Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tired, on the verge of exhaustion, Alex slumps down on the mossy grass, carelessly throwing his backpack on the ground next to him, and rests his head against a tree. His feet ache, his calves burn, his back is killing him, hell, even his left pinkie is protesting.

He closes his eyes for just a minute. All he needs is just one minute, maybe five, to gather his strength, to take a breather, before he can continue on his journey.

Four days he’s been in this forest, following a non-existent path. Four days.

He’s probably lost.

How on earth is he going to find a small, hidden cabin in an enchanted forest as large as a small country? How is he going to find his way back, for that matter?

Yeah, he is most definitely lost.

Hope is lost.

June is going to die…

It’s that horrifying realisation that jolts him back to consciousness. Judging by the position of the sun, it has been more than just five minutes. Closer to an hour, if Alex had to guess.

With a grunt, he pulls his water bottle out of his bag and takes a careful sip. It’s going to need refilling soon, so not only will he be looking for a needle in a hay stack that’s a tiny cabin in the woods, he’ll also have to scour the land for some fresh water.

He hoists himself up, ignoring his aching muscles, and takes out his compass. The needle spins erratically. It hasn’t pointed due north for three days now, but it hasn’t been this frantic before. Does that mean he’s getting closer?

After checking his watch, phone and GPS, confirming none of them have miraculously started working again, he sets out.

Good thing he’s been a Boy Scout and still retains some memories of surviving in the wilderness. Except that, when he was a cub, there was always someone around when he needed help. He had back-up, someone who’d come looking for him if he didn’t return to camp. This time, he’s all on his own. There’s no one to come and get him when it gets dark, and it would be frightening, if he wasn’t so determined.

Forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, he walks further into the forest, keeping an eye on the moss growing on the trees. Who needs a compass when nature can tell you which way is north? Not Alex, that’s for sure! He verifies his instincts by checking the sun’s position, the way most branches are facing, by watching the shadows and by observing the occasional spiderweb. He’s definitely travelling east, but he has no idea how far he’s come or how much of a distance he has yet to go.

He stumbles through the forest, fills his bottle at a babbling brook and pushes himself to the limit until dusk falls in. Even then he doesn’t give up. Until the limit pushes back, and Alex steps on a slippery rock and falls to the soft ground with a broken yelp.

Pain shoots through his ankle and he rolls onto his back, grabbing his leg in hopes of alleviating the pain a bit. It doesn’t help.

Cursing and gritting his teeth, he turns onto his side and lets his head drop to the ground. He squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from forming. If he starts crying now, for whatever reason, he won’t be able to stop. He doesn’t have time for that. He needs to keep going!

He takes a couple of deep, forceful breaths, willing the tears and the pain away, and gets back on his feet. Even before he takes the first step, he knows it’s a lost cause. Besides the pain making him dizzy, his ankle isn’t able to handle his weight.

Unable to do much else, Alex hops around until he can put his hand on a nearby tree to hold himself upright.

“Fuck!” he shouts out into the quiet forest.

A tear escapes him, but it doesn’t make it far before he angrily wipes it off. The second one doesn’t even make it out of his eye before it’s removed.

“No,” he tells himself off.

He quickly gathers his thoughts and starts looking around for a branch or a sturdy stick, something he can use as a crutch. Luckily, it doesn’t take long for him to find one that’s of sufficient thickness and length. Leaning on his new lifeline, he makes it a few more yards before he has to admit it’s too dark to safely travel any further. He can hardly see the ground and if he doesn’t want to injure both ankles, he'll have to wait until morning.

Distraught, aggravated and completely exhausted, he finds a tree that will give him some cover and sinks back down onto the forest floor. He digs into some of his provisions, which he’s running dangerously low on, and rests is head against the bark as he closes his eyes.

“You can’t be here.”

A sudden voice nearly has Alex jumping out of his skin. Panic spikes and Alex hurriedly sits upright, his arms flying up, ready to defend himself if necessary. His eyes shoot left and right, trying to ascertain where the voice is coming from, but he immediately has to close them again to protect them against the blinding light from what must be a lantern of some kind. He blinks a couple of times to get used to it before he realises that the lantern is being held by the man the voice belongs to.

With his heart beating in his ear, Alex scrambles to his feet.

“Shit, fuck,” he says, both because of the unpleasant awakening and the pain that shoots through his entire body the moment he puts his foot on the ground.

“You’re hurt.”

“Yeah, shit,” Alex says through gritted teeth. “Slipped a little while back. Hurts like a motherfucker.”

He’s trying to get a feel for the man in front of him, to assess if he’d stand a chance if the man would try to overpower him, but the light is too bright. He can clearly see his surroundings but not much more than a silhouette of the man in front of him.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the man repeats, calm but urgent.

“No, listen man,” Alex pleads, trying to block the light source with the hand that’s not holding on to the tree for dear life, “I’m looking for Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. My sister, she’s hurt, she’s gonna die and-”

His mouth snaps shut.

“You’re him,” he breathes. “You’re Henry. Aren’t you?”

“I am not,” the man answers after a suspiciously long pause.

“The hell you aren’t,” Alex says with a derisive snort. “Listen, please hear me out. I need your help. Please, please, don’t send me away. My sister is dying and you’re the only one who can help her. Please!”

His voice cracks and this time he can’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. A mixture of desperation and relief is coursing through him like wildfire. This is the man he has been looking for these last couple of days. This is the man he’s travelled miles and miles to see.

He’s found him, he’s finally found him, how improbable that might have seemed, and he’s not going to take no for an answer.

“It’s likely not safe out here if you’re wounded,” the man – who certainly is Henry – tells him. “I’ll patch you up and will give you a place to stay for the night, but come morning, I need you to leave.”

“No, I can’t-” Alex starts protesting, but he cuts himself off.

He needs shelter. He needs food. And if Henry is able to stop his ankle from hurting like a bitch, he’ll keep his mouth shut for a little longer. He’s got the rest of the night to plead his case.

“Alright,” he concedes on a stuttering exhale.

Henry turns around and takes that stupidly blinding light with him. Alex still can’t look at it without squinting.

Quickly, he feels around for his bag and his make-shift crutch, and he hurries to follow Henry, who has just disappeared around a tree.

It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes for them to arrive at a small cabin with plants and colourful flowers dotted around it. The walls are made out of a mismatch of stones, which shouldn’t be structurally sound but looks surprisingly sturdy. The slanted roof seems to be completely covered in moss, from where Alex is stumbling along the front path. It’s a little hard to tell with the ever moving shadows being cast by the lantern, but it almost looks as if the house has been organically risen from the ground, instead of built on top of it. It fits into its surroundings just as much as the trees and the vegetation, like it has always been here.

“Come in,” Henry tells him as he holds the sky blue door open.

Alex mumbles a thanks and hops over the threshold, straight into a miraculously spacious living area.

He has hardly had the chance to sit down on the chair Henry pulls out for him, when an adorable Beagle inches forward until it’s hiding behind Henry’s long legs. Alex was hoping to get a better look at the man, to discern who he is dealing with, but a dog trumps every other distraction.

“Who are you?!” he squeals delighted, bending forwards to hold out his hand as low to the floor as he can from his sitting position.

“This is David,” Henry responds, stepping away to a small kitchen area and reaching into a cabinet, the dog in his wake. “David, this is Alex. He won’t be staying long.”

“David?” Alex asks with a incredulous huff. “Who calls their dog Da- Hey! How’d you know my name? I sure as hell didn’t tell you!”

He whips his head around to eye Henry, who’s now putting a kettle on the stove. Suspicion rises, putting Alex further on edge.

As Henry turns around, Alex finally gets a good look at him. On top of those long legs he noticed earlier, because they were blocking the dog, he finds a sturdy torso, broad shoulders and a face nothing like what he had expected to find.

He had imagined a bulky, rough-looking, riddled-with-scars kind of face. Not this one. Not one that looks flushed and soft, with piercing blue eyes, plush lips and immaculate blond hair on top of his head.

He thought he’d been searching for a hard, gruff, unpleasant kind of wild man, not Prince fucking Charming!

Is this the man everyone seems to fear? The man no one seems to be able to find? The elusive, evasive Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor? That just seems all sorts of wrong.

“I know who you are,” Henry states, pulling Alex’s attention back to the conversation with a jolt.

“How the fuck?” Alex exclaims.

“I might be a recluse, a hermit, but I’m still of this world,” Henry says, still infuriatingly calm.

Alex gapes at him as Henry turns back around and rips some leaves from a bunch of twigs hanging from a piece of twine that spans the entire length of the kitchen. It’s almost at the ceiling, but Henry doesn’t even need to get on his toes to reach it. He’s that fucking tall.

“I know your mother is the leader of your country,” he continues as he puts the leaves into a small bowl. “One of the most powerful non-magical people in the world.”

He takes a pinch of something out of one of the pots on the shelves and adds it to the leaves. Next, he takes two cups and puts them next to the bowl.

“Who the fuck are you?” Alex asks with a hiss.

“You seemed convinced to know who I was mere minutes ago, were you not?”

“Yeah, well, knowing your name doesn’t really answer that question, now does it?”

All Henry does is hum in response. He takes the kettle off of the stove as it begins to whistle and pours some water into the mugs and the bowl. While his left hand gently stirs the mixture in the bowl, his right one hangs a prepared teabag in both mugs.

“We’ll let that cool for a bit,” he says with a contented nod towards the bowl before he hands one of the mugs to Alex.

“What’s in here?” Alex asks suspiciously. He peers into the cup and watches how the colourless water slowly turns light brown.

“It’s green tea with some turmeric in there, some ginger and a bit of cinnamon. It’s a healing blend.”

Alex carefully sniffs the concoction, easily picking up on the potent smell of the cinnamon. It instantly relaxes him. It reminds him of home.

“Smells alright, I guess,” he shrugs, aiming for aloof, and puts it on the table next to him. He’ll decide on whether or not it’s worth drinking it while it cools.

“Are you hungry?” Henry asks now.

And yes, Alex is very hungry, basically famished in fact, but he’s not about to tell this strange stranger that. His stomach, however, isn’t shy and starts rumbling enthusiastically.

“I’ve made bread this morning. Do you like goats cheese?”

“It’s not my first pick, but sounds nice,” Alex answers a little bashfully, before adding a quiet, “thanks.”

While Henry moves around the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets, Alex’s eyes trail across the room. The first thing he’s drawn to is David, crouched underneath the table, eyes focussed on Alex. Deciding to give the dog some time to warm up to him, he scans the small kitchen with a ridiculous amount of storage space and fresh herbs and spices hanging around everywhere.

He appears to be seated practically in the middle of the cabin at a decently sized table surrounded by a couple of chairs. On the opposite side of the kitchen, there’s what seems to be a cosy chair tucked behind an overflowing bookcase. Warm, red tinted curtains block the windows while the glow of a couple of lanterns light up the inside. There’s a floral patterned rug on the floor and two oval paintings adorn the wall behind the small couch, both of them depicting a dog dressed up like a human. They’re kinda odd, but Alex has to admit he likes them.

It's cosy and warm, and it feels like a home.

And it’s definitely bigger on the inside.

Again, Alex hadn’t been completely sure what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.

His careful observations are interrupted by the sound of a plate being placed next to him. On it are two generous slices of bread with goats cheese spread on top of it, sprinkled with some herbs.

Too hungry to further question whether or not it’s a good idea to accept food from the man he’s been warned about more than once, Alex picks up one of the slices and takes a big bite.

“Thanks,” he mumbles with a full mouth.

“You’re welcome,” Henry hums in return. “Now, up.”

Henry motions between Alex’s injured leg and the chair he’s pulling up. He sits down on a third and takes a sip of his tea before he dips a cloth into the bowl. Henry must have moved everything over while Alex was distracted by cosy rugs and cute paintings. He should really pay better attention.

“Take your shoe off for me?” Henry asks, not looking at Alex.

Alex quickly complies and takes both his shoe and his sock off with a hiss, revealing an ankle that’s double the size of the other one. It’s going to be all black and blue tomorrow, for sure.

He rolls up the bottom of his pants, careful not to jostle his leg too much.

“Let me grab a towel,” Henry says when he sees Alex’s cautious movements.

He stands up and returns a moment later with a fluffy, green towel. He rolls it up and then proceeds to gently lift Alex’s foot up by the heel so he can slide it underneath for support. Henry’s hand is big and warm, his fingers long and strong, but surprisingly soft. It doesn’t even hurt that much when he moves Alex’s leg around, which comes as a surprise. Alex had already braced himself, ready to bite off his tongue instead of crying out in pain, but all that escapes him, is a quiet groan.

“What’s that?” he asks, nodding towards the bowl, unable to contain his curiosity and desperate for a distraction.

“A healing salve.”

“That simple?” Alex asks, not fully convinced yet. “A healing salve?”

“Yes, as I said.”

Henry takes out the cloth, wrings it out, and dabs it onto Alex’s bare ankle without a warning. Alex’s first reaction is to pull away, but Henry has a tight hold on his shin and keeps him in place.

“Fuck,” Alex mutters, gripping the edge of his seat and grinding his teeth together.

Soon enough, the pain turns into a warm, flowing feeling, spreading from his ankle to his toes and up to his knees. It tingles a bit, but it’s not unpleasant.

“What the fuck is that?” Alex asks again, this time more perplexed than anything else.

“A healing salve,” Henry repeats.

“Yeah, no shit,” Alex breathes out with both a giggle and a sob, seemingly unable to control the emotions that have been accumulating over the last couple of days any longer.

“It will need a bit of time. You’ll have to stay off your feet for the next few hours for it to take full effect. You should be able to walk in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Alex says slowly, “about that…”

Henry closes his eyes as he lets go of a deep breath, but Alex continues, “I really need you to come with me.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Henry replies, reaching for the salve to apply some more.

“But my sister is going to die if you don’t.”

Alex is convinced he sees Henry’s hands twitch for just an instance before he wrings the excess water out of the cloth and brings it back to Alex’s ankle.

“She’s been cursed and she’s going to die. She’s only got another couple of days, maybe, if we’re lucky.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“I know it isn’t!” Alex says desperately. “I know, but you’re the only one who can save her. Please, please, I’ll do anything for you to come and help her.” Too tired to fight his tears any longer, he let’s them run freely. “Please, she’s the only one I have. She’s my best friend, she’s everything to me, and she’s dying because my mom has been standing up to your family and they’re pissed about it.”

“What?” Henry asks, his head moving up in a sharp motion, his eyes locked on Alex’s for the first time since they’ve met.

“Your… Your family,” Alex repeats hesitantly. Henry could very well kick him out into the dark night right this second, but it’s a risk he’s going to have to take. “Your family, they’ve been making threats for ages, but they haven’t done anything like this before. Like, they’ve tried to curse our farmlands and stuff, but so far our magical team has been able to put a stop to things and protect us, but this time… This time they’ve gotten to June when she was at a banquet, and we’ve tried everything. Everything! And nothing is working.”

With his chest heaving, he looks at Henry, hoping he’s getting the urgency of the message across.

“You’re our only hope. You’re my only hope. Please.”

Fresh tears prick behind his eyes and his throat feels raw, but he’s willing to plead for hours if that’s what it takes.

In front of him, Henry seems to be frozen. He’s searching Alex’s eyes with a tight jaw, his chest moving quickly up and down with hurried breaths and his hands lingering above Alex’s leg, still holding the cloth.

“Henry?”

Henry blinks a few times and seems to shake himself back to the present. He puts the cloth into the bowl with a splash and hurriedly stands up, pushing the chair back with so much force it almost topples over.

“I’ve left my family a long time ago. I am not part of their coven. I have no control over their actions, nor do I wish to.”

“I know,” Alex says quickly, his hands rising in a surrendering gesture, as he does everything in his power not to get up himself and wreck his leg even more. “There have been rumours for years now. Some people say you haven’t been spotted for that long because you died, but there were talks, talks of you shunning your family’s ways and living in the woods. They say you’ve renounced your magic, but that’s not right, is it? This isn’t just salve, right? It’s more than that.”

He looks at the green paste that Henry had gently spread on his ankle. He still feels the warmth emanating from it. He can basically feel the magic working in him.

“It’s not…” Henry stammers. “It’s not magic. It really is a healing salve. I’ve just… I’ve just helped it along a little bit.”

His cheeks manage to form a slight blush, even through his panicked state, and Alex is momentarily distracted by the vulnerability.

“You’re fucking incredible,” Alex blurts out, feeling his own cheeks heat up the moment he says it.

“I’m truly not,” Henry says, his jaw tightening again and his eyes glazing over.

“You are, you are!” Alex nods slowly, before remembering something. “Here! I’ve got something to show you!”

He fumbles to open his bag and pulls out the pouch he’s been carrying. As soon as he opens the zipper, Henry lunges forward to smack it onto the table. Lights start flickering and Alex swears he can hear the cabin’s walls creak.

“You’ve brought magic here?!” Henry thunders, looming over Alex threateningly. “Their magic?!”

“Shit, sorry!” Alex stammers, his heart suddenly racing and his throat closing up. “The magical team managed to extract some of the curse and bottled it up. They said… They said you’d be able to recognise it and come up with a counter curse, or a potion, or something. And I really want you to come with me to cure my sister yourself, but if you can’t, if you really can’t leave here, you could tell me what to do. Just… Please, please help me!”

He bites his tongue while he watches Henry take breath after breath, his eyes moving around erratically, his lips twitching as the cabin slowly settles back down.

“Please,” Alex whispers one last time.

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he slowly slumps back into his chair, his shoulders slacking.

This is it. This is the moment all hope is lost. This is the moment he’s sent home with the worst news possible.

That is, if Henry doesn’t kill him on the spot.

“Show me,” Henry says instead, breaking the silence.

With trembling fingers, Alex reaches for the pouch again and slowly zips it all the way open. He takes out the clear phial and hands it over to Henry, who hesitates for a moment before he takes it. His hands are shaking just as much as Alex’s, when he brings it up to the light and watches it more closely. Then, he closes his eyes, puts the phial in the palm of his hands and wraps his fingers into a fist around it. He visibly shivers and gasps for air before he hands it back to Alex, desperate to get rid of it.

“Put it away,” he emphasises.

Alex nods eagerly, pushes it back into the pouch, zips it up and puts it in his bag for good measure.

“It’s lined with magic, isn’t it? The pouch?” Henry asks.

“Yeah, sorta. It’s a blocker.”

“That’s why I didn’t feel it before,” Henry hums.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Alex says, feeling guilty about not mentioning it before. But, to be fair, he hadn’t expected this big of a reaction.

"It doesn’t explain why you’ve been circling the cabin for days now.”

“I what now?!” Alex says, jumping up, immediately remembering his injury and sitting back down.

“Yes, my apologies,” Henry says with a sheepish chuckle. “I’ve been aware of your presence and was wondering why you weren’t leaving.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Alex asks, perplexed.

His mom would say she’d be worried a bat would fly in, with his mouth hanging open like this, but he doesn’t care enough to actively close it at the moment.

“This cabin, this area, it’s been charmed to keep everybody out. Everyone who happens to venture here simply… leaves. But you haven’t. And you’ve been carrying my family’s magic with you. You should have been actively deterred to even enter this forest the moment the charms picked up on it.”

“But… I’ve been going east this entire time though!” Alex proclaims. “I didn’t go round in circles.”

“Ah, this forest is quite confusing, isn’t it?”

“The fuck?” Alex mutters, feeling distraught but also, weirdly, a little impressed.

“I’m assuming your equipment hasn’t been working?” Henry asks and Alex nods. “And you’ve been using natural signs to keep your bearings?”

“Yeah, like moss and stuff.”

“Right,” Henry nods, his lips curling up into a cheeky grin. “This forest doesn’t exactly abide by the laws of nature.”

“But the sun!”

“Smoke and mirrors. The forest shows you it’s location where it sees fit. If you’re not me or my best mate, that is.”

“I really hate this place,” Alex grits, thinking back on those gruelling days and the crippling pain he has endured. And all the fucking while he’s been basically right outside? “Is that why you chose this forest? Because it’s kinda nuts?”

“No,” Henry says, almost amused. “I chose this forest because it lies on the border between your country and mine. It was a no-man’s-land, for all intents and purposes, with a possibility to escape into your country if need be. It is only became nuts, as you so eloquently put, after I moved in.”

“Can’t believe you’re choosing to live in a crazy forest,” Alex says, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I feel quite at home,” Henry hums, finally sitting back down, his face turning solemn. “The magic in the vial you’ve brought,” he continues, “is one of my grandmothers inventions. Stalling Death, she calls it. It is intent to make not only the cursed, but also everyone who loves them suffer for as long as possible by prolonging an inevitable death. It’s an intensive process to conjure up, very specific and time consuming, which is why she hardly uses it. The sample you’ve shown me, however, isn’t as potent as she’d make it. I am certain it’s my brother’s.”

“Your brother cursed my sister?”

“I’m afraid so,” Henry says with an apologetic nod. “My brother has been under my grandmother’s influence for quite some time, but I never thought he’d go as far as to kill the daughter of a world leader. It’s utter madness.”

“You’re telling me? He’s a psycho!” Alex says passionately. “Can you fix it, though?”

Henry lets go of an uncontrolled breath as Alex looks at him, clinging to that last bit of hope.

“I can,” Henry answers slowly. “You were right. There’s no cure. I’m the only one who might be able to reverse it.”

“But will you?”

Henry bites his lip for a moment, his eyes trained on his fidgeting hands.

“I don’t know,” he eventually says on an exhale.

“Will you think about it?”

When Henry nods, Alex feels like he can finally breathe.

While Henry makes up the couch for Alex, David tentatively comes closer to investigate the visitor.

“I’m guessing you don’t get to see a lot of people, do you buddy?”

David answers by sniffing Alex’s hand and hurries away when Alex tries to pet him.

“Sorry, bud,” he chuckles. “I’ll keep still, alright?”

“There’s a bathroom through that door,” Henry interrupts them, nodding towards the back of the cabin. “If you want to freshen up a bit.”

“Guess I should,” Alex replies, carefully pushing himself up and making his way over to the bathroom by holding on to every piece of furniture he can reach.

The moment he opens the door, he stops in his tracks.

“What the fuck, Henry!” he calls out. He’s standing in the doorway of a fully functioning, very up-to-date bathroom with a walk-in shower and a huge bathtub. “We’re in the middle of nowhere! How’d you get an actual bathroom in here?”

“Really?” Henry asks and when Alex turns towards him, all Henry has to do is lift an eyebrow for it to sink in.

Magic.

“That’s cheating,” he decides.

“Would you rather have a bowl of cold water and a rag?” Henry replies amused. “That could be arranged.”

“No, thank you,” Alex says and quickly steps inside and closes the door behind him before Henry has the chance to take this luxury away from him.

A bathroom feels like heaven right now.

“Mind if I take a bath?” he shouts through the door.

“Go ahead,” is Henry’s answer. “It’d probably be better for your leg in any case. There’s towels underneath the sink.”

As Alex sits on the edge, waiting for the tub to fill up, he vows never to take warm, running water for granted ever again. He’s never felt this gross in his entire life and he was a boy going through puberty once, so that’s saying something.

When he slowly sinks into the warm water a few minutes later, he completely forgets about the world for a moment and lets his mind and body rest.

Chapter Text

The sun is only just peeking above the horizon when Alex is awakened by the smell of fried eggs and a barking David.

They have a quiet meal together. Both Alex and Henry are on edge, nervous about what’s to come. It had taken hours of talking, and Henry had been going back and forth on his decision, but, eventually, his good nature had won from his fears and he promised Alex he would do what he could to help.

Alex tries to distract himself by feeding David bits of his breakfast, while Henry keeps getting up to get more supplies he might need.

“When was the last time you left the forest?” Alex asks him.

“I truly don’t know how much time has past,” Henry confesses. “The last time I left, was to visit my sister. It must have been years ago. She’s been married off in return for an alliance with a powerful coven. She assured me her husband treats her well, an infinite amount better than my family ever had, and I was able to assure her that I was safe as well. When my family got wind of me reaching out to her and nearly captured me in the process, we decided it would be safer for both of us to keep our distance. We only had a couple of hours together.”

“That’s completely fucked up,” Alex says, anger bubbling up in his chest. “They’re supposed to love you! They’re you’re family!”

“Sadly, they are.”

“Can we stop them?”

“I don’t see how. They’re immensely powerful.”

“Yeah, but there are more kinds of power than just magic, aren’t there? No one is unbeatable, right?”

“Many people have tried to take the Mountchristen-Windsor’s down, none have succeeded.”

“We’ll find a way,” Alex says determinedly.

“Will we now?” Henry says, with a hint of amusement.

“Yes,” Alex nods in all seriousness.

“Did we really have to wait this long?” Alex asks when they finally step outside, his ankle thankfully almost completely healed.

Henry hums quietly before answering. "Not necessarily, although I’m unsure what your prolonged presence in the forest might have manifested and I thought we’d avoid finding out in the dead of night. It was getting unusually restless. I will, moreover, not leave without David and David is rather afraid of the dark.”

“Seriously?” Alex barks out, laughing.

“Quite,” Henry nods, taking a tighter hold on the leash.

“He’s an interesting one, isn’t he?”

“That he is,” Henry says with a private smile.

Alex likes the softness of it and has a hard time looking away. He should be paying attention to the ground and prevent further injuries.

“Is it far?” he asks next.

“About half an hour to the forest’s edge.”

Alex stops in his tracks, making Henry turn around.

“You’re lying.”

“I most certainly am not.”

“Days!” Alex exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. “I’ve walked around for days! I nearly died in here!”

“I wouldn’t have let you die,” Henry states.

“I had to break an ankle for you to come get me!”

“It wasn’t broken.”

“I could have died, Hen,” Alex reiterates, staring Henry down.

All Henry does is roll his eyes, turns around while fighting back a grin, and continues on his path. With a jittering sensation in his stomach, Alex follows a moment later.

Just like Henry said, half an hour later, they reach the forest’s edge and walk straight onto the dirt road where Alex had parked his Jeep.

Alex makes every single speed violation as he hurries back to the city, straight to his mother’s estate, while Henry goes paler and quieter the closer they get. Or, more likely, the further they are removed from the forest.

Alex doesn’t ask if he’s alright. He recognises this must be a lot for Henry, so he fills the silence with idle chatter and makes sure they reach their destination safely.

With screeching tyres, he stops in front of the house a couple of hours later, throws his doors open and rushes around the car when Henry isn’t quick enough.

“Give me that,” he says, reaching for Henry’s bag. “This way.”

He waits for Henry and David to climb out of the car and leads them inside. Without notifying anybody of their arrival, he goes straight up the stairs. He’s not wasting precious minutes on pleasantries or formalities. Besides, security must know he’s back and will inform whoever needs to be fucking notified.

At June’s door, he knocks twice and opens it without waiting for an answer.

“Alex, sweetheart?” his mother asks from the chair near the bed. “Are you alright? Did you-”

She stands up abruptly when Henry enters the room.

“Mr. Fox-Mount-”

But Henry stops her with a raised hand.

“Please, call me Henry.”

When Alex turns around, he sees how close Henry seems to be to actual throwing up.

“You alright?” he can’t stop himself from asking now.

“Fine,” Henry says with a curt nod.

“What do you need?”

“Warm water, if you’d please.”

It wasn’t exactly what Alex had meant, aiming more towards fresh air or a glass of water, a hug, even, but it’ll do.

“I’ll get it,” Ellen is the one who answers. “Boiling?”

“Just warm is fine, thank you.”

As his mom hurries out the door, Alex pays closer attention to the motionless body on the bed. June is tightly tucked in underneath the sheets, her arms laying by her side and her dark hair carefully draped over the pillow.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he notices how much worse June looks than when he left only a few days earlier. She looks frail, white as a sheet, and like she will break into a million pieces as soon as he’d touch her.

He wants to, though, so badly.

“My bag, Alex?” Henry asks him.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry, I just…” he says as he hands it over.

“That’s alright,” Henry nods. “You can hold her hand, if you want.”

“I can?” he asks again, his eyes trailing to the fragile fingers laying on the sheets again.

“You can,” Henry answers quietly.

Alex vaguely wonders if Henry can read his mind as he rushes over to one side of the bed and carefully curls his fingers around June’s palm. From the other side, David jumps up onto the mattress with ease and lays down, his head resting on June’s legs.

“He’ll help,” Henry says, when he notices Alex looking at the scene questioningly.

Without another word, Henry goes to work. He hums an unrecognisable tune, low and deep, while he takes June’s other hand and closes his eyes. Alex follows every movement with bated breath.

Not even a minute later, Alex’s mom, dad, and stepdad hurry into the room. Ellen sets the bowl with water down on the nightstand and joins the others at the foot of the bed, their hands clutching together anxiously.

Henry adds the mixture Alex knows he had been working on before dawn this morning to the water and slowly stirs it, still humming under his breath. When he’s satisfied with the result, Henry dips in a cloth and carefully wipes it on the inside of June’s wrist. He motions for Alex to turn over the hand he’s been holding and does the same there. Then, he dabs some behind her ears and moves on to her eyes, stroking them gently, leaving some of the mixture behind on her closed eyelids.

“It will take a while,” Henry nearly whispers. “Alex, would you please keep hold of her hand? She’ll find it easier to come back to us if you’re her anchor.”

Alex nods furiously, his throat too closed up to speak and his eyes wet with unspilled tears.

After a couple of minutes, exhaustion takes hold of him. Unable to keep himself upright any longer, he crawls onto the bed, next to his sister, careful not to jostle her, and holds her hand tightly as he drifts off.

When he jolts awake from a fitful sleep, the room is empty, other than him, June, Henry, and David.

“Hey,” he says hoarsely.

Henry looks up from where he is slumped over the bed, resting on his arm, his hand still in June’s.

“Hello,” Henry answers with a small smile.

“How is she?”

“Better,” Henry says, his smile growing as he sighs his relief.

Some of the natural colour has returned to June’s complexion. Her cheeks are slowly turning rosy and her hair doesn’t look as flat as it had. Her breathing seems to be deeper as well, not as shallow as it was before.

Alex’s lip starts wobbling at the sight and he inhales on a sob.

“She’ll be alright,” Henry tells him softly. “You got to me in time.”

“Thank you,” Alex whispers.

He plants a soft kiss on the top of June’s head and lies back down with a deep, stuttering sigh.

It’s nearly night when June first twitches her fingers. Alex almost jumps out of his skin when he feels the movement on his palm. It’s almost midnight when she first starts mumbling and it’s dawn when her eyes finally open.

“June,” Alex breathes. “Hey, Bug, welcome back.”

She turns her head, blinking a few times. When their eyes meet, she smiles, closes her eyes again and falls back asleep.

Three or four hours later – honestly, Alex has lost count – she seems to be much stronger. This time when she wakes up, she’s able to sit up and drink a few sips of water.

“Little Bit,” she says, her voice strained from disuse. “Are you alright?”

“Am I alright?” Alex laughs uncontrollably, even though he’s feeling more like crying. “Are you alright?”

“I feel a little sore,” she says with a soft smile. “Like I’m recovering from a bad flu.”

“A bad flu,” he snorts. “We didn’t worry sick about you over a fucking flu.”

“I know, Little Bit.”

With a reassuring wink only June could be capable of in a situation like this, she turns to her other side.

“Hello, Henry,” she greets him, and Alex looks between them, dumbfounded.

“Hello, June. I see you’ve found your way.”

“I think I have,” she nods slowly. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

“It was all Alex,” Henry answers with a gentle shake of his head.

They turn to look at Alex, both of them with a grateful, warm expression Alex doesn’t know what to do with.

“You two know each other?”

“No, not really,” June says. “He’s been showing me the way back to you. In my subconscious, I guess.”

“That’s both fucking weird and fucking awesome,” Alex says, his eyes flicking between the two of them, unblinking.

“That’s an apt description, I suppose,” Henry says with a quiet laugh before he turns back to June. “I’m glad you’re alright, June. It means I’ve done my job here.”

“Thank you,” June says, laying back down onto her pillows. “I think I need a nap now.”

“Yes, I believe you’ll want to sleep a lot over the next few days. Take your time, please.”

“Will do,” she smiles, before closing her eyes.

“I think it’s time for me to return home,” Henry says quietly, turning to Alex. “Will you drive me back?”

“But…” Alex stammers. “Can’t you stay a little longer? Do you have to go right now?”

“I’ve done all I can here, Alex.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave.”

For the first time since he’s come home, except for the rare bathroom breaks, Alex lets go of June’s hand and stands up.

His limbs ache.

“I’ve already overstayed my welcome,” Henry tries to explain, standing up as well.

“No, no, you’re always welcome here,” Alex interjects.

“Besides, I’m sure it’s not safe for me to stay much longer. As soon as my family becomes aware of my location, let along the reason why I’m here, they’ll do everything in their power to bring me back to the coven.”

“But we can protect you!”

“You know you can’t, Alex.”

“But, I wanna… You can’t…”

“I must.”

Without warning, Alex rounds the bed and throws his arms around Henry’s shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. When he feels Henry’s arms come around his back a moment later, he holds on even tighter.

“I can’t thank you enough,” he murmurs into Henry’s ear. “If there’s anything I can do for you in return, anything, you tell me, alright?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Henry says on a quiet chuckle. “For now I’ll be content with a lift home, if you don’t mind.”

After one last kiss on June’s forehead, Alex leads Henry down the stairs. They find David in the garden, playing catch with Leo, and Ellen and Oscar in an office, engaged in an intense conversation with Cash, the head of their magical team.

“Oh, Henry, sweetheart,” Ellen says when she spots them. She quickly steps closer and takes both of Henry’s hands in hers, “Cash has been having some ideas on how to use your magic to restrict your family’s power. Since you’re the only one who was able to counterbalance the curse they’ve put on June, it stands to reason that they’re vulnerable to you in other aspects as well.”

“Sounds plausible,” Henry nods. “But I’ve never been powerful enough to stand up to the lot of them.”

“No, no, I get that,” she continues. “Which is why we’re working on a plan. You’ve always been on your own, but what if you had help?”

“I don’t want to jeopardise anybody’s lives,” Henry says carefully. “I am willing to help, as long as we’re cautious. They are immensely powerful.”

“And yet they’ve never been able to find you,” Alex reminds him.

“Protective spells are different,” Henry answers, a shy flush spreading on his cheeks.

“Against all of them assholes?” Alex rebuttals. “You’re ridiculously strong, Hen.”

“Well, thank you, I suppose,” Henry stutters. “I’m nothing special.”

“The hell you’re not,” Alex laughs.

“June wouldn’t be here without you, Henry,” Oscar chimes in. “That’s pretty damn special, if you ask me.”

“Alright,” Ellen interrupts them with a clap of her hands, “enough embarrassing the man. Henry, you know where to find us if you ever need anything. And I mean anything.”

Before Henry can even utter a reply, he’s engulfed in Ellen’s arms, and then in Oscars, and lastly in Leo’s, who has trailed in behind them.

They say their last goodbyes, ensure Henry they’re eternally grateful, and walk him and David to Alex’s car to wave them off.

“Are you tired?” Alex asks him, when he notices how quiet Henry is being.

“Exhausted, frankly,” Henry says with a pleased sigh. “But that’s alright.”

“Do you need me to walk you home?”

“So you can wander around for another four days on your way back out?” Henry teases.

“I blame you for that one, alright?” Alex replies with a smirk. “You could have kicked me out those woods at any time.”

“I was intrigued,” Henry shrugs. “Wondered how long you’d last.”

“You’re insufferable,” Alex says, biting back another grin.

“Quite,” Henry smiles.

At the edge of the forest, Alex makes sure Henry has everything before he bends down to give David a good cuddle. The beagle has been warming up to him while they were stationed on a single bed for hours on end as they kept watch over June, and Alex is going to miss his new four-legged friend.

He’s convinced David isn’t just any dog, but Henry keeps his answers vague whenever Alex asks about it and it’s intriguing the hell out of him!

“I’ll learn your secrets,” he whispers into the dog’s ears and David gives him a enthusiastic lick on the chin in return. “It’s gonna be weird, not having you around,” he tells Henry when he stands back up. “I’ve kinda gotten used to you.”

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment?” Henry jokes before his expression turns more serious. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you as well, Alex. Truly.”

“Am I gonna see you again?”

“I’m not a seer. Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Asshole,” Alex laughs, as he pulls Henry in for a hug. “Take care of yourself, alright?”

“You as well,” Henry says, as he strokes small, comforting circles on Alex’s back.

Too soon, they break apart and step back, and Alex has to watch how Henry and David disappear between the trees.

With a heavy heart and a twist in his stomach, Alex gets back in the car and drives off. The entire way home, his thoughts are with Henry, hoping he’ll be alright on his own, wondering if they’ll ever meet again.

God, he hopes they do.

Chapter Text

From the next day on, Alex throws himself into helping Ellen and Cash with their plans to take down the Mountchristen-Windsors. He offers up his assistance, asks numerous questions, even does coffee-runs for the small team that's working in secret to gather information and form a plan. There are classified meetings, coded messages, and every single bit of information needs to be verified. It’s painstakingly moving at a snail’s pace and it’s driving Alex up the wall.

He want’s to do more. He should do more.

So, when Zahra, his mother’s chief of staff, summons him to his office, he gladly takes her up on her request to go out and take some of the attention away from his mother and her team. She wants to send him around the country, meeting people, shaking hands, cutting a ribbon or two. He can do that. This is what he’s good at, what he had envisioned himself doing when he grew up.

But, if he’s honest, it doesn’t take long for him to feel absolute shit about it.

This isn’t his first rodeo, he’d known what to expect, but where he was impressed by all the splendour and shine when he was accompanying his mother, now, he can see the cracks in the veneer, the pretence. Where at first he felt seen and welcomed, now, he notices the judgement in their eyes, the disdain and the fake smiles.

He keeps reminding himself that he’s helping, that this is better than sitting at home, waiting, doing nothing. He keeps putting on a brave face and steps out amongst the crowds.

But, it’s chipping away at his optimism, his love for playing a crowd.

It’s not giving him the fuel it used to, burning him out quicker and quicker.

He’s slowing down with every event, every dinner, every meet-and-greet. It’s getting harder and harder to keep a smile on his face when he once again has to spend an evening with the rich and powerful. Because that’s another thing he’s noticing this time around: how unequally magical power is distributed and how often they go hand in hand with political and influential power. Alex is fully aware that he’s yet to meet a single person from a prominent coven or an influential family that isn’t a huge dick. The only decent human being oozing with power he’s met so far, is Henry. All the others tend to view him as a means to an end, a way to climb the social ladder, a way to cozy up to his mom.

That is, until he meets Bea.

Even though they’ve never met before and Alex had no idea she was going to be at the youth centre he’s visiting, he recognises her right away.

She carries herself the same way Henry does, looking at him with the same intense, searching expression. It’s uncanny, really. But, where Henry is prone to avoiding eye contact, Bea seems to be actively forcing it on Alex. And it’s pretty intimidating.

From the moment he enters to the moment his host introduces him to Bea, his attention is pulled in her direction. Every time he catches a glimpse of her, she’s already watching him, a cautiously curious frown on her face.

When they finally shakes hands, she quietly tells him to come find her in the music room later. His host sings her praises, telling him how Bea teaches the children music twice a week and arranges the occasional concert. It confirms what Alex had already known: this is Henry’s sister. He hardly has time to react, because he soon is ushered to the next person, and then the next and the next.

As soon as he’s able to move around freely, he stealthily finds his way to the music room. The moment he steps inside, a cacophony of sound surrounds him. Bea must have magically soundproofed the room, because there’s no way this wouldn’t otherwise be audible from the outside.

He winces, taking a moment to get used to the sound.

Halfway through the room, Bea looks up from where she’s helping one of the kids with their guitar.

Her smile is weary, but she excuses herself and shortens the distance between them anyway. They have to, because with every kid playing their own song, it’s impossible to have a conversation from across the room.

“Who are you?” she asks, when they’re close enough so only he can hear her.

“I’m Alex Cla-”

“Claremont-Diaz, yes, I’m aware,” she nods impatiently. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I… I know Henry,” he says, guessing that this is what she’s looking for.

Her eyes grow wide for a second before she places a hand on her chest.

“That’s what I recognised in you!” she exclaims before urgently asking, “How is he?”

Alex has no idea how she could have recognised him just by knowing Henry, but he’s seen weirder shit. Besides, there are more important things to discus.

“I haven’t seen him in months,” he confesses, “but he helped my sister when she was dying. He’s safe. I think he’s a little lonely, but he’s doing well for himself.”

“Thank heavens,” she breathes. “I do worry about him.”

“Yeah, me too,” he sighs honestly. Not a day goes by when he doesn’t think about Henry, where he doesn’t worry about him.

“But, Henry helped you?” she asks with curious surprise in her voice.

“Yeah, your other brother cursed my sister with Stalling Death, and I went to find him.”

“And he came with you?” she inquires, seeming unsurprised by his accusation. “Left the forest?”

“Yeah?”

“Hmm,” she hums, “that’s surprising.”

“Well, it wasn’t easy to convince him or anything.”

“No, I don’t imagine it was,” Bea chuckles. “He is adamant he’s safest in his little cabin, and, sadly, I’m inclined to agree with him.”

“Are you alright, though?” he can’t help but ask. “Henry is pretty worried about you too, you know.”

“I’m sure he is,” she smiles fondly, “but he knows I am doing well. My husband is kind and gives me the freedom to do things like this.” She spreads her arms, gesturing towards the dozen kids still enthralled with their own instruments.

“This does look pretty cool,” Alex says with a bright smile.

It truly has been one of the more pleasurable visits over the last few months. The kids have been absolutely fantastic, giving Alex a new burst of energy.

As his eyes trail around the room, taking in their happy faces, he tries to decide whether or not to ask the question that’s on the tip of his tongue. The thing is, he doesn’t know if or when he’ll have another chance. He has to try.

He leans in even closer and asks quietly, “If we were to be able to… bind… a certain coven, would you be willing to help?”

He glances at her tentatively, searching for any sort of reaction. Her jaw sets, just like Henry’s would, and she turns to him with a fire in her eyes that heats him up from just looking at it.

“We are not talking about this here, but yes. Yes, I would.”

Alex’s smile spans his entire face as he holds out his hand for her to shake.

“It was lovely to meet you, Beatrice.”

Bea doesn’t settle for a mere handshake though, and pulls him into a hug.

“Tell him I miss him,” she tells him, right into his ear. “When you meet him again, tell him I miss him dearly, and that I’d love to see him again, but not until it’s safe for us to do so. Will you do that for me?”

“Of course,” he nods. “I’ll tell him.”

When he returns home after this latest tour a few days later, dead on his feet, he stumbles right into the welcoming embrace of June. She drags him to her room and tucks him into her bed, forcing him to watch some gossipy showbiz show on television while she pampers him with snacks and cuddles.

When Zahra asks him if he can head out again the next day, June pointedly tells her Alex is taking a break, and Alex gladly agrees with his sister.

Because he has a plan.

It has been on his mind for a while now, but meeting Bea gave him the final push. So, he packs a bag, hops into his car and drives into the direction of the border. A couple hours later, he’s walking up the cabin’s path.

“What are you doing here?” Henry asks, when he comes rushing out the door to greet him, his eyes shining with pleasant surprise.

“Taking a holiday,” Alex beams, as he walks up to Henry with open arms to pull him in.

“Is everything alright?” Henry asks, moving back after a warm hug, holding Alex by the shoulders to fully take him in. “Are you alright? Is June?”

“I am, she is, everything is fine,” Alex laughs. “And so is Bea.”

“Bea?” Henry asks, his voice breaking and confusion dawning on his face. “You’ve seen Bea?”

“I have, and she told me to tell you she’s alright and that she misses you.”

“Christ, missing her feels like I’m missing a limb,” Henry sighs, falling back into Alex’s embrace. “I don’t know how I have survived this long without her.”

“She also said she will only see you again once it’s safe. She was very insistent on that part.”

“I’m sure she was,” Henry replies with a fond chuckle.

It feels good, seeing Henry again, wrapping his arms around him. It’s ridiculous how much Alex has missed him, with how short a time they’ve actually spent together. It was an intense time, sure, but it hadn’t even been two full days. Somehow, though, it feels like he’s known Henry his whole life.

“Has your cabin moved, by the way?” Alex asks when Henry guides him towards the door. “Or has the forest shrunk?”

“No,” Henry answers curiously, “it’s the same as ever.”

“Weird,” Alex shrugs. “Only took me twenty minutes to find you.”

“That’s impossible,” Henry sputters, scanning Alex’s face with wide eyes.

“But seriously, I have enough food on me to last me two days,” Alex tells him. “Didn’t think you’d leave me hanging that long, but I thought I’d come prepared. Haven’t even broken a sweat yet!”

“If you could wait inside,” Henry says urgently, gently pushing Alex inside, “I would like to run a quick check.”

“Sure,” Alex nods. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

At the door, he greets an enthusiastic David with a cuddle and a doggy snack from his backpack, before he leaves the bag on one of the chairs and heads towards the stove.

The water isn’t even boiling yet when Henry returns.

“Everything alright?” Alex asks him, searching for a tea blend that looks and smells drinkable. Henry meticulously labelled all the boxes with their ingredients, which makes his search a little easier.

“Everything’s in order,” Henry nods. “All charms are in place as they should be. I truly don’t understand how you got here so fast.”

Alex shrugs.

“Maybe because I’ve been here before?”

“Could be,” Henry answers slowly.

He wanders over to Alex and plucks one of the boxes off of the shelve. Alex takes it dutifully. Cinnamon, it plainly says on the label.

“How did you-” he laughs, before shaking his head. “Thanks.”

“I’ll have the same,” Henry says with a nod and a pat on Alex’s shoulder as he moves past him to procure a tin of cookies.

They settle down on a bench in the back garden while David wanders around, sniffing the occasional bush or flower. Alex tells Henry about the months of travelling and schmoozing with the rich and famous, and Henry tells Alex about the wounded owl he has nursed back to health.

“You really are a Disney Princess, aren’t you?” Alex laughs, when Henry has just finished telling him about the gifts he keeps finding at his door almost every morning.

“I assure you I’m not.”

“Could have fooled me, Princess!”

“Aren’t they supposed to be breaking into song at any given time?” Henry protests. “I’ve never been able to hold a tune, I’ll have you know.”

“Heard you humming a lot though, haven’t I?”

“That’s not the same.”

“It’s making music with your mouth,” Alex says adamantly. “It counts. Besides, the first time I came here, I was worried you’d turn out to be more like an ogre, Disney Princess is a step up, isn’t it?”

“An ogre?” Henry asks offendedly. “Where on earth did that idea come from?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumours, Hen?” Alex says on a barking laugh after seeing Henry’s affronted expression. “Depending on who you believe, you’re either a madman who’s slain an army of a hundred soldiers, a powerful wizard who keeps a dragon as a pet, or a murderous psychopath. Believe me when I say I did not expect this.”

He emphasizes his words by gesturing towards Henry, who’s curled up on the bench in a soft sweater with a cup of steaming tea in his hands.

“Ah,” Henry says, his cheeks darkening. “I, err… I think I can explain some of those.”

“Can you?” Alex asks, finding this all extremely entertaining.

“I can’t tell you where each individual rumour started, but I do know my mate Pez might have had his hand in it. You see, he enjoys spreading the wildest accusations about me. He aims for misdirection and confusions, hoping people will assume stories this wild must hold some truth. Surprisingly enough, it has been working, since only a handful of people ventured into the forest looking for me and none have found me thus far.”

“Except for me,” Alex says, beaming with pride.

“Except for you,” Henry hums, shaking his head with an amused grin. “I’m still unsure how you’ve managed, but I can’t say I’m too upset about it.”

“So, Pez, you said? You two been friends long then?”

Alex slumps down a bit, sipping his tea, ready to listen to whatever Henry feels comfortable telling him.

“Ah, yes, Percy,” Henry smiles softly. “He insists his friends call him Pez. We’ve been mates since we were thirteen. His family is quite influential, you see, and my grandmother thought it pertinent that we’d forge a bond, to procure a powerful ally, and frankly, that might have been the only good decision that woman has ever made. Pez and I were shipped off to an old family friend for tutoring one summer. It was just the two of us and an old geezer who forgot we were there half the time, and I was the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Henry’s eyes gloss over for a moment, his smile widening. Alex waits patiently, while Henry’s mind seems to go back to that moment in time, clearly remembering it fondly.

“We learned about grounding ourselves, strengthening our magic, focussing it, but we also learned how to survive in nature when we ventured out into the woods near the house. We caught our own fish and roasted them on a fire, we built shelters we would sleep in overnight, we learned which berries to use and which to ignore. I have a suspicion that summer is the only reason why this forest is allowing me to stay, why it’s helping me, even. It thought me to love and respect nature as much as I do now.”

“That sounds incredible, Hen,” Alex whispers, mesmerised by Henry’s calm and contented storytelling.

“It truly was,” Henry nods. “Not only did we form a friendship that will last a lifetime, I found myself and my strength. The moment I returned home, I realised how suffocating my grandmother’s influence was, no matter how my parents tried to shield us from it. I started contradicting her more often, disobeying her orders, and she started forbidding me from seeing Pez any longer, surmising that he was the reason for my insubordination.”

“I’m guessing Pez must have been very proud of that accusation?”

“To this very day,” Henry says with a blinding smile.

“What’s he like?”

“Pez is the brightest, most colourful person you will ever meet. He’s incredibly social and generous, and his eye for style is unprecedented.”

“Wait,” Alex stops him, forming a couple of connections. “Pez as in Percy Okonjo? The stylist everyone is lining up around the block for? That Percy is your best friend?”

“The very same,” Henry nods proudly.

“Holy shit!” Alex exclaims, shooting upright. “My sister’s been dying to get an appointment with him! The waiting list is over a year long at this point! And he is your best friend? How?”

“I believe I just told you our whole sodding history, did I not?”

Henry’s eyes are sparkling with mischief and giddiness and it’s ridiculously infectious.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re grandmother banished you to a private summer camp when you were a kid. But then what happened?”

“We stayed in touch. We met up as often as we could get away with. He was there for me when I was at my lowest and he helped me set up this cabin. The bathroom was actually his work, I’ll have you know.”

“That man is a miracle worker,” Alex laughs.

Henry’s contented smile slowly turns into a contemplative frown.

“He was there when my father passed,” he continues, quieter and solemn. “While we were all lost in grief, he held my hand and pulled me through.”

“God, Hen,” Alex says on a slow exhale. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but I’m glad you didn’t have to go through it alone.”

“So am I,” Henry concurs. “I’m not sure I would have been able to otherwise.”

Alex nods understandingly. On instinct he reaches out to Henry’s hand and gives it a little squeeze, before resting their clasped hands between them. A pleasant tingle runs from his fingers through his shoulder, spreading throughout his chest and he hopes Henry can feel it too.

“That’s enough of my maudlin self-pity,” Henry says with a last squeeze before he gets up. “I was just about to prepare for dinner before you showed up. Care to help me?”

Alex looks up with an excited grin and follows Henry back inside, a happy David on their heels.

“I’m gonna bring some chili powder next time,” Alex says, as they’re cleaning up after a delicious dinner of roasted vegetables and baked potatoes. “Oh, and I gotta get you some corn. It’s in like half my favourite recipes.”

“Next time, eh?”

“Yes, Henry, next time.” Alex looks at Henry with a deliberate look, daring him to challenge him. But Henry doesn’t seem too fussed about it and merely shakes his head with a chuckle.

“You invite yourself over to all your friends’ houses, do you?”

Alex barks out a self-deprecating laugh as he sets the dishes in the sink and starts rinsing them.

“Yes, all my two friends, one of which is a genius who travels around the country and only graces us with her presence when she’s not doing genius stuff, and one of which is my sister who lives in the same house as me.”

“You both still live at home?” Henry asks him. There doesn’t seem to be any hidden meaning or judgement behind those words, but Alex is always a bit defensive when it comes to his family and living arrangements.

“Yeah, why not?” he says, trying to keep his voice level. “I mean, we both left for college, but I came back to help my mom with her campaign and it just seemed easier to stay at the estate, y’know. No commute.”

“Surely that’s not the only reason.”

“Well, I mean, that’s where June lives and I can’t imagine not having her around, so… June moved back in after me and I think she did it just to keep an eye on me. Stop me from working myself into the ground.”

“I believe this is where the ‘no commute’ comes into play?” Henry says with a teasing lilt.

“Kinda,” Alex answers sheepishly. “She has pulled me away from mom’s command centre after midnight numerous times now.”

“We could all use a hero like her, can't we?” Henry chuckles.

“She’s really kick-ass, you know? She’s an investigative journalist and she’s awesome! But, the paper she’s been working for is hesitant to give her anything big because of our mom. And mom is worried she’s going to write something that gets the campaign into trouble, so June’s mainly been writing fluff pieces.”

Alex’s shoulders sag. He stares at the bubbles that started forming and absentmindedly scrubs one of the plates clean.

So, there might be more than just defensiveness on his part, regarding his family. He might be packed with feelings of guilt and inadequacy as well, mixed with a healthy dose of lingering indignation and resentment. He’s a complicated man from a complicated family. None of them are perfect, but at least Alex is trying to do better, to be better.

But is it working though?

And, furthermore, is he one of the people holding June back?

“Alex?” Henry asks him tentatively, reaching out to take the plate from him, dish towel at the ready.

Alex looks up, shaken from his contemplative thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry, just thinking.”

“Of course,” Henry nods. “I reckon safety is also a concern, if you should wish to live elsewhere.”

He’s giving Alex an out, something to cling to, Alex realises. Henry is no stranger to complicated family dynamics.

“Yeah, so it’s a win-win, I guess.”

“Are you happy, living at home?” Henry asks carefully.

After thinking about it for a moment, Alex admits, “I don’t know anymore,” realising he doesn’t know. It’s a frightening thought and he wonders if those feelings were there before or if they’ve changed over the last few months.

“I’m gonna…” he says, drying his hands and pointing towards the door. He needs some air, some space, some quiet.

“Of course. Don’t venture too far.”

“I won’t.”

As he strolls through the garden, careful not to step on any of the vibrant flowers, Alex’s mind wanders to June, to his parents, to their expectations, to the months spent hyping up his mother, being a poster boy for her campaign. It is what he had always wanted to do; to help his mother get elected, to carry out what she stands for, to draw attention to her talking points.

Until he has the opportunity to run for office himself, of course.

He has been dreaming about helping those who need it, to decrease the huge gap between the powerful and the powerless, the rich and the poor.

But, is that what he’s been doing? Has he been helping anyone other than his mom?

Maybe.

But, either way, it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. It just feels never-ending and pointless. And not just that; it had been suffocating, the thought of having to go back out again, of having to play nice with those two-faced, arrogant, rich, white dudes who are literally making him run and hide out in a cabin in the woods.

He kicks at a rock and watches how it lands in the grass a couple of feet away and sighs.

Trips like those to the youth centre feel like they’re worth it though, but he doesn’t need to be on his mother’s campaign to help out in those kinds of places. He could volunteer or donate, and not feel as if he’s getting in the way or being paraded around like he’s some sort of show horse.

When he reaches a large oak tree at the edge of Henry’s garden, he lets his fingers glide through the grooves of the bark, his eyes unfocussed and unseeing.

He’s reaching a conclusion, an answer to a problem he hadn’t even realised was there.

He doesn’t want to be working with smooth talking politicians, scheming and bending the truth to get what they want.

And, moreover, he doesn’t want to become one of them.

With a tightness in his chest, he pushes himself away from the tree and spins on his feet, a bit unsteadily.

He needs to sit down.

Reaching the bench they sat on earlier today, Alex slumps down with his head in his hands.

He didn’t come here for an existential crisis, he came here for some rest! To spend time with a new friend!

Yet, here he is, hands in his hair, pulling at the strands, just as lost as he was the first time he came to the cabin, except this time he can’t seem to find his way out of the forest of his mind.

Fuck.

At least he won’t break an ankle this time around.

“Are you ready to come inside?”

Alex has no idea how long he’s been out there, but when he looks up, he notices the sun is almost set.

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Henry continues, “but David has been getting quite anxious for you to come inside. It’ll be dark soon enough.”

“Yeah, alright,” Alex says on a long exhale. “Let’s not worry the little feller too much.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate it,” Henry answers with a small smile when Alex looks at him. David wasn’t the only one who was worried.

“I’m alright,” Alex says with a half grin. “Just reassessing all my life’s choices up until this point.”

“Nature tends to do that to a man,” Henry chuckles softly. “Care to talk about it?”

“Yeah, actually, I would.”

Over a fresh brew of cinnamon tea and a bar of chocolate, the two of them settle on the couch and Alex tells Henry about growing up as the son of two politicians, two born leaders, who were thrilled that their son wanted to follow in their footsteps. He talks about high expectations and high praise, about missed dinners and lacrosse matches, about how he became the man he is today, but how he’s unsure if that’s the man he wants to be anymore. He talks about June and her sacrifices. About wondering what role he plays in her life.

Henry listens and asks questions, and Alex can’t remember ever being this honest and vulnerable with anybody. Not even with June and Nora, and they’ve seen him through some tough times.

Hell, he’s never even been this honest with himself.

“I didn’t come here to trauma-dump on you,” Alex apologises after laying everything out on the table. “Just stop me if it’s too much.”

“I assure you it’s not, but if it makes you feel any better, I have plenty of demons of my own to share. Level the playing field, as it were.”

This makes Alex let out an uncontrolled chuckle. “I’ll listen if there’s anything you’d want to share, but you don’t have to repay me with your own sad stories or anything.”

“If you keep showing up here, you might hear a couple anyway,” Henry says with a soft smile.

“Another time?” Alex offers.

“Of course,” Henry nods. “I’ll tell you anything you’d like to hear about.”

“Yeah, same here, Hen. I like talking to you.”

After a moment of deliberate silence, Alex speaks up first.

“I’m gonna tell my mom and Zahra I still wanna help find a way to weaken your family’s power, but I’m gonna quit the campaign.”

“That’s a brave decision. Any idea what you’ll want to do next?”

“No, and that scares the shit out of me,” Alex confesses.

“That’s alright too,” Henry says, his hand finding Alex’s and giving him the reassuring squeeze Alex gave him hours earlier. “I am confident you will work it out.”

“Yeah,” Alex breathes out as he tangles their fingers together, letting the warmth that spreads through him comfort him.

He’s actually starting to believe it himself.

He’ll be fine.

“Star Wars?” Henry asks, a gleeful glint visible in his eyes when Alex looks up.

After a passionate debate over dinner about which of the franchise’s movies is the best, Alex has been dying to show Henry all the reasons why he’s wrong, so he doesn’t hesitate and agrees.

Henry doesn’t have any streaming services, due to the lack of internet out here, but he does have the movies on DVD. He uncovers a small tv and hooks up the DVD-player, and after making themselves comfortable under a warm blanket, with David curled up nearby, they spend the next few hours laughing and debating, never coming to a decisive conclusion.

Chapter Text

The next few days are spent in pretty much the same manner; talking, laughing, preparing meals, sitting in comfortable silence while they both get lost in a book, and working their way through Henry’s entire Star Wars collection. When they’ve finished that franchise, Alex convinces Henry to watch one of his father’s James Bond movies.

“Still can’t believe your dad was this cool,” Alex says, staring at James Bond jumping out of a helicopter.

“That’s his stunt double, you know?” Henry says with an audible grin.

“The close-ups aren’t.”

“The close-up aren’t particularly cool, now are they?”

“Yes, they are. Shut up.”

Henry slaps him on the arm with a chuckle and lets Alex enjoy the rest of the scene.

“Are you sure your dad didn’t have any magic?” Alex asks him when Arthur Fox rolls over a desk and grabs his opponent’s weapon.

“Quite sure, darling. The rift between my parents and my grandmother was evidence of it.”

“Your grandmother is an idiot,” Alex mutters, captured by yet another daring attempt to disarm an enemy. “Seriously, how could she not be impressed by this?”

“It’s all movie magic, which does not count in the eyes of Mary Mountchristen-Windsor.”

“It should.”

With Alex even more enamoured with Arthur Fox than ever, now that he knows the man’s son, and Henry slightly embarrassed and self-conscious by Alex’s constant remarks, their last days together fly by.

After searching the cabin multiple times, gathering his scattered items, Alex is all packed and ready to head home.

Physically, that is. Mentally, he would rather stay a bit longer.

He checks if the letters Henry wrote for Bea and Pez are safely secured in his bag, ready to be posted somewhere along the way home, far enough from both of their homes to throw off any possible interceptors. Henry has still been careful, leaving out any details, but he felt that he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by.

Alex wishes he has a way to contact Henry, but other than Pez, who Henry exchanges short messages with every now and then, Henry has no way of communicating with the outside world. He won’t even tell Alex how he and Pez manage to talk – or how he gets the news, which he seems surprisingly up to date with – giving him a secretive smile instead.

“Got everything?” Henry asks, when he catches Alex going through his bag again.

“Think so,” he answers absentmindedly.

He’s stalling. He knows he’s stalling and Henry probably knows it too.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“Smart,” Alex snorts. “Might get lost on my way to the door.”

He cheekily lets his eyes go from Henry to the door and back again, just barely catching the fond eyeroll Henry throws in his direction.

“I meant to the edge of the forest, you plonker.”

“Really?” Alex asks surprised, halting his movements.

“Of course. A walk would be good for me and David. Stretch our legs.”

Alex stares at him as he nods before quickly finishing up, stowing everything away and zipping up the bag.

“Yeah, yeah, good idea.”

They make their way through the forest slowly, giving David every opportunity to sniff around while they talk. Alex would think they would have exhausted all possible topics by now, but somehow there’s always more to say. Henry is a treasure-trove of information, especially considering where and how he spends his days. He’s also eager to learn and Alex gladly shares his knowledge in return.

Even though it takes up to an hour until they spot the road, it doesn’t feel like it’s been long enough.

“I really don’t wanna go home,” Alex complains, as he turns around when Henry pauses to let David do his business.

“You have some important discussions to have though,” Henry reminds him.

“Ugh,” Alex groans, “I don’t even wanna think about that! But I also really just like it here. I like spending time with you.”

He looks up from where he’s been digging the toe of his shoe in the dirt to find Henry watching him with a sympathetic look in his eyes.

“I like having you here as well,” he admits quietly. “I never felt lonely before you barged into my life. But now, I have to admit I quite like the company. It’s going to be quiet without you.”

“Shit, Hen,” Alex says, rushing forward to put a hand on Henry’s upper arm. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your peace or anything. I don’t want to make you feel lonely.”

“It’s alright,” Henry answers with a small smile. “You’ll come back.”

“You’re damn right, I will,” Alex says, a wide grin forming on his face. “Can’t get rid of me now.”

“Don’t think I would ever want to,” Henry says quietly.

With gentle strokes, he rubs Henry’s arm a few more times until he reaches down to lace their fingers together once more. It has had a calming effect whenever one of them needed some reassurance this last week and Alex feels like he could use some of that right about now.

Just one more dose of fortitude. For the road, you know?

Henry’s eyes are slowly scanning Alex’s face and Alex feels captured by their piercing gaze. His own eyes drift down to Henry’s flushed cheeks, strong nose and soft lips. Alex likes those lips. He likes looking at them when Henry talks, even more so when he smiles. They’re comforting.

A small sigh escapes him when his eyes trail back up to Henry’s.

“I-” Alex starts, but he’s cut of by Henry’s hand coming up to the back of his head and Henry’s lips pressing an urgent kiss on his.

Stunned, Alex freezes for a moment, wondering if he could have seen this coming, if he should have, but he’s mostly sinking into a feeling of bliss, of warm lips on his, of a strong hand holding him close.

But, the moment his hand comes up to grip Henry’s side, the second his lips move to return the kiss, Henry pulls back, already turning away.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-” he mutters, and he walks away, tugging David along.

“No,” Alex croaks. “Henry, no, wait!”

There’s a warmth spreading through his body, emanating from his lips all the way down to his toes. It sparkles and tingles, if flows in waves, it crackles in his brain.

It makes him a little slow to react and by the time he manages to put one foot in front of the other, Henry has vanished between the trees.

Alex runs, he stumbles, but wherever he goes, he can’t seem to make it further into the forest. He keeps ending up back at the road.

Henry and the forest are sending him home and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Back at home, Alex goes straight upstairs and locks himself into his room. By nightfall, June and Nora are at his door, demanding to be let in.

“What are you doing here?” he asks Nora, rushing to open the door as soon as he hears her voice.

“If you would have actually looked around when you got here, you’d have seen me talking with Ellen, Zahra and Cash and I could have told you then.”

She yanks him down by the shoulders to pull him into a crushing hug.

“You just ran in like a bull in a China shop, Little Bit,” June adds in her worried big sister voice. “Didn’t even hear me say ‘hi’.”

“Yeah, sorry, I was…” Alex says, shrugging instead of explaining further, still in Nora’s arms.

“How was Henry? Did you have a good time?” she continues.

“Yeah, tell me about that elusive friend of yours, would you?” Nora asks excitedly, stepping out of the hug and pushing him towards the bed.

“He’s fine. It was fine,” Alex answers evasively.

He can practically sense the shared looks between his sister and their best friend, but at least they stop pressing for more information.

For now, at least.

The three of them climb onto the bed and settle against the headboard. Nora pulls a bag of M&M’s out of the pocket of her oversized zip-up hoodie, just like the good old days when they’d hang around for hours, eating chocolate and talking shit.

“Are you helping out with the whole Mountchristen-Windsor coven thing then?” he asks Nora, taking an educated guess.

“They’ve asked me to run some numbers, make some predictions. I’m still gathering data, but it looks promising so far.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, some of their allies will definitely drop ‘m like hot coals the moment we make them a better offer.”

“Which is?”

“To live without constant fear, mainly,” Nora shrugs. “But we’ve got a couple of other aces up our sleeves. Trade deals, protection, educational prospects, stuff like that.”

“So you’re actually doing something?”

“As opposed to what?” Nora snorts.

“As opposed to being paraded around like Pinocchio.”

The both of them look at him for a beat before Nora answers and June pushes their shoulders together.

“You can always cut the strings, babe.”

“I think I might,” Alex confesses quietly.

“Is that what’s got you sulking up in here?” June asks tentatively.

“Yes,” Alex says, because it’s partly true. “And no?”

“We’re gonna need more than that, sweetie,” June says with a encouraging smile. “We’re here for you.”

“I’m here for the M&M’s, but go on,” Nora winks, making Alex snort and let go of some of the tension.

He gives them the abbreviated version of the decisions he’s been making these last couple of days and the one he’s still unsure about. June wholeheartedly supports him on quitting, as he knew she would, and promises him she’ll help him with whatever he decides to do. Nora, unsurprisingly, offers to make him some graphs and calculations about different career options.

“I feel kinda guilty too,” he confesses, “about keeping you here.”

“Oh, Little Bit,” June says with a croaked voice, wrapping herself around him. “You’re part of the reason I’m staying, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”

“But…” Alex stammers. “I don’t want to hold you back! You’re destined for so much more than writing about closing community pools or rescued kittens!”

“I know I am,” she smiles, “but now is not the time. Maybe once mom is out of office, or in a couple of years, but for now I’m where I’m supposed to be. Besides, I’ve been using my skills to help out with the whole Mountchristen-Windsor operation and that feels pretty good.”

“You have?” Alex asks, feeling a spark of hopeful relief igniting in his chest.

“I have and I’ll show you later, alright?” she says, squeezing him one more time before she lets go in favour of the chocolate.

“What else?” Nora asks astutely, eyeing him almost suspiciously.

“It’s just…” he concedes with a sigh. “I’m not sure. I’ve been, y’know, feeling things, and I’m not…”

“What things?” June asks.

“Things,” he says, feeling a little desperate. “Just things.”

“About?”

“Henry,” he answers with a small voice. “He sorta kissed me?”

There's an almost suspenseful silence, with Nora being the one to break it.

“Did you like it?”

“Yeah, I…” Alex says, exhaling with a stutter. “Yeah.”

“So, what happened? Why were you holed up in here?” June asks, snaking her arm through his to hold onto him.

“He ran away,” Alex tells them, immediately feeling the hurt shoot through his heart again.

“And you didn’t go after him?” Nora tells him off, somewhere between surprised and disappointed.

“Of course I did!” Alex says, his throat feeling rough and dry all of a sudden, his head aching. “But he wouldn’t let me! The fucking forest kicked me out, okay? And I have no way of talking to him. I fucked it all up, alright?”

He grabs one of the pillows and pushes it onto his face, hiding his tears and pain, hoping the soft fabric will absorb it all.

“Sounds to me like he’s the one who fucked up,” Nora remarks. “He’s the one who kissed you and ran off, right?”

“I should have stopped him. I don’t know. I could have… I… Fuck.”

“Oh, sweetie,” June says quietly, now fully pulling him into an embrace. “You did nothing wrong. I’m sure you two can work it out. Just give it some time.”

Alex isn’t sure time is going to solve anything here. It’s not like Henry will show up at his door begging him for forgiveness, and he’s pretty sure he’s not going to be able to find his way to the cabin after today. In true Alex fashion, he’s made a friend and fucked it all up again and it hurts like hell.

“So…” Nora says, pulling him out of his self-pity with a voice sounding like trouble. “You liked it then?”

Alex lets out a grunt.

“You liked it when Henry, a man, kissed you?”

“Fucking hell, Nora,” he groans, using the pillow he had been hiding behind to smack her in the face. “Yes, alright? I did, and I wanted to kiss him again, but he ran, okay?”

“So…” she continues unperturbed. “Anything else you’d like to tell us?”

“Like what, Nora! Like I’m a fucking loser? That’s been well-established, thanks!”

“You’re not, Alex,” June tells him off, but Nora doesn’t let go.

“Last I heard, you were straight.”

Alex lets out a frustrated half-shout and buries his head in June’s pillow next.

“Guess I’m not then, aren’t I? Fuck!”

He lets himself be comforted by June’s soft voice and Nora’s chuckles, both of them giving him a sense of home, of safety, but none of it is enough to forget about the dagger that’s currently repeatedly stabbing his heart.

His mother is upset when he tells her he’s quitting the campaign. She doesn’t say it outright, but he sees it in her carefully curated expression, the one she usually reserves for political opponents, and by the way her fingers twitch. An old habit from years ago, when she still smoked. She also keeps suggesting paths and career options that lead him right back to where he is right now, which is especially annoying.

She’s trying to be supportive, but she keeps slipping out of mom-mode, thinking like a world leader rather than his mother.

It gets even more complicated when they add Zahra to the conversation. They are throwing ideas around, reshaping Alex’s role, and Alex can’t tell where the line is between working for his mother’s campaign and working towards the end of the Mountchristen-Windsor reign. It might actually be a Venn diagram with quite a lot of overlap.

They come to sort of an agreement. They’ll ease him out of the public eye, because quitting cold turkey will only make people ask questions, which will not only reflect poorly on his mother, but could also affect their chances against the Mountchristen-Windsors. If Ellen’s son doesn’t even want to support her, why should anyone else? Why should they trust her?

“If all I can do for Henry is being photographed and talked about,” Alex tells them with no uncertainty, “then I want to have final say on where I go.”

“Of course, sugar,” Ellen placates him.

“I’m fine with charities, as long as they’re actually helping people, but I draw the line at stuffy dinners and sucking up to rich dudes.”

“That’s part of politics though, isn’t it?” Ellen asks him. “You can’t take the good without the bad.”

“Exactly!” Alex answers exasperatedly, sliding back into his seat and throwing his hands up.

How can she put it so bluntly and still not accept his choice without turning it into a fucking negotiation? Has she even been listening?

“I can have someone make a list of upcoming events and invitations,” Zahra says, while typing furiously on her tablet. “Get it back to me with a yes, no or maybe on all of them, and we’ll get this ball rolling again.”

“Thank you, Zahra,” he says while pointedly looking at his mother.

“Yeah, whatever,” Zahra answers. “You’ve just made my job a shit ton harder, so you better not make me regret it.”

“That wasn’t my intention,” Alex offers apologetically.

He didn’t mean to be a burden, but he has to bite this bullet if he wants to stop feeling so miserable.

“If you say so,” she says, ignoring him in favour of her screen. “Shit, I’m gonna have to find replacements for all the events we were sending you to.”

“I’ll ask June,” his mother decides.

“You know she doesn’t like those events,” Alex says quickly. He’s not going to let June be the fall guy for his choices. “And remember what happened last time she went to a dinner for you?”

“Are you insinuating I’ve forgotten?” Ellen says with an edge to her voice that raises the hairs on Alex’s arms.

“No, ma,” he sighs, “of course not. I know you’ve been just as worried about her as I have. I’m just saying… It’s an extra reason for her not to want to go. And a pretty good one, don’t you think?”

Ellen looks at him with a scrutinising glance before she leans back into her own seat and nods.

“I will talk to her about it, because it would be a mistake not to consider every available option, but I will respect her choice.”

Alex nods appreciatively, intending to go straight to June after this meeting, so he can prepare her and save her from being blindsided.

“What about dad?” he asks.

“He’s busy,” Ellen answers shortly.

“I know, but he’d want to help.”

“We’re not asking Oscar.”

“I’ll CC him,” Zahra says, ignoring her bosses orders.

Ellen doesn’t correct her.

After a few weeks of adjusting, and Alex having to stand his ground more than once, their family and his mother’s administration have found a new rhythm.

June isn’t keeping as many tabs on him as she was before, now that he’s shown her that he’s capable of standing up for himself and is steadfast in his resolve to step away from politics.

Ellen isn’t on his coat tails about his appearances anymore and Zahra has kept up her promise of providing Alex with a list of options. The lists shortens over time, as soon as she has figured out what his hard no’s are and simply leaves them off the list to make her own life easier.

June takes over only one of his scheduled appearances, a charity dinner for a literary agency that advocates for free speech and encourages writers who want to publish about sensitive and marginalised topics. It is one of Alex’s ‘maybe’s’, but June insists they’d let her go, provided she has ample security and isn’t expected to eat anything offered at the event. Alex knows her heart belongs to practically everything that has to do with the written word, so he’s not surprised she offered to take it on. He offers to go with her, but she takes Nora instead. Not because she doesn’t want his company, but because she wants to make a statement towards their mother and Zahra; Alex’s opinions matter and he’s no longer easily swayed. To Alex’s relief, she ends up having a good time and even comes back with the contact information of a new acquaintance or two.

Alex himself attends a sporting event, goes to a wine tasting – where he only has a few sips, but the location is beautiful – and visits a few local charities.

In between those appearances, Alex has meetings with an advisor to go through his job and educational options, doubles his work-out schedule and tries very hard not to think about Henry.

He fails miserably at that last one.

All the thinking he's been doing, all the guesses he's been making, won't bring him any closer to an answer, any closer to Henry.

Until, one day, an opportunity presents itself that just might give him some insight into Henry’s mind.

Chapter Text

June shrieks as she bursts into Alex’s room, where he’s lounging on the bed, scrolling through different university websites, trying to map out his future.

“Who died?” he asks with a chuckle.

“I have!” she says, her voice rising to an uncomfortable level.

“Hope not,” he laughs, reaching for the envelope June is holding.

“It’s an invitation,” she tells him after she hands it over and his eyes are skimming the first page. “A spot opened up in Percy Okonjo’s calendar and he chose to meet with me!”

Alex stares at her for a moment.

“When?” he asks, grinning now, picking the simplest out of a lot of questions running through his mind.

“Two weeks from now. Friday.”

He skims the page again and lands on the time and place, a mall a couple dozen miles over, known for its luxurious shops.

“It says I came highly recommended by multiple sources, so he couldn’t give up on the opportunity too meet me.”

She all but jumps on the bed, next to Alex, pulling him into an excited hug.

“He want’s to meet me! Percy Okonjo has heard about me!”

“Of course he wants to meet you,” Alex laughs. “Can I just…”

Gently, he pushes her off him and sits up straight to look her in the eye.

“Look, I’m absolutely one hundred percent certain he genuinely wants to meet and style you, but I think Henry might have accelerated things a bit.”

“Henry?” she asks, weariness colouring her excited expression.

“Yeah, listen,” he says, taking her hand in his. “Henry and Pez are friends and I think Henry has mentioned us in his letter to Pez. The one he wrote, y’know, before…”

He doesn’t have to finish that sentence, because June quickly lets him know she understands by squeezing his hand.

“I think the two of you still would have met at some point and I’m absolutely sure he’s gonna adore you, because you are the pinnacle of style and class, but I think Henry’s letter sort of moved you to the top of the waiting list.”

June breathes in slowly, her eyes flicking between his, before her carefree smile returns.

“I know we’re not the biggest fan of Henry right now,” she says with a wink, knowing full well Alex would never say anything bad about the man, except for the fact that he ran, “but I think I like him a little more now than I already did.”

“The guy saved your life, Bug,” Alex chuckles, shaking his head. “You don’t have to downplay the love you’ve got for him.”

“I know, I know,” June says with a warm smile. “I’m eternally grateful and I can’t help but feel we’ve got this special bond now, but if I had to pick between you and him, I’d pick you. Every single time. I’ve got your back.”

“Good thing you don’t have to choose between us then,” Alex winks.

“So,” June says, changing the subject to something a little more cheerful, “the invatation says I can bring a +1 and you’re going to come with me, right? To meet Pez? Who knows, he might even make you look presentable for once as well.”

“Hey!” Alex says offended, shoving her shoulder, making June fall back, laughing, grabbing him by the arm to stay upright. “I’ve got excellent taste, you know? All the magazines say so!”

“All the ones you read, I’m sure.”

“I really don’t like what you’re implying here,” Alex says, grinning as he squints his eyes accusatorily. “You better be nice to me if you don’t want me to embarrass you in front of the Percy Okonjo.”

“Oh, please,” she snorts, “like you ever could!”

On the day of their appointment, both of them are nervous. Both of them for different reasons. June because she’s meeting one of her idols, Alex because he’s meeting Henry’s best friend.

They are supposed to meet up at two in the afternoon, but Alex has been incredibly restless and once June gets enough of his fidgeting and nervous energy, she arranges for them to go a little early, so they can distract themselves with some window-shopping.

Alex side-eyes the perfume store, that all but blinds him with the golden decorations as his stomach almost churns with the onslaught of scents, but he does pull June into a sneaker store and June drags him into a boutique where she buys a small pendant for Nora.

June’s plan is working, because two o’clock comes around a lot quicker now that they have something to look at and bicker about.

When it’s time, they make their way over to their meeting point and are greeted by an excited Percy and a less excited assistant.

“June Claremont-Diaz!” the man in a purple blazer and neon blue hair says, taking a few big steps until he can pull June into a hug, making her giggle uncontrollably. “I’ve had my eye on you for quite some time, darling.”

He kisses her on both cheeks and Alex watches with glee as they turn bright red.

“Mister Okonjo,” she says, gathering her wits. “It’s an honour to finally meet you.”

“Well, that won’t do,” Percy tuts with a grin. “You call me Pez, I insist!”

“In that case, call me June,” she smiles back, completely enamoured.

Pez bows slightly before he continues, “When I was told I simply had to meet you, I did not hesitate and cleared my schedule. Although I must admit, that recommendation also extended to your lovely brother.”

For the first time since they’ve walked up, Percy’s – Pez’s – full attention lands on Alex, who has tentatively stayed a step behind.

“Alexander,” he nods, stepping forward to give him the same greeting, planting a kiss on both cheeks.

“Percy,” Alex answers amused.

“Where you not listening?” Pez asks, his eyebrow raising teasingly. “I could swear I just said to call me Pez.”

“Fine, Pez,” Alex laughs. “Wasn’t sure if that was just you flirting with June or not.”

“Oh, I see it now,” Pez grins mysteriously, gripping Alex’s shoulder. “Alexander, dear, we have a lot to talk about!”

“Call me Alex.”

“Oh, no, no, no. That won’t do,” Pez answers seriously.

The colourful man winks at him one more time and then turns around to offer June his arm and leads her to a nearby cosmetic’s store.

“We’ll start figuring out what your colours are and proceed from there, shall we?”

“Lead the way,” June laughs and Alex and the assistant dutifully follow behind.

Pez instructs the cosmetologists while he bombards June with questions. Some about her style and her daily life, but he also shamelessly shoehorns in a couple of inquisitive questions about Alex, as if he isn’t even there. Alex knows what Pez is doing. He’s assessing Alex, forming a picture, making up his mind about whether Alex is worthy or not. He’s doing it for Henry.

And it’s for Henry’s sake that Alex lets him.

June, appeasing her inner journalist, asks Pez just as many questions, which he answers with grace. They tiptoe around the topic of Henry, however, which is probably for the best in a public setting.

It’s only once the three of them move to the back rooms of one of the high-end clothing stores, that Pez twirls around and looks Alex dead in the eye.

“So,” he says, dragging out the vowel. “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or shall I say, the elephant in the forest?”

“Henry,” Alex nods, trying to fight the emotions bubbling up in his chest as he says his name.

“Henry.”

Pez walks over to the cream coloured sofa situated against one of the walls and beckons Alex to come and sit next to him.

“June, darling,” Pez tells her, gesturing towards the chair at his other side, “I hope you don’t mind we hijack your appointment for a moment as we discuss something rather important.”

“Not at all,” she smiles. “I’ve been warned I wasn’t the primary goal of your visit.”

“I assure you,” Pez says, bending forward to pull her hand to his mouth, giving it a lingering kiss, “if I had known you were this exquisite, I would have pressed for this appointment a long time ago.”

“You flatter me,” June blushes.

“There’s not a single untrue syllable in that statement,” Pez says solemnly, “and we will get back to adorning you with gorgeous apparel and accessories that rival your own beauty shortly, but as you so astutely noted, I do have ulterior motives for being here today.”

“Can we talk freely?” Alex checks.

He’s been holding his tongue for hours now and it’s getting harder and harder to do.

“We can,” Pez nods. “This shop takes pride in their discretion. There is no surveillance in this room and we will not be disturbed until I call for my assistant. I’ve silenced the room, just in case, but I’m certain that was an unnecessary precaution.”

“Good,” Alex nods. “Yeah, okay, that’s good.”

“I must admit, I was more than a bit surprised when I heard, from Bea of all people, that Henry ventured outside of his safe environment and travelled far out of his literal and figurative comfort zone to help a stranger. He took quite a risk, saving your life, darling,” Pez says, turning his attention to June, “but I can’t say I’m anything but delighted that he did.”

Pez throws June a beaming smile that she gladly returns.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t expect him to either,” Alex confesses, “but he was my last hope. I had to try.”

“And you succeeded,” Pez nods, impressed. “After Bea informed me of Henry’s adventure, I was quite envious she had gotten a chance to meet the person who managed to lure him out of his hiding place. And, frankly, suspicious as well. But, Bea spoke highly of you and I trust her judgement. That being said, however, I have since been determined to pass my own. Imagine my surprise when a certain letter arrived in the post, mentioning the both of you. It felt serendipitous, did it not?”

“And?” Alex asks. “Are we living up to expectations so far?”

“Thus far, the balance is in your favour.”

“Yeah? That’s good to hear, actually, because we were hoping to get your help,” Alex says, putting them back on track. “We’re trying to help Henry, and well, help a lot of other people, by trying to put a stop to the Mountchristen-Windsor coven. I don’t want Henry to have to hide anymore. I want him to be able to go see his sister, to go see you.”

“And to come and visit you, perhaps?”

A mixture of sadness, loss and embarrassment washes over Alex. He hangs his head and starts plucking on the fabric of his pants.

“Yeah. Not sure he’d want to.”

“Nonsense!”

“I’m not sure what he’s told you, but I kinda fucked up.”

“You didn’t fuck up, Alex,” June interjects. “You weren’t the one who ran off.”

“Ran off?” Pez asks curiously. “Oh, dear. Henry did write me a quick little note saying he had done something foolish merely a couple of days after I received his generous letter. Was he being an twit again?”

“Kinda,” Alex tells him, “but I get it. It’s fine… He just… It’s fine.”

“It is certainly not fine,” Pez says sternly. “I will have words with him.”

“You don’t even know what happened,” June giggles.

“But I know Henry, and I know his self-destructive tendencies.”

“Yes, well…” Alex sighs. “Will you help us, though? Maybe if we can make sure his family can’t touch him, I can try and talk to him?”

“Absolutely,” Pez nods firmly. “This has to end. Mary has been too powerful for too long, and even though she’s getting on in age, I don’t see her leaving this mortal plane any time soon.”

“And her eldest grandson isn’t much better,” June says, her jaw tensing.

“I heard he was to blame for your predicament,” Pez says, his expression turning glum. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Thank you. I’m alright now, albeit a bit more cautious. It’s the reason why I declined your offer of Champagne earlier. I don’t eat or drink anything that isn’t prepared by me, my family or our staff.”

“That is quite all right,” Pez says softly, reaching over to take her hand in his again. “I truly hope to one day be a part of your inner circle and share a glass with you. But that is for future us to worry about, is it not? Today we worry about making you shine like the queen that you are and coming up with a plan to save our dear Henry from the clutches of his wicked grandmother.”

“I’ll toast to that,” June smiles, tapping her water bottle against Pez’s glass.

Pez tells them as much as he can about the Mountchristen-Windsor coven, but he warns them his information might be outdated. He hasn’t had any dealings with them in years. Not since Henry’s grandmother shunned him, and certainly not since he helped his best friend escape. Everything else, he’s heard through the grapevine. A very expansive grapevine, but a grapevine none the less.

“I do have quite a good handle on who your allies are and who might be persuaded,” Pez tells them thoughtfully.

“We’ve got someone working on that as well,” Alex says. “Would you mind sharing your information with her?”

“Our friend, Nora,” June explains. “She’s a genius. You’ll love her.”

“In that case,” Pez says, smirking again, “I will leave you with my personal contact information. Feel free to use it yourself and pass it on to your lovely friend.”

“Good God,” Alex laughs, running his hands down his face. “You haven’t even met her yet and you’re already flirting by proxy!”

“Such is my prerogative, is it not?” Pez laughs whole-heartedly before he sends June into the adjacent room to change into a new outfit.

They don’t talk much more about Henry for the rest of the afternoon, but their chat and Pez’s presence have taken a load off of Alex’s shoulders nonetheless. He joins in on the laughter and the teasing, and he’s truly gobsmacked by June’s transformation. Pez alters outfits with the touch of his finger, knowing exactly what June’s body type and personality need to shine even more than she already does. It’s incredible to watch and before Alex realises it, the day has come to an end and they’re saying their goodbye’s.

With Pez as a new source of information, it finally looks like the ball visibly starts to roll. Ellen begins inviting covens, world leaders and other influential individuals to their home, carefully forming bonds and offering support. Pez and Bea pull some strings from their end, covertly meeting with potential allies, practically acting as ambassadors, and Oscar puts his own work on hold to travel the globe, visiting those who can’t or won’t come to them.

Word starts to spread, which can be a good thing, if it reaches the right people, but it leaves Alex with a feeling of unease. The chances of the Mountchristen-Windsor coven finding out about their plans are growing with each step they take. The chances of retaliation are growing by the day.

Of course Cash and his team have made sure there are multiple precautions in place. Alex and June, for one, are strongly advised to stay at home, and if they must leave, they are to take their security detail with them. The couple of times Alex goes to an event, Amy and her team accompany him. Amy is very well trained, both in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry, but she’s also very sufficient in protective magic. She’s a strong runner too and doesn’t mind joining Alex on his runs around the estate. Besides that, she’s fun to hang out with.

And, she knows her way around a crochet needle.

After one of their runs, when Alex tries to get rid of some anxiety, he almost breaks down crying, and Amy makes him a keychain, laced with her calm magic. Whenever he feels overwhelmed, he takes it out of his pocked and holds it tight. It never takes long for the calming magic to do its work. It feels as if Amy is putting her strong hands on his shoulders, slowly pressing them down, helping him to relax, to breathe. The effect wears off after a couple of minutes, but it always regenerates, there to calm him down again and again.

On a Tuesday afternoon, while the estate is bustling with people running around, making arrangement, preparing for every possible scenario, Alex lies on his bed, a pillow over his head.

The meeting with his advisor didn’t go well. It was frustrating, not being able to come to a conclusion about what to do next. Again. It’s hurling him into a mental downspin of frustrations and emotions.

He watches helplessly how much Nora is able to do and how June has been contributing. She’s been writing articles, letters, entire essays, bringing people together, shining a light on factions and organisations, fulfilling Ellen’s promise to help them gain traction, to help them bring their ideas to light, to bring awareness to important matters. And it’s working too; they’re gaining trust, they’ve more than doubled their allies in only a couple of weeks.

He’s damn proud of the work everyone has been doing. He can see the sparkle in June’s eyes, when she shows him her latest work and lets him be the first one to read it. His smile is genuine and bright every time he hugs her and tells her how proud he is of her.

But, a part of him feels like he’s redundant. That he isn’t doing anything, other than the occasional picture being plastered all over the media. And even those are becoming less and less frequent, like they agreed upon.

It’s frustrating, it’s stupid, it’s agonising; watching it all unfold from the sidelines.

June tells him not to be so hard on himself, that he’s doing what he can, but that’s exactly it, isn’t it? This is all he can do and it’s not enough!

He is not enough.

Has he made a mistake, stepping back from the campaign? Choosing his own mental health? Was it all he was good at? Good for?

His feelings of inadequacy has him wallowing on his sheets, moping and biting his lip.

At least, that is, until a soft but insistent tapping interrupts his spiralling self-pity.

At first, he ignores it, blames it on the pipes, or the building settling or someone being annoying in the next room. But, when the sound insistently keeps going, he throws his pillow to the end of the bed and looks up.

There, at his window, sits a small, round owl. It’s looking at him intently as it taps the glass one more time.

Shocked, Alex clambers out of bed and hurries to the window to slide it open.

“Hello, buddy,” he coos, “who are you?”

“Who,” the owl answers softly.

It hops forward a bit, closer to Alex, with clear intent.

“What is it?”

When the bird shuffles some more, Alex notices the tiny piece of paper, strapped to it’s leg.

“Is that for me?” he asks, his eyebrows lifting in surprise.

The owl inches forward until Alex reaches out and carefully takes the note off. Once it’s free, the owl gently pecks at Alex’s hand and flies off.

“Be careful!” he automatically calls after it, more than a little baffled.

When the bird is out of sight, he turns his attention to the piece of paper and his eyes widen in shock.

“Shit,” he hisses, cursing some more as he stumps his toe against the bed when he hurries to the door.

“June!” he calls, and immediately gets a reply from her room a moment before her door swings open.

“What is it?” she asks, immediately picking up on his urgency.

“Here,” he says, shoving the note into her hands and running back to his room.

“Shit,” June whispers, as she follows him through the hallway.

With the speed of light, Alex steps into his shoes and grabs his keys.

“I gotta go,” he says, shoving his phone in his pocket.

“I’ll tell the others,” she nods, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and a squeeze of his upper arm. “Go.”

He runs out the door as he pushes the note into his pocket, the words dancing in front of his eyes.

Need help! Pip+men at forest. Hurry!

Chapter Text

The faster he drives, the faster his heart beats in his chest. He doesn’t care about the amount of tickets he’ll get. He doesn’t care about the angry drivers honking at him, giving him the finger or calling him names. All he can think about is that he needs to get to Henry.

Henry needs him.

Henry’s in danger.

He has no idea what to expect when he gets there, doesn’t know what he can do about a powerful group of men, probably filled to the brim with magic, but he does know he has to try.

It feels impossible to think straight, to plan ahead, to make smart decisions. All he can think about is getting there, pulling Henry out and bringing him somewhere safe.

By the time he makes it to the forest, it’s nearing midnight. He parks his car in the shadows, out of reach of the moonlight, half a mile or so before his usual parking spot, and continues on foot.

In the quiet of the night, it isn’t hard to pick up on the voices from up ahead. It doesn’t take long for Alex to be close enough to be able to hear their urgent conversation.

“Come on!” a man’s shrill voice yells. “What is taking so long!”

“His magic is strong,” a quieter voice answers. “We’ve been chipping away at it, but it’s building back up what we are taking down almost as fast.”

“Then work faster!”

“We’re doing everything we can, sir.”

“Then that’s not good enough!”

There’s a shout and a pained cry, making Alex wince. He hopes their conflict distracts them enough for him to be able to slip past them unnoticed. Trusting he’s close enough to the route he has taken before, he jumps over a small ditch and ducks between the greenery.

Immediately, he feels something is wrong. The trees seem to shift and move, and the ground feels unsteady. Stars are flickering in the sky, like they’re there one second and the next they’re gone.

For a moment, he closes his eyes, reminds himself the forest shows you what it wants, what it needs, and he knows that, right now, their goals align.

They have to save Henry.

The forest shifts again and Alex opens his eyes. The branches have moved just enough for Alex to be able to see where he’s going, bending almost unnaturally to let him through. As quick as he can, without breaking an ankle, he makes his way deeper into the forest.

It doesn’t take long before Alex sees the cabin looming through the trees, but it feels like an eternity nonetheless.

“Henry,” he whispers as loud as he can, too scared to make any loud sounds. “Henry!”

He stumbles up the garden path, relieved to find he’s the only one there, and stretches out his arm to knock on the door, right when it swings open.

There, right in front of him, scared but alive and well, stands Henry. Tall, soft, desperate Henry.

“Alex,” he croaks and Alex flings himself into Henry’s arms.

“I’m here,” he mutters into Henry’s neck. “I’m here. You’re okay. We’re getting out of here.”

“Alex,” Henry says again, his voice breaking, and Alex feels warm tears falling on his shirt and skin. He only now realises he has forgotten a jacket, but it doesn’t matter, because he’s here and he’s warm in Henry’s arms.

“I didn’t know who else to ask. I thought Pez… But I never know where he is, and…” Henry continues. “I… I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“Of course I came,” Alex answers, a frown forming on his face as he pulls back, holding Henry by the shoulders to look at him. “I’ll always come when you need me.”

“But I wasn’t sure after I… After…” Henry ducks his head with a trembling sigh. “I was sure you’d never want to see me again.”

“Oh, fucking hell, Henry!” Alex groans exasperatedly.

With a jolt, he pulls Henry closer with strong hands on pale cheeks and steers Henry’s mouth to his, dragging him into a searing kiss.

For a second, maybe two, Henry doesn’t respond, but before Alex can pull back, Henry grabs him by the neck and tilts their heads to deepen the kiss. Alex immediately disappears into it with a relieved huff. That warmth Alex had felt the first time Henry kissed him, courses through him again. He feels feather light, floating on air, like nothing in the world can touch him.

But then, Henry gasps and to Alex’s disappointment, their lips part and Henry moves back.

“Henry,” he pleads hoarsely.

“Alex,” Henry answers breathlessly, “you’re glowing.”

“What?” Alex says, slowly opening his eyes, noticing the astonishment in Henry’s blue ones.

“You’re glowing,” Henry repeats, nodding towards Alex.

Alex pulls his hands out of Henry’s hair, where they’ve apparently found their way earlier, and turns them over in complete shock.

He is glowing. His hands are emitting a warm, soft glow, just enough to light up their immediate surroundings.

“What the fuck?” he asks, his eyes snapping from his hands to Henry’s eyes and back again. “Is this normal?”

“I’ve never seen it before,” Henry says quietly. “Never even heard of it.”

“Is it bad? Am I being cursed?”

“I don’t think so,” Henry says, shaking his head, watching him with awe. “It feels… good. My magic likes it, is pulled to it, even. It feels like it’s for me. Like you’re-”

He cuts himself off, but Alex fills in the blanks.

“Like I’m for you.”

“Yeah,” Henry says on a bashful breath.

“How does that makes sense?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s… Shit…” Alex says, shaking himself out of it. “We don’t have time for this. We gotta go!”

“Go where?” Henry asks him, panic lacing his voice.

“Away from here. Your brother, I saw him, he’s having some people break into the forest. They said you were too strong, but they’ve been breaking down the magic. I could feel it.”

“Me too,” Henry confesses. “It won’t last.”

“Then come with me.”

Henry looks at him, wide eyed and white as a sheet. The last time Alex asked Henry to come with him, he had a choice. This time, his home, his sanctuary, is under attack. This time Alex will drag him kicking and screaming if he has to. Henry probably knows that too.

“What do you need to bring with you,” he asks Henry, hoping it will give him a goal, a step closer to leaving.

“Grab David’s food,” Henry says, seemingly flicking a switch, turning on the braveness.

He turns around and hurries to the bedroom, only to return a moment later, still stuffing a sweater into his bag. He grabs a photo of him and Bea, and one of him and Pez, opens a drawer to lift out a small box and hurries over to the comfy chair to grab a weathered book from the side table.

“I’ve got the food and some snacks,” Alex tells him, putting it on the table for Henry to add to his bag.

Alex gets to his knees, holding his hand out to a shaking David, who’s hiding underneath the table.

“Come here, little buddy,” he says quietly. “Let’s get you to safety, shall we?”

To his surprise, David inches forward until he’s pressed against Alex’s body.

“Here,” Henry says quietly, as he kneels right next to them and hooks David on his leash.

“We gotta go,” Alex urges, as he scoops David up in his arms and makes his way towards the door.

“Alex,” Henry says, sounding completely wrecked, standing next to the table, his arms hanging besides his body, looking completely defeated.

“I know, sweetheart,” Alex whispers gently.

He takes a step closer, awkwardly bending over David until Henry can hold them both steady and softly presses their lips together.

Alex lights up immediately.

“Fuck,” he mumbles when he steps back. “Am I gonna do that every time we kiss now?”

“I don’t know, love,” Henry says on a wet chuckle. “We can find out later, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. Are you ready?”

Henry clearly isn’t, but he leads them out the door anyway. Alex gestures for him to follow when he steps past him, purposefully going in a different direction than the last time they left the house. David is shivering in his arms, but he isn’t fighting Alex’s tight grip.

Henry takes a hold of Alex’s shirt to make sure they won’t get separated in the exponentially changing forest. Trees block their path seemingly out of nowhere, ditches form and disappear, wild animals rush to safety and, just before they reach the road, a loud, ear-splitting noise overtakes the quiet of the night.

Behind him, Henry gasps. Alex hears how he smacks his hand on his mouth in an effort to keep himself from making a sound. Alex gives Henry a couple seconds to find his bearings, before they hurry to the edge of the forest.

They follow the treeline for as long as they can until the forest becomes too treacherous and they have to step on the dirt road. To their right, Henry’s brother and his men have broken down the barriers Henry had so carefully set up over the years, but not without a final defence. With loud cracking noises, trees fall all around Phillip and his small army. Alex ignores the screaming but knows Henry can’t. He feels Henry’s grip falter. Can feel him fall behind.

Alex turns around, urging Henry to look at him. To not turn around but to keep going. Desperately, he steps closer and pushes David into his arms.

“Go,” he mouths, reaching for Henry’s shoulder blades to push him in the right direction.

Henry cradles David in his arms, buries his head into the dog’s fur for a moment, takes a steadying breath and starts moving again. Alex stays close behind him.

When he can see the car, he sprints ahead and opens the passenger side door for Henry. He holds it open and as soon as Henry and David are safe inside, he closes it as quietly as he can.

He is well aware there’s a chance Philip will be able to hear it when he starts the engine, but he hopes and prays the forest's defences and the commotion will muffle the sound enough for them to get away.

“Hold tight,” he tells Henry, who has put David firmly at his feet.

As soon as the car starts with a roaring sound, he hits the gas, and floors it.

It’s too dark to see if anybody is following them, but he keeps glancing into his mirror anyway. There are no headlights dooming up in the darkness, no sounds other than the Jeep’s engine, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear yet.

As soon as they come up to an actual road, Alex chooses a random direction, gripping his steering wheel tightly as he skids onto the pavement.

“Are they onto us?” Henry asks with a tight voice.

“I’m not seeing anybody,” Alex says, his eyes manically flying between the road ahead and the rearview mirror.

As a precaution, he takes another turn and lowers his speed. At least they won’t attract any attention by speeding now. They blend in even more when he drives them onto a freeway that’s thankfully filled with other night owls. They overtake a couple of trucks and swerve between cars filled with teenagers and lonely businessman.

Alex’s heart is hammering in his chest and his lungs are still fighting for air, but his body is slowly letting go of the worst of the tension. Next to him, while David is shaking like a leaf, Henry is sat in his seat like a statue. Without giving it a second thought, Alex reaches over and grabs for Henry’s hand, gently squeezing it when he finds it. He rests their joined hands on Henry’s thigh and they sit like that for miles, not saying anything but holding on like they’re each other’s lifeline. They probably are.

Eventually, Henry is the first one to break the silence.

“You kissed me,” he whispers.

“You kissed me first, asshole,” Alex objects, letting go of a surprised laugh.

“Yes, well…” Henry mutters. “That was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, running away was a mistake. Kissing you was pretty much the highlight of my year.”

Alex dares a glance at Henry’s blushing face before he has to turn back to the road again.

“Ah, right,” Henry stammers some more. “I didn’t know.”

Alex lets out an anxious huff and grips Henry’s hand just a little tighter.

“To be fair,” he says, a couple of minutes later, “I didn’t know either, that I’m into guys too, when you kissed me, so…”

“What?” Henry says, whipping his head around. Alex can feel Henry staring at him. “You’re not?”

“Oh, no, I was, I am. I just didn’t realise it. I know now though,” he answers, sending Henry a quick, blazing smile.

“You are utterly ridiculous,” Henry says quietly. “Utterly ridiculous.”

“At your service,” Alex chuckles.

They fall silent again as Alex changes to another freeway. Henry absentmindedly starts playing with Alex’s fingers and they both slowly sink back into their seats, finally letting go of some of that rigidity, and Alex let’s go of a much needed sigh.

Henry is here.

Henry is safe.

Chapter Text

“Where are we going?” Henry asks, when they take an exit and Alex manoeuvres the car onto the city streets.

“A safe house, sort of,” he says, unconvincingly. “A friend of my dad’s has a place here. I know the entry code. He said I’m always welcome here, so I guess I’m taking him up on it?”

“A friend of your father?”

“Yeah, Raf. He was pretty much my unofficial uncle when I was growing up.”

“Oh, alright,” Henry says, also unconvincingly.

“I know you don’t know who to trust right now, but we gotta regroup. I have to call my sister to find out if it’s safe to go home, or if we should go somewhere else.”

“Yes, you’re probably right.”

“And I gotta take a rest. Just for a second. My eyes are killing me.”

“Oh, Christ, Alex! You should have said!”

“And what, you would have taken over?” Alex asks, teasingly.

“Well, I don’t know, I would have offered, at least,” Henry responds with a self-deprecating chuckle. “But, you’re right, I’ve only driven a car a handful of times and that was ages ago. I surely would have pranged the car within minutes.”

“Oh, come on, sweetheart, gotta have some faith! My guess is you’d stall the car before we’d even take off. Can’t crash a car that doesn’t move.”

He smirks mischievously in Henry’s direction and is met with a swat on the chest and a smiling Henry. He’s still a little pale, and his jaw is still tense, but the sheer panic has left Henry’s face.

“We’re almost there,” Alex tells him with one last squeeze of their hands.

He moves both hands to the steering wheel, now that the corners are a lot tighter and he needs a little more precision.

They drive the rest of the way in silence, as both of them keep their eyes open for anything suspicious, for any sign that Mary or Philip knows where they are. The city is quiet, except for some stray cars and the occasional pedestrian. Nothing stands out, and after double-backing a couple of times, Alex is sure they’re not being followed either.

Eventually, Alex parks the car down the street and after taking a moment to make sure they’re not walking into an ambush, they make their way towards a tall, modern building.

“Are you sure he’s not home?” Henry whispers, when they’re nearing the entrance.

“He’s in the capital at this time of year,” Alex reassures him.

He enters the keycode to enter the building, enters another at Raf’s front door and once they’re through, he punches in the security code, before resetting it and locking the door behind them. He doesn’t turn on a single light as he ushers Henry and David into the bedroom.

“There’s a bathroom through there,” he says, as he closes the blackout curtains. Only then does he dare to turn on the small lamp on the bedside table. “I’ll get some bowls for Davey. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m… I… I don’t know.”

“That’s alright, I’ll have a look, okay?”

Henry stares at him, pale faced and looking completely lost. Alex’s heart breaks for him and he can’t do anything else but rush over and pull him into his arms.

“I’m so sorry, Hen,” he whispers into his ear, as Henry breaks down crying. “It’s going to be alright. We’re alright. You’re safe, David is safe.”

“They took everything,” Henry hiccups. “Surely, they’ve destroyed my house, my home, my forest, everything.”

“I know, baby, I know, but we’ll rebuild it. The forest is strong and your house… We’ll make it as good as new, okay? We’ll make sure they can’t touch you anymore, and then we’ll build you a new cabin. A new home.”

“What if we can’t?” Henry asks, grabbing onto Alex even tighter. “What if they keep coming and coming? What if I’m never safe?”

“Then we keep running until we find a way to beat them, or until we find a place where they can’t touch you. I’m not letting you do this alone, okay, Hen? You’ve got me, and my family, and Pez, and Bea. We all want you to be safe and we’re all gonna do our damnedest until you are.”

“Why?” Henry says, almost inaudible.

“Because you’re Henry. You saved June,” Alex says, tears running down his own cheeks as well. “You’re Henry, my Henry.”

With a loud sob, Henry pulls Alex down to the floor and crawls onto his lap, which is not an easy feat with legs that stretch for days. He buries his head in Alex’s neck and lets Alex slowly rock him back and forth. David, who’s been whining softly, slumps down next to them and rests his head on Henry’s leg. Alex reaches over to pet him slowly, trying to give them both the comfort they so desperately need.

They stay on the floor for a good long while, with Henry’s sobs turning into hiccupping inhales and slowly into steady breathing. When a small chime from Alex’s phone and a buzzing watch breaks them out of their moment, Alex guides Henry to the bed. He puts David right next to him and watches how the two of them curl in on each other. With one last kiss on Henry’s forehead, Alex steps out into the kitchen in search for some bowls and glasses.

As suspected, the fridge is empty, but there are some packets of chips and some cookies in one of the cupboards, which will have to do for now.

After taking a big gulp of water, Alex checks his phone.

Raf
Is that you?

Alex
yeah, is that okay?

Raf
Always. You safe?

Alex
am now
thank you

Raf
good luck

Alex had thought it might have been a possibility Raf would get a notification if someone entered his house, but he trusts Raf and it’s not like they’re gonna be there long. It’s been a calculated risk which he’s pretty sure will pay off.

He takes a deep breath, swipes towards his contacts and clicks on June’s name. She answers on the first ring.

“Are you alright?” she asks before he can even say hi.

“Yeah, fine. How is Nora?”

“Willing to murder your ass,” June grins from the other end of the line, and Alex lets out a relieved exhale.

They had developed a code, in case something like this would happen. He’d ask June how Nora is and if it wasn’t safe to talk, she’d tell her Nora says she misses him. Nora would never be vocal about it, so, while it would seem like a perfectly normal answer to everyone else, the two of them would know better.

But June didn’t say Nora misses him, and Alex can finally breathe a little more freely.

“I’m at Raf’s.”

“Figured,” June replies. “Raf just texted me a very cryptic thumbs-up and I read between the non-existing lines.”

“Of course he did,” Alex says on an escaping chuckle. “Tell Amy to come and get us?”

“Yeah, will do. Be advised, she’s also willing to murder you.”

“I can take her.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Yeah, yeah, love you, Bug.”

“Love you too, Little Bit. See you soon.”

Henry jolts awake when Alex’s phone chimes again.

“Shh, baby,” Alex hushes and slowly rubs his upper arm until the panic has left Henry’s eyes. “You fell asleep for a bit. It’s okay.”

“How long?”

“Not long. Maybe half an hour.”

“Who’s texting you?”

“Amy,” he says, looking at his screen. “She’s going to be here in 15 minutes.”

“Amy?” Henry asks cautiously.

“Security officer. She’s cool. You’ll like her.”

“Is she… Can she?”

“Do magic?” Alex asks and Henry nods. “Yeah, she made me this.”

He pulls out his car keys with the keychain she made him and hands it over. As soon as it’s in Henry’s hands, his eyes fall shut.

“That’s strong,” he whispers, impressed.

“Right?!” Alex says, irrationally proud. “You hold onto it until they get here. It’ll wear off in a bit though.”

“You don’t need it?” Henry asks, trying to give the keychain back.

“No, you need it more,” Alex decides. He folds Henry’s fingers around it and pushes it towards his chest. “I’ll take David,” he adds with a wink.

He ruffles the dog’s short hair on the top of his head and bends forwards to plant a kiss on it.

“Can I…” Henry starts and stops. “Can we… Can we see if you still glow?”

“You can just say you wanna kiss me some more, if you want it so badly,” Alex smirks.

Admittedly, he wants it badly too.

“Would you?” Henry asks, sounding hesitant.

“Always.”

He leans in and instinctively closes his eyes when their lips touch. This kiss is much softer than the ones before, but it’s just as warm, and just as healing.

When he remembers he should open his eyes, if he wants to see the glow, he sees it reflected in Henry’s eyes. He lets out a contented moan as they flutter shut again and he pulls Henry closer.

Between them, an indignant David let’s out a annoyed huff and hops off the bed. A moment later they hear him munching on the food Alex left out for him earlier.

Filling the gap David has left behind, Alex scootches closer, his hand wandering to Henry’s lower back so he can pull their bodies together. Henry rolls on his back, taking Alex with him until he’s halfway on top. Henry takes a hold of his thigh, while Alex moves one hand to Henry’s hair, revelling in the feel of the soft strands running through his fingers.

Alex plants kisses all along Henry’s jaw and neck and Henry tilts his head up to him. A needy groan escapes Henry’s throat and Alex has to fight the urge to bite the bobbing Adam’s apple.

He’s just about to kiss his way back up, when his phone goes off again. He checks his smartwatch from the corner of his eye and swears.

“Amy,” he tells Henry as he catches his own breath. “We’ve got, like, 10 minutes. She’s telling us to get ready.”

“Alright,” Henry breathes, sinking back into the pillow, moving the hand that had almost reached Alex’s ass to cover his own eyes. “This was not our brightest idea, getting frisky in the limited time we had.”

“Getting frisky,” Alex chuckles, planting a kiss on the hand over Henry’s eyes.

“Oh, do shut up,” Henry laughs, repaying the favour by pulling Alex down for one last biting kiss.

“You go wash up,” Alex pants after a moment. “I’ll pack Davey’s food and clean up.”

Ten minutes later, Amy corrals them into a black SUV and someone else takes Alex’s keys to drive the Jeep back home. Alex doesn’t like someone else driving his car, but he guesses he can make an exception just this once.

Over an hour later, she’s unloading them again and shepherds them into the house, where they’re greeted by Alex’s entire family and Nora.

“Thank God,” Ellen mutters as she pulls her son into her arms and hugs him tighter than she has in years.

He feels June’s arm snake in between them to grasp a hold of him as well, while he hears Oscar ask Henry if he is alright.

David, to everyone but Leo’s surprise, saunters over to Alex’s stepdad and looks up expectantly.

“If you’re wondering if I still have those doggy treats stashed away, then yes, yes, I do,” Leo tells him with a pleased smile as he bends down to give David a good cuddle.

“You can’t just buy David’s affection!” Alex tells him off. “That’s cheating!”

“I’ve seen you give him part of your meal before, Alex, more than once,” Henry chips in. “Wouldn’t you have been doing the same, in that case?”

“What? No?” Alex says, trying to sound offended, but grinning at Henry like a maniac. “David’s my friend. You share with friends.”

“I’m almost inclined to believe you,” Henry chuckles, despite his nerves. “Almost.”

“I’ll get the little guy some proper food while you get settled in, how ‘bout that?” Leo suggests and David immediately perks up at the word food and starts wagging his tail enthusiastically.

“You see?” Alex asks, gesturing towards David. “It’s a bribe, I tell you!”

“Why do you think I baked you pancakes every morning for years?” Leo asks him, wiggling his eyebrows.

“What?” Alex asks, bursting out in laughter. “I knew you didn’t do that out of the kindness of your heart!”

“Or didn’t I?” Leo says, smiling cheekily before he disappears with David in tow.

“Alright,” Ellen says, clapping her hands together to focus everyone’s attention on her. “Sugar, I’m very happy you’ve made it home safe and that you managed to bring Henry with you. That being said, never do that again, you hear?! You scared us half to death!”

“We were worried sick, Mijo,” Oscar tells him with a warm look in his eyes. “But I understand.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex says, feeling his cheeks heat up. “I didn’t mean to worry you guys, it’s just… Yeah, Henry was in trouble, so…”

“You could have brought Amy,” his mother tells him. “Hell, you could have brought an entire army! But you were stubborn and went in alone. Anything could have happened, don’t you realise that?”

“I do! I know! I’m sorry, but actually I’m not sorry and I would probably do it again.”

He glances over at Henry who’s expression shifts between worried, apologetic, a little proud and a whole lot affectionate. Alex answers it with another wide smile.

“You’re a pain in the backside, I’ll tell you that,” Ellen sighs. “Now, the two of you rest up for a bit while we regroup. We’ll go over the plan in a couple of hours. Good?” When everyone nods their agreement, Ellen waltzes on. “Henry, I’ve had the guestroom prepared for you. June can show you the way.”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Alex interjects, to which both June and Nora raise an amused eyebrow. “I’m not letting him out of my sight. I’m not, Hen. You’re staying with me.”

He steps closer to Henry and drags him towards the stairs by the sleeve of his sweater. Passing them, he nods at June and Nora to follow and doesn’t stop until everyone is in his bedroom.

“Oh,” Henry says on an exhale as he looks around the room. He had only seen June’s last time. “This is very you.”

And, well, yes, Alex’s room is very chaotic and very colourful, but he never really thought of it like that.

“You like it?” he asks hopefully.

“Yes, I love it,” Henry says with a soft smile, walking up to the shelf holding his lacrosse trophies and letting his fingers trail over one of the plaques.

“Not that I want to break up whatever the two of you have going on,” Nora interrupts them, “but, hi, I’m Nora, nice to finally meet the man Alex can’t shut up about.”

“Hello,” Henry says, his smile widening as he shakes Nora’s hand. “He told me a lot about you as well.”

“We should compare notes sometime,” Nora nods.

“Not if I can help it,” Alex grumbles.

“It’s cute that you think you can,” Nora tells him, with a condescending pat on the cheek.

“Are you alright, Henry?” June asks him, stepping closer to give him a hug.

“Not really,” Henry says honestly as he sighs into her touch. “But I’m safe. Thanks to Alex. And now thanks to you all.”

The four of them find their way to the bed to slump down and make themselves more comfortable, when Alex suddenly jumps back up in excitement.

"Hey, wanna see something cool?!” he asks June and Nora, who look at him with curious surprise.

“Alex,” Henry chuckles warningly.

“We can show them, right?” he asks him, obviously not willing to go through with it if it makes Henry uncomfortable.

“Alright,” Henry says, rolling his eyes affectionately.

“Yes, baby!” he grins, before he turns to the others. “You guys ready?”

With a flurry, he grabs Henry’s face with both hands and smacks their mouths together. Henry grins into the sudden onslaught while June and Nora gasp besides them.

Alex leans into it a little more for good measure, before he pulls away and excitedly holds out his hands in between them, turning them over and over, just like the first time he’d seen the glow.

“Isn’t it cool?!”

“How?” June asks, mouth agape.

“I really want to comment on the fact that you just kissed a guy full on the lips right in front of us, but what the fuck, man! You’re glowing!”

“I know!” Alex answers, jumping up and down on his knees.

“We have no idea why this is happening,” Henry answers June’s question.

“Does it happen often? Or, y’know, other than when you two…” she asks now, motioning between the two.

“No, just started glowing earlier tonight, and only when we kiss so far.”

“You sure as hell weren’t glowing when you and I were necking,” Nora notes. “I’d remember that.”

“Okay, gross,” June says, pulling a face.

“And when exactly…” Henry asks tentatively. “Were you two… err, necking?”

“Oh, years ago, for like a month,” Alex tells him, dismissing the thought. “Didn’t really mean anything, just had to be done.”

“Just had to be done,” Henry repeats, staring at Alex with a mixture of emotions, most of it bewilderment.

“Let’s just say he wouldn’t even run to the grocery store for me, let alone into an enchanted forest to save my ass. Pretty sure he’d only be that stupid for you.”

The wink she sends Henry’s way, oddly seems to reassure him.

“Yeah, sorry Noor, it’s pretty much just June and Henry it’d run into danger for.”

“Oh, Little Bit,” June says, hiding her emotional state by thumping him on the arm.

“Guess I’m in good company then,” Henry says, smiling warmly at June.

“So am I,” she tells him with a wink.

“This is all very lovely and all,” Nora cuts in, knowing full well Alex definitely would run into a burning building to save her but saving him the embarrassment of having to admit it, “but can we rewind to the part where we had to witness Alex kissing Henry on the mouth?”

“Oh, right,” Alex mumbles, feeling more than a little awkward now. He might have been a bit overexcited to show June and Nora this new glowing feature he’s got going on. “You saw that, huh?”

“Was a little hard to miss,” Nora says, her pleased smirk pulling an exasperated sigh out of Alex.

Next to him, Henry is fidgeting with the hem of his sweater, ignoring any and all eye contact.

“So, you did that earlier, right? The whole kissing thing,” Nora goes on as if this is just a normal conversation to be having. “And pretty boy didn’t run that time?”

Henry blushes even more furiously at that.

“Well, technically,” Alex answers slowly, “he did. But he kinda ran with me this time, so I’m not mad about it.”

“And are you planning on staying?” Nora asks Henry. “Because you kinda broke his little heart last time and since he’s my best friend, I’ve gotta stand up for his honour and all that.”

“Hey!” Alex reacts offended. To which part exactly he’s unsure, but he feels insulted anyway.

“I’m not going to run away again, if that’s what you’re asking,” Henry tells her, his voice wobbling a bit.

“That’s good enough for now,” Nora nods. “We’ll talk more later.”

“I for one am happy to see you again, Henry,” June says, slowly pushing Nora off the bed, towards the door. “I’m sorry about the circumstances, but I am happy you’re here and you’re safe.”

“Thank you, June,” Henry answers, looking up at her with a shy smile.

“You two are gonna take a nap now, you hear?” she instructs them like the big sister that she is. “We’ll talk about your daring escape some more when we haven’t just had one of the scariest nights of our life.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Alex nods, jumping off of the bed to follow them to the door.

June and Nora both kiss him goodnight and leave them to it.

“You want me to go get David first?” Alex asks, doorhandle in hand.

“Will Leo bring him up here later?”

“Yeah, most definitely.”

“Then let him have his snack and a run around in the garden. I trust Leo.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty great.”

Exhaustion suddenly hits Alex, when he closes the door and makes his way over to the bed. He falls down with a grunt and rolls on his side, facing Henry, who has already slumped down the bed. He looks so small, curled up with his hair smushed in all directions by the pillow.

“Wanna borrow some PJ’s?” Alex asks, as he settles.

“I’m too tired to even keep my eyes open right now,” Henry confesses as his eyes are gradually falling shut. “Let’s just rest for a while, yeah?”

“Alright,” Alex sighs, and closes his eyes as well.

As soon as he folds himself around Henry and pulls the bedspread over their interwoven bodies, both of them fall asleep almost instantly.

Chapter Text

It’s nearing afternoon by the time Alex and Henry wake up. Alex’s entire body is exhausted, complaining loudly as he moves every single limb.

There isn’t any time to dawdle though. No time for a reprieve.

The Mountchristen-Windsors must realise Henry isn’t at his cabin by now and should be able to make a fair assumption on where he is and what that means. It’s impossible for the coven not to know something is about to go down. They won’t have the element of surprise on their side for much longer.

With a loud grunt, Alex rolls on his back, away from Henry’s warm body.

“Morning,” a croaked voice next to him mutters at the same time that there’s a loud yawn coming from David, who’s curled up behind Henry’s knees. Leo must have let him in earlier. Alex was so knackered, he slept through it.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Alex says as he stretches his arms above his head.

He turns back around and is met with a warm blush on Henry’s cheeks and a small smile on his lips.

“Sleep alright?” Alex asks and Henry shrugs.

“Not too bad,” he replies as he reaches out to pull Alex against his chest.

Alex gives in and goes willingly. He lets Henry plant a gentle kiss on his hair and wrap his long arms around him.

“We should get up,” Alex mumbles into Henry’s skin. He peppers some kisses there as soon as he’s done talking, showing Henry he would rather do the opposite of getting out of Henry’s arms and out off this bed.

“Hmm,” Henry hums noncommittedly.

“Hey, listen, you can stay in the guestroom tonight, if you want,” Alex continues sheepishly. “I sorta realise I kinda forced you to stay with me and I didn’t mean not to give you a choice, I just-”

Henry cuts him of with a chuckle.

“Alex, I would have ended up in your bed anyway,” he reassures him. “I don’t think I would have been able to sleep in a cold, strange bed after a night like last night. I feel safe with you. I want to stay with you.”

“Okay,” Alex breathes with a pleased smile, pushing his nose back into the crook of Henry’s neck and inhaling deeply. How does that man still smell so good after running for his life and sleeping in his clothes?

He’s suddenly very self-conscious about his own state of being. He’s still wearing yesterday's outfit as well, and unlike Henry, who is living up to his Prince Charming allegations, Alex knows he needs a shower. Badly.

“Do you want the bathroom first?” he asks.

“If you don’t mind,” Henry answers. “Then while you freshen up, I can make sure David is fed before we get pulled into the fray.”

“Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Alex nods, crawling up a bit to give Henry a proper kiss before they have to separate.

Even from this quick kiss, he can see how his hand shines out of the corner of his eye and he can feel the warmth spread all the way to his toes. It leaves again as soon as they let go and Henry gets up.

“Come here, buddy,” Alex tells a disgruntled David, who’s not too happy about losing his warm pillow.

David shuffles over and buries himself into Alex’s side, and together they watch Henry as he picks up his backpack and strides into the En-Suite.

“Fucking hell, your dad is hot,” he whispers into David’s fur. In return he gets a generous slobber on the nose.

In the knowledge David is safe, running around the garden under the watchful eye of Leo, who’s taking his role as dog-sitter very seriously, Alex and Henry walk into the biggest conference room in the east wing of the building. Alex is still chewing on the bagel he has nicked from the kitchen, while Henry sips his tea.

Multiple screens are showing a wide range of information, from seemingly random numbers to maps, from pictures of members of the Mountchristen-Windsor coven to a scrolling screen of ever-changing numbers, letters and symbols. It’s a controlled chaos.

A bit overwhelming, too.

The tables are filled with paperwork and opened laptops, some of which have a person behind it, some seem to be abandoned for now.

Ellen sits in the back, her blouse opened on one more button than she would usually allow, but her hair still as immaculate as always. His father is standing over her, pointing at the screen, and for once they seem to agree on something.

A few chairs over, Nora is typing furiously on her bright red laptop and June paces around the table, her phone pressed to her ear as she uses her journalist voice. When she passes Alex and Henry, she gives them both a gentle squeeze on the arm and continues her conversation out in the hall, where it’s noticeably quieter.

Amy and Cash are standing near a wall, both with small sticky notes in one hand and the index finger from the other on a map. A few of Cash’s officers are standing around them, taking notes, nodding seriously.

When Amy spots the two, she holds up a finger, tells the others they’ll continue later, and comes over, Cash right behind her.

“You’re up!” she says cheerfully. “We hoped we could have a talk, if that’s alright.”

“Uh, sure?” Alex says, looking over at Henry who nods quietly.

Before they’ve been fully able to take in what’s happening at the command centre, they’re whisked away into a smaller room across the hall.

“We want to know exactly what happened last night,” Cash tells them, “but first we need to assess what adding Henry’s power will mean for us. I’m assuming you are willing to help?”

“I am,” Henry answers quickly. “I want to help. I don’t think it’s feasible for me to hide any longer. They’ve forced my hand.”

“I guess they did, huh?” Cash nods.

He turns towards the chairs and pulls two of them out so that they’re facing each other.

“Have a seat, kid,” he says, while he takes the other.

Henry obliges and is already reaching out his hands, seemingly knowing what’s going to happen. Alex has no clue and watches with rapt attention as Cash takes Henry’s hands and tightly locks them together.

“It’s alright, kiddo,” Amy tells him when she sees Alex’s worried expression. “Cash is just assessing Henry’s power, figuring out what would be useful and where they could channel it. It wouldn’t work if Henry wasn’t willingly participating.”

“It looks invasive,” Alex says quietly as he watches Henry’s face contort into a grimace and all his muscles tense up.

“Cash is basically poking around in Henry’s core. It is a little invasive, yeah, but it’s also necessary. There won’t be any lasting damage or connection. It’s just information they’re sharing, basically.”

When a small groan escapes Henry, Alex isn’t so sure about any of it and rushes forward to grab Henry’s shoulder to steady him. His pinkie brushes the skin of Henry’s neck, triggering the warm sensation he has always felt when touching Henry, but stronger, spreading through him until it fills every single inch of him.

Opposite Henry, Cash gasps and lets his head fall backwards.

“What’s happening?” Amy asks, also rushing forward but making sure not to make contact.

With a loud shout, Cash pulls back, collapsing in the chair, panting as if he just ran a marathon.

Alex hurries to crouch down next to Henry and cups his face to make sure Henry’s looking at him. His piercing eyes are blown in shock, or surprise, but there’s no sign of pain or panic. Relieved, Alex lets go of the breath he’s been holding with a forceful exhale.

“You’re alright?” he double checks.

“I’m fine, Alex, truly,” Henry says, looking at him fondly.

“So, uh,” Amy interrupts them, “what the hell just happened?”

“That…” Cash says, still catching his breath. “That was the most powerful magic I’ve ever felt. But… I don’t understand why it changed suddenly.”

He looks up at Henry with an inquisitive look in eyes.

“Alex touched him,” Amy explains, pointing at their now joined hands. “The moment Alex put his hand on Henry’s shoulder, you went into overdrive.”

“That’s impossible,” Cash stutters. “Let’s do that again.”

Alex and Henry follow his and Amy’s instructions, recreating the moment, ending in the same result; Cash panting in his chair, completely out of breath.

“How?” he asks, unable to form more than one syllable. “Switch.”

He points between Henry and Alex. Alex dutifully holds out his hands for Cash to take once he's in the seat. He’s not sure what is supposed to be happening, but it feels an awful lot like holding hands. Nothing more.

“Odd,” Cash says, more to himself than the others. “I feel no power at all.”

“Yeah, could have told you that,” Alex chuckles awkwardly.

“Touch him?” Cash asks Henry now, and Henry gently lays his hand on the back of Alex’s neck.

It feels nice and warm to Alex, just as it always does, but Cash doesn’t seem to notice a difference.

“This is highly unusual,” he continues, letting go of Alex’s hand and getting up to walk back and forth through the room. “I might need to ask for a second opinion here.”

“But you have an idea about what’s happening?” Alex asks, getting up as well and grasping Henry’s hand as he stands up next to him.

“Has this happened before?”

“Well, we haven’t had anyone hold Henry’s hands like that before,” Alex says, trying to wrap his head around it, “but I did kind of… Glow?... Earlier?”

“What do you mean, kind of glow?” Cash asks, stopping in his tracks and stalking towards them.

“Uh, well, I kinda… kissed Henry? And then I glowed?”

This feels even more invasive and personal than what he had just witnessed Henry and Cash doing.

“Alex,” Amy says, calmly, “I am aware this is not something you would usually want to share with your mother’s staff, but it’s incredibly important that we figure out what this is. Would you be willing to show us?”

“Yeah, I guess, I…” his eyes dart frantically between a reassuring Amy, a frantic Cash and a deeply awkward looking Henry. “Hen?”

“I think it’s necessary, don’t you, darling?” he whispers.

Alex nods quickly, almost invisibly, and clenches their fingers together as he tilts his head up. Henry’s comes down and gently presses their lips together. Judging by the gasps he hears, it’s enough. When he moves back and opens his eyes, he barely sees the last of the glow leave his fingers.

“I’ve never seen that happen in my entire life,” Amy says bewildered.

“This is highly exceptional, incredibly rare,” Cash says, both excited and in awe. “I believe you, Alex, are a Conductor.”

“A what? Like on a train?”

“No, like copper wires conducting energy,” Cash explains. “Perhaps it’s not the right description, since you’re not transporting the energy, you’re enhancing it, but that’s the overall term that’s been used for centuries. I thought it was a myth though, or old magic that has been long lost.”

“I’m gonna need more here,” Alex says. The desperate grip Henry has on his hand tells him Henry is in the dark as well.

“Henry’s magic is strong,” Cash says, picking up the pacing again, gesturing wildly. “Think of it as a decent fire burning in a firepit. What happens when you add some gasoline to it?”

“It creates a fireball,” Alex says. “The fire grows.”

“Exactly. You’re the gasoline to Henry’s fire. You make it grow, get stronger.”

“But you didn’t feel anything when you held my hands,” Alex frowns. “I didn’t throw gasoline on your fire?”

“Give me your hand, kid,” Amy tells him, already holding out hers.

Alex takes hers with his free hand and focusses on their touch. Nothing. Just the normal warmth you feel when another warm hand touches yours. No glowing, no heating up. Not like the other hand, where Henry is holding on to him tightly.

“Yeah, I got nothing kid,” Amy shrugs as she lets go. “I guess you’re not a universal Conductor.”

“I shook Bea’s hand,” Alex remembers, swinging around to Henry. “Didn’t feel anything, so it’s not like a family blood kind of thing.”

“It’s just me?” Henry asks, hoarsely.

“Just you, baby,” Alex whispers as a million emotions course through his veins. He sees them all reflected in Henry’s eyes.

“I’m gonna need to make a few calls,” Cash says, breaking them out of their temporary bubble.

As he starts to leave, Henry launches forward, his hand slipping out of Alex’s.

“Sir, would it be alright if I tap into the protective wards? I would feel much safer if I know how they’re set up. Perhaps I could weave in my own, even?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Cash says, breaking out of his stream of thoughts. “Alex, make sure to steer clear as he does. We don’t know what happens to his magic once you let go. We’re gonna need to do some testing before we risk all of our safety.”

“Got it,” Alex nods and he watches Cash hurry out the room.

“Why don’t you go tell your mom that we’re going to need the two of you for a little while longer?” Amy asks him tentatively. “I’m sure she would love to know you’re alright. I’ll stay with Henry, okay?”

Before he agrees, Alex looks at Henry and takes his small smile as an encouragement. After a quick kiss on Henry’s cheek – partly to avoid the glow and partly because they haven’t had the opportunity to define what the hell they are yet, and kissing in public for other reasons than to demonstrate their new-found bond might not be a good idea until they’ve had the talk – Alex steps out into the hall and crosses it to duck into the conference room.

There seem to be even more people gathered there than before. It truly feels like a command centre. There are different heads of security present, a general, some more military hotshots, his mom – who’s technically superior to all of them – and some of the most important magical leaders. It’s almost unreal to see June and Nora in the midst of them. His dad fits in, though. He has always been a leader, which is probably why his marriage with his mom didn’t work out. You can’t both captain the ship at the same time, so to speak.

Leo, who’s going around with David hot on his tail, is making sure everyone has a sufficient amount of coffee and snacks, and blends perfectly into the hustle and bustle, fulfilling his role of the unwavering supporter.

Since his and Alex’s mom’s marriage, he’s been the one that has been keeping Ellen on track, well fed and happy. Before that, she looked so thin, Alex was afraid she could have been toppled over by a gentle breeze if she would have skipped even one more meal. She’s still slender, but Alex can’t feel her bones through her skin anymore when they hug. Because of Leo’s unrelenting care and attention, she looks healthy and strong, which is coincidentally just what her constituents like to see.

“Hey, ma,” he says, when he slides up next to her.

She’s standing, bending over the table, swiping through her tablet and straightens up when she hears his voice.

“Hey, sugar,” she says, greeting him with a broad smile. With a soft kiss on his cheeks she pulls him into her embrace and quietly holds him for much longer than she usually would.

“Are you alright?” she asks. “Is Henry okay?”

“We’re fine, ma,” Alex answers quietly. “He’s in the next room with Amy. Look, there’s some magical shit going on and we’re gonna need to do some testing, apparently.”

“Anything I need to be aware of?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not, like, vital to our safety right now or anything, I don’t think, but turns out I’m a Conductor?”

“A Conductor,” she repeats slowly. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, Cash told us. He’s looking into it.”

“That’s just a fairy tale.”

“That’s what Cash thought, but he checked, and I’ve got no magic, but when I touch Henry, his magic kinda blows up.”

“Blows up?” Ellen asks, worried.

“Not literally,” Alex says, rolling his eyes. “Like when you put gasoline on a fire, is how Cash put it.”

“Are you sure?” Ellen asks again, her eyes trailing over Alex’s face, looking for answers.

“I mean, I don’t understand half of it, but that’s what they told me.”

“Alright, sugar,” his mom nods decisively. “You do what you have to do. Cash will inform me once there’s a need for me to be included. If he’s taking the time to look into this now, I’m sure it has priority.”

“Probably,” Alex nods. He looks back over his shoulder towards the open door. “I should get back. Just wanted to let you know we’re alright and kinda busy.”

“Of course, son,” she says, a smile forming on her face. “You know where I’ll be when you need me.”

After one more hug, Alex hurries back out the room, into the quieter, but not less intense one, across the hall.

Cash has brought over one of the magical advisors, an old man who seems to have been alive for centuries himself. They repeat the entire process, this time with the old man in the seat opposite Henry, and later Alex.

He comes to the same conclusion Cash had, that Alex is a Conductor, specifically attuned to Henry’s magic.

The man, however, has some additional information. Their connection can be honed. Right now it’s a very rough, unrefined power.

“See it as a car, if you will,” he tries to explain when Alex and Henry look at him as if he’s speaking a completely different language. “If you go at full speed, hands off of the steering wheel, you will be very fast, but you won’t be able to take a ninety degree turn, or park, or avoid the pedestrians. You’ll be a murderous machine running rampant. On an empty, straight freeway that might not be that much of an issue, but within the city, you need control. The two of you will need to figure out how to get the car rolling, to manoeuvre it through our streets, to reach your destination safely.”

“You won’t need the same amount of fire for a candle as you do a bonfire,” Henry nods.

“Precisely,” the old man concurs with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t want to burn down the house while we’re celebrating a birthday, now would we?”

“How do we do it though?” Alex asks.

“Practice, young man.”

Chapter Text

Once again, while everybody in the house is frantically finalising the plan, setting everything in motion, Alex is up in his room, doing seemingly unimportant things. But, even though it feels painfully familiar, it’s decidedly different this time.

It took some convincing, mostly from Cash, but he realises now that sitting on his bed, his hands in Henry’s, and his eyes closed, is the most important thing he could be doing right now. If they manage to get a handle on this Conductor thing, they could be able to enhance and channel Henry’s magic, which would give them an enormous advantage in the inevitable upcoming fight against the Mountchristen-Windsors.

“Do you think I’m always gonna be glowing?” Alex asks, interrupting the meditative silence.

He opens one eye to peek at Henry, who’s eyes remain closed, but whose mouth curls into a smile.

“I truly don’t know,” he confesses. “I might have grown up around more magic than most and I might have been taught by the best tutors my grandmother’s money could buy, but this is completely uncharted territory for me.”

Alex hums in response, his eye falling shut again. He knew this already. He just needs a little bit of reassurance. To feel a little less lost.

“But,” Henry continues, “I suspect that if we learn to harness the power that connects us, we’ll be able to control your glowing as well. You must be looking forward to being able to kiss me whenever you fancy, without turning into an attraction.”

Henry giggles quietly, which causes Alex’s heart to swell to at least three times its size.

“Fuck, Hen,” Alex says with an uncontrolled laugh, “I don’t know why I’m stressing about this. Would you even wanna keep kissing me? I don’t even know what we are!”

“And you thought this an opportune time to have that conversation?” Henry asks, his voice light and teasing.

“No, I don’t know! I just…” Alex huffs, his head hanging low. “I just wanted you to know that I like you and that I want to see if we can make this work. I mean us. I wanna see if there’s an us. If you want that too.”

“Thank you, love,” Henry says quietly.

Alex feels the bed dip slightly before Henry’s lips brush his. It’s over in a blink, but it’s enough to help ease Alex’s racing mind.

“I want that too.”

With a contented smile, Alex breathes out a relieved sigh and retightens his grip on Henry’s hands.

A moment later it’s Henry who breaks the silence.

“I’m not sure how, though,” he admits, clearly not talking about this whole magic thing. “I’m not sure if I know how to let anyone in anymore. I’m trying, desperately, but I might need your help every now and again.”

“That’s okay, Hen. I’m not letting you go.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“I’m ready,” Alex says, maybe fifteen minutes later. “Do you wanna try it?”

They were instructed to empty their minds, to search for their connection, and after sitting on the bed for about half an hour, Alex feels that this is as good as it’s gonna get.

They've gathered a couple of items that are now laid out beside them on the bed. A piece of paper, torn out of one of Alex’s notebooks, a feather, taken out of June’s art and craft’s box, and an ugly frog-like looking keychain Nora once bought Alex because it reminded her of him. He’s kept it, because it reminds him of her in return.

“Let’s start with the feather,” Henry nods, letting go of Alex’s hands.

Henry is going to try and lift it gently. Something this tangible and specific isn’t usually where his strengths lie, but it’s not as abstract as asking a forest to protect you, which makes this a lot more graspable for Alex’s non-magical mind and a perfect starting point for their practicing session.

But, because Henry is fucking powerful and could probably do anything if he sets his mind to it, the feather starts wiggling in its spot only a few second later, until it gently lifts up and hovers a couple of inches above the bed.

Henry lets it fall back down and looks up at Alex’s proud face.

“You’re fucking incredible,” he whispers.

“I’m really not,” Henry blushes.

“You really are.”

“I have done this before, y’know. It’s just been a while.”

“Are you shitting me?” Alex laughs. “If I were able to lift things with my mind I’d never do manual labour again!”

“Just because you can run, doesn’t mean you would run everywhere, does it?” Henry asks him with an amused smile. “Running costs more energy than walking, just like lifting objects with magic would cost more than simply lifting it by hand. It’s not always worth it, Alex.”

“But you’re like wicked strong! You had an entire forest hide you from the outside world!”

“Because that’s something that comes naturally to me. I have an aptitude for earthbound magic. Besides, I’ve worked on maintaining the forest. When I first sought refuge, it took everything out of me to keep up the barriers. It got easier over time, much like running daily will increase your stamina.”

“So, it’s like a muscle?”

“If you like,” Henry says with a soft smile. “That’s a fairly accurate analogy.”

“Which brings me back to my earlier statement: you’re fucking incredible,” Alex beams at him.

“Honestly, Alex,” Henry laughs, “haven’t you been around magic all your life?”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that! It’s all of you! It’s how hard you try, how easy you make it look, when I know it’s not.”

Henry chuckles as he shakes his head and takes Alex’s hands in his.

“Let’s find out if I’ll live up to those expectations then, shall we? Ready?” he asks and Alex nods.

After the warmth of their touch has settled in Alex’s body, he turns to the feather and waits for Henry to lift it again. He hardly has time to focus on the feather, before it shoots up into the air and hits the ceiling, stays there for a moment, and then slowly sways back and forth as it falls down to the bed.

A surge of energy had shot through his arms, to the point where Henry’s palm touches his.

“Holy shit,” Alex breathes. “I felt that. Let’s do that again!”

And they do. Again and again. They are both sweating and exhausted, but after about an hour, they manage to have the feather gently hovering two feet above the bed as if it were hanging on an invisible string.

Next, the paper gets lifted and after that the frog, which turns out to be a lot harder.

When they feel they have a grasp on the lifting aspect, they try moving the feather to the other side of the bed, which takes up another hour. They succeed a couple of times, but they’re not in control of its speed yet. More often than not, it shoots to the end of the bed with a frightening momentum.

“Alex, love?” Henry rasps after the feather overshoots and lands on the floor the fifth time in a row. “I could use a break, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah, me too, actually,” Alex confesses. “Wanna get some food?”

“I’d prefer to lie down for a minute. I’m exhausted.”

“Alright,” Alex says, already moving the remaining items to the nightstand to make room for Henry’s impressive body.

They lay down, shoulder to shoulder, hands finding each other unconsciously and linking together.

Alex’s heavy eyelids fall shut and he takes a deep breath. Next to him, Henry’s breathing steadies, working wonders on Alex’s overall exhaustion. He can feel himself recovering.

“You feel that too, right?” he whispers into the quiet room.

“Our magical cores are healing each other,” Henry hums.

“I’m not magical though,” Alex frowns. “Cash said so.”

“To me you are,” Henry sighs contentedly.

The warmth spreading through Alex’s chest right now has nothing to do with Henry’s magic or their bond. That’s just Henry.

After a nap and a meal, Henry retreats into the garden with David. As the excited beagle sniffs every blade of grass, probably looking for evidence of other animals, Henry stares out into the distance. Every now and then, he gets down, placing his hand on the earth or letting a flower or plant slide through his fingers. From his place on the porch’s steps, Alex wonders if Henry is just grounding himself or if he’s healing dying and hurt plants.

Could be both, actually.

Alex had thought about giving Henry some space and going back inside, but Henry keeps looking for him, giving him a small, relieved smile every time their eyes meet, so, he stays and searches the internet on his phone to see if there’s any chatter about their daring escape or a possible retaliation. The Mountchristen-Windsor clan and their allies are suspiciously silent.

Or maybe he’s just reading into things and they’re just not as chronically online as he is.

Across the lawn, Henry has found a stone bench and sits down, facing the shrubbery. After wandering around for a bit, David settles at Henry’s feet with his head on Henry’s shoes. Alex watches how Henry bends down and scratches the beagle behind his ears. He doesn’t come all the way back up, though. He stays slumped forward, with his head hanging low. The posture immediately grabs Alex’s attention and he’s on his feet before he made the conscious decision to go over.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he whispers when he reaches the bench. He slowly circles it and carefully takes a seat.

Next to him, Henry lets out a shaky breath and leans in. He rests his head on Alex’s shoulder. Silently, Alex brings his arm around Henry’s back to pull him close and plants a kiss in his hair.

“I’m sorry,” Henry whispers a good while later.

“For what?” Alex frowns.

“I know we’re supposed to be practicing. I’m not… I don’t think I can…”

“Hey, Hen,” Alex interrupts him, “no. They’re putting a lot of pressure on us, even more so on you than on me, because all I’ve gotta do is hold your hand. And you’ve just lost your fucking home, Hen! For God’s sake, take as long as you need.”

“You know very well you’re doing much more than holding my hand,” Henry says, turning on the spot to look Alex in the eye and raise an unimpressed eyebrow. “I can feel you taking control. I can feel how you’re learning to regulate it, how you’re reaching out for my magic to interweave yours with mine. Just holding my hand, you say. Poppycock!”

“Talk dirty to me,” Alex replies with a boisterous laugh. He slings his other arm around Henry as well and pulls him close until their foreheads rest together. “Fine, but I can’t do anything without you.”

“I’m certain I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without you either,” Henry confesses quietly.

“Guess we’re even then,” Alex smiles brightly. “You’re kinda awesome.”

“We should practice some of that kissing again,” Henry says, clearly holding back a smirk.

“For science, you mean?” Alex asks, not holding back a snicker.

“Oh, absolutely,” Henry nods, moving Alex’s head as he moves. “Can’t think of any other reason, can you?”

“None. Gonna need a control sample first, if you don’t mind,” Alex whispers, already tilting his head to catch Henry’s lips with his own.

Before he has a chance to fully lean into the touch, Henry pulls back.

“Let’s take this inside, shall we? I’d prefer you not to light up like a Christmas tree for everyone to see.”

“Yeah, okay, yeah,” Alex breathes out, scrambling to his feet and pulling Henry along with him. He ignores David’s annoyed grumblings. There are more important matters at hand.

His bedroom door isn’t even fully closed yet when Alex pulls Henry back in by the back of the head and slots their mouths together. David quickly struts away from them, probably well aware he’s not needed at the moment.

“So eager,” Henry laughs into Alex’s mouth, but he pulls him towards the bed anyway.

When Henry falls back into a sitting position on the mattress, Alex moves with him, stepping in between Henry’s parted legs, bending forwards and tilting Henry’s head to deepen the kiss. Henry’s hands find their way to Alex’s hips. When he has a tight grasp on them, he pulls Alex forwards and onto his lap and Alex revels in the small sounds Henry makes, almost drowns in them.

When he pulls back, the glow he’s emitting pulses for at least a minute before it slowly fades, and Henry’s eyes are filled with astonishment.

“You’re beautiful,” Henry mumbles, mouthing at Alex’s neck now.

“Let me try this real quick,” Alex tells him and gently puts his hands on Henry’s cheek before he presses their mouths together for not much longer than a second. His hands stop glowing the moment they move apart.

“It’s like we’re charging it up,” he determines, giving it another go.

The next time he moves back, Henry giggles, “Never thought I’d enjoy being a guinea pig.”

“I know, right?” Alex beams. “Science is fun!”

Henry’s giggle turns into a full blown laugh as he lets himself fall back onto the covers, dragging Alex with him. Alex goes with a yelp.

“Want to do some experimenting?” he asks, one hand on Henry’s jaw and one leg in between Henry’s.

“What did you have in mind?” Henry asks, while his hands slowly wander up and down Alex’s back.

“Thought we’d make out for a while and I’d try to hold back on the whole glowing thing.”

“You think you can?”

“I think so,” he shrugs, mouthing at Henry’s jaw. “But apologies in advanced if I get a little distracted by reigning it in.”

“You are prematurely forgiven, love,” Henry laughs, tilting his head back as Alex moves his mouth down Henry’s throat.

Already distracted, Alex moves Henry’s shirt up so he can slide his hand underneath, gently caressing the smooth skin, as Henry shudders by the light touch.

“Are you alright?” Alex checks in. “We don’t have to do this, if it’s all too much.”

“I’d really rather not think right now, if you don’t mind,” Henry says with a small, desperate sigh. “I know I’ll be paying the price later, but we can’t afford for me to fall apart right now. So, please, just bloody kiss me and make me feel whole?”

There’s a tremble in his voice that Alex will do anything to remove.

So, he lifts his lips from the column of Henry’s throat and moves back up, planting sloppy kisses on his way back to Henry’s mouth. When their lips touch, and Henry seems to be getting lost in the sensation, Alex tries to locate the magic flowing through him. Now that he’s paying attention, he feels how it rages through his veins, not unlike when he and Henry tried to control the feather. Except, then, it was focussed on their clasped hands. Now, it feels like it’s pouring out of every single nook and cranny, spilling from his pores.

He focusses on the feeling of his fingers on Henry’s skin, on the hand going through his hair, on the taste of Henry’s mouth and the way their tongues slide together. A calm washes over him. He knows he can do this, knows he can reign it in, dim the light, but right now, he’d rather give into the sudden urge to push it all out of him. He’s so happy he could burst with it, and that’s exactly what he does.

“Alex,” Henry gasps from under him and Alex slowly blinks his eyes open.

Not only is the room so brightly lit he has to squint to keep himself from being blinded, they’re also hovering at least a foot above the covers.

“Holy shit,” he breathes out.

“Did you mean to do that?” Henry asks him.

Alex focusses on Henry’s expression, worried he had taken things too far, but sees nothing but awed surprise.

“The light, yes, kinda. The floating? Not so much.”

“Could you bring us back down, love?” Henry asks, a laugh bubbling up in his throat.

“No, wait, wait,” Alex laughs, tightening his grip around Henry’s waist. “This is romantic, right? Like you give me wings, or something?”

“How poetic,” Henry chuckles, continuing absentmindedly running his fingers through Alex’s hair, giving him a pleasant tingling feeling. “Now set us down, you cretin.”

Alex bites down on Henry’s lips, but does focus on the energy surging through him as he gently kisses it better again. This time, he’s aware that they’re moving, as they slowly fall back onto the bed. Henry sinks into the mattress and Alex follows him with a contented sigh. Henry doesn’t pull back, doesn’t show any signs he wants to stop, so Alex licks Henry’s lips and completely forgets to temper his glow.

It takes them a good few minutes to remember his intended experiment. It takes them to well into the night for Alex to gain enough control to where only his fingertips light up, no matter how passionately their lips are locked together.

Chapter Text

“Good morning,” June greets them when they come down to the kitchen the next morning.

“Morning,” Alex mumbles, suppressing a yawn as Henry sends her a warm smile.

“Had a good night?” Nora grins maniacally from the seat next to her, leaning on the table and slowly sipping from her coffee like the villain that she is.

“We’ve been practising,” Alex answers, going for stoic.

“Is that what you kids call it these days?” Nora asks, lifting a single eyebrow.

Alex rolls his eyes and reaches for the coffee machine.

“There might be some pancakes left,” June tells them, nodding towards the covered plate.

“Do you realise how hard it is to sleep when the entire floor is suffering from solar flares?” Nora goes on.

“I… What?” Alex asks, his hands freezing in the air before he reaches the pancakes. He whips around to a widely grinning Nora and June, who’s trying to hide her amusement. “Are you serious?”

“Next time you decide to bump uglies, let us know, alright?” Nora says. “So we can find sleeping arrangements at the other end of the building.”

Henry chokes on a cough while Alex just looks at her, mouth hanging open.

“We weren’t-” Henry sputters.

“Of course not,” Nora replies, licking her lips suggestively.

“We weren’t!” Alex shouts, feeling like he has to defend Henry’s honour. “We really were practising! Look!”

He grabs Henry by the flushed cheeks and focusses on containing his energy as he lays a sloppy kiss on Henry’s lips. Henry doesn’t have time to react, but lets out a chuckle nonetheless.

“See?!” he asks, pulling back with a jolt and staring Nora down with a challenging gaze.

“How did you do that?” June asks, standing up and rounding the table to pull Alex’s hands closer, turning them over to study them from all sides. The light has already faded, but other than his fingernails, they had remained the same warm brown as always.

“Okay, that’s pretty cool,” Nora admits. “Must have been quite the hardship, figuring that out, wasn’t it?” She wiggles her eyebrows for good measure, which Alex plainly ignores.

“Would you like to show them how brightly you can shine as well?” Henry asks him, clearly very proud and not afraid to hide it.

“Yeah, baby?” Alex asks, already pulling his hands out of June’s clasp to grasp Henry’s.

Henry is already leaning down and as soon as their mouths slot together, Alex pushes everything he has out into the universe, illuminating the entire kitchen with the most blinding light, even more blinding than Alex had thought imaginable.

“Oh, my God!” June exclaims from somewhere close by.

“Shit,” Nora hisses, and Alex turns down the light until it’s merely shimmering.

Henry smiles into the kiss before he moves back an inch and Alex takes hold of the glow and dims it completely until the only light in the room is the sunlight shining through the windows.

“That’s insane!” Nora shrieks, jumping up from her seat as well to let her hands roam over Alex’s arm and chest in awe. “How’d you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Alex shrugs. “I just kinda feel it and can choose to let go of it or keep it in.”

“That’s incredible, you guys!” June cheers excitedly. “What else can do?”

“We’ve been levitating smaller items,” Henry explains. “We are only just starting to get the hang of it, however. Mostly, they were flying across the room uncontrollably.”

“Can we see it?”

And, because it’s June and Nora, they gladly spend the next half hour lifting different items. When Alex’s stomach starts to rumble, they even manage to levitate a pancake right into his waiting hand. He quickly stuffs it into his mouth and brings another one over for a beaming Henry.

They repeat some of their newfound tricks a little later when Cash asks for an update. In return he hands them some books that supposedly mention Conductors. Henry has his nose in one of them as soon as they’re walking down the hall and Alex opens another once they’re settled on the terrace.

It doesn’t give them a whole lot of useful information though. They were already aware Conductors are rare, so it makes sense there wouldn’t be that much documentation, but it’s still a disappointment.

One of the bigger tomes mentions a married couple travelling their country to heal all kinds of illnesses. It isn’t entire clear if one of them was a Conductor, but the healing stopped completely when one of them passed away and the fact that it was mentioned at all, suggest that they had a special bond like Alex and Henry. Another book talks about a set of twins having done the most incredible things with fire, but only when they were together.

There’s a reference to soulmates in one of the chapters, which Alex dismisses right away.

“No, Henry,” he tells him with certainty, “I believe in a lot of things, but I refuse to believe that the universe somehow meant for us to be together. I believe in choice. You chose to kiss me – and run away, but whatever – ” he adds teasingly, “and I chose to kiss you back. Not because of some invisible almighty source pushing us together, but because I like you very, very much and I think you’re fucking beautiful.”

“I’m just saying we shouldn’t dismiss it outright,” Henry chuckles.

“Besides!” Alex continues, his hands flying into the air. “What about those twins then, huh? And here,” he says, tapping at the text he’s reading, “it says two friends had the power to change the weather. Somewhat. I’m not sure. It’s not a hundred percent clear.”

He frowns at the text, trying to make sense of the vague description of two women having an impact on the local weather. He can’t find anything specific though, so can they even be sure it’s a Conductor thing?

“Two friends, huh?” Henry snickers now. “Yes, I’m well familiar with that trope.”

“Oh, shut up,” Alex says, unable to hide an amused grin. “You know what I mean. There is no evidence at all that this thing only happens between people who are attracted to each other, or romantically involved, or whatever you wanna call it.”

“A case in point being the twins,” Henry hums, pulling the book that mentioned them closer to him. After a moment he asks: “who says that soulmates don’t get to have a choice? Who says we only get the one?”

“Oh, wow, you’re going philosopher on me now?” Alex laughs. “Do you like the idea of soulmates?”

“I think I do,” Henry answers quietly. “I think if they do exist, my parents must have been. Their love was so fierce, so deep, it touched anyone that was lucky enough to witness it. I think… I think that’s why my mother is currently in the state that she is in, lost and without purpose, because her soulmate, the one that was the other half of her, is gone. So it’s almost as if she has gone with him.”

Alex reaches over the books to grab Henry’s hand and wraps his fingers tightly around it.

“Well, if you say it like that…” he says hoarsely, and after a quiet moment he continues: “Does that mean you think we are soulmates?”

Henry breaks out into an uncontrolled giggle at that.

“I don’t know, Alex. It might be a bit soon to tell, is it not? Besides, I’m not saying that the power we share is connected to soulmates. I’m merely saying I don’t like to dismiss the idea outright. Besides, if there are romantic soulmates, why not familiar soulmates? Or platonic ones? We form all sorts of connections, don’t we? None of them any less meaningful than the other.”

“You are such a poet right now,” Alex says, aiming for teasing, but sounding more like he’s in awe than anything else.

“Well, Bea and Pez did always accuse me of being a hopeless romantic. I believe it comes with the territory.”

“I like it,” Alex says adoringly and leans over to press a kiss to Henry’s lips.

Henry answers eagerly, and pulls him closer. It doesn’t take long until Alex is halfway on his lap, sliding his tongue into Henry’s mouth.

“Love,” Henry pants, a good few minutes later, “we’re not in private, just so you’re aware.”

He doesn’t look too anxious to put some distance between them, however, with a strong arm wrapped around Alex’s waist and a thumb gently caressing Alex’s jaw.

“You’re glowing,” he mutters, pressing a soft kiss on Alex’s cheek and then on the other.

“Shit, I am? Thought I had it under control.”

“Only your cheeks, love, and only faintly,” Henry says, now moving his attention to the corner of Alex’s mouth. “I don’t think anyone’ll notice.”

“Wish I could make us invisible instead of turning into a lighthouse,” Alex sighs wistfully.

“Don’t write it off just yet,” Henry says, his voice rumbling in Alex’s ear before he nips on his earlobe. “You’ve already levitated us, haven’t you? I’m curious to found out what you’ll do next.”

An unrestrained moan grumbles through Alex’s throat.

“Fuck,” he hisses. “Next, I’m gonna take you up to my bedroom. Like, right now, please.”

He takes Henry’s chuckle as agreement and hurries to his feet, pulling Henry up with him in the process.

"The books!" Henry protests half-heartedly.

“I’m sure they’ll wait for you,” Alex says, unwilling to slow down to pick up those damned books that didn’t really help anyway.

Henry follows him, laughing and hurrying to keep up, until an ecstatic beagle comes storming in their direction.

“David!” Henry coos, as he squats down to greet him. “Did you and Leo have a good time? He didn’t give you too many treats, did he?”

“Our darling boy was actually running over to tell you some guests have arrived,” a voice interrupts them from down the hall.

“Oh, my God,” Henry stammers, clambering back to his feet.

No more than a few feet away stand Bea and Pez, next to an emotional June. Hell, Alex’s eyes are tearing up already as well.

With a sob, Henry hurtles himself towards his sister and best friend, the people he has been forced to live without for so long. David joins him with excited barking and jumps up against the three of them as they disappear into a collective hug.

June quietly walks over to Alex and slinks her arm around his back. He grabs her by the opposite shoulder and pulls her in. He has always loved his sister, she’s always been one of the most important people in his life, and it’s moments like these that remind him of how lucky he is to have her so close by every single day. Watching Henry break down in his sisters arms, filled with grief and relief and everything in between, Alex wipes his tears and waits for the embrace in front of him to lose it’s desperation. When Henry steps back to have a good look at his sister and best friend, Alex tentatively pulls June forward.

“Hey guys,” he says with a watery smile. “Gotta say, this is a very welcome surprise.”

“Ah, Alexander, dear,” Pez says, his own smile not fully reaching his eyes, “I can’t say I’m not happy to meet again, but I’m afraid we’re not here on a social call necessarily.”

“What do you mean?” Henry asks, before Alex can.

“Henry, darling,” Bea cuts in, “is there anywhere we can talk?”

“Talk?” Henry asks, his voice strained and his cheeks paling.

“Hen,” Alex nearly whispers, stepping up next to Henry to grab his hands.

“There’s a small sitting room,” June says, pointing towards the end of the hall. “Alex, you take them there and I grab Nora?”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Alex rushes to say. “This way, folks.”

He leads them into the sitting room he, June and Nora used a lot when they were younger. This is where they listened to music, ate pizzas, watched movies.

But now… Now, the room doesn’t feel lively and safe. There’s a thick, suffocating energy coursing between its four walls.

Luckily, it doesn’t take long for June to return with Nora, who shows no surprise at all that Bea and Pez are there, meaning she must have met them earlier.

They huddle together, taking up the couch and the chair, and when those are full even the table and the floor, David smack bang in the middle of them.

“Have you been here long?” Alex starts the conversation.

“Not overly long, no,” Bea shakes her head. “But we were delayed by a security check and then a short debriefing before we were allowed to come and find you.”

“Thank heavens Nora stormed in and vouched for us,” Pez declares, grasping Nora’s hand with flair. “I wasn’t sure we would live to see another day if it wasn’t for her.”

“A real smooth-talker, aren’t you?” Nora winks. “I like it. Go on.”

“Please don’t,” Alex interrupts. “Listen, I really am very grateful that you here, but you didn’t seem too happy earlier. What’s going on.”

“Are you alright? Are you in danger?” Henry asks, holding on tightly to Bea’s hands.

Alex runs his own hand up and down Henry’s back from his seat next to him on the small coffee table while Bea is on the edge of the comfortable couch in front of them.

“I believe we are all in danger, Henry,” she says with a tired sigh. “We’ve been told by some of Mountchristen-Windsor’s allies that there was a call for arms. Some are gathering at the manor, some remotely, and they expect it is to launch an organised attack on this very house.”

“They haven’t called on you?” Henry asks, wide-eyed and white as a sheet.

Bea closes her eyes as she shakes her head.

“I fear we are no longer trusted allies,” she explains. “Which, to be fair, we aren’t, but I rather wish Grandma didn’t realise that. It makes things a tad more difficult.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was supposed to be your inside man, so to speak, but now that we’ve been frozen out, it will be harder to gain information. It means I won’t be able to fight them from the inside.”

“But that is too dangerous!” Henry exclaims. “I wouldn’t want you to put your life in jeopardy!”

“Henry,” Bea says calmly, putting a hand on his cheek before she slots it in his hands again. “Their reign needs to end. The control they hold over half the globe needs to stop. All they do is spread hate and fear, and I can’t stand for that any longer, you hear me, Henry? So, yes, I’m doing this for you, for your safety, but I’m also doing it for myself and everyone else.”

“You aren’t now, though, fighting them from the inside, are you?” Alex asks. “If they don’t trust you?”

“Sadly, no. But we will find another way. My husband is travelling to a coven that wishes to sever ties with the Mountchristen-Windsor coven. I know your team is doing the same, in hopes that we can form a big enough alliance to stand up to theirs.”

“I was lucky to be in Bea’s neck of the woods when she got word,” Pez elaborates. “I was dropping by to talk about the chatter the exact moment I saw her husband hurry her out the house and into a car before he got in his own. Serendipitous indeed. I joined Bea and she informed me on the way here.”

“I’m very thankful I didn’t have to travel alone,” Bea tells him with a grateful smile.

“As am I, milady, as am I.”

“So, they’re planning an attack,” Alex summarises. “When?”

“Soon, but we don’t know exactly,” Bea answers.

“How do we stop them?”

“I believe your mother’s team has an idea about that.”

“They do,” Nora nods. “And I think it’s time we bring the secret weapon in on our plans.”

“Secret weapon?” Pez asks, delightfully curious. “Do tell.”

Nora doesn’t answer him, other than pointedly looking at Alex, who instantly feels his cheeks heat up.

“Alexander? What, pray tell, are you hiding from present company?”

“Nothing!” he defends himself. “I wasn’t keeping anything! Didn’t even know it was a thing up until a few days ago.”

“Turns out Alex is a Conductor,” June says proudly and after a look of recognition from Pez and a confused one from Bea, they tell the entire story again.

As expected, Pez is completely ecstatic at the news that Henry found himself a companion, as he calls it, to which Henry protests loudly. When Pez asks what they do call their entanglement, Alex and Henry sheepishly look at one another and admit they haven’t gotten that far yet.

“So you’re the secret weapon?” Bea asks, eyeing Alex carefully.

“I mean, I guess?” he shrugs. “They haven’t told me that that’s what they’re calling it, but we have been practicing and we are getting stronger, right, Hen?”

Henry hums in agreement. “Although I do feel we could do with more practice.”

“I wish we had more Conductors on our team,” June says, slumping back into the big chair she and Nora are sharing. “It would take some of the pressure off of you guys and we’d be so much stronger.”

“As I understand it, Conductors are rare, are they not?” Bea checks.

“They are,” Henry nods. “There’s hardly any evidence, anecdotal or factual.”

“We only found out by accident,” Alex adds. “If it weren’t for your grandmother and brother, we might never had known at all. I mean, she’s the one who forced you to exile yourself and he’s the one who poisoned June. Who knows if we would’ve met otherwise.”

“I’ll be sure to send them a thank you note,” Henry chortles sarcastically.

“I’m sure you’d write an impressive passive aggressive one,” Alex chuckles, leaning in so far his nose bumps Henry’s cheek. Henry pushes back and rests their heads together. “I’d love to see that.”

“Alright,” Bea says decisively while quickly wiping away a stray tear. “Let’s take that ghastly woman off of her pedestal, shall we? My baby brother finally has a real chance to be happy and I for one would like to see that happen.”

She apparently decides to put her money where her mouth is, because she stands up and claps her hands.

“Chop-chop,” she chirps, pulling Henry and Alex up by their arms. “Show us to your leader.”

Alex can’t help but burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, even with all the anxiety whirling through his body.

With Henry pressed closely at his side and Bea holding onto Henry’s other hand, they make their way to the busy offices at the other end of the building. Behind them, June, Nora and Pez are close on their heels, both woman cordially escorted by Pez.

Alex is scared shitless of what’s to come, but he realises he’s not alone in this. He has people. And their numbers seem to be growing.

Chapter Text

All of a sudden, events are starting to progress quickly. An emergency meeting is called where all plans are solidified and set in motion.

Alex knows he should be paying attention, and he’s trying, but the room is packed and every three seconds someone coughs, or ruffles their clothing, or fucking hums, which is majorly distracting, and the general who’s currently talking has such a dull voice, it’s lulling his already tired brain into a near-sleep.

Every now and then, Henry runs his hand over Alex’s arm or leg, squeezes his hand or slots their fingers together under the table, which is the only reason he has managed to stay awake this long, but good God, who knew preparing for the fight of the century could be this boring!

He knows it’s a political nightmare, having to collaborate with the government and magical department of a neighbouring country, so he guesses it makes sense that this all sounds like bureaucratical nonsense, but he doesn’t understand why he and Henry have to be here for this part of the briefing.

With a quick look, he notices how Henry’s eyes are glazing over and how he’s starting to bite the inside of his lip. Henry is clearly at the end of his rope as well.

Gently, Alex lays his hand on Henry’s thigh and rubs soothing circles into the fabric, and Henry looks over with a small but grateful smile.

When Alex turns back to the head of the table, the tray in front of him catches his attention instead, not for the first time since they sat down. What’s especially triggering him, is the half-dead plant between the creamer and sugar cubes. So, while the guy drones on about interdepartmental collaboration, Alex quickly swipes the little pot off of the table and pushes it into Henry’s hand.

Henry, of course, looks at him with questioning amusement. Alex nods at Henry, as if that’s all the information he needs and takes a firm hold on Henry’s hand, folding it around the pot. Henry bites back a smile, but he does move his other hand and covers Alex’s fingers who are still holding Henry’s other hand in place. Then, he closes his eyes for just a moment. When he opens them back up, Alex can feel the magic tugging at his hand. He pushes a little energy into Henry’s palm and watches how the leaves slowly take shape again. Henry takes over, releasing the hand on top of Alex’s to stroke the twigs with the tip of his finger, giving the plant even more buds that quickly grow into healthy, green leaves, much quicker than Henry would be able to on his own.

Alex stares at it in awe, as he lets the power trickle between them, right up until the plant grows too big for its pot and the first crack appears in the ceramic. With a quiet chuckle, Henry pushes the pot back into Alex’s direction and Alex carefully slides it back over to the tray.

After a quick look around, he notices that they weren’t as sneaky as he had hoped and that more than one person had seen their little moment of distraction. Most onlookers are already turning their attention back to the speaker, but Ellen tries to send him a scolding look. It doesn’t look very convincing with the smile that’s pulling at the corner of her mouth. The man that Cash went to for a second opinion doesn’t hide his curiosity and nods appreciatively when he catches Alex’s gaze. And, a few seats over, Nora grins at them with an insufferable knowing look.

The rest of the briefing goes on without any more major distractions. All plants in the room are alive and accounted for, and levitating every item in the room would cause too much of a distraction, so there’s nothing left to do, other than pay attention.

“We will give you the schedule within the next half hour,” someone from the logistical department finally concludes the meeting after what feels like hours. “Make sure to be ready at your appointed time and familiarise yourself with the route.”

Since everyone leaving at the same time might tip of their adversaries, people will depart over the next couple of hours in small groups and make their way to their allotted locations, spanning across a miles wide circle around the Mountchristen-Windsor estate. Alex and Henry will be amongst the last ones to leave, since they’ll be stationed closest to the mansion, where they can be of the most help.

Bea will be at their side, but June, however, is ordered to stay home, heavily guarded. So are Ellen, Oscar and Leo, for that matter.

Politically speaking, if any of them get caught, or even worse; killed, there would be consequences which they cannot afford right now. They need strong, steady leadership to pull them out of the mess that will be left behind after taking out the biggest magical player. It will offset the balance and it will take time for everything to fall back into place. Not just in Alex’s country, or in Henry’s, but in all of the surrounding ones as well, and most of them will look to Ellen and her family to lead them while things settle.

And that’s just the political consequences. Alex doesn’t even want to think about how he would feel if anything happened to any one of them.

He pushes the thoughts away. He can’t let his fears cripple him right now. Not when everyone is counting on him.

Cash immediately pulls them into the smaller conference room once the meeting is over, talking them through what’s expected of them specifically once more. They’re not clear instructions, there’s no step by step guide, other than to take down the Mountchristen-Windsor protective walls and ‘distract’. Alex can be a disruptive force, even when he doesn’t try to be, so he’s pretty sure they’ll be up to that second task. He’s unsure if they can live up to the scale of it though, and he’s been biting his cuticles ever since Cash had sat them down.

Henry has been quiet as well, plucking at his shirt and his jaw is looking uncomfortably tight.

Cash, however, seems to have a lot of confidence in Henry’s power, more so now that they’re enhanced by Alex’s Conductor abilities. Alex suspects he would be positively giddy with it if the situations wasn’t so tense.

As soon as Cash lets them go, June clings to them and pulls them towards Bea and Pez, who are huddled together in the hallway. Nora is already holed up in an office, deep into her numbers again, making predictions left and right, but Henry’s sister and best friend will have plenty of time to get ready. There is also plenty of time for the anxiety to take hold and all of them are apparently feeling it.

June thankfully takes the lead and pushes them all towards Alex’s bedroom.

“Y’all should really get some rest,” she tells them, as she opens the door. “Alex, help me grab some snacks?”

The tone in her voice doesn’t leave him any choice, so, once Henry, Bea and Pez are situated in Alex’s room, under David’s watchful eye, he and June walk back down the hall, towards the stairs.

“Thought they could use a moment alone,” she explains and Alex realises she’s probably right. “Henry hasn’t seen them in ages, has he?”

“No, yeah, they should have some time to talk and hug and probably cry,” he replies, picturing Henry sandwiched between the two people he loves most in this world and was forced to live without for so long. His chest aches, thinking of what Henry must be feeling right now. “God, June, please promise me we’ll never have to be separated for that long.”

He stops in the middle of the stairs to fling his arms around her and pulls her to his chest.

“Alex!” she shrieks, but still wraps her arms around his middle to hold on just as tightly.

“I think I’d die,” he mumbles honestly.

“Me too, Little Bit. Me too.”

It takes them a good minute, before June wiggles out of his embrace and tugs him towards the kitchen. She immediately starts rummaging through cabinets when they reach their destination.

“Grab some water bottles, will ya?” she asks, throwing a couple of energy bars on the table. “We’re gonna pack you guys some supplies while we’re here.”

They work silently, moving around each other with ease, and fill a bag with whatever June deems necessary. Alex hadn’t even thought about having to bring anything, so it might be a good idea to leave her in charge.

“I wish there’s something I could do,” June sighs frustratedly when she checks the bag. “I feel so useless, so powerless, having to stay here and just wait for you guys to return. It’s going to be agonising, isn’t it?” She’s probably going into full mothering-mode in an effort to fight that feeling and Alex completely understands.

“I know,” Alex says, giving her an apologetic look before he scoops her up in his arms again.

“I know you do,” she sighs. “You’ve been feeling like this for months, haven’t you?”

“Pretty much,” he chuckles, the cruel joke the universe is throwing at them is not lost on him.

It doesn’t feel a whole lot better, now that the nerves are coursing through him and the fear is gnawing at his stomach as he’s facing the largest magical battle in centuries. And he’s not even just going to be in it, he’s going right to the frontline, having to face the enemy head on.

Right this second, he’s not sure if he’s grateful he is able to contribute in a valuable way or that he wishes there has been a mistake, that he isn’t actually a Conductor after all and he has to stay home with June.

It's terrifying, and the fact that he has to face it without her as his steady rock by his side, makes him feel even more untethered.

“Wish you could come with me,” he whispers. “Which is fucking selfish, because you shouldn’t be anywhere near that fucking fight, but I kinda wish you could just be there with me.”

“I know what you mean,” she says and Alex is sure that she does. “I’ll be here until you leave and I’ll be here when you get back.”

That settles something in Alex. One of the knots in his stomach loosens and he’s able to take a deep breath.

“I’m scared,” he confesses.

“So am I.”

“We’ll be alright, right?”

“Yeah, you’ll have Henry and he’ll have you. You won’t let anything happen to each other.”

“Yeah…”

A couple minutes go by, the two of them folded into a tight embrace, as Alex focusses on June’s steady breathing until he can feel his muscles unclench and his breath reaching his lungs again.

“Come on,” June tells him eventually, “let’s get some food in y’all and then you can get some rest, alright?”

Alex hums in agreement and slings the bag over his shoulder.

Back in Alex’s room, they find Henry, Bea and Pez sat on the edge of the bed, eyes red-rimmed and hands linked together. While June starts unloading the bag on the nightstand, Henry gets up and desperately wraps his arms around Alex.

“Are you okay?” Alex whispers.

“I am,” Henry says, his voice shaking but reassuring. “It’s all a bit much, but I’m alright. Are you?”

“I am now,” Alex sighs into the skin of Henry’s neck, making him shiver.

At their feet, David is gently pushing his side against their legs, using a little bit of pressure to show them that he’s there for them. Alex gratefully cuddles the beagle next, before dragging Henry and June to the bed, situating them against the headboard and pulling them close, once he has taken up his spot in the middle. June’s body is pushed to his and Alex drapes an arm over Henry’s shoulder to pull him closer, until his head is resting against Alex’s clavicle. Henry’s arms wrap around his and a moment later they’re locked into a desperate, tight embrace.

On the other end of the bed, Bea and Pez have found a comfortable position and the five of them sit in silence for a moment until June speaks up.

“Y’all really should try to get some rest,” she tells them, reiterating what she’d said earlier.

“Yeah,” Alex snorts, “like that’s gonna happen.”

“We’ll sleep once we’re done,” Bea nods. “Reckon we’ll stay alert on adrenaline alone.”

“Hear, hear,” Pez says, saluting her gracefully. “I’m inclined to agree that all of us are too highly strung to get any real rest.”

“You’re gonna need your strength though,” June says worriedly. “It won’t be easy.”

“No, it won’t be,” Henry answers with a tight voice and the group falls into another tense, contemplative silence.

They fill the next few hours with idle chatter in an attempt to distract themselves, alternating with quiet moments and June handing out snacks. None of them manage to eat a lot, knowing what is waiting for them, but that doesn’t stop June from trying.

Somehow, Henry manages to doze off for a while, cradled in Alex’s embrace. Alex wakes him up when Pez gets off of the bed.

“It’s time,” he simply informs them as all of them get up to see him off.

Alex hangs back as Henry pulls his best friend into his arms and the two of them have a quiet conversation. When Pez leaves the room, Henry buries his red-rimmed eyes into Alex’s shirt as Bea folds herself over her brother’s back.

“Pez is crafty,” she tells Henry. “And extremely slippery.”

Henry chuckles through his tears.

“That’s true,” he says. “He’s been able to evade grandmother’s wrath so far, why would he falter now?”

“Exactly,” Bea says with a quiet laugh. “He’ll dazzle them with his magical flair and walk away more fabulous than ever.”

“You’re probably spot on,” Henry sighs, straightening up and wiping away his tears.

“Let’s sit down,” June suggests, already corralling them back to the bed.

They follow her instructions without protest, sitting back down, this time with Henry in the middle and Alex and Bea at his sides. June sprawls out on the end of the bed, absentmindedly fidgeting with the covers as soon as she’s lying down.

“I think I want to be a lawyer,” Alex blurts out, filling the silence. It wasn’t his intention. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he’d unconsciously made the decision until now, but the moment he says it, he knows it’s true.

It feels right.

“Yeah?” June asks, looking up at him with a proud, approving smile.

“Yeah, I think that suits me, don’t you think?”

“You’ll be an excellent lawyer,” Henry hums proudly.

“Anything specific?” Bea asks. “You don’t strike me as the corporate lawyer type.”

“Yeah, no,” he answers with a derisive snort, “but I’m not sure yet. I want to help people, so its gonna be something humanitarian. I just feel like a lot of this shit could have been prevented if people with little or no power had someone to fight for them. And since I don’t have any magic, y’know, other than being this whole Conductor thing,” he adds with an eyeroll, when he can feel Henry starting to object, “I thought I’d do my part with something that works for me. Something I’m good at.”

“You do like to argue,” June teases, pinching his ankle.

“Shut up,” he says, without any bite but with a beaming smile instead.

“She’s not wrong,” Henry chuckles. “I’ve been at the other end of your arguments plenty of times and I must say you are very convincing.”

“You put up a good fight though,” Alex grins, turning his full attention to Henry, who’s smiling back at him. “Gotta step up my game. You still think Jedi is the better movie.”

“Because it is,” Henry simply says with a lazy grin.

“I’m sure you’ll be brilliant,” Bea tells Alex. “People will be lucky to have you in their corner.”

“I hope so,” Alex says, sending her a grateful smile. “I mean, I’ve been trying to help, working for my mom and all that, but it’s not enough for me. She’s been doing a lot, but it’s all too vague, too slow, too indirect, and I want to help others where it matters for them. Y’know, on a smaller, direct scale.”

“More personal,” June nods.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Alex shrugs. “I’ll let mom do all the political stuff, sway public opinion, try to change laws, but I want to be the one to use them to help. To put them to work where they’re needed.”

“I’m sure it will be more rewarding than shaking hands at a youth centre,” Bea chuckles.

“God, yes,” Alex laughs breathlessly. “Not that I didn’t like that, because that place is amazing, but, good Lord, did I feel like I was in the way.”

“You weren’t,” Bea assures him. “The kids loved having you there and because of the attention you’ve gotten us, we pulled a couple of new donors. Besides, you’ve given some of the volunteers the best day of their lives when you winked at them,” she giggles, lifting her eyebrows suggestively and pulling an undignified snort out of Alex.

“Christ,” Henry laughs, “no need to feed the man’s ego.”

Alex makes an affronted grunt and tries to attack Henry with tickles, but Henry is too strong and overpowers him easily, until he’s firmly tucked into Henry’s arms, his own arms incapacitated across his body. David quickly jumps to the defence of his owner and starts barking at Alex, but by the way he licks his face a moment later, it’s obvious he’s well aware Alex isn’t a threat.

“Jealous that I got some attention, baby?” Alex teases, because his hands might by unable to keep up the fight, but his mouth sure as hell is still capable.

“Wouldn’t you like that?” Henry teases him right back, not taking the bait.

“It wouldn’t hurt to show your boyfriend he’s wanted for a second, now would it?” Alex throws back.

“Oh, yes,” Henry says with a mischievous smirk, “because it’s not like- Boyfriend?”

Suddenly, Henry releases his grip and Alex scrambles to face him. He worries his lip as he turns to look at those beautiful blue eyes that once again seem to see everything with only just one glance.

“Yeah? If you’d want that too?” he asks cautiously.

June snickers, “This is definitely a topic the two of you need to discuss without us present.”

“You know what?” Bea interjects. “June, I could use some warm clothing, if you don’t mind if I borrowed some. I fear this cardigan won’t keep me warm tonight.”

“Of course!” June replies, already climbing off of the bed. “Let’s make sure you’re prepared, shall we?”

Once the door closes with a quiet click, Alex’s attention is right back on Henry, who, to Alex’s relief, is already looking at him with a soft expression.

“I’d like that, I think,” Henry says quietly, picking up from where they were so rudely interrupted by their sisters.

“Yeah?” Alex asks him tentatively. “I mean, we can talk about what that all means to us when we get back, but I kinda like calling you my boyfriend.”

“I must say I do like the sound of that,” Henry chuckles, before adding quietly, “Boyfriend.”

That one single word coming from Henry’s lips, sets Alex alight. He lunges forward and catches Henry’s lips in a frenzied kiss, not bothering to even attempt to keep his glowing at bay.

It doesn’t take long for their limbs to entangle with each other, and they stay that way until a knock on the door tells them that it’s time.

The goodbye’s in the entrance hall are heartbreaking. Henry and Bea wait patiently while Alex gets hugged by every member of his family. Oscar nearly squeezes the air out of his lungs, but all that Alex can do, is hold him even tighter.

“Be careful, Mijo,” Oscar whispers in his ear. “Take care of each other.”

“We will, pa.”

With tears in his eyes, Alex hoists himself into the back of the car, next to Henry and Bea, with the comforting presence of Amy next to their driver.

Another car will follow them, filled with a couple more security officers, assigned to keep them safe.

“I’ve been stress-crocheting,” Amy tells them, when they’ve rounded the corner and Alex feels like he can breathe again.

She turns in her seat and hands each of them a little crocheted ornament. A dahlia for Bea, a little beagle head for Henry, and a star in the colours of the bisexual flag for Alex.

“Thank you, Amy,” Alex whispers, new tears welling up. “This is just what we needed.”

He closes his fingers around the colourful star and shuts his eyes. When he leans into Henry, he expects Bea might be doing the same on Henry’s other side. For a moment, he lets the calm wash over him, lets it sink into him, and he thinks that maybe, just maybe, everything is going to be alright.

Chapter Text

The silence in the car is almost suffocating. None of the passengers feel the need to fill it. Not even Alex’s ever active mind supplies him with neutral conversational topics. All he feels capable of, is pressing as much of his body to Henry’s as he can. Henry must feel the same, since he keeps fidgeting with Alex’s hand, unwilling to let go for even a single second.

It’s nearing midnight, when they make it to their parking spot. From there, they’ll have about half a mile to cross on foot to prevent anyone being alerted by the sound of a car engine. They avoid gravel paths and try to stay on soft surfaces, but in a remote area like this, there’s not a lot of light and everyone in their party stumbles more than once. There are whispered curses and repressed groans, but, eventually, they make it to their designated spot without any real injuries or trouble.

The closest they can get to the Mountchristen-Windsor estate, while still under enough cover, is an abandoned shed at a neighbouring property. It creaks with every step, even after one of Amy’s men magically muffles the sounds of the entire building. Alex has no doubt there are multiple rodents hiding in the walls and shudders at the thought of one falling on top of him from the decrepit ceiling. Or alternatively, the entire ceiling collapsing on them. The chances of that happening definitely aren’t zero either.

He bunches up with Henry and Bea, out of the way of the others so they can do their job, and tries to be patient as he waits for Amy to join them.

“What now?” Alex whispers when she has secured the perimeter and had given her team instructions.

“Now,” she says, pointing at the floor, “the three of you sit down and get ready. When I get the signal, Henry and Bea, you’ll have to start taking down as much of their protective magical wards as you can. We can move if we need to, but I’d prefer it if we could stay here.”

“I can feel the barriers,” Bea confirms quietly. “We’re close enough.”

Henry nods, his eyes strained on the small window that looks out over the Mountchristen-Windsor grounds.

“Okay, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page here,” Amy says decisively. “My team will ensure your safety, so all you guys have to focus on, is taking down their defences. We’ll have teams working on that from every angle, so you’ll have help, but your magic will be crucial in making quick work of it. Once their shields are down, allies who have defected will sever their bonds, weakening the clan in one big swoop, and we’ll start our offense from all sides.”

They’ve gone through the plan multiple times already, into more detail than this, so Alex doesn’t feel too bad about paying closer attention to Henry than to Amy. All the blood seems to have drained out of Henry’s face and he’s nervously picking at the hem of his sleeve again. Alex has been running his hand over Henry’s back in small circles, but it travels to Henry’s hand now, so he can weave their fingers together. Henry hardly seems to notice it.

“Can you give us a minute, Amy?” Alex asks, not taking his eyes off Henry.

“Absolutely,” she answers. “Gotta check-in with headquarters anyway.”

After sending Alex a knowing look, Bea silently follows her, and Alex uses their clasped hands to pull Henry in the other direction. Slowly, he cups Henry’s face in his hands and waits for Henry to look him in the eye. With an understanding smile and a deep sigh, he rests their heads together.

“We’ve got this, alright?” he whispers. “Just focus on me. You’re so fucking strong, baby, but we’re even stronger together. We’ve got this.”

“I’m scared,” Henry confesses quietly.

“I know. Me too.”

“I’m so relieved you’re here with me,” Henry says with a sob and moves his arms up to pull Alex in. Alex protectively folds his hands around Henry’s head and shoulder and lets Henry burrow his face into his neck. “I can’t do this without you.”

“You won’t have to.”

“I’ve always known this day would come. The day I’d have to stand up to my family. I always thought I’d be alone, hoped I’d have Bea at my side, but I never could have imagined I could have someone like you with me. You make me want to be brave.”

“You are brave, baby. So brave.”

“I don’t feel it.”

“That’s okay,” Alex murmurs, pressing a kiss into Henry’s hair. “Just gonna have to say ‘I told you so’ when we’re back home and you’ve just been instrumental in taking down one of the most powerful covens in the world.”

“Christ,” Henry says on an unhinged snort. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?”

“What? I have faith in you!” Alex chuckles before turning more serious. “Besides, it’s not just us, is it? There’s an entire army of magical folks out there. We’re not here on a whim, we’re part of a strategized operation. You’ve got all the back-up in the world, pretty much literally. You’re good, baby. You’ve got this. We’ve got this.”

“You’re…” Henry croaks. “You’re incredible.”

“I’d say passionate, but I’ll take it,” Alex grins, squeezing his arms a little tighter around his boyfriend.

Next to them, Bea quietly clears her throat. “Are you two ready? They are waiting for us.”

Henry pries himself out of Alex’s arms to throw his around Bea, who sinks into the embrace.

“We’re ready,” Henry mumbles, taking a deep breath as he moves back and folds one hand around Bea’s and the other around Alex’s.

“Alright,” Bea nods, her voice trembling slightly. “Let’s get comfortable.”

She pulls them both to the centre of the room and drags them down into a cross-legged sitting position. With one nod towards Amy, she lets her know they can begin. After a confirming nod in return, Henry and Bea close their eyes. Alex squeezes Henry’s hand one more time before he does as well and focusses on the warmth spreading from their touch.

Henry’s magic surges around them and it takes a while for Alex to get a handle on it, but, eventually, he feels it tugging at the energy that’s currently vibrating in his entire body, waiting to get out, waiting to be of help.

“Give me your all,” Henry says, already sounding out of breath.

Without hesitation, Alex sends Henry everything he’s got. He pushes and pushes, sending a steady stream of warm energy through their clasped hands. Henry is holding on for dear life, gripping tightly, as if he’s afraid to lose their connection. Alex feels the same desperation and covers their fingers with his free hand, making sure they won’t slip apart, no matter what.

The feelings washing over him, flowing through him, are overwhelming. Henry has been holding back until now, that’s for sure. The amount of power he’s pulling and emitting is insane! The air vibrates around them, almost as if they’re in the middle of a tornado, in the eye of the storm. The building creaks and the windows rattle, but Alex hardly notices.

His mind goes blank. There is almost no room for anything other than Henry’s hand in his and the immense power they’re sharing. Every now and then, a smidge of Bea’s magic hits his skin, feeling both familiar and uncanny, but the rest of the world is momentarily lost to him.

There is no telling how much times passes. Every minute that goes by, Alex has more and more trouble keeping up. Henry is relentlessly attacking the Mountchristen-Windsor’s shields, plucking away at the interwoven layers of protection, but where Henry has had years and years of experience, Alex is brand spanking new to magic and hasn’t had nearly enough time to train. Their hours of practicing feel more like a stroll in the park compared to this marathon at full sprint.

But, Alex is too stubborn and this is too important, so he has no choice but to clench his teeth and persevere.

Giving up is not an option.

So, he gives and he gives, until Henry’s pull finally lessens and Alex’s entire body sags. His breathing is ragged and it doesn’t seem to reach his lungs. Sweat is running down his back, his clothes clinging to his skin.

“They’re down,” he hears Henry rasp beside him.

“They’re down!” Amy repeats, too loud and too shrill, making Alex wince. “We’re not done yet, people. Far from it. Take a breather and get back in!”

As she hurries off to relay the message, Henry pries his hand out of Alex’s to move it to his face, cupping Alex’s cheeks so he’s able to make sure Alex is alright by looking him in the eye, mirroring what Alex had done earlier.

“Darling?” he asks, his voice raw but surprisingly clear. “Are you alright, love?”

Alex is too exhausted to answer, but he thinks he nods. His eyes flick up a moment to reassure Henry that he will be okay, before he closes them and slumps onto Henry’s sturdy shoulder. His hand slips into his pocket and grasps Amy’s crocheted star, grateful to find it has replenished some of its power, allowing the combination of Henry’s presence and Amy’s magic to calm his racing heart.

“That was intense,” Bea whispers next to them.

“It was, but we did it,” Henry says on a broken laugh. “You were amazing, Bea.”

“Sure,” Bea snorts. “You know that was all you, right? I hardly plucked at the strings!”

“Did you forget I was right here?” Henry challenges her. “I could feel your magic weaving with mine. I could feel it breaking down their layers.”

“What you felt was me lifting a pinkie where you used both hands and both feet to push against their barriers,” Bea tells him sassily. “You truly have no idea how strong you are, do you?”

“I keep telling him that,” Alex says with an uncontrollable gust of air escaping him.

He pushes himself back up and takes a deep breath. Both Henry and Bea’s foreheads are soaked in sweat, just like his. But, even though they look tired, there’s a fierce light glistening in their eyes.

They’ve just done the impossible, the unimaginable.

“You did it, baby,” Alex whispers with astonishment.

Henry doesn’t contradict him, doesn’t downplay or diminish. He must realise Alex isn’t just talking about the three of them taking down Mountchristen-Windsor’s defences, this is about Henry standing up to the people who tried to supress him, who made him feel worthless, who threatened him and forced him into hiding.

This is about Henry taking back his life.

Henry’s face breaks into a small smile, his eyes watery and his chin wobbling slightly. Alex grins back as he soothes Henry’s jaw with his thumb.

Amy is the one to disturb their peaceful, victorious moment with the message all magical ties have been severed and the coven is at its weakest. Their weakest is still incredibly strong, so there will be a hell of a fight ahead, but Amy looks hopeful at least. They have a real chance of winning this thing.

Before they have to step back in, she hands them all a bottle of water which they finish in a couple of gulps.

“Is it possible to get any closer?” Bea asks tentatively as soon as their fluids are replenished. “The house is too far away for my magic to have any effect.”

“Absolutely,” Amy nods, “that was always a possibility.”

Both women look at Henry and Alex for their approval. ‘No’ isn’t really an option here though, is it? They have to see this through and they have to do so to the best of their abilities. All of their abilities.

“We move,” Henry says decisively.

“Alright. Stay put for a second,” Amy hums and runs off. “We’ll move in five.”

A few minutes later, they’re sneaking onto a grass field with two of Amy’s men; Levi to cloak them, Harold to protect them. Amy and the others are out of sight but close by, to provide protection from a distance, and for further back up, if needed. Alex can’t help but feel extremely vulnerable, with just the five of them in an open area, but Amy reassured them it would be safer this way. The more people that come along, the bigger the risk. Levi can’t cloak the entire team and Harold will be more efficient if he gets to focus on a small group. It made sense when she said it, but with every step he takes, Alex loses a little bit of confidence.

The five of them stumble over uneven ground, bump into each other and grab onto shoulders and arms to keep their balance. The building keeps getting closer and, even though they’re still at a considerable distance, Alex can clearly see hurried movement behind the lit windows.

When they reach a strip of vegetation, Bea informs them that this should be close enough. They aren’t as well protected as they were in the barn, but the bushes give them at least a sense of safety, a small barrier between them and the enemy.

Bea doesn’t waste any more time and sits down, closing her eyes, slipping into an almost meditative state. Henry follows her lead and laces their fingers together. He holds out his other hand for Alex to take and soon enough, all three of them are on the grass, linked together in a quiet focus.

Henry wordlessly pulls more of Alex’s energy and Alex instinctively knows what Henry needs. As soon as Alex channels it through their touch, Henry sends their combined power through the earth with an almighty force. All around the grounds, roots and stems shoot up through the dirt, growing in size and strength as they wrap around the building. Stones are ripped off the façade, glass is breaking, and from their position, Alex can hear the mansion slowly falling apart.

The coven is fighting back, and one after another, the stalks and stems are being taken down. But Henry is relentless and keeps sending more.

Rapid magic bursts between their fingers, making it harder to breathe. Alex is almost gasping for air, but he refuses to let it slow them down.

Next to them, Bea is sending out pulses of vibrations, disturbing the air before them, making the area shake and the building rattle on it’s foundations.

From all directions, different kinds of magic are directed towards their target, some accompanied with bright colours or flashing lights, some with sounds, some hardly detectable.

Alex can feel the Mountchristen-Windsor coven resisting and fighting back. He can feel it crackling in the air, almost as if it’s sucking up all the oxygen.

Henry is grunting next to him, buckling under the onslaught of magic.

“Hold on, baby,” Alex croaks with a raw voice, hoping it’s audible over the bombardment of noises.

He tightens his grip and rests his forehead on Henry’s shoulder for a couple of seconds, hoping Henry can take some comfort from it. It certainly gives him a little boost.

When he straightens back up, Henry gives him a quick, grateful smile.

Their respite is interrupted by Bea’s frantic screams, however.

“Stop! Wait!” she yells, as she scrambles to her feet. Harold shouts for her to get back down and in a reflex grabs her by the arm, making Bea start gesturing wildly across the field. “Look!”

Alex jumps up onto his knees, careful to stay low, and peers out into the darkness.

Bea is right. There’s a lone figure coming their way, occasionally lit by the magic around them but mostly shrouded in shadows. They aren’t running, not away from anything nor towards. They seem to be searching, looking around, coming to a stop every now and then.

As soon as Henry gets up next to him, he immediately grips Alex’s arm, a gasp escaping him.

“Mum?” he mutters.

“Mom?” Alex asks him, thinking he must have heard it wrong. “That’s your mom?”

“Yes,” Henry stammers, “yes, that’s… That’s our mum. Bea?”

“Mum!” Bea yells in lieu of an answer. “We’re over here!”

The figure stops abruptly and turns towards Bea’s shouting, eyes scanning the area around them.

“Over here!” she repeats, pulling a curse out of their two guards, with Harold already raising his hands.

“No,” Henry hurries to say. “No, she’s not a threat. Mum’s not a threat. She’s…”

Alex knows Henry’s relationship with his mother is complicated, but after everything Henry has told him, it is clear to him that their mother is a good person. She always stood up for their children, taught them right from wrong, even amongst a coven who values power and money over kindness and love. When Henry’s father passed, they lost her protection as well, when she lost herself to her grief. She locked herself away, hidden from her family and the world, but, even though she hasn’t fought them, she never gave into her own mother’s influence to join the coven on their crusade for power.

“Let her in!” Bea demands. “Protect her!”

“Mum!” Henry now shouts and Alex holds his breath, looking between Henry and Bea, their guards and the figure that’s now aimlessly coming their way.

“Halt!” Harold yells and Henry’s mother stops in her tracks.

“Bea? Henry?” she shouts over the ongoing fight. “Let me… Let me help.”

Her desperate plea tugs at Alex’s heart. “Let her through!” he says demandingly.

“Sir,” Harold tries, “we can’t risk it. We have orders to keep you safe.”

“If you don’t let her inside your guards, I will go out there and get her myself,” Henry promises him.

Harold and Levi exchange a look before Levi nods and lifts his hands. He focusses his attention on the person a few feet over and slowly moves his arms up and around until Henry’s mother’s head perks up the moment she’s able to see them. With one last look behind her, she rushes over and runs straight into Bea and Henry’s arms.

Alex quietly steps back, watching the events unfurling in front of him in shock.

“My babies,” Henry’s mother says with a sob. “My babies! You shouldn’t be here.”

“But we do, mum,” Henry nearly cries, clinging to her as if he’s afraid she’ll run off again. “You know we do.”

“I know, Sweet Pea, I know,” his mother cries, pulling both her children even closer.

“Mum,” Bea says gently, as she takes half a step back. “We’ll talk later. We have to stop them.”

“Please help us,” Henry pleads.

“I… Yes. I... I should have protected you from all of this in the first place.”

“Mum,” Bea tells her sternly. “Later.”

“Right, right,” she answers, shaking her head. “I heard your magic, Bea. I knew you were out here. I couldn’t… I had to…”

“I amped it up a bit,” Bea smirks proudly. “Come, sit.”

Alex looks at the three of them, huddling together on the floor, hands clasped and bodies pressed together. He isn’t sure what to do, what his place is. His indecision must be obvious, because Henry takes one look at him, smiling with tears in his eyes, and reaches out for Alex to take his hand, telling him exactly where he’s needed, and not just because Alex gives him quite the power boost. Henry is inviting him into their circle, to be a part of their reunion.

Swallowing down his own tears, Alex takes the spot next to Henry and slowly furls their fingers together, savouring the way he warms up all over, before they step back into the fray.

“I’m Catherine,” Henry’s mother says quietly, while Bea and Henry try to regain focus. She momentarily releases Henry’s hand to lay it gently on where Alex is holding onto his other one. “I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

“Alex,” he tells her, looking at her with astonishment. He’s completely baffled by her sudden presence and her ability to flip a switch, to introduce herself like the world isn’t falling apart around them. He feels incredibly seen in the darkness of the night and he isn’t sure how to feel about it all. But, somehow, Catherine makes him feel at ease, so he adds, “I’m so happy to meet you,” because he is, even though the circumstances are frankly a little crazy.

With one last reassuring nod, Catherine removes her hand and closes her eyes as well. Alex stares at the three family members a moment longer before he does the same, and not long after, he feels Henry tugging on his energy so that they can continue his plant-based attack, and he hears the rumbling of Bea’s soundwaves surging towards the mansion.

In between the magic that has already become familiar to him, Alex thinks he feels Catherine’s magical signature swirling in between them as well. He doesn’t have time to dwell on any of it, though.

Henry needs him to focus, and so he does.

As Alex feels Henry grow as tired as he is, spikes suddenly shoot up from the ground all around them. He hears Harold curse as one penetrates his shields and Levi cries out when another one clips his foot.

Without uttering a word, Henry tightens his fingers around Alex’s hand and redirects some of his focus to fortify Harold’s shields. In the distance, some of the greenery that had a hold on the manor slowly withers away, decaying as Henry’s attention is divided.

The shock of a focussed attack has Alex’s mind reeling. His eyes flicker from one person to the next and he grabs Henry’s upper arm with his free hand to keep his balance. He’s lightheaded with exhaustion and fear, with his heartrate spiking up to an unhealthy rhythm.

He watches helplessly how Bea sends tremors all around them, shattering the spikes to dust.

He sees Catherine crawl over to Levi, who’s holding onto his foot, hissing in an attempt to stay as quiet as possible. Watches how she lays a hand over the wound and how Levi’s eyes go wide in surprise and then close in relief.

He notices the sweat rolling off Harold’s forehead as the shields he’s trying to keep up nearly have him buckle under their magical weight.

And when he turns towards Henry, he sees him already looking back in desperation, his eyes red-rimmed and tired, his lip bitten and his jaw tense.

Above the loudness of the battle, cries and wails can be heard. There’s no telling where they’re coming from, or who’s hurt. Or worse.

Alex clenches his jaw.

Thoughts like these aren’t helpful right now. They won’t help them win the fight and they sure as hell won’t help Henry gain his freedom.

“I love you,” he whispers to Henry, who won’t be able to hear it, but who’s able to read it off his lips. Henry’s lip starts wobbling as an answer before he leans forwards and presses their mouths together with a slight tremble.

It’s barely even a kiss. There’s nothing romantic or passionate about it. But it’s reassuring, confirming, comforting.

With their foreheads pressed together, Alex nods once, deciding it’s time to dive back in, and takes both of Henry’s hands in his. When he pulls back and looks up, he gazes right into those beautiful blue eyes and sends Henry all that he has left.

He gives and he gives, and feels the magic build around them. Their joined hands almost feel uncomfortable with the heat they’re emanating. Henry’s hands are shaking in his with the exertion of giving it their all yet again.

Alex doesn’t know how long they’ve been out here, has no idea how long they’ve been fighting, but he does know they’ve been digging into their reserves, pulling their last bit of energy from God knows where. He knows they can’t hold out much longer.

Without making a conscious decision, he leans in, gently kisses Henry’s temple and whispers: “You’ve got this, sweetheart.”

With a hoarse roar, Henry throws his head back and in an instance, their surroundings are lit with a blinding white light. On instinct, Alex looks at the mansion and guides beams of it through the windows, through open doors, through all the crevice’s he can sense, until it has filled the entire house. He doesn’t know how he does it, doesn’t have the brain capacity to even be surprised about it, but he just knows it has to be done and that it’s him who has to direct the blinding light into the right direction.

And then, the world goes quiet for a blissful couple of seconds, Alex’s ears ringing with the deafening silence.

Chapter Text

For just a couple of seconds, there is a moment of blissful peace and quiet.

And then, an ear-splitting boom erupts from inside the mansion, expanding outwards, tugging on Alex’s curls as if the wind is blowing through his hair, leaving nothing but an excessive ringing in his ears.

When the onslaught of sound and light has seemed to have died down, Alex carefully peeks over the bushes, past the grassy field, and cautiously eyes the now black stained mansion. Figures are running towards it, too small, too far away for Alex to recognise.

“I’ve… We’ve…” Henry stutters next to him, having trouble even getting the shortest of syllables out. “It’s gone. Their magic. I’ve… We’ve dismantled it, I think.”

Alex whips his head around to stare at him, his mouth agape.

“What?”

“I’ve… We’ve stripped them,” Henry continues, out of breath. “My grandmother, my brother, the rest of the coven, they’re, they’re…”

“We took their magic?” Alex whispers, shocked and confused.

“I didn’t mean to,” Henry replies, his voice small and his face contorting in guilt.

“I can feel it,” Bea whispers, shuffling closer to throw a comforting arm around Henry. “There’s nothing there anymore.”

“Darling.” Catherine’s voice is soft and melodious as she carefully comes closer. “Henry, my boy, you did so well.”

“I took their magic, mum,” he nearly cries, pulling away from Alex and Bea to burrow himself in his mother’s arms. “I pulled it right out of them.”

“You might have, Sweet Pea, but you left them alive, haven’t you? That’s more than they’d grant you, given the chance,” she hums, slowly rocking back and forth. “You’ve made sure they won’t be able to harm anyone anymore. Ever.”

“Do you have any idea how many people you’ve just saved?” Bea adds quietly. “How many you’ve freed from their clutches?”

Henry sobs and shakes and all Alex can do is watch. Powerless and exhausted.

“I’m so sorry,” Catherine continues, stretching one arm out to Bea to pull her in as well. “To both of you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there before. I’m so sorry I’m so late, that I couldn’t see past my own pain to see yours, that I let it get this far. You were never meant to be hurt. They were never meant to hurt you.”

“I thought we lost you, mum,” Bea sobs, breaking down.

“I know, Sweet Pea, I know,” Catherine says with a hitching breath. “I’m here now. I won’t ever leave you again.”

Alex’s heart feels heavy in his chest. His limbs are still vibrating from the energy that had been coursing through him relentlessly for hours. His feet feel like lead, but he still manages to pull himself up and shuffle away from the family reunion.

Stumbling, he makes his way towards the shed where he hopes to find Amy. He passes Levi and Harold, who are laying flat on the grass, breathing heavily, staring at the night sky.

In the distance, the first signs of the rising sun are visible, the sky slowly turning an orangey red.

The night that seemed to go on forever is finally coming to an end.

With his head slumped low, Alex doesn’t make it far before he feels strong fingers wrap themselves around his wrist. Surprised, he turns around and is greeted with a tear-soaked but smiling Henry.

“Where are you going?” he asks quietly.

“Thought I’d give you a moment.”

“You absolute idiot,” Henry whispers with a grin and pulls Alex by the arms until he can press their lips together in a passionate kiss. “I love you too,” he mumbles, but he doesn’t give Alex the chance to answer before he slots their mouths together again and fully envelops Alex in his embrace.

Alex doesn’t have to contain his glow. There isn’t a shred of energy left in him to make even his little pinkie shine at the moment. All he can do now, is cling to his boyfriend and let their magical cores start healing each other.

Eventually, fatigue wins and forces them to retreat to the cabin, where the others are already gathering.

“What’s the plan?” Alex asks when they enter the small building.

A soft glow fills the space now. It doesn’t make the shed look any less like a death trap, but at least it’s a little more welcoming.

“Stay put and wait for further orders,” Amy simply informs him.

Alex’s first instinct is to complain, but then he realises staying put means not having to move at all, which sounds like it might be the only thing he’s capable of at the moment.

With a grateful smile and a small nod, he pulls Henry to a quiet corner and slumps down against the wall. He tugs Henry against his chest and folds his arms and legs around him, making Henry giggle and bat his legs back off.

“Menace,” he whispers before he bends his head back to plant a kiss on Alex’s jaw.

“I’m gonna go sleep now,” Alex says, a yawn taking over halfway through his sentence, “for like six weeks. Wake me up next month, will you?”

“Set an alarm,” Henry says, wiggling a bit to get more comfortable. “I’m right there with you, love.”

With a contented hum, Alex closes his eyes and falls asleep.

When he wakes up, the first thing he notices is Henry’s warm body pressed to his chest, the second is Bea, using both their legs as a pillow, and the third is Catherine, crouched down in front of them, gently shaking them awake.

“Come on, my children,” she says calmly. “It’s time to go.”

“What?” Henry asks, shooting up instantly.

Catherine gently pushes him back down at the same time that Alex lays a protective hand on Henry’s chest to keep him close.

“It’s alright, darling. There are cars waiting for us outside. Alex, your family is waiting for us.”

“Oh,” he says, all of a sudden feeling wide awake, “yeah, yeah, we should go.”

He waits for Bea and Henry to get back on their feet before he can stand up himself. Arm in arm, the three of them stumble their way to the door and outside into the blinding sunlight. The skies are cloudless and in the trees nearby, birds are joyfully singing. It’s almost as if nothing has happened. As if they haven’t just fought and survived the fight of a lifetime.

As soon as they clamber in the back of a black SUV, with Catherine, Amy and Harold in front of them, and Levi next to the driver, Henry leans into Alex, who rests his head against the window. He motions for Bea to scoot over as well and before they’ve reached the end of the road, all three of them are dozing off again.

As soon as they arrive home, Alex is engulfed with hugs and kisses, while David barks so excitedly, he drowns out everybody else. Henry immediately falls to his knees to wrap his arms around the beagle, who wriggles as he wags his tail and jumps up and down to be able to lick Henry’s elated face.

The moment the last member of Alex’s family has let go of him, the first one pulls him back in for a second embrace. He lets it happen with tears streaming down his cheeks, mirroring pretty much every other face in the entrance hall.

Next to him – always next to him – Henry receives the same treatment now, being hugged by every member of Alex’s family, June being the first.

Bea is welcomed back as a friend, and Catherine, who is understandably hesitant, is quickly being told that she has a home here for as long as she needs it.

After that intense greeting, they are pulled into the conference room to retell as much of what has happened as they can remember, in excruciating detail. Once the entire night has been recounted again and again, they’re informed that twenty four members of the Mountchristen-Windsor coven have been taken into custody and indeed show no signs of magic. Among them are Henry’s grandmother and brother, a few other family members and some of their most loyal followers. Others had escaped the estate earlier and surrendered when they realised they were fighting a losing battle, and the ones that supported the coven remotely are being arrested one after the other as well.

There will be a trial, or multiple, probably, so it’s not completely over just yet. But, they came out of this battle victoriously, alive, unharmed and safe. After today, it’s up to others to bring the coven to justice.

Catherine isn’t out of the woods yet either. Even with the offer to stay at Alex’s home, she will still need to be questioned about her involvement in the coven and about her actions during the attack. Alex can tell Henry is worried about it, but after what he has seen, he’s is sure she will be fine. He’ll testify in her defence if necessary. Besides, now that she’s got Ellen in her corner, Alex is pretty sure no one can touch her. Henry seems to relax a little when he tells him that. At least enough for Alex to be able to pry him away from his mother and guide him upstairs.

There, with the door closed firmly behind them and cut off from the outside world, Alex starts pulling on the hem of Henry’s sweater while stealing a couple of kisses.

“So…” he hums, grinning into the skin on Henry’s neck. “You love me, huh?”

Henry lets out a chuckle as he lifts his arms so Alex can pull the damned thing off.

“It appears that I do, doesn’t it?” he says teasingly, his hands sliding underneath Alex’s hoodie in search of bare skin. “What were you planning on doing with that information?”

“I thought I’d pull you into the shower first,” Alex mumbles close to Henry’s ear, while fumbling with the button on Henry’s pants. “Wash the last couple of hours off of our bodies before I drag you to bed. To sleep, obviously,” he adds, a little disappointed but also longing for a soft, warm bed to rest his aching limbs and sleep for a couple of days.

“Obviously,” Henry hums, helping Alex out of the last of his clothing while they stumble their way to Alex’s en suite.

“And when we wake up,” Alex says, turning on the shower and waiting for it to heat up, “I’m going to kiss every inch of your gorgeous body and show you just how fucking amazing I think you are.”

“You’ve read my mind, love,” Henry says with a blinding smile, before pulling Alex in by the waist to capture him into a searing kiss as they shuffle towards the warm and welcoming spray.

Epilogue

“You might want to come in, David!” Alex shouts from the back door. “It’s getting dark, buddy!”

David, the bestest dog in all the world, if you ask Alex, happily makes his way from somewhere behind one of the rose bushes to the back of the cabin and passes Alex with a little wag of his tail. Across the threshold, he stops dutifully to receive a good cuddle, before he finds his way to the kitchen, where Henry is preparing his dinner.

For a moment, Alex just stands there, looking at the love of his life, completely at ease in the home they’ve created. It’s both similar to the cabin Henry had lived in for years and nothing like it at all. It’s a little bigger, for one, and doesn’t look like it’s risen from the ground. A little more hand-made, so to speak, with more wood than stone, and a garage for both of their cars. It’s also situated next to a lake and the forest around it isn’t as dense. They even have neighbours a couple miles over!

It’s just as quiet, though, and peaceful.

But, most importantly, it’s theirs.

“I seriously think he’s way smarter than he lets on,” Alex says when he finally steps closers, to which Henry lets out a non-committal hum. “Don’t you?”

“I’m sure he is, love,” Henry tells him as he turns around to kiss Alex on the cheek.

“One day you’ll tell me what’s up with him,” Alex says, narrowing his eyes. “Like, he doesn’t look a day older then when I met him! How’s that possible?”

“You know,” Henry answers slowly, sounding far too giddy for his own good, “he is as old as I am.”

“What?!” Alex exclaims, frantically looking between David, who’s now gobbling up his rice and chicken meal, and Henry, who’s eyes are sparkling with glee. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“I most certainly am not,” Henry tells him assuredly. “He was born on the same day as I was, the runt of the litter, unsurprisingly, and destined to be my companion.”

“How’s he still alive then? That’s not natural, is it?”

“I imagine it’s not, no,” Henry hums, looking down at his dog fondly. “I reckon he has more magic running through him than we could even begin to speculate on.”

“But…” Alex stutters. “He’s a dog!”

“He’s our dog, darling, and we love him unconditionally,” Henry laughs, stepping around Alex and folding his arms around Alex’s waist, pulling him close to his chest, hooking his chin over Alex’s shoulder so they can both watch their apparently ancient beagle enjoy his dinner.

“How the fuck did I not know this?”

“You never asked.”

“I never- What the fuck, Fox?”

“I must admit I had too much fun, hearing your guesses over the years. I am still unsure what a Paw Patrol is, but that must have been one of my favourites. You were so enthusiastic about that one, I didn’t have the heart to tell you how wrong you were.”

“So he doesn’t go out rescuing people?” Alex chuckles, his hands now laid on Henry’s, both sets of arms wrapped around him, and his head resting against Henry’s.

“Not in that sense, but he has been known to help you and me on multiple occasions, has he not?”

Alex hums quietly, thinking back on the times David has pulled him out of a downwards spiral, or when he soaked up his tears after coming out of the battle with a few internal scars. It hadn’t been easy for either of them; healing, moving on, building a life, both for themselves and as a couple. There were many setbacks, there were fights, there was crying until they were too exhausted to stay awake and falling asleep in each other’s arms.

But, every time, they’ve found their way forward, together, always next to each other.

Absentmindedly, Alex lets his thumb drift to Henry’s ring and then clinks his and Henry’s together, tapping three times, like a toast on their lives, a silent ‘I love you’.

His ring, one of the few items to make it out of Henry’s cabin in the woods, the ring his father wore until his passing. And Henry’s, custom made and inlaid with a diamond from his Abuela’s wedding ring. Both of them imbued with history, ready for them to make their own.

“I can’t believe we were just at your sister’s ex-husbands wedding,” Alex chuckles, breaking the silence.

“It was a lovely ceremony, wasn’t it?” Henry hums against the skin of Alex’s neck.

“Yeah, the song Bea sang when they walked down the aisle especially,” Alex nods. “That was beautiful. I mean, I knew she could sing, but that was basically ethereal.”

“It truly was, but it does sounds a tad surreal, when you lay out the details like that,” Henry says, chuckling silently.

“Not more surreal then her introducing them as ‘my husband and his boyfriend’ the first time we met them,” Alex snorts.

“Liam and Spencer had been together since before she and Liam got married. She knew what she was getting into,” Henry answers, always ready to defend his sister. “I just wish she would have told me about it so I wouldn’t have had to worry as much.”

“I get it though,” Alex sighs. “All the secret keeping, I mean. I know they’ve turned around since then, but Liam’s family wasn’t worth a whole lot more than your grandmother, with the hate they’ve been spewing. They couldn’t risk being exposed. And Liam gave Bea the safety she needed. That was worth a couple of lies.”

“All three might have been in danger if they were to be found out, I’m aware,” Henry agrees. “It feels like I’ve missed so much, though. Not just of her life but of my mum’s and my own as well.”

“We’re making up for that now, aren’t we?” Alex says, turning in their warm embrace and tightly wrapping his arms around Henry.

“We are, love, we are,” Henry says with a warm smile and a contented sigh.

He rests his forehead on Alex’s and closes his eyes. Both of them inhale deeply to breathe in each other’s scent. Nothing in the world will calm Alex as much as the familiar smell of fresh cut grass and clean linen. Not even Amy’s keychain, that’s hanging from his car keys on the hook by the door.

“So,” Alex starts slowly, “I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow, but being at a wedding and all made me think about our own wedding and that made me think about the wedding night and I thought maybe we could recreate some of that, y’know? Up for it?”

“You’re an absolute menace,” Henry laughs, his hands taking a firm grip on Alex’s ass cheeks.

“That’s a ‘yes’, right?” he grins.

“I happen to have been imagining taking that suit off of you layer by layer all day, so yes, that’s a ‘yes’, love.”

“Then what the fuck are we waiting for?” Alex asks, grabbing Henry by the collar and dragging his giggling husband to the bedroom to show him once again how incredibly loved he is.

Just as Alex had vowed to do, for as long as they both shall live.