You love me! You love me?
They haven’t seen one another since they exchanged a whispered argument about profiteroles at some fancy dinner over a year ago, when—to the rest of the world, at least—Henry was a straight man living in Kensington Palace and Alex was a straight woman living in the White House. And now… a gay man and a bisexual trans man meet in Texas.
Henry’s whole face scrunches up as his frown deepens and turns more sad than confused. “I really wish you would just—”Alex sighs and rolls his eyes. “Will you give up already? I can deal with him.”“Christ, I’m not saying you can’t,” Henry says exasperatedly, “I’m saying you don’t have to. You carry so much, Alex. I’m simply trying to help you lighten the load in any infinitesimal way you’ll let me.”“And having a guy you hate move in with you is somehow only an infinitesimal inconvenience to you?”Henry gives Alex a tired, cold look and clenches his jaw. “If it gets you away from your transphobic roommate,” he says, low but vehement, “then yes. Christ, Alex, you’re not a bloody inconvenience.”
Or: Henry learns how to cook, and Alex learns to let people take care of him.
