Chapter Text
Henry sighed as he reached into his pocket for the small pill bottle there. The nausea was sitting at a higher level than normal, and he knew it’d only get worse if he didn’t take something, so he popped out a pill and swallowed carefully, chasing it with a sip of water from the glass on the table before putting the bottle back in his pocket and noting the time, both to keep track of when he could take his next dose and to see just how late this man was. Fifteen minutes.
He pulled up the Kindle app on his phone, intending to keep himself occupied as he waited. He’d give the man another fifteen minutes before heading back home. He didn’t want to spend his whole day waiting in this diner for some stranger.
“Henry?” asked a deep voice just as he was deciding which book to read.
Henry looked up, only to have his breath taken away by the literal god standing before him. Tanned skin, deep brown eyes, and a head full of unruly curls he had a sudden urge to grab. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, glasses perched on his nose, an apologetic smile on his face. He was breathing heavily, as if he’d been running, which considering he was late, he probably was.
“Alex?” Henry responded, and the man nodded before plopping into the seat across from Henry.
“Yeah. Sorry I was late,” he panted. “The damn subway broke down.”
Henry could detect an accent, something southern, and he tried to slow his heart rate. So he had a thing for accents. Sue him.
“It’s no trouble,” he insisted.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet me,” Alex continued. “You’re kind of saving my ass.”
“You seemed rather desperate in your ad,” Henry commented, and Alex chuckled.
“Yeah. I spent last semester renting my own place, but it just got way too expensive, and I don’t think I’d be able to stay unless I got a roommate,” he explained. Henry nodded.
“Yes, rent here is astronomical. I completely understand.”
“Can I get you anything, hon?” asked a waitress as she came to the table, looking at Alex.
“Yeah, can I just get a coffee?” he asked.
“Anything to eat?” she replied.
“I’ll take a look at the menu,” he said, and she nodded and stepped away.
“Please, order whatever you’d like,” Henry insisted. “It’s on me.”
“Hey, I’m the one that was late, I should pay,” Alex countered, and Henry shook his head.
“You won’t convince me,” he said, and Alex grinned.
“Fine, I’ll get it next time,” he said easily.
The waitress came back with the coffee and Alex ordered his meal while Henry ordered a Sprite.
“Are you not hungry?” Alex asked, and Henry shook his head.
“Big breakfast,” he fibbed, but Alex just took him at his word.
“So, how would you want to split things?” he asked Henry.
“Well, I inherited my home, so you won’t need to contribute anything towards rent. If you want to just chip in for groceries every now and then, that’d be fine.”
“I gotta give you more than that!” Alex insisted. “You’re literally giving me a room in your home, Henry. I have to give you something.”
“It’s not necessary,” Henry started, but Alex shook his head.
“At least let me split utilities with you,” he said.
“Truly, all I ask is a little help with the housework,” Henry countered.
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?” Alex teased, and Henry laughed.
“Probably as much as you,” he said.
“Point,” Alex grinned.
“Do you have any questions for me?” Henry asked.
“I mean, I feel like you should be questioning me,” Alex replied. “I could be a serial killer, or a cannibal, or a cannibalistic serial killer.”
“Well are you?” Henry asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Alex teased, and Henry laughed.
“I would, actually!”
“Oh, I know!” Alex cried. “Introduce yourself to me as if you were writing a dating app bio!”
“What?” Henry asked.
“You try to hit all the high points when you write your bios in a dating app,” Alex explained. “So, give me the highlights of Henry Fox.”
“You’re not wrong there,” Henry admitted. “Well I’m 23, going to NYU to get my Master’s in English literature, I’m gay, and I have a dog. I’m a major homebody as well, so you’ll find me most evenings on the couch watching Bake Off or reading.”
“Shut the fuck up, you have a dog?” Alex gasped, and Henry laughed and pulled out his phone.
“His name is David,” he said as he showed Alex his lock screen, and Alex wrinkled his nose.
“What is he, your tax attorney?”
“He’s named after Bowie.”
“Seriously? That’s way cooler. Why not just name him Bowie?”
“It’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it? A man should have some mystery, after all. It’s your turn, by the way.”
“Oh!” Alex took a sip of his coffee to wash down his pancakes. “Well I’m 22, going to NYU Law, bisexual, and I do not have a dog,” he joked with a wink. “I have ADHD, so I can get pretty hyperfocused sometimes. My sleep schedule is about as chaotic as I am, but I promise I’ll try to keep the noise down if I’m up late.”
“I’m a world class insomniac,” Henry said with a knowing nod. “Don’t stress.”
“Cool. I like to cook too, so I hope you don’t mind me using the kitchen.”
“I’m not going to say I’m entirely useless in the kitchen, but I do order take out probably more often than the average person, so by all means use it.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tone down the spices for your white boy palette,” Alex joked, and Henry rolled his eyes.
“As much as I wish you were wrong, you are entirely correct,” he admitted.
The waitress came by and dropped the check on the table, which Henry snatched before Alex could swipe it.
“If you’re not busy, maybe you’d like to come by to take a look at it?” he suggested. “Get a feel for the place?”
“Sure, I’m down for that,” Alex said with an easy smile. “I’m just going to run to the restroom real quick.”
“I’ll meet you outside, then,” Henry said.
He waited until Alex had left the table before standing, resting his hip against the booth as he let the spinning in his head subside as much as it could before moving to the cash register to pay. The nausea reared it’s head once more, and he swallowed hard as he fished his pack of mints out of his pocket and popped a couple in his mouth. He breathed steadily through his nose as he waited for the mint to start settling his stomach.
“Ready to go?” Alex asked as he exited the diner, and Henry smiled.
“Follow me,” he said as he began to head down the sidewalk.
He’d picked a diner relatively close to the brownstone, so they were walking up the stairs five minutes later, talking and chatting the whole way. Henry unlocked the door and let Alex in with a grand sweep of his arm.
“Home sweet home,” he presented as he tossed his keys in the dish sitting on the table in the foyer.
His blood ran cold as he realized his cane was sitting in the umbrella stand just next to the table, and panic gripped him as he looked at Alex. It was a garish thing, all rainbow colors and decorated heavily with pride stickers. Pez had gifted it to him a while back, though he rarely used it, preferring his black one that he kept in his room on those rare occasions it was necessary. He prayed that Alex wouldn’t ask, not feeling ready to broach that subject with him yet. His worries were unnecessary, however, as Alex was currently on his knees and giving all his attention to the howling beagle that was smothering him in kisses.
“Oh my goodness, you’re so gorgeous, yes you are, such a good boy,” he cooed as he let David lick and sniff him. Henry calmed down slightly and smiled.
“Well, you have his approval,” he commented, and Alex grinned up at him.
“Thank god, I was worried,” he joked.
Henry gave Alex a tour, showing him all three floors of the brownstone, including the two master bedrooms on the top floor, the study with the baby grand in the corner, and ending in the kitchen, where he made himself some mint and ginger tea for his stomach. Alex looked appreciatively at the high end appliances.
“We’ll have to get a coffee pot in here,” he commented, and Henry nodded.
“That’s easy to arrange.” He took a sip of his tea as he looked at Alex across the island. “Well?”
“Hey, it’s your place, so it’s your decision,” Alex said. “I like it, and I think we get along pretty damn well, but it’s ultimately up to you.”
Henry gave a slow nod, careful not to jostle his head too much, before smiling at Alex brightly.
“When can you move in?”