soon, everyone would go back to their lives, then it would be just him and Henry and their three bundles of joy.

The scariest part of Alex's day had been realizing Claire had a point. They couldn't manage another baby, the three they had were too much and they hadn't even tried to do it alone. He wanted the new born phase to be over and to get back to work, but once he went back to work he was sure he'd want to be at home with Henry and their babies.

He started to panic about it again, before he remembered they had a plan. Claire already sent over nurse recommendations and they'd signed up for a nanny service.

Alex looked at his mate, bleary eyed and content. There was something in his smile that told him Henry felt the same damn things. Just that, the knowledge that they were on the same page was enough for Alex. It would always be enough.

When the twins were about six months old, Alex could sense that something was coming, and by then they’d both hired and fired the night nurse. It was probably just that, the late nights getting to them. Every time they straightened out one of the girls sleep schedules, a different one stopped sleeping through the night.

That's why they hired on a nanny to help out during the day. Still, it wasn't making much difference. They'd become a little short with each other, a little quick to frustration when it came to preparing meals and doing laundry. Things they normally performed with the quaint appreciation for the ability— the freedom— to do them in the first place.

Despite their age, the girls were the first to notice that something was amiss with their parents. Laina was fussy at the sight of them— Henry swore she preferred the nanny. The twins had started pulling away from Alex when he went to rouse them in the mornings, and refusing Henry when he sat to rock them at night, like they could sense the fact that things weren't quite right.  

Just one good sleep. One full night's rest and they'd be straight. God only knew when they'd be afforded that luxury though.

After about a week of feeling off, Alex dropped his brief case in the entryway, and pressed his forehead into the cool marble of the kitchen island. Whatever was happening he needed to find a solution to it, quick. 

"You alright, love?" Henry asked, sliding a hand from the base of Alex's spine to the scent gland at the nape of his neck. 

"I think I'm dying."

Henry hummed his agreement. "I feel like absolute shite." 

They stayed like that, Henry's body pressed to Alex's, soaking each other up in the quiet of their house. Which, that was atypical. Their house hadn't been quiet since the arrival of Elaina Isme, a year and a half prior.

Peeking an eye open, Alex turned his head to the side, catching the hint of Henry's profile. "Aren't we supposed to have like a million kids?" 

"Your wonderful mother has them for the evening, and I gave her our nanny's number in the chance we should need more than the evening." 

"Do you think..." Alex trailed off. Henry's heats returning with any regularity felt like wishful thinking. Alex didn't want to jinx it.

"I have an inkling," Henry said, pulling Alex's shirt out of the way so he could kiss the mating mark. It sent a shiver down Alex's spine.

"Bedroom?" Alex asked, only a bit prematurely. He was already at half mast. Ridiculous.

"Aren't you hungry?" Henry's lips were still brushing Alex's scent gland, his hands finding their way around Alex's waist, coming to rest on his abs, another claim against his skin.

"Not for food."

"Scoundrel," Henry said, huffing a laugh.

An empty nest was quite the motivator, but Alex didn't want to go too fast. He wanted to undress Henry, unwrap him like a gift, take a moment to savor each inch of skin revealed under the careful ministrations of his fingertips.

He was going to unfold his omega, re-familiarize himself with every bit of flesh, the way Henry's muscles bunched and moved, every angle, every curve. He felt like he hadn't seen Henry in years. He walked him back to their room, careful and slow as he kissed him and ushered him into their nest, no matter how eager he was to have Henry sprawled out amongst their pillows.

Henry was giving no such show of patience, he pulled at Alex's clothes like they'd personally wronged him, his kissing coming in bites and nips. Alex grabbed his wrists, bringing each one to his lips before fixing them in place above Henry's head. The quick movement left Henry squirming and shy, his body tense. He was on display for Alex's taking and they hadn't even gotten their clothes off.

In stark contrast to his desperate want, Alex's scent soured with nerves. It had been so long.

“D'you need me to stop?" Alex asked, fingers finding the edge of Henry's shirt. He would pull off if Henry wanted him to, but goddamn it would be hard. His inner alpha was already thrashing against his consciousness. 

"No," Henry breathed. The single word soothed Alex's alpha better than Henry's magic calming scent could. 

"Can I take this off?" Alex could hardly recall the last time he felt like he had to ask that kind of thing, let alone the last time his voice wavered when he did so.

A moment passed, Henry was still squirmy and desperate, his breath coming in needy pants, a mirror of Alex's. Yet, the omega couldn't meet his alpha's eye. 

"My belly," Henry said, the words a pitiful whimper.

"Is perfect," Alex interjected. "This body—" he gripped Henry's waist, a gentle firmness, rubbing circles into the softness of his hips. "Did something really fucking spectacular and I think it's so sexy I don't know what to do about it most days."

"I have some ideas." The cheeky smile didn't quite reach Henry's eyes, but he was trying. That was all Alex could ask for. Henry reached to push a stray curl from Alex's eye and Alex nuzzled into the palm of Henry's hand, pouring his sweet pheromones into the gesture. 

Instantly pacified, Henry pulled the shirt off, letting a slow breath out through his teeth, eyes locked on Alex the whole time. Alex had to swallow at the sight, Henry’s belly soft and loose, his hips— the only place he’d gotten any stretch dark marks— made permanently wide. It was a fucking miracle Alex didn't drool all over his mate.

"You ready?"

"Yes," Henry said, his voice losing that shakiness.

"Then behave," Alex murmured into Henry's skin. He did away with his own shirt, fair was fair. Then he set to work, trailing kisses from Henry's right wrist down his arm, over his shoulder, biting him there, until he reached Henry's chest. The omega had clearly pumped recently, but Alex would have his chance to gorge himself on Henry’s love in the coming days.

Even though he was empty, and probably a little sore, Alex toyed with Henry's nipples, sure to get him properly riled, before he continued the crusade of kisses down his omega's body.

"You look so good."

Reaching Henry's belly button, Alex pressed his nose into the soft flesh and inhaled. Henry was definitely in heat. Alex would be lucky if he kept his cool long enough for both of them to strip naked.

"You smell so good."

"Is that all you know how to say?" Henry asked, a small hitch interrupting him, as Alex’s teeth sank into his soft belly. 

Leaving a small love bite in his wake, Alex leaned back, grinning up at Henry. "You turned my brain off." 

"I'm just laying here," Henry huffed. 

"And it’s distracting.” 

In one slow agonizing motion, Alex rid Henry of his pants and his underwear, being a bit of a tease about it if he was honest. Alex told Henry to stay still, to keep his hands to himself, and it was clearly becoming quite the battle for the omega. 

Who could blame him? Alex’s hands were fucking everywhere. 

Lowering himself to be eye level with Henry’s dick, Alex felt his mouth fill with want. People who said omega’s dicks weren’t anything special had never fucking seen Henry’s. He was perfect, uncut, long, and felt so good hitting the back of Alex’s throat. He wanted to take up painting just to have somewhere to go with his amazement. For now, Alex was going to make that pretty prick cry. 

Alex swallowed him down with an ease that made him feel more than a bit slutty, burning at how good the embarrassment felt deep in his core. It’d been ages since he tasted Henry and Alex wanted to savor everything his omega gave. The distinct tang of his precome, the bite of Henry’s nails pulling at Alex’s hair, the earthy musk of his mate, only noticeable in that sweet spot where Alex’s nose grazed Henry’s tummy. He catalogued every moan and whimper falling from Henry’s plush lips and tucked them behind his heart for safe keeping. 

Meanwhile, Alex was a master with his tongue. He wasn’t as skilled as his husband, and from Alex's personal experience, no one was, but he knew how to please Henry. He followed the vein along the bottom of Henry’s cock with his tongue, rolling his balls in his hand, smiling at the way it made Henry’s whole body go taught. 

Meanwhile, Henry's cunt was flooding Alex in slick. Alex only felt a little bit braggy about it. 

“Alex,” Henry whimpered after one particularly knowing shift of Alex’s jaw. “Please.” 

With gentle fingers, Alex felt out Henry’s hole, finding it pliant and waiting. The omega really was incredibly worked up, just from a little fooling around. Based on the sheer amount of slick, he’d been keyed up for a while. 

“When d’you think your heat started?” Alex punctuated the question with a parting kiss to Henry’s dick, a mix of spit and precome tying them together as Alex pulled away. 

Henry groaned at the view, head falling back between his shoulders. He muttered something that sounded like, “fucking heart shaped mouth,” before shifting his weight to one elbow and dragging a hand down his face, horny anguish incarnate. 

“I asked you something,” Alex said, bemused. Sometimes, Henry’s reactions were better than the act of sex itself. 

“Shit, remind me?”

“Wow, a little dick kiss and you lose all your manners?” Alex rerouted through the hickey riddled path he’d made down Henry’s body, hovering just above his mate’s lips. 

Henry just hummed, eyes already blown wide. His tongue traversed his plump bottom lip, biting it as he met Alex’s eye. 

“How long?” Alex asked again. 

Recognition crossed Henry’s features and his cheeks flushed. “Felt hints of it yesterday.”

“Yesterday, baby,” Alex chided. He cupped Henry’s cunt, delighting in the hiss Henry let out through his teeth. “You should have told me.”

“Thought I was just being needy.”

“You can always be needy with me, H.” 

The feel of Henry was enough to know he wasn’t just ‘being needy,’ his body demanded it and demanded it fast. The way his hips chased Alex’s every ministration. His smell. His breath, that came in shallow little pants. His blown out pupils. Henry would be delirious and feverish for it and soon. He was an alpha’s wettest dream. 

Kissing his omega, Alex could feel the edges of his consciousness giving way to his rut. It would be so easy, handing himself over to his true nature and letting that part of himself have its way with Henry. 

“Alex,” Henry begged. He canted his hips, lacing his fingers in Alex’s curls to tug. 

Memo received, Alex stopped toying with the outside of Henry’s pussy and fingered him properly. Henry’s sweet spot was like a hidden house key, his ticket home and right where only Alex knew to find it. 

Henry whimpered as Alex worked him open. It wasn’t necessary, his heat had him in such a messy state, that Alex could slide right in, but it was more fun this way. He curled his fingers, with a fast-paced, insistent firmness, that pulled Henry apart at the seams.

When Henry wasn’t in heat, he had a few little tells that he’d orgasmed, his stomach muscles tensed, he laughed. It was cute. With a heat taking over, Henry’s orgasms were on a different level. His whole body went rigid, he gasped for air, and his pussy would contract, physically pulling Alex– or his spend– deeper inside. It was so hot Alex couldn’t help himself, he bent down latching onto Henry’s hip like a lamprey eel, leaving a gnarly love bite on the stretch marked skin. 

In the days to come, Henry would be covered in them, if their previous track record was to be believed. 

“Darling,” Henry keened. “Get inside me.”

“You sure?”

“Alpha,” Henry said, utterly desperate. Biologically speaking, omegas couldn’t order their alphas around. The way Alex screamed how high at Henry’s utterance of jump, begged to differ. His dick was lined up with Henry’s dripping hole in seconds. He couldn’t remember getting naked, Alex just knew he was now, and that his body only existed to please his mate. 

“I can't believe you didn’t let us start yesterday,” Alex grunted. He kissed just to the left of Henry’s mouth, desperate to breathe in every last ounce of him. 

“Sorry,” Henry sobbed. “So bloody, fucking, sorry.”

Alex shooshed him, kissing him squarely, and giving his hips a slow roll that was more like a test. “It's alright – shh, sweetheart, I’m here now. Gonna make you feel so good.”

“Need it, alpha.” 

Alex had played with him long enough. Henry was overwhelmed, literally gasping for it. With just a few thrusts of Alex’s hips, Henry was crying, big fat tears rolling down his cheeks. It was enough to cleave Alex’s heart in two, the good thing was, he had the cure. 

Dick so deep inside, Henry swore Alex was grazing his cervix, Alex wrapped a hand around Henry's cock, just to watch the way Henry jumped. He whined that it was too much, that he just needed Alex’s knot, but the second Alex moved his hand away, he whimpered for its return and that it felt so good. 

Alex toyed with the tip, ever so gently, drinking up the debauched grunts that fell from Henry’s lips. 

“You’re mean,” Henry said, petulant as ever. It made Alex chuckle, driving his hips deeper, with a truly mean little thrust. 

Henry gasped, clinging onto Alex for dear life, and Alex reveled in it, shifting his hips back, back, back, almost all the way out, just to plunge back inside. He found an even tempo, and kept it, even as Henry tightened and wriggled around him. 

While Alex was an attentive lover, Henry was an eager one. As he neared his peak, Henry’s hips bucked to meet Alex’s thrusting. He fell apart on Alex’s cock, going taught in that telltale way that drove Alex to madness. 

Once Alex came, that would be it, they would be out of their minds for the coming days, losing the place where one of them began and the other ended, until they hardly knew their own names. 

He was so fucking close, his mind already in a blissed out haze. Alex felt every muscle in his body seizing up. Henry’s breaths came as encouraging pants, against his ear, head occasionally lolling to kiss and  nip at Alex’s face and neck. 

"You want my knot?" Alex asked, labored gasps coming between every other word. 

"Please.”

That one word was all it took, sending Alex careening over the edge. He wasn’t sure where his consciousness went, but it was no longer tied to his body. The body that had once contained Alex Fox-Diaz slumped, falling into Henry’s, his knot swelling and locking them together. 

"I love you," Alex said, breathless, feeling his alpha take control and buck his knot futilely inside Henry. 

"I love you, too,” were the last words Alex heard before everything sank away, the world replaced by a horny veil that only cared about pleasure, more pleasure, and even more pleasure.

Chapter Text

The first year of holidays with three children who were able to walk, talk, and actively being potty trained, was harder than the years with three babies had been. Not only did each girl seem to have lofty dreams as amateur escape artists, suddenly, their dads had to make conscious efforts to feed them. Gone were the days of leaving the house, with a bottle or two in case someone got fussy. In were the times of carrying enough snacks to sate three hungry bellies, and provide backup clothes in case snack time went awry.

Not to say things were all Hunky Dory when the girls were on the tit. Henry had always been a little uncomfortable chest feeding the girls in public, but now it was a dark secret he harbored. He'd expressed countless times that he would sooner eat his own shoes, than advertise the fact that he still let them comfort feed from time to time.

"They're just babies, Hen, no one's gonna give you shit about it," Alex said, attempting to gel his hair into place with one hand. The other arm was busy holding Soleil who was having a bit of a clingy morning.

"Tell that to the parent groups who insist I'm a paedophile for letting my eighteen month old seek a cuddle," Henry grumbled.

Some people said you should stop chest feeding once the kids had teeth, others said to do it as long as they asked. Lucky for them, Elaina had backed off the boob as soon as she tasted buttered bread for the first time, and had never gone back. Estrella had given up in a similar manner, preferring a bottle anyway, and only needing one when she fought her sleep. Soleil was less adventurous than her sisters, especially when it came to eating. At her current rate, it looked like Henry would be stopping by her kindergarten class to provide her lunch.

He'd been working on weaning her, but Alex could tell that Henry sort of liked being needed. Working from home suited his depressive episodes and allowed him to get much needed work done on his novel. But the day sitter who swung by on Mondays, plus Wednesday-Thursday from ten a.m. to three p.m. meant Henry was kind of free to do whatever. Soleil crying for something only Henry could provide, meant he felt needed even if the rest of the world spun regardless.

Honestly, Alex was a little jealous. He stayed home with the girls whenever he could, anxious to get all the time he could while they were still little. So far he took Fridays from home, and the occasional Tuesday when he managed to slip away. 

"Those people are nuts, Leia's just a baby."

Their biggest mistake in naming the twins had been forgetting who the call really came down to. Elaina had been unable to say Soleil, landing on something that sounded like Waia, which quickly became Leia. The teasing from June and Nora was endless, but the twins’ Star Wars themed first birthday had been an absolute smash. No turkeys. 

"She's practically a toddler."

"Tell that to her feet," Alex said, flipping the baby upside down and pretending to gobble her piggies, making her shriek with laughter. Soleil could walk, and did perfectly well with their sitter Cassie, but any time her dads were around she wanted to be carried.

"Are you planning to dress her, or will we be arriving at Thanksgiving in Huggies new line?" Henry asked, leaning to kiss Leia's chubby cheek.

At present, they were in a bit of a stand-off. Henry wanted the five of them to wear their Sunday best, so June could take a nice photo of them for their Christmas cards. Alex wanted the girls to be comfortable. 

"They can wear the leggings with the ruffles," Alex said, praying his suggestion wouldn't fall on deaf ears.

Henry looked unamused, he was literally knee-deep in the girls' closet, trying to find something Christmas card appropriate. Laina was small for her age, while Leia and Este (another nickname from Laina— she continued to pronounce it Essy, but Henry and Alex had to put their feet down somewhere) were getting their height from Henry, which meant they had an abundance of twenty-four month outfits, that fit their two and a half year old, and their eighteen month olds. 

"Raising them in Texas has opened my eyes, your aversion to smocks pains me, Alexander." 

"You sound like ma."

Henry pursed his lips, refusing to gift Alex any kind of  response. 

"Okay here me out," Alex began. "We do the smocks, get the photo, and change them into play clothes for dinner."

Taking a moment to weigh his options, Henry nodded. "I'm gonna lay out the dresses on our bed and start bringing them in to pick, you pack the play clothes?"

"Aye-aye."

They'd worked out a system: Alex and/or Henry planned a few outfits for each kid, and then separately let the girls choose which outfit they wanted of the little looks their dads put together. This avoided any corduroys in ninety-eight degree weather, or tank tops when it was freezing. After one outing wherein Laina gave herself blisters with plastic princess shoes, Este got a pair of fairy wings stuck in a car door, and Leia tripped on a t-shirt that fit like a dress, Alex had never let them freely choose their clothes again. 

Forty-five  minutes later, after Alex and Henry had all three girls dressed, their curls pulled into buns, piggies, and braids, little bows laced throughout, they ran into another snag.

"It appears I shouldn't have been so worried about the girls," Henry sighed, eying himself in their full length mirror. His pants refused to button, if gave Alex the slightest hint of deja vu. Alex was instantly behind him, an already fussy Este hiked up on his hip. If they didn't leave soon, all three would manage to stain their dresses and pull their hair out.

"Those pants are old, I meant to donate them," he said, hoping Henry would go for it. 

Henry just sighed and wiggled out of the offending garment, going back to the closet and landing on a pair of paternity slacks he'd favored when he was in the early stages of pregnancy with the twins. 

"I should start going to the gym on Fridays, instead of lazing about when you have the girls."

"If you say so, sugar bean, I think you're rocking the dad bod…Y por cierto, tu trasero luce totalmente maravilloso."

Rather than formulate any verbal argument, Henry lifted his small pooch of a belly. If he weren't holding Este— to say nothing of their time crunch— Alex would have dropped to his knees right then, stripped out of his own holiday-approved cardigan, and desperately assured Henry he was nothing short of perfect.

He paired the slacks with a loose fitting, bold patterned sweater, it had a dicky collar, and Alex genuinely wanted to rip the garment off of him. Something he made explicitly clear every time Henry fretted over being underdressed. Which Henry did every five minutes on the car ride over. 

"It's Thanksgiving at my folks place, not the fucking White House."

"Language," Henry said, knowing it was a losing battle.

Realistically if anyone was underdressed it was Alex, he had a white t-shirt tucked into light colored trousers, with only his spiffy new light green cardigan elevating the look, But Henry couldn't see past the way his own sweater bunched and pooled around his middle to acknowledge that.

Car in park, Alex got out first coming to meet Henry, before they unloaded the girls. Taking Henry by the shoulders, Alex forced him into a staring match he knew he'd win. "We're gonna spend the day with family. We all love you. There won't be any unwanted cameras. It's just us, we can-" Alex took a deep breath, guiding Henry to do the same, "-chill." 

"Chill," Henry repeated, leaning his full weight against his husband. Alex took it in stride, taking the time to nuzzle Henry's scent gland, before finally starting the war on three car seats.

Walking into his childhood home, Alex was overcome by a monstrous proportion of attention. His immediate family was present, as well as his dad's sister, Nora's parents and grandparents, and even Leo’s mom. He struggled through the door, with a twin in each arm, and a backpack full of their things. Henry had Elaina and another bag containing three changes of clothes for each of the girls. His mother was reaching for Este, presumably to show her off to his Tia Cat, while Leo carefully walked Leia to the playroom. Still Alex felt like he was being pulled in ten different directions. 

"I have a surprise for you," June said, voice trilling above the rest. From around the corner came a fiery red head that would have caught Alex's attention in any crowd.

"Auntie Bea," Laina cried, wiggling out of Henry's hold and taking off in her aunt's direction. She lost a bow in the chaos, but Alex had instantly given up the ghost on getting a family picture taken. He'd be lucky for proof of life. 

"Thanks for stealing the show," Alex said, with a teasing lilt, while Bea lifted Laina and came to envelop Henry in a hug, squishing their eldest in between them. 

"Always a pleasure," Bea said with a wink. "I haven't seen this one since her birthday and that just didn't sit right."

"Papa," Elaina said, her accent a perfect imitation of Henry's for that singular word. "I play with Auntie Bea?" 

Alex looked to Henry, raising an eyebrow to ask permission, he was the one with grand plans of a family photo. Laina was already squirming for Bea to put her down, eager to lead her to the playroom her grandparents did up for just such occasions. 

"Oh it's alright," Henry said, pulling at the edge of his sweater.

"Hen," Alex said, full dad stance enabled. "You've been planning this photo op for months, we're taking the picture."

"Yeah," June chimed in. "I brought my good camera and everything."

"I, erm, well if you're sure."

"We're sure sweetheart," Alex chided, giving Henry's hip an affectionate squeeze.

It flustered him, but he shook his head, crouching to get on Elaina's level. "Sweet girl, you can play in a little while. First, we have to collect your sisters and take a quick picture. Don't you want a picture in your pretty dress?"

"Yeah," Elaina said, a direct mimic of Alex's voice.

"Good," Henry said, smiling indulgently. "Do you think you can get your sisters for us?" 

She nodded, Elaina took her job as big sister very seriously. She stomped to the playroom in her little white sandals, like a general giving marching orders. Her smock was white, with little pumpkins embroidered around the collar, so it was top priority to keep her clean. Her sisters were in blue, with little turkeys, and green with tiny fox details. Fingers crossed any mess they'd managed in the five minutes since they arrived would be camouflaged into the dresses. 

June ran a tight ship, lining them up on the front porch, positioning Elaina in between them, with a twin on each of their laps. The girls were all holding hands. It was enough to make Alex melt, he hoped the camera could capture all the lovey dovey nonsense he felt for his little family.

"Alex," June snapped, "glasses!"

He tsked, reaching into his hair, where his glasses were acting as a headband. Alex made to pocket them, but Henry had him by the wrist. He didn't have to say anything for Alex to know what he wanted.

"Okay, okay, Your Majesty," Alex muttered, righting the frames on his face, and earning a pinch to his hip.

The instant June's camera clicked, Elaina turned to Alex, pulling on his shirt. "I play with Auntie Bea now?"

That set the twins off, cries for Auntie Bea, like they'd been deprived sustenance for weeks.

"Sure," Alex muttered, more to himself than anything. But that utterance was all the girls needed to tear off into the house, as fast as their stocky legs could carry them. Alex swore, they still needed to change them out of their nice dresses.

"I got this," Henry said. He gave Alex a quick kiss, before he shifted to stand, groaning as he went. "Girls," he called after their three ambling delinquents. "Daddy has a fun game for you lot!"

That fun game turned out to be a bit of trickery on Henry's part. He was good at that kind of thing, Alex called it 'yes anding' but for toddlers. Rather than correcting them with negatives or leading with 'no's, Henry offered positive alternatives. Instead of telling them that they couldn't play with Auntie Bea, he invited them to a game of "dress up," sequestering them to the playroom with Bea. Worked like a charm.

It did sort of strand Alex with June and Nora. Pez hadn't made it down. Something about refusal to celebrate a mediocre country's colonist beginnings.

"He wanted the week alone in the apartment," Nora said, no nonsense. Alex could picture that, Pez in a silk house coat, those little patches people put under their eyes to help with eye bags, fresh hair dye in his kinky curls.

"More like he didn't want to sleep on Alex's old twin bed, while we crammed in my bedroom," June added, with a light shove to Nora's shoulder. That was harder to imagine. Alex's room at their mom's was classic Texas teen alpha. The antithesis of Percy Okonjo.

"Must be nice," Alex said, unable to stop himself, even though he really wanted to.

"Yep," Nora said, popping the 'p.' "Living on easy street."

"Easier than running around after three kids, I'm sure."

"It's not that hard," Alex said, spine straightening. He was a little defensive of the life he and Henry had carved out. Now that the girls were past the stage where it felt like a fight to keep them alive, things almost felt normal. They were just two guys, raising their kids. Being world famous queer icons was like a different lifetime, entirely.

It sort of was one. No one really wanted to report on the every day goings on of two run of the mill dads. Things might change when one of their girls went through an emo phase or got caught texting the wrong boy (or girl, or they), but for now they were golden. Boring, but golden. 

"Your eye bags say otherwise," Nora chided.

"These shits are designer," Alex shot back, blinking in rapid succession so his eyelashes fluttered.

"Is Henry still saying he wants another one?" June asked.

Alex's eyes narrowed, unsure of her intentions. He wasn't sure where this idea that Henry was the only asking for kids had started. It wasn't like Alex didn't also want kids, just based on the fact that Henry was the omega, he left that ball in his court.

"We both do, just not this red hot minute," Alex said, diplomatically.

"You sure about that?" It was Nora this time.

"What's with the third degree?"

They both shrugged. It was a little freaky, honestly. He hated when they got like this, like his entire existence was an inside joke that he'd never be let in on.

Before Alex could chew either of them out, his mom was calling them to the kitchen to fix a plate and sit wherever there was room. The only time they'd sat down at the table for a meal had been their brief years in the White House. In the time before, and now in the after, they played out the idea of holiday meals. It was more a day of coming and going, eating in shifts at the dining room table, and lounging around the folding ones set up in the backyard. It didn't matter when or how, so long as they were together.

When Alex and June were little, it was fun, running around bouncing between relatives and soaking up attention everywhere they could get it. Holidays were the only days they could force their parents off work, if not for them, than for the social expectation of being together.

As they got older, Oscar stayed in the back yard all day and they realized how rarely Ellen ever actually sat down. They both snuck off for work phone calls. If they were in the same room it ended in slammed doors and pie pushed away. Alex had lost count of how many holidays went with his mother refusing to eat all day, only to find her in the dead of night enjoying her first slice of pumpkin pie hours after the fact, alone, their kitchen finally silent.

These days, Oscar and Ellen took their time at the big table, and moseyed around the desserts. Oscar even complimented Leo's recreation of Zahra's Mississippi Mud. Things weren't perfect, but they were damn near close.

Unfortunately, Alex had inherited his mother's inability to sit still. He ate quickly, grabbing bites here and there while giving every relative he crossed paths with a half hearted kiss on the cheek. Logically, he knew Henry would leave the playroom if he needed a hand with their girls. But Alex also knew Henry wouldn't want to saddle anyone else with the task of watching their three under three.

By the skin of his teeth, Alex just avoided getting roped into any lengthy debates. Classic Thanksgiving arguments be damned, he had a man, and three little girls, to feed. Alex made Henry a plate, and one for the girls. Bland mushy food, he could take turns feeding each of them small bites from. They traded spots, Alex accepting a kiss as payment for the plate, while Henry went to sit with the grown ups and Alex took up his spot on the playroom floor.

"You sure you don't want help?"

Alex was so sure he was practically a sunrise. Papa was due for a shift at the playroom factory. Plus, June and Nora had saved a spot for Henry and Bea at the adults' table.

"You oversee breakfast and lunch, like every day, I got this."

"You'll retrieve me when you're ready to trade off?"

"Nah baby," Alex said, already propping Leia in his lap. Her curly dark hair was falling from it's little buns, just another thing Alex would handle while Henry chilled the fuck out. "You come get me when it's time to leave. I'll holler if there's an emergency."

The tension visibly drained from Henry's shoulders as he ducked out of the playroom and Alex sent up a silent prayer. Henry would get some much needed time with their sisters and Alex would play his heart out. If things went according to plan, they'd return home with a relaxed Daddy and three exhausted little girls. Then, Papa could get his.

Alex padded into their bedroom, careful not to disrupt the quiet Henry had cultivated. Silence was increasingly rare in their house, but Alex had learned to love the chaos. Their girls had turned into surprisingly good sleepers and maybe it was a touch of Stockholm Syndrome talking, but Alex sort of missed the late nights with a newborn.

His gorgeous husband was sitting on the edge of the nest, facing away from him, fidgeting with the laces of his shoes but not actually undoing them. Which was odd, but not totally out of character. There were about a million things that could have Henry in a bit of a mood, but Alex was coming up blank. He sat near Henry, close but not too close, one hand spaced between them so Henry could reach over if he wanted to— no pressure, no stakes. 

"What's up, baby?" 

Henry took a moment, still fiddling with his shoe, before planting both feet on the ground and facing Alex. 

“I'm just going to say this, and you react however you see fit: Bea asked if I would surrogate for her and Andrew.”

Alex shook his head like he might shake the words back out of his ears. Of all the things he'd expected that hadn't been anywhere on the list.

"What?"

"Well," Henry started with a chuckle. "It was marginally better than June and Nora cornering me to ask if I had anything to tell them."

"What?" Alex was kind of stuck in a loop.

"They thought I was pregnant, Alex."

Oh. They had been weird and suggestive when the spoke to Alex, but he thought they were just trying to aggravate him.

"Oh," Alex said, eyeing Henry's full belly. That was all there was to it, Henry was full. Their family got together for a nice meal, like any other family in the goddamn country, and Henry had a good time. Case closed. Meeting Henry's eye again, Alex knew he'd been caught staring. Henry looked unimpressed.

Henry sighed, shifting away from Alex, dragging his hands down his face. "I can see how they got that idea. I ate like a bloody horse."

"No you ate like a red blooded American, on our most gluttonous holiday." Alex punctuated the thought with a kiss to the side of Henry's neck, but his mate was having none of it. He pushed him off, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"I thought you said this was the colonizer holiday." 

"Colonization is a form of gluttony, babe." 

There were no words for that, no witty comebacks or snide remarks. Henry simply stood from the bed and crossed to their mirror, examining himself more closely. Alex had half a mind to shatter the fucking thing, luck be damned. 

"I told Bea I'd think about it."

Now, Alex was truly, madly speechless. 

“Do you… Would you want… Is that something–” Alex stopped, recalibrated, circling his hands in front of himself. “Okay, I know that your sister is a beta and I know she loves her husband very much and I know that we love her very much and that there are royal expectations that I could never wrap my head around if you literally drilled them into me. But–”

The words that wanted to spill from Alex’s lips were words he didn’t mean. He didn’t want to put them into the universe. 

“But she could never understand what procreation means for a mated pair?” Henry asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“That,” Alex said, with a tilt of his head. Henry was right, Bea couldn’t understand. The emotional urge existed for betas, sure. Fundamentally, there was no way for Bea to grasp the sheer insanity that took over an alpha, when an omega, unclaimed or otherwise, went into heat. The need right down to their very bones, preternatural instinct trumped up and feral. 

And Alex's preternatural instincts were screaming that Henry couldn't go through with this, not even in the hypothetical. Logically, Alex understood Henry wouldn't be getting himself pupped by another alpha, but his hind brain wouldn't care about that when all it saw was his mate, his Henry, swollen with someone else's baby. 

"Your alpha is showing," Henry said, voice soft and tender. 

"No it isn't."

Henry snorted. He took Alex's hand, brought the knuckles to his lips. Then laced their fingers together. It made Alex face the fact that he'd been gripping the bed hard enough to rip the mattress. "At the very least, I told her I owe my alpha one more baby, before I even think about carrying for someone else." 

Alex couldn't hold back his grin if he wanted to. In his alpha blindness, he'd almost forgotten Henry's silly little vow. Three pregnancies, no matter how many pups each one garnered. 

“Your family hasn’t gotten used to the fact that I’m not pregnant,” Henry said. "Mine wants to keep me that way." Alex readied an argument about all of them being their family, but Henry was walking away again. He moved to the accursed mirror, unbuttoning his shirt in full view of it, an option Alex struggled to comprehend given the expanse of bed behind him. “Not their fault, I look pregnant.” 

Henry toyed with the bit of softness at his middle, pushing his belly out in the mirror, hands on his plush hips. His belly was firm, given the indulgent nature of the day, soft at the bottom from the whole made-three-entire-human-beings-from-basically-nothing part. Altogether Henry looked round. At his current angle, Alex couldn’t exactly tell Henry that he was wrong; fibbing never worked out in his favor, anyway.

The truth was simple: Henry had eaten his fill, that’s what people did on holidays. No stress.

Alex bit his lip to keep from reminding Henry how much he liked him pregnant— something Henry was already well aware of— instead chewing over the best options that would end up with Henry underneath him. 

“Do you want them to think you’re pregnant?” Alex asked, a husky confidence laced through his words. “Because I have great news about how we can spend the evening.” He pat the edge of the bed for emphasis. 

“Alex,” Henry huffed, more a laugh than anything. 

“I’m serious. You just made it very clear you wanted another baby—“ Henry made a wounded noise, finally turning away from the mirror, but Alex powered through, “and I want nothing more than to grant your every wish.” 

"Are you ready for that?" Henry shifted his weight, his shirt hanging open in a way that was so distracting, Alex had to swallow his horniness just to answer him. 

"I was literally debating if it was certifiable for me to miss waking up for three a.m. feeds, earlier today."

"What if we get twins again?"

"Then we have five under five, or what-the fuck-ever. I'm a lawyer not a mathematician."

“Fucks sake–” Henry broke off in a laugh. It made Alex’s heart pick up in the best way. He crossed the bedroom with a confident stride, crawling into Alex's lap. “Alright then, give me another baby, Alex.” 

Alex saluted Henry, very sir-yes-sir, and flopped backwards, hauling Henry with him. Their nest was something straight out of heaven. All light colored covers, expensive memory foam, and goose feather pillows.  

“We’ll have to be careful,” Alex said, breathlessly, smothering Henry in fervent kisses. 

“Why’s that?” Henry asked, sinking a hand into Alex's curls. 

“The baby that’s already in here,” Alex said, winking and cupping Henry’s food baby. 

“Alex,” Henry said, blushing, but not moving to stop him. He didn't knock Alex’s hand away. Testing his limits, Alex rubbed a gentle circle into Henry’s stretched skin, while his tongue sought out an invitation at the seam of Henry's lips. 

“Henry,” Alex retorted, his voice a purr. He felt Henry’s breath hitch, kissing down his neck, and biting when he reached his scent gland. 

They kissed again. Clearly, Henry had lost whatever argument he was going to make. They were naked within seconds, eager and wanton and so completely gone on each other, it did Alex’s head in. He dragged Henry into his lap, guiding him into a delicious grind. Soon they were frantic, rocking against one another, and Alex couldn’t stop himself, he brought his hand back to Henry’s rounded belly and rubbed. 

“You look so hot,” Alex said, earning a breathy whine from Henry. "Always do, baby. You're such a good little puppy mill."

That, apparently, was a line for Henry, his back bowed, gasping and writhing in Alex's lap. His full belly pressed into Alex’s torso, making him moan. The skin had to be sensitive, if the full body shudder that occurred when Alex’s knuckles simply brushed his side was any indicator. Henry met Alex in a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss, shutting Alex right the hell up. 

Alex pried Henry's thighs open, just a little further, and lined his dick up. It made Henry grunt impatiently, taking Alex's dick in hand and sliding it into its rightful place. Before Alex could even think about bucking up into the eager heat, Henry set to work. He raised up on his knees, grinding to get Alex deeper. His head dropped back in pleasure, as he balanced with both hands on Alex's shoulders and rode like his life depended on it. 

There really wasn't much for Alex to do, besides sit there and take it. His strong fingers found Henry's hips, halfheartedly guiding him, but Henry was keeping his own pace just fine without. He was using Alex like a toy. Each movement packed with heat that went straight down Alex's spine and pooled in his belly. Alex's pleasure wasn't top priority, and the humiliation of that alone was enough to make him moan. 

Henry, smiling at his work, pushed his hair out of his face, and Alex swore he'd never seen anything more perfect. The way the light hit made Henry look like he had a goddamn halo and Alex knew he'd prayed for moments like this all his life.  

“Henry,” he started, his voice tight, urgent. “I’m gonna–”

“Come,” Henry demanded. “Show us how good you are.” 

Us. Henry was finally playing along. His free hand fell to cradle his belly and Alex was done for. 

With a shout, Alex finished, clinging to Henry as he came.

The thing was, Henry wasn't finished, riding Alex through his climax, through sheer force of will, or magic omega pussy, or some mix of the two, Alex stayed hard, with Henry rutting and arching against him. Henry wasn't just making love to Alex, he had a goal here, he was breeding himself on Alex's cock. The realization was enough to make Alex see stars. It was rough and primal, leaving Alex bereft and drooling, while Henry took what he was owed. 

“Fuck, look s'good,” Alex slurred, a bit deliriously. “You’re such a good babymaker.” 

Henry keened, clenching around him, and Alex felt his brain come back online. He wrapped a hand around Henry's leaky cock, and started pumping, reducing Henry to a pleading mess in his lap. With a few well-timed thrusts on Alex's part, they came together. They were covered in Henry's pleasure, something Alex would deal with, when he regained feeling in his legs.

Bone tired, Alex fell back into their nest, pulling Henry down with him. Getting air into lungs took about a hundred and ten percent of his concentration, and Henry seemed no better. Their muffled pants filled the room, until they met each other's eye, and broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. 

“Shame I can’t get you pregnant right now,” Alex said, dreamily, still catching his breath.  

“Well,” Henry said, a bit guiltily. 

“Well?” Alex asked, hands finding Henry’s hips and giving them a gentle squeeze. 

“Don't tell Claire, but I’ve been off my birth control for about a month now.” 

“Hen!” 

“You’re still taking yours, right?”

“Yes,” Alex said, aghast. 

“Might want to stop that.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious, oh my god, I can’t believe I married you.”

“Yes you can,” Henry said, grinning into a kiss. 

“Yes, I can.”

Chapter Text

Henry didn't get pregnant on Thanksgiving. No matter how badly he wanted to or how many loads Alex dumped in him that week (he’d lost count after ten). For their own peace of mind, they decided to wait for Henry’s next heat to do the work for them, and four months later it did. 

The day started like any other, Alex kissing Henry and the girls goodbye, their sitter Cassie, greeting him on his way out. A morning filled with meetings, an afternoon in court, typical. Somewhere along the way a persistent itch started up under Alex’s skin, easy enough to ignore. The judge wasn’t his biggest fan, the victim wasn’t perfect (no victim was), and to top it off the office’s new paralegal spilled coffee on their work computer and needed to bum off Alex’s to print a million and ten things. 

By the time Alex returned home the itch was a full body burning. The only salve came in boxing Henry in against the kitchen counter, pressing his cock to his ass, and muttering, “Need you later,” into the mating bite on his neck. 

With the efficiency of SEAL Team Six, their girls were shipped off to their grandparents, the lake house with Oscar this time, and Henry was ass up, presenting in their nest. 

Alex was certain that no beauty on earth compared to his omega, flushed down to his toes, whining, moaning, pleading for Alex to, “be a good boy and put it in already.” At the words alone, Alex nearly sprung a knot prematurely, but he managed to force his rapidly swelling cock into Henry’s slick soaked hole in the nick of time. 

Maybe it was how severely they anticipated this cycle, how long they’d waited for the chance for another pup, but one thing was sure, they’d never given over to their animal instincts so quickly. 

There was no test on earth that could have told Alex more concretely that Henry was successfully bred than the way he smelled coming out of his sudden onset heat. Like someone had dropped a choking hazards amount of marshmallow fluff and cinnamon into a saucer of earl grey. If Alex wanted to bottle it he’d label it a luscious and sexy mix of creamy musk and blonde woods, or some other absurd scent descriptor to sell perfume to an A list pop star’s fanbase.

That little romp through the sheets left him heavy with their first baby boy. They’d opted to learn the sex early, just to explain the difference between this pregnancy and the ones previous. To put it bluntly: Henry was getting much bigger, fast. 

Now, at only thirty weeks, Henry looked ready to pop. He spent most of his time waddling around after their three girls, wearing clothes that never quite fit, unable to keep his hands off his ridiculous belly. The twins had been an impediment on his daily routines, but this pregnancy was on an entirely new level. 

Claire suspected Henry was experiencing a touch of polyhydramnios, not enough to have major health concerns for Henry or the baby, but enough to explain why he felt like he couldn’t breathe at twenty weeks and was too swollen for his wedding band by twenty-four. 

“You’re also a tall guy,” Claire said, matter-of-factly. “And this little sprog might just be taking after his dad.” 

“Finally getting one that looks like you, H,” Alex said, knocking his shoulder into Henry’s. Leia and Este may have been ninety-nineth percentile in their height, they were still little clones of Alex. They all had Claremont jaws and Diaz eyes. Leia was Henry’s closest double, with hair just a touch lighter than her sisters and not nearly as curly. Sometimes she pulled faces that were so identical to Henry’s, Alex had to put his head down for a minute. 

Henry was shit out of luck when it came to seeing himself in the other two. Laina had Alex’s eyelashes, his smile, and his stubbornness. Este was more like if someone shrank June down and gave her Henry’s sweet tooth and huge ears. 

“I hope not,” Henry said, rubbing his hands over his belly. “I don’t need a ten pound baby using my bladder as a trampoline.” 

“You were ten pounds?” 

Henry huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Nine and three ounces. I was the heaviest royal baby to date. The articles succeeding my birth announcement were less than kind.” 

“Oh my God! That’s why your baby pictures are so chunky!” Alex cried, taking great lengths to not cover Henry’s face in kisses. 

Claire smiled knowingly. Alex wondered if she’d ever read any articles about the chubby princeling and had any premonition that she’d be delivering his equally chubby pups one day. 

“Philip was eight and seven, he was the first royal to break eight and a half pounds in one hundred years,” Henry said with a sigh. 

“Just had to outdo him, huh?” 

“Our Henry always does,” Claire said, kindly. 

“Speaking of Pip,” Henry started, and then dove into a detailed itinerary of their upcoming holiday in London. 

With Claire’s express permission, and a member of her medical team tagging along, they decided to make a trip to England while Alex had the week off for Thanksgiving. Even though Henry was “positively massive,” he was anxious to finally allow his family, beyond Philip, to bear witness to his gravid form. 

“Is it silly to ask that we visit dad?” Henry asked, nervously palming the top of his belly. 

If he wouldn’t be met with protest, like he knew he would, Alex would have swept Henry off his swollen feet. 

“Of course not,” Alex said, his heart pouring out his ears. 

Arriving in England, it struck Alex that this would be the first time the twins had ever been to Henry’s mother country. It would also be Laina’s first Thanksgiving without the comfort of Ellen Claremont’s cooking, something his mother would be sure to rectify once they were home. 

Allegedly, Catherine had ordered the staff to prepare a traditional American Thanksgiving style dinner for Thursday night. Alex would be the judge of that. 

Missing the holiday with Alex's family was a trade they were willing to make, given the exciting fact that Martha and Philip were also expecting. Poor Martha was miserable and predicted to go into labor before Henry and Alex left the UK, but in some sick twist of fate, still appeared more put together than Henry. Not that Alex would ever say so out loud. Martha just managed to look six months pregnant at thirty-seven weeks and five days, while everyone they crossed paths with acted like Henry’s water would break if struck by a particularly stiff wind. 

Presently, propped on a sofa in Catherine’s private quarters, his feet on a filigreed ottoman, Henry looked— and reportedly felt— incredibly beached. Martha and Bea were sat on either side of him, as Catherine insisted upon taking a photograph of the three of them together.

“Sit up, Henry dear,” his mother implored. “Show me the belly.” 

The face Henry made said exactly how he felt about that comment. Alex would be sure to ply him with cream puffs the instant eyes were off him. 

“Say, we’re pregnant!” Bea cried, her face split into a sun bright grin. 

“We’re pregnant,” Martha sing-songed, while Henry turned, as well as he could with a lap full of baby, to his older sister. 

Alex couldn’t decide where to focus, Bea, who was looking at Henry like she’d just pulled off the heist of the century, or Catherine whose eyes were rapidly filling with tears. 

“You and Andrew…” Henry trailed off, his hands finding Bea’s. 

“We did,” Bea said, gripping her brother for dear life. “IVF is a marvelous thing.”

Martha started cheering with a polite golf clap, “Oh well done, Bea.” 

“Oh my god,” Henry said, his voice completely waterlogged. “How long?”

“Sixteen weeks,” Bea replied, equally bleary. 

Henry reached back for Martha’s hand, holding onto each of his sisters, and absolutely lost it. Alex found himself wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. 

“I’m sorry,” Henry blubbered. “I’m so pleased, but you know I’ve never been good at holding back and now–” he gestured down to his belly. Everyone chuckled at that, their son had been putting Henry through the emotional ringer in a way the girls never had. It left Henry in tears over the butter dish being empty, let alone news of this monument. 

Alex fought the urge to scoop Henry up and hold him close to his chest. He could do it too; for the first time in his life, Alex hired a personal trainer just to make sure he hip thrust Henry’s weight and then some. 

“Darling, close your mouth. You’ll catch flies,” Catherine whispered to Alex, wiping her tears on a ridiculously ornate hanky. 

“Did you get that on camera?” Alex asked, nodding to Catherine’s phone. 

“All of it.” 

Alex grinned, wolfish and proud, then he turned to his brother-in-law. He clapped Andrew on the shoulder. “Y’all know what you’re having?”

“A girl,” Andrew said, his whole demeanor gooey and loved up. The same way Alex and Henry had been with Elaina (and continued to be with about all their babies since). “And you lot?”

“Um,” Alex started, stealing a glance at Henry. “We were keeping it a secret.”

“But you know?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, sharing a private, soft smile with his mate. Henry, Bea, and Martha were all taking turns feeling each other’s bellies and shouting in excitement any time they felt a kick. “We know.” 

Throughout their first few days in England, Catherine kept things lowkey for Bea’s announcement, and for Henry and Alex to adjust to being on the other side of the world. Come Thursday, all bets were off. With the help of Martha, Catherine invited friends and relatives that left Henry just as lost as Alex was when it came to mapping them on a family tree. 

“You can tell Ellen I’m coming for her hosting spot,” Catherine said, a bit of smugness in her tone. “She can be their favorite Nana, but I’ll be the best Gran.” 

“I’m sure she’s very threatened,” Henry said, patting his mother’s hand, and turned his head to roll his eyes just for Alex to see. 

Just then, one of Martha’s guests, with a title a mile long and a mouth running to keep up with it, approached in a gob smacked flurry. 

“Look at you! You’re about to pop,” the stranger cried, her hands already settled on the bottom of Henry’s full belly. Alex’s spine straightened, his alpha wanted to rip her away from Henry, but he had the good sense not to lay hands on a little old lady. “Any day now, I bet.”

“No,” Henry explained with an awkward laugh, stepping out of the woman’s orbit. “Still a ways to go.”

“How many are in there, then?”

“Just the one,” Alex replied, a protective arm snaking around Henry’s waist. Henry’s smile was wan, and Alex would be lucky if he could summon one at all. 

“Must be a boy then,” she mused, clearly missing their discomfort. 

“We don’t know,” Alex lied. 

“I hear Martha and Bea are having boys, as well,” she said, still prattling on. They weren’t, but Alex didn’t feel like elongating this conversation more than politeness required.  

“Maybe so,” Alex shot back, trying to spy a corner he could squirrel Henry away to, or a different guest to unleash this woman upon. Alex wondered if they could pawn her off on Henry’s horrible Uncle Hum for the rest of the night. 

“Apologies, I simply must excuse myself,” Henry said, gesturing to the expanse of his stomach. That was the one plus side of Henry’s very visible belly, the baby was a built in bathroom pass. Alex grinned, turning on his heel, and all but dragging Henry away. 

“Aren’t there like rules about touching the royals?” Alex practically hissed, fingers splayed against Henry’s middle. 

“Either she thinks they don’t apply to me anymore, or she never followed them to begin with.” Henry smoothed his hands over his belly, his right one finding a place of support at the bottom, and the left staying posed on the top. 

“Brits are usually more reserved than that,” Alex said, physically planting himself in front of Henry, acting as a wall between him and the rest of the party. Alex’s fingers danced along the sides of Henry’s belly, like he might feel out any anomaly the woman psychically brought about, and dismiss it with his touch.

“Quite.” 

“Who the fuck was that by the way?” 

“Beats me,” Henry said. “I didn’t even know she existed, until she was touching me.”  

Alex scoffed, and seemingly equally displeased, the baby took his chance to sprawl, two points of Henry’s belly elongating in an uncomfortable stretch. Henry flushed, cheeks going the perfect shade of pink, as he grimaced. 

“Not right now, sweetheart,” Henry murmured to his belly. 

For the next two hours the baby was on a mission to become the world’s youngest Olympic gymnast, constantly shifting and rolling, making Henry gasp and flinch through so many conversations, Alex lost count. Although his siblings and mother knew he had ten weeks to go, no one else knew that. So every time he inhaled wrong, or put his weight on Alex, all eyes shot to Henry, convinced he was about to go into labor right then. 

Since ascending to the throne, Catherine had changed a lot of protocols. Top order had been ridding the practice of everyone attending a dinner in her presence following her lead; i.e. only eating when she ate, and in the same manner as she did. However, she’d kept the absurd U-shaped table configuration, with herself and her children in the bend. Their children were back at Kensington under the watchful eye of Philip and Martha’s team of nannies. 

“Isn’t it nice to have the night off?” Philip asked, while Martha smiled at them. They were both trying to be encouraging. It wasn’t their fault it all fell flat. 

Humming, Henry reached for Alex’s hand under the table, and squeezed. It didn’t feel like much of a night off, despite their lack of children. Henry had always hated eating at events like this, up on a pedestal for everyone to see. That hatred was only made worse by the countless questions about his body. 

After the eighteenth time someone asked if they were one hundred percent certain it wasn’t twins again, Alex flicked his cloth napkin, dramatically, leaning to whisper in Henry’s ear, “I can’t keep having this same conversation.” 

Henry offered a pained smile, tapping the back of Alex’s hand three times, their silent signal that he wanted to leave and Alex was free to make a scene if it got them out of there sooner. 

“Oh my goodness!” Alex said, maybe a little too loudly. “I completely forgot, our nurse. The one who traveled all this way with us, she wanted to check Henry with the Doppler at eight p.m. sharp!” 

“Oh dear, that sounds urgent,” Catherine said, her smug grin suggesting that she didn’t buy Alex’s act for a second. But fortunately, she knew her son. Alex ushered Henry out of the dining hall, allowing Henry to give small waves of apology the whole way out, but never actually stopping for any more probing chatter.

Getting Henry into the car and back to Kensington was easy, the drive itself would be the true hurdle. In his current state, there was nowhere Henry liked being less than the cramped backseat of a vehicle. It still pissed Alex off that it was a twenty minute drive between palaces in a country the size of a  postage stamp. 

“How many people do you think were at dinner tonight?” Henry asked, noncommittally. 

“At least a hundred thousand,” Alex grumbled. 

“Be realistic, love.” 

“I dunno, maybe fifty?” Alex scratched his head, and then pulled his tie off with more force than necessary. 

“Well, going with fifty, that means at least one hundred hands were all over my belly.” Normally, it would be out of the question to touch the royals, but somewhere between Henry stepping out of the line of succession, and the absolutely monstrous proportions of his belly, their guests had lost their sense of decorum. 

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“Don’t be, just fix it.”

“Gladly,” Alex said, retrieving a tiny bottle of lotion from the inner pocket of his suit jacket, and helping Henry out of his sweater. Henry’s belly was perpetually taxed and itchy these days, so Alex was particularly gentle in his movements as he pulled Henry’s shirt out of his way, and rubbed the shay butter into the taught skin.

Sighing, Henry said, “I miss our babies.”

“Me too,” Alex agreed, leaning up to steal a kiss from Henry’s cheek. 

Back at Kensington, Alex found a staffer and directed them to  prepare a tiny feast for Henry and have it delivered to their room. Henry may have been out of the line of succession, but if anyone was going to continue treating him like a Prince it was the staff that worked in the building he’d grown up in. They were equally polite and referential to Alex, untitled as he was. 

With a little while to kill, they crept into the room that had been made up for the girls and kissed all their chubby cheeks and soft curls before settling in the room done up for them. 

When they made it up the steps to their room, they found what was essentially a room service style buffet of Henry’s favorites. A bit giddy at the chance to eat, with an audience reduced from fifty to one, Henry filled his plate with falafel, chips, and a mountain of organic fruit. 

“I was so uncomfortable in that god awful chair, I don’t know how Martha does it,” Henry groaned, reaching for Alex to help lower him onto the sofa that had once been in his bedroom. 

“Her mother is definitely a robot.” 

“Ah, you’re suggesting the future queen of England is a cyborg?”

“Has to be,” Alex muttered, kissing Henry’s forehead. “You and junior, comfy?” 

Henry rolled his eyes affectionately. “The comfiest. Now may I have my plate?”

Alex cocked his head to the side, he did have an appreciation for watching Henry balance a plate on his heavy belly and go to town, but he had even more of a penchant for feeding Henry himself. Especially at times like these, when his body was doing so much to grow their babies. 

Lifting the plate high, and causing Henry to narrow his eyes, Alex circled the plate with the fork, silently asking what Henry would like first. 

“Falafel, please,” Henry said, settling deeper into the couch and allowing Alex to play his little game. 

Not one to be outdone, Henry put on a bit of a show each time his mouth circled the utensil, and moaned around every particularly good bite. 

By the time the plate was cleared Alex was painfully hard and his skin was ablaze. 

“Lay back,” Alex demanded. “Lemme get you hard.”

With a contented little sigh, Henry did as he was told. With militaristic precision, Alex knelt between Henry’s legs and removed his cock from his slacks, all to eager to mouth at the flaccid member and work Henry up to desperation. 

Pulling Henry’s foreskin back, Alex felt like a man possessed, licking his lips before taking the thick head in his mouth and moaning around him. 

It wasn’t long before Henry’s prick was stiff in Alex’s hold and his thighs were shaking around his head. Working down Henry’s long shaft, relaxing his jaw, taking him in, until he hit the back of Alex’s throat. Somewhere far away, Henry groaned and dug a hand into Alex’s gelled curls. Eyes fluttering closed at the contact, Alex swallowed around him. 

“Shit, dear,” Henry moaned, his belly a thick wall between them. “You’re such a good boy.” 

Alex hummed, feeling it vibrate through Henry’s dick, and Henry’s hands went tighter in his hair. 

Dragging his lips up Henry’s shaft, Alex bobbed his head, making Henry rock gently to chase the wet heat of his mouth. Alex couldn’t help but moan at the smell of his mate, claimed and sweet, especially strong at the core of him.

"Fuck,” Henry cried, with a short, bewildered laugh, coming down Alex’s throat. 

After, Alex had to guide Henry to standing on his wobbly legs. He was still hard, but he’d take care of that once his gorgeous omega was settled. 

“I swear he’s heavier than when we got to England,” Henry whined, leaning his head on Alex’s shoulder. 

It wasn’t just the baby. Expertly, Alex didn't comment on how much Henry had had to eat since they got back to Kensington. He was eating for two, it was allowed. And Alex wasn’t stupid.

The following Saturday, the Fox-Diazes made the trek to Frogmore Cottage, where Arthur was buried. They’d spend their last days in England, quietly. It was actually how they’d ended their honeymoon years prior. They planned a picnic near Arthur’s gravesite, preparing some snacks that always reminded Henry of his father, and Alex packed a photo album to talk through the past few years with him. 

What they didn’t expect was Martha, in the Frogmore kitchens, concocting an absolute monstrosity of a sandwich. She clearly hadn’t expected them either, her hair unstyled, stripped down to a nursing bra and stained sweats.

“Oh my god, I had no idea you were coming!” She cried, waddling as fast as she was able and scooping up a fluffy pink robe. She tied it around herself, furiously, and whipped her hair into a ponytail before Alex could even think of something to say. “Literally only Pip and my personal security know I’m here. I just wanted to lay low before the baby comes, I’ll get a car back to Anmer–”

“Martha please, it’s no problem,” Henry cut in. “I’m sorry we intruded on your time off. We just wanted to see dad before we went back to the States.”

Martha’s features visibly softened. “You won’t even know I’m here.”

“Nonsense!” Alex chimed, dialing his accent up to twelve. “You can be a Fox-Diaz for the weekend.” 

As soon as they unpacked, they girls wanted to do something. So Alex they’d plopped them in the garden in nothing but their pull-ups, with a handful of nontoxic paints, some legal sized sheets of paper, and let them get as messy as they wanted. It was quickly dawning on Alex that they'd packed plenty of things to keep their daughters busy, but not really planned on how to amuse themselves, at least not with their sister-in-law present. It was good to go slow and relax, but they’d been doing that for five full days now and Alex was starting to get antsy. 

Apparently sensing his unease, Martha approached him with a mysterious black case in hand. “Has Henry had his photo taken this pregnancy?”

Alex shook his head, eyes straying to his mate, looking like he fell out of a Baby Gap ad, kneeling in the yard with their girls. 

“D’you know,” she announced, turning to Henry. “I brought my camera to keep myself busy, if you want me to take some photos of you and the girls.”

“Me?” Henry practically squawked. “I look like I swallowed the girl’s doll house.” Pointedly untrue, the girl’s dollhouse was fit for Barbie’s entire extended universe to live in.

“People take paternity photos, H.”

“I have paternity photos,” Henry grumbled.

“Barely.” 

Henry had refused to have any professional photos taken during his previous pregnancies, but that hadn’t stopped Pez from tricking him into posing for June a handful of times during his first pregnancy, or from June insisting upon taking some in the final hours of his pregnancy with the twins. 

June was a miracle worker behind the lens. You’d never know the photos were taken in Henry’s literal hospital room. There was a close up photo of Henry, messy and tired, chest feeding Elaina, with his medical gown pulled just out of shot to show the barest hint of his middle. She even managed to clear out a wall for a blank backdrop and snapped a few showing off Henry’s belly, with Alex’s hands holding him up. Alex had all of them framed in his office. 

With some gentle cajoling from Alex and Martha, Henry ended up in the grass, topless, groaning in a pair of jeans that just barely survived the humbling stretch of getting onto the ground. 

“Martha, are you sure about this?” Henry asked, hands already nervously rubbing his belly. “You’re also awfully pregnant.”

“Henry, I attended a ribbon cutting in Glasgow, three hours before I went into labor with Lizzie, I think I can manage to hold a camera.”

“How are we doing this, then?” 

“I have an idea, just trust me, Alex be a dear and put some of that sky blue paint on Elaina’s hands.” 

Alex nodded, taking his marching orders seriously. Elaina followed his lead, happy to be included, and to show her sisters how it was done, no matter what the task. 

“Now, Laina, can you gently put the paint on Daddy’s tummy? Like this?” Martha palmed Henry’s belly delicately, and Laina, her little tongue coming between her teeth in concentration, copied her aunts’ movements exactly. “Good girl!” Martha cooed, while Laina clapped, sending little droplets of light blue paint everywhere. 

“Perfect,” Martha added, kissing Laina’s forehead. “Now can you keep doing that on some paper for me?”

“Uh-huh,” Laina said, plodding off to cover all the paper she could get her paint-grubbied hands on. 

“Then forest green for Princess Leia,” Martha said, almost to herself, mixing some of the paint together to make a darker blue, and a second lighter shade of green. Alex watched on uselessly, as she guided Leia through a similar process and then sent her to decorate the pages with Laina, and then repeated the process muttering, “Grass green for Miss Este.” 

Once Este was with her sisters and Henry’s belly was decked out in three sets of colorful hand prints, Martha handed the dark blue paint to Alex. “Your turn, Papa.”

“How should I do it?” 

Martha had guided each of the girl's hands, making sure each one had two little marks in random places on Henry’s belly and that nobody overlapped too egregiously; Alex didn’t want to choose the wrong spot and ruin all her hard work. 

“However you feel, Alex," Martha supplied, keeping a comfortable distance. 

“C’mon, love,” Henry said, quietly, with an encouraging smile. “Mark me.”

Alex felt his face flame, as he got an even amount of paint on his right hand and placed his wide palm dead center of Henry’s stomach, staking his claim to the already claimed skin. 

“Perfect,” Henry whispered, and Alex couldn’t resist leaning forward to kiss him. Behind him, he heard the shutter of Martha’s camera. 

“Do you want me to get topless, too?” Alex joked, shooting Martha a shit eating grin over his shoulder, as he tugged on the collar of his boxy, striped shirt. 

“I like the Lacoste,” she said, unamused. “Now get out of my way, I have a masterpiece to capture."

"Hey Maz," Alex asked, while she continued snapping photos of Henry in slightly different poses. "What're the girls stamping their hands on the paper for?" 

"Ah," Martha said, her smile growing devious. She lifted a finger to her lips in a conspiratorial shush. "The most important part of all, complete b-u-l-l to keep little hands b-u-s-y." 

Henry dropped his head back laughing, and Martha was quick on the draw, capturing the moment on film that would quickly join Alex's favorite photos in his office. 

Going to visit Arthur was a somber affair, Alex periodically crouched to help the girls pick flowers along the way, while Henry silently toddled after them with a hefty picnic basket. They’d already incorporated countless board books about grief into their bedtime rotation, but it was bittersweet to bring the girls out there. 

The girls were an intuitive bunch, all circling Henry as they got close, not fully understanding why, but instinctually moving to comfort their daddy. Alex traded him the basket for the flowers the girls had gathered, and stayed back, letting Henry take their little hands and approach first. 

“Hey dad,” Henry said, tenderly. “I’ve brought someone for you to meet.”

Henry introduced each of their daughters, growing increasingly bleary eyed as he went, until his landed on his belly, and his face crumbled. Alex was there, ever steady, holding him together, and telling Arthur all about their marvelous daughters and now their already perfect baby boy. 

Chapter Text

Henry'd gone a week overdue and his belly was absolutely showing for it. In all his previous pregnancies his stomach had never looked like this before, red and angry, covered in stretch marks, with a belly button that deserved its own zip code. Even with the twins the stretch marks only appeared on his sides. Not this time. 

Claire was certain he was going to need a C-section. 

Henry was holding onto hope of giving birth naturally. 

Alex was trapped in their gridlock. 

Meeting him half way, Claire booked the appointment for as far out as was feasible, and gave Henry the go-ahead to try and safely jump start labor. Obviously, she felt certain that their son would stubbornly stay put, until they cut into Henry to evict him. Alex did his best not to shudder at the thought. 

“Good luck,” she muttered to Alex, as Henry fiercely waddled out of her office, more determined than ever to get their son out naturally. 

His nesting instinct was off the charts this time, as well. Even though walking had turned into more of a labored heaving. It was hard to watch him, huffing and puffing, as the drooping weight of his belly impeded on his lungs and pulled the skin away from his body. It left Alex with little to do besides hover around his mate and worry incessantly. Save for the blessed time Henry occasionally spent, giving his swollen feet a break, genuinely relaxing. 

Like now. Alex drank in the view, Henry so full and ripe with life, he teemed with it. He was laid up on their large L shaped futon, their replacement after Laina’s birth ruined the previous sofa, stripped down to his boxers and extra large house coat. Conceding to Alex’s endless nagging, Henry’s feet were propped on a pillow, while their three girls snuggled wherever they could fit alongside their dad on the couch.  

This normally meant Alex had a list of chores that was several pages long, but he was just overjoyed that Henry was able to override his nesting instincts and allow Alex to help him.

Apropos of nothing, Laina decided she'd had enough of the sofa. Right when Alex swept through the living room, carting another basket of toys back to the girls’ rooms, Laina moved to get up, too quickly, and ended up kneeing Henry in the process. Dropping the toys, Alex dove in, lifting her and her sisters away from their dad, as Henry hissed in pain, and grasped for Alex to help him sit up. 

"Sorry daddy," Laina called, slurring the words into one as she speed ran out of the room, off to do whatever her nearly three year old heart decided was urgently necessary. Giggling, both twins ran after her, more than happy to get into mischief if their sister started it. 

Still groaning, Henry pressed on his belly, trying to get Junior to move into a better position. 

"Do you want me to make her come apologize for real?" Alex asked, equally poised to run after Laina and to reprimand their unborn son for his current position, slanting Henry's belly in an unnatural move leftward that was painful just to look at. 

"No," Henry sighed. "Not her fault her brother has made me into an oversensitive whale."

"Hen, you're not a whale." 

"No? Well, what would you call a man who bumps into every piece of furniture he owns, and knocks any unexpected object off the countertops, all because he can't see around his massive belly?"

"A pregnant one," Alex said, rubbing a soothing palm up the side of Henry’s belly where their son had obviously made himself more than comfortable. 

“I want him out,” Henry said miserably, ignoring the fact that he was three days out from his induction date, and baby boy hadn’t made any moves towards natural labor. 

“Once the girls are down for the night, we can work on some of those labor starters,” Alex teased, eyebrows shooting up in a suggestive manner. Realistically, he was sure Henry would be ready for bed once they fought the girls through dinner time, three baths, and no less than four stories. They’d be lucky to work through some minor stretches before exhaustion left Henry’s pupped up ass snoring. 

Henry looked uninterested, but eventually sighed in agreement. “I’ll shower now, if you can start dinner?” 

“Okay,” Alex said, dragging the word out, still not believing for a millisecond that they would be having sex. 

Henry wanted to have sex. 

Even after the long battle of making the girls eat lasagna, with plenty of secret vegetables blended into the sauce, four baths, Este peed in the water and had to go for a second round, and five bedtime stories, Alex had argued for three, but couldn’t refuse their pleading puppy dog eyes. 

Alex couldn’t believe it. 

He met Henry in their bedroom, flopping onto their mattress, ready to pass out. But Henry was busy, posed at the headboard, rubbing oil into his belly in a way that could only be described as whorish. If Alex had any energy left he’d be buttoning his coat and high tailing it to the nearest confessional. 

“Are you going to make love to me? Or are you planning on forcing your pregnant husband to do all the work?” 

“H,” Alex sighed. “I don’t know if I have it in me tonight.” His hand found Henry’s and gave it a gentle squeeze, but Henry’s grip went tight around Alex’s fingers. 

“I can get on top,” Henry said, but it sounded a whole lot more like I need you to. 

“Baby,” Alex said, a light laugh trilling through their room. 

“You don’t want me to?” 

“Baby,” Alex repeated, turning to find Henry looking so pitiful, he might as well have gotten a hand around Alex’s heart and squeezed. 

“Alex,” Henry whined, arching his back and allowing his free hand to trail the bottom of his stuffed belly. “Darling, I’m so big, and I’m so tired. I need you to get him out.” 

Leaning in, Alex kissed Henry sweetly. Henry went a little feral with it, pawing at Alex’s chest and trying desperately to deepen the kiss. Alex wouldn’t be moved. Henry was right, he was tired and too big, and Alex was happy to wait out the two miserable days and let a doctor aid in the birth of their son. 

“I need a shower,” Alex said, rolling out of the nest. He was certain Henry would be out cold by the time he emerged, warm and dewy stripped down to his boxers. 

When Alex returned, he was not greeted by his gently snoring mate. Instead, he found Henry, naked, frantically stripping his cock, pinning Alex with a pleading stare. Alex also noticed several articles of his gym clothes had made their way to Henry’s side of the nest, crammed between the mattress and the wall. Signaling that Henry really needed it bad. 

“Alpha,” Henry whimpered. “I’m too pregnant, I need you to get him out.”

“Hen,” Alex managed, standing dumbstruck at the foot of their bed. 

Seizing the opportunity, Henry scooted to the edge of the mattress, planting his feet on the floor, on either side of Alex, and began rubbing his linea nigra back and forth along the outline of Alex’s cock. The softest touches stirred Alex’s interest instantly. 

Yet another way this pregnancy had differed from their past ones: Henry was endlessly keyed up. All throughout the second trimester he’d woken Alex up at three a.m. begging him for his fingers, his mouth, his cock, anything Alex was willing to give. Alex had never slept worse, but he was living for it. 

The omega was overflowing with pheromones and his hormones had gone haywire. He needed Alex constantly, with a desperation that rivaled his worst heats. The only relief came when Alex was deep inside him, whispering sweet comforts, until the bliss of an orgasm put Henry to sleep. 

Henry groaned, bringing Alex back to the present, their son obviously rolled, heavy in Henry’s womb. 

“You did this,” Henry panted. “Now fix it. “ 

“Get up,” Alex said, goading Henry onto his front. Henry straightened his arms, getting up on all fours, then spread his legs a bit further, and came to rest on his elbows. With that, his belly kissed the bed. Alex could have lost it right then, but he had a job to do. 

"I'm too big," Henry moaned. “This can’t be sexy.” 

Alex's raging hard-on against Henry’s back might as well have been a lie detector, but Henry’s self image was too clouded with need to rationalize that. 

"No," Alex gasped, finally getting a hand on Henry's hips and taking some of the weight off Henry's poor spine. "You're perfect." 

His hands roamed the overfilled belly, taking a slight detour to squeeze Henry's chest, knowing fully well that Henry was so sensitive there, the lightest brush left him creaming. Alex felt his cock throb as he laid it against the place where Henry wanted him most, teasing, just a little bit. 

Henry shoved backwards, trying in vain to force Alex inside. 

"You're already loose for me, sweetheart," Alex said, smiling as he barely moved to guide his cock inside Henry's warmth. "This pussy was made for me, huh?" 

His thrusts were slow and shallow, because no matter how much Alex wanted Henry or Henry wanted Alex, he was still ten months pregnant.

"Needs you... Can't get myself off without you inside."

"I know, sweetheart, I know, your belly gets in the way." 

Henry whimpered as he dropped more of his weight onto his arms, he was smothering the life out of one of their throw pillows, and Alex could only pray he was somewhere near supported. He held firm to Henry's hips, doing his best to take the brunt of the weight. 

"You get off to that, huh? You love being big and round? Everyone knowing I claimed you, again?”

Henry couldn't do much besides moan at that, clenching so tight, Alex had to pause and gather his composure. Air came as a gentle hiss through his teeth and for a moment Alex thought Henry was going to pull his soul, and an orgasm, through his dick. 

"Come back," Henry begged, voice a quiet slur. 

Experimentally, for his sake as well as Henry's, Alex rolled his hips. 

"Harder," Henry said. "I can take it." 

The shift to hard steady thrusts was a slow working incline. Alex continued to pump in and out of Henry for a while, keeping a fairly lowkey pace, until the omega was writhing and wanton below him. It wasn't just up to Alex anymore, his self control crumbling, as he plowed into Henry, over and over and over. 

Henry moaned, something about how all he ever wanted was Alex's cock inside him, and Alex assured him that he knew, folding over him so entirely that he could leave gentle kisses on Henry's back. At the simplest brush of Alex's lips, Henry arched his back, belly pressed firmly into the mattress, and the sight- the vision- was enough to leave Alex seeing stars. 

Alex's orgasm surprised him, he meant to pull out, to leave a claim all down Henry's spine. To clean him up with his tongue after. Instead he came inside, nearly doubling over, as he groaned long and deep, feeling himself gush out of Henry's filled cunt. 

Giving Alex no time to recover, Henry pulled off, and rolled over. Facing Alex, he pulled his leg up, just so, offering Alex the perfect view of his spend leaking from Henry's claimed hole. 

His slight smirk saying the only thought occupying Alex's brain for the past ten months: you made me this way. Henry was a masterpiece. Alex's magnum opus. 

“You can’t help yourself, can you?” Alex asked, voice raw, emotionally and physically spent. 

“No," Henry said, demurely. "But you can." 

Three rounds later, Henry was finally too fucked out to keep going. No matter how many times he begged Alex to keep it up, until he popped. Alex tried, forever gracious for the ability to love on Henry's pregnant body for what would probably be the last time before he birthed their final baby. 

Unfortunately Henry’s water didn't break, but the temporary pleasure Alex was able to provide at least put him to sleep. 

Bare minimum, it looked as though the baby had moved. Alex could give him that. He was hindering Henry’s ability to walk, leaving Henry’s hands permanently affixed to his lower back, to support the baby dropped low in his hips. Alex had made the mistake of trying to lift the belly for him and gotten chewed out so fiercely that he decided to plant himself in their nest and stay there. 

Since sex didn't work, Henry wanted to walk the baby out. 

“I don’t know if we should leave the house, babe,” Alex said, eyeing the angry red belly. Cassie was watching the girls, and they could request security to join them, but it just didn’t sit right. If they’d actually made progress on getting Junior out, Alex reasoned they should be on their way to the hospital. 

“I need to move,” Henry implored, proven in the way he paced a hole into the carpet of their bedroom. 

“Are you cramping?”

“No,” Henry said, after a moment of consideration. 

“Are you sure?”

“Alex, you can either get dressed and come with me, or watch my huge arse as I walk out of here.”

“Alright, alright, I’m getting up,” Alex said, hands going up in concession. 

Alex was wearing a hat and sunglasses, and insisted Henry do the same. The paparazzi had been on one since some less than stellar pictures of Henry during their UK holiday leaked.  His oversized shirt had crept up his belly and his pants had a massive stain from one of the girls getting sick on sweets their grandmother continuously snuck them. His eye bags were excessive and even Alex had to admit he didn't look all that hot. 

Now every amateur "journalist" was convinced they'd make a mint off any sighting of the Portly Pregnant Prince, or whatever they were calling Henry these days. 

At the sight of Henry in one of his oversized paternity hoodies, Alex’s longhorns cap and silliest sunnies, Alex suddenly wasn’t opposed to trying sex again. 

“You know we could always stay in bed–”

“Alex,” Henry said firmly, already halfway out the door. “Walk it, or park it.”

“Coming!” 

Getting outside and down their driveway was a slow moving process, by Alex’s calculations it would take forty-five minutes to complete a normally fifteen minute trip. Henry was sweaty just from getting down the stairs and Alex felt overly gracious for the cool February breeze, as he watched its soothing effects on Henry’s frayed nerves.  

At first, Henry had to stop periodically. Tugging on his biking shorts and pressing on his belly to adjust the way their son sat in his hips. 

Ten minutes into their walk, the stops became more frequent, with Henry grabbing onto lamposts, streetsigns, Alex, and on one occasion Cash, to catch his breath. 

“Henry, this is looking a whole lot like contractions,” Alex said, shooting Cash a nervous glance. 

“It’s not,” Henry practically wheezed. 

“We could go in just to check–”

“Alexander Gabriel Fox-Diaz. I am fine. I will let you know the moment that changes.”

Alex looked to Cash, silently asking what the fuck should they do? While Cash looked on in utter bafflement, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. He flashed Alex his phone screen, where he had emergency services dialed and ready to go, which would have to be good enough. 

They got another two minutes of walking, chatting about nothing, before Henry was gasping, hands locking onto his thighs, as pain clearly wracked through his body. Alex was there in a heartbeat, holding him up and keeping him from toppling clean over. Henry let out a low growl, pressing his face into Alex’s chest, as Alex felt and heard something splash against his feet, soaking his running shoes. 

 “I’ll be damned, Hen,” Alex said, a bit out of breath. No room for any ‘I told you so’s, or even plain shock. “You did it, darling. Are we driving or is Cash calling a bus?” 

Henry looked at Alex, eyes wide and full of panic. “Neither.” 

“Huh?”

“He’s coming–” Henry broke off into a pained gasp, bending at the waist in a move that Alex wasn’t sure he could pull off anymore. They’d gone through this three times now and Alex knew by Henry’s face that he was ready to push. 

Henry dropped into a squat. Right there at the edge of their neighbor’s driveway. Hysterically, Alex thanked God for the stranger’s shrubbery, keeping Henry mostly out of sight. 

Poor Henry was running off fumes and pure animal instinct, natural and desperate to give birth. Tears streaming down his face, he had no reservations about dropping trow, the pains of birth killing off the last of his modesty. With a long agonized groan, and a fierce grip on Alex’s forearms, with poor Cash hovering nearby, utterly dumbstruck, their son was born in their neighbor’s starflower bush.

The neighbor- a gentle alpha named Shane, who they learned had a loving omega of his own named Jeff and twins on the way- was kind enough to bring them some water, towels, and a brand new baby blanket while they waited on the ambulance Cash had called somewhere in the chaos. Henry was convinced they could just take him in the next day, but Alex wasn’t having it. Giving birth outside wasn’t on his that year’s bingo card, and he didn’t want Henry, or their newborn, to come down with some crazy infection brought on by the Texas humidity. 

"Claire didn't want you to even try to push him out, we're going in buddy," Alex said, for once not listening to his omega's woowoo insistence that he knew his body and their baby's body better than anybody else could. Henry’s sweet ass was going to the hospital, Alex would get the handcuffs if he had to. 

The EMTs were on the scene in record time. They created a privacy circle, covering Henry for Alex to cut the cord, and Henry to deliver the placenta without the entire neighborhood watching. A crowd had already formed a few doors down, making Alex and Henry eager to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. 

Given the number of people already causing a curious stir, Cash would ride in the front of the ambulance, while Amy followed in Alex's car, already primed with the car seat and the hospital bag they'd packed under the assumption that Henry was getting induced. Alex checked in with Cassie, who was good to stay with the girls, and their other security guard Luke would keep eyes on the house, in case one of their less friendly neighbors called any news stations about this.  

Sitting in the back of the ambulance, Alex allowed himself to take his first breath in what felt like hours. He smiled to himself, googling the little blue flowers that first welcomed their son into the world. 

“Henry, I think I found our middle name,” Alex said, waving his phone screen at his mate. 

Henry squinted at the phone, adjusting the baby against his chest. “While it’s on theme, George Starflower is a bit on the nose for a gay prince’s son, no?” 

“One, we never decided if we wanted George or Gabriel, two, look here.” He zoomed in on the name, making it easier for Henry to see. “The Latin, baby, Ipheion.” 

Henry smiled softly. “George Ipheion.” Then he busted out laughing, cringing as pain shot through him. “God,” he wheezed. “That’s atrocious.” 

Alex quirked an eyebrow at him. He’d never commented this much on his husband’s interesting name choices for their other three children. 

“Besides, I don’t think George suits,” Henry added, glancing down at the not-so-little baby. 

Alex peered at his son. At first glance he’d thought the infant was bald, but unlike his sisters, who were all born with dark waves, he had a head full of straight, blonde hair. Alex had been putting together a presentation on white Latinx identities since Elaina was in utero and he quickly realized it would be particularly important for this one. The girls had been pale when they were born, but their boy was almost red, completely pink in the same way Henry went if he got overheated.

“Gabriel either,” Alex said. “Honestly Hen, he’s the spit of you.” 

“Is he?” Henry asked, demurely. It was so obvious, anyone else would have laughed. Not Alex. Not when his husband was just putting in the work to save his ego. 

“What about one of your other middle names?” Alex asked, all of his junior jokes coming back to haunt him. 

“What, Eddie?” Henry asked with a snort.

“Okay, your majesty, dial the sass back,” Alex chided, with a kiss to the baby's pink hand. Their eyes met over the top of his head, and it all settled into place. 

“James,” they said in tandem, with a dreamy sigh. 

“D’you know, Dad used to joke that he’d lost his first grandson’s name in a bet to one of his actor friends,” Henry said, fighting to keep the smile off his face. 

Two hours and one call to Sir Ian McKellen later they signed James Ian’s birth certificate and left the hospital. Claire, personally, gave Henry the all clear with a genuine congratulations to the both of them. 

“I’ll see you next time,” she said, more cheerily than she had been in ages with them. 

“You still want us on blockers?” 

“You’ll let me know if you need any,” Claire said, shrugging. 

“We won’t,” Henry muttered under his breath. Alex swatted his shoulder, lightly, and then, remembering that Henry had just birthed a nearly eleven pound baby, kissed it. Hoping she didn’t hear him, they made a break for the car, Cash pushing Henry’s wheelchair, while Alex managed James’ car seat. 

“How’re you feeling about Barbs as a push present?” Alex asked, already routing the map to include the barbecue restaurant on their way home. 

“You got him a solid gold bracelet for Laina, a trip to Mallorca and Paris for the twins, now he’s reduced to a rack of ribs?” Cash asked, teasing Alex, as he helped load an exhausted Henry into the back seat. 

“And brisket,” Alex said, already punching the order in on his phone. 

Cash looked unconvinced. 

“Ma picked up the girls and we can eat it in bed,” Alex supplied. 

Weakly, Henry snapped, turning his fingers into a point to the map. "Deal."

"Sounds like a raw deal to me," Cash grumbled. 

"Would you like a push present, Cassius?" Henry teased, eyes never straying from the baby boy peacefully sleeping in his car seat. 

"I’d make him get me a new car, at least.” 

“I’ll see what I can do about that for your bonus this year,” Henry said, sleepily laying into the cradle of the backseat. The thing was, Alex knew he meant it. Cash had stayed solid throughout two of their children’s births, the least they could do was see about a car. 

What Cash and Henry didn’t know was that Alex had already ordered Henry a real push present and that it was poised in the basement, ready for the first time Henry felt like getting lit after almost a year of abstaining. 

Creeping down to the cellar, Alex eyed the bottle of wine. It was an aged Bordeaux that turned twenty on February 4th, coinciding with the exact date they welcomed James into the world.  He could already hear June accusing him of manifesting his son's chaotic birth, but Alex couldn't bring himself to care.

His baby was healthy, and Henry was okay, a fourth degree tear straight to his ass, but still okay. 

Alex whipped out his phone, just in case any relatives had missed the birth announcement and had to bite back a laugh. 

Today, The Bump, and KXAN had already featured think pieces on their son's birth, but for once Henry and Alex weren't in the headlines. 

"Off-Duty Firefighter Helps Neighbor Give Birth on Front Lawn" 

"Freebirthing: Sure way to announce birth to the neighbors"

"How Austin Omega Gave Birth in Neighbor's Bush"

Suddenly, Alex felt significantly less guilty about stealing Shane's baby blanket. Hopefully, those fifteen minutes tasted real good. 

On the upside, there was only one ridiculously blurry image of Henry's back circulating on Reddit, with a single diehard First Prince fan swearing it had to be Henry, her Etsy witch told her so. With no one credibly sourcing it as him, Alex considered it a win and locked his phone for the night, taking the stairs two at a time to return to his babies, and finally get some rest. 

Chapter Text

The plan was simple: gather a collection of worldly political figures to converge for a three day getaway in the Hamptons. Wherein they would partake in silly activities, like board games and hot cocoa, with limited dangerous ones (i.e. skiing). They would all appear perfectly posed under a dimly lit Christmas tree, Bea at the piano, June on the guitar, everyone laughing like a Hallmark movie. Alex and Henry would make love in their hotel room, with their four kids, safely tucked into their adjourning room.

It was perfect, perfect, perfect. 

With only four days left before Christmas, things were no longer looking perfect, perfect, perfect. Alex's gaze tracked the weather app on his phone, then his sleeping mate, then back to the forecast, like enough wishing could change what he saw glinting off his screen. Headlines announced this was the worst winter storm New York had seen in over a decade, and it left Alex praying that they were being hyperbolic.

They'd really been looking forward to this trip. It'd been ages since they'd seen Alex's family, let alone Henry's, and even James— who was only two— was asking when they were gonna go on holiday. (Their kids were effectively British until they started kindergarten and it broke both parents' hearts to watch them lose what little accents they started with.)

Alex decided to smooth the news over with French toast. He plopped the kids in front of the TV with too much syrup and Shrek, Alex maintained it was a classic, while he served his Prince Charming breakfast in bed.

"Baby," Alex said, softly, knocking the bedroom door open with his foot, bed tray in hand. He'd gone the full nine, snipped a flower from the garden, fresh strawberries sliced just the way Henry liked them, glass of organic oj, and his Earl Grey brewed to perfection.

"Times it?" Henry asked, groggily.

"A little past ten." Alex was honestly shocked Henry slept through the utter chaos of Alex rousing their four children and feeding the starving mouths.

Henry groaned, rolling over to Alex's side of the bed, snuggling into his pillow and breathing deep. "Are the children awake?"

"Yep," Alex said, popping the 'p' and settling into Henry's warm spot. "Shrek and Donkey are babysitting."

Henry hummed. Once upon a time they'd been a zero screens family, but after recognizing that Alex had been a free range TV kid and turned out relatively fine, they decided a DVD player, with a carefully selected chunk of movies couldn't hurt. Also, Laina was old enough to go play at her friends' houses unsupervised, and while they could shield her from the horrors of an iPad, streaming services were some of these kid's third parents.

"What's with the princess treatment?"

"Can't I just spoil my husband?" Alex asked, faux-horror-struck.

Henry cut him one of his bitchier glances and Alex gave up the ghost.

"I have some bad news."

"Oh?" Henry asked, finally sitting up and reaching over for a piece of bacon from Alex's carefully prepared tray.

"It looks like we may have to cancel our trip."

"What?" Henry asked, spine going ramrod straight.

"I know, I know… I can see what we can do about rescheduling, but it looks like there's no planes in or out of the east coast."

Henry burst into tears, back curling like the moon, as he brought his knees up to his chest. He looked so small, so broken, it ripped Alex's heart straight out of his chest.

"Hey, hey, what's going on?" Alex asked lamely, hands sort of hovering around Henry, for once no idea where to touch him.

The alpha tried to scent his mate, but made little progress. Alex was too alarmed and Henry was too worked up for it to have any grand effect.

"Baby?" Alex asked, unfolding Henry with gentle touches and slow repetitive breaths.

"'m sorry," Henry mumbled, wiping away tears, even as more kept on coming. "I don't… Well I do know, I just, I didn't mean to react that way."

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I had a plan."

"A plan?" Alex parroted, slowly. 

"Yes, Alex, a plan," Henry said, getting a little frustrated. In the most unprincely move Alex had ever seen from his husband, Henry wiped his nose on the edge of his sleep shirt. "And I was really looking forward to seeing everyone and I know the children are going to be disappointed, as well. And it was all too much, all of a sudden." 

"That's alright Hen, what are we always telling the kids? Big feelings means big reactions, ain't no thang, baby doll." Never mind that that logic was usually applied to their toddler who was experiencing the world for the very first time, not Alex's thirty year old mate. "What was your big plan?" 

"I, erm, I had a bit of news to share." 

"News? Did your publisher get back to you? Or did June get you in touch with the new editor?" Alex felt a bit like an excitable puppy, Henry put so much of his heart and his soul into his book and Alex couldn't wait for the rest of the world to marvel at his talent.

"No," Henry said, knocking his head to the side and dragging the monosyllabic word out to a six syllable note, with a touch of a laugh. 

Alex balanced his chin on his shoulder. He leaned a little closer, eyes imploring Henry to do the same. Pulled by his mate's magnetic force, Henry met Alex halfway, pressing their foreheads together. 

"Tell me," Alex whispered. 

Henry pursed his lips, and then setting his jaw, he admitted, "I'm pregnant." 

Alex laughed, a little dumbstruck. Henry didn't move. Alex couldn't exactly recall the last time they'd had sex, but he knew it was after Pez's absolutely insane Halloween party where both of them had done way too many Jell-O shots. Shifting uncomfortably in the silence that blanketed them, Henry moved the bed tray onto his nightstand, and scooted to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over the side. 

"You're serious?" 

"As a heart attack."

Another laugh bubbled up from Alex's chest as he sprang up from the bed, crossing the room to kneel down on Henry's side. 

"Oh my God," Alex said, settling between Henry's knees, dazzling smile fighting to take over his features. This explained so much, Henry's peculiar sleep habits, the crying at the sight of baby clothes in the store, the bouts of nausea he'd written off as food poisoning, the touch of weight he’d lost, utterly, unable to keep anything down. 

"You're happy?"

"Shit yeah, baby, of course I'm fucking happy." A little fervently Alex dove forward to kiss Henry's stomach. "What's one more?" 

Henry barked out a laugh of his own at that, gingerly cradling Alex's head. 

"What's one more?" Henry muttered, tugging Alex up into a sweet, slow kiss. 

"Dads!" Laina wailed, thunderous feet trampling up the stairs.

"Yes, mi amor?" Alex called, already pulling his body from his spot glued to Henry.

"Jamie spilled syrup, like, everywhere," Laina said with a dramatic flourish of her hands.

"You gave them syrup?" Henry asked.

"Against my judgment, let me go survey the damage. You keep your feet up."

"I'm not an invalid," Henry huffed, pushing the covers away.

"At least finish your breakfast." Alex spared him a pleading glance, and caught the tail end of Henry getting comfortable in their bed once more. He tapped their doorframe in a reassuring gesture and set off to clean up the sticky evidence.

Being stuck at their house didn't mean they couldn't enjoy their time together. Alex couldn't remember the last time he and Henry had taken a long weekend and just stayed at home with their kids, namely, because doing that was asking for more syrup incidents than either of them knew what to do with. But they'd decided to snuggle up, watch some of Arthur's more PG movies, take Henry's horse Jane for a trot around the yard, maybe start up a fire in their underused fireplace. Even if Texas wasn't quite cold enough for one, the girls loved making s'mores. 

Sticky messes be damned, they had a walk-in shower for a reason. 

Alex did have to make a quick trip to the grocery store for s'mores supplies. They didn't have any metal hangers to sacrifice, so he got the dullest skewers he could find and a box of full sized chocolate bars, springing on Cadbury for Henry's delicate British sensibilities. 

Armed to the teeth in fireside treat ingredients, Alex was simply delighted by the sight that welcomed him upon his return. All four children were crowded around the door, James was two, struggling on chunky toddler legs behind his sisters, who were much faster at four and six. 

The piece de resistance was Henry pregnant and sleepy on the couch. He smiled around a yawn, one hand on his belly. 

"Papa, Papa," Leia cried, tugging on Alex's pant leg. "Dame besos!" 

"Besos!" Laina and Este cheered, all three a demanding, united front. 

Jamie wasn't as articulate as his sisters but he smiled, a dead ringer for Henry's wide gummy smile, crying for besos as best he could. 

"Alright, alright," Alex said, crouching down like he was going to give each of them kisses, just to shoot back up and leap away from his children with a cry of, "Daddy first!" 

He went a circuitous route, letting the kids chase him around the living room, dropping marshmallows and graham crackers in his wake, to block the children's way, until he finally landed on the couch next to Henry. Taking care not to jostle his mate, Alex leaned in to pepper him with all the kisses he could stand. 

"How're my babies doing?" Alex whispered, as their four little demons neared the couch, torn between the goal of crawling all over Alex and their put upon disgust any time their parents were affectionate. 

"Perfect, love." 

Alex couldn't have put it better if he'd been given a million years to think of it. Their staycation had been perfect, perfect, perfect after all.