Orion || RWRB fanfic || Henry's POV

Part 24- The Phone Call

Bea is still there- sprawled at the foot of his bed, munching away on her third packet of biscuits like some sort of human-shaped rabbit, when, hours later, Henry's phone rings. He jumps, already running through a mental list of who the hell would be called him at half two in the morning whilst fumbling on his bedside table for the phone. His mind reaches a conclusion at the exact same time Henry glances at the screen: it's Alex.

Of course it is.

Bea wiggles her eyebrows knowledgeably at him, and Henry sighs, fighting the urge to grin like a huge idiot as he accepts the call and holds the speaker to his ear. He dredges up the most despairing, exasperated tone in his collection, and attempts not to sound as though Alex has just thrown him a life raft when, a few seconds ago, he was drowning in a sea of parties and photo shoots and Christmas carols.

Bea's pulled Pez's stupid Christmas-jumper-monstrosity over her own, and fiddles idly with it. The dreaded sound of Good King Wenceslas again fills the room, and Henry scowls at her and makes hurried shushing motions.

"What could I possibly have done to have brought this upon myself now?" Across from him, Bea straightens, pricking her ears up and staring at Henry in confusion, a small smile playing across her lips just the same. Henry smiles back; he can't help himself. As the sound of Alex's voice fills his ear, he sinks back into the pillows and rolls over onto his side.

A second later, he hears the tone of Alex's voice and sits up straight, heart doing a weird flutter in his chest. He almost has to stop himself from panicking and shouting down the phone if he's okay, if he's hurt or...Somehow, he forces himself to be calm, even as Alex begins apologising hastily for calling him at this time.

And that's what scares Henry most; Alex never apologises. Alex doesn't care what people think of him, if they think he's annoying or remorseless. He just goes on being himself. That's who he is, and Alex not being Alex...well it scares the hell out of Henry.

"Alex, Christ," Henry interrupts, hoping he can't hear the obvious tremor in his voice, "It's fine." And it really is, he realises. He isn't cross at Alex for calling him at this time- he's just...relieved. And maybe the slightest bit proud that Henry is the one Alex has turned to for help- because he obviously needs help. This is the first time Alex has allowed himself to be vulnerable with him, and it sparks a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of Henry's stomach that makes him want to smile even as his mind is panicking about why Alex has called him; what might have happened.

"It's half two here," He continues, taking a deep breath, "everyone's gone to bed. Except Bea. Say hi, Bea."

"Hi, Alex!" Bea giggles, only laughing more when Henry scowls at her. She doesn't technically know yet...not about how he feels for Alex, but Henry's pretty sure she's guessed. He finds that he doesn't mind, not when Alex's voice is pouring out of his phone's speakers, not when he's miles away but so close. Right now, he doesn't care about anything else.

He's reluctantly grinning back at Bea when she continues, half-choked with laughter.

"Henry's got his candy-cane jim-jams on-"

"That's quite enough." Henry snaps, staring at Bea and willing her to shut up with his eyes. To emphasize this point, he shoves a pillow in her direction, and she huffs and slides off the bed to retaliate, but he holds the phone up pointedly and she stops with a sigh.

"What's happening, then?" Somehow, he manages to keep his voice level, the picture of calm, even as he fidgets with his signet ring, twisting it round his finger again and again.

"Sorry," Alex blurts out, and Henry's heart does another painful contortion at Alex like this- reduced to mumbled apologies and frantic phone calls. Strangely, though, he doesn't mind this version of Alex. "I know this is weird, and you're with your sister and everything, and, like, argh. I kind of didn't have anyone else to call who would be awake? And I know we're, uh, not really friends-" Henry sighs into his pillow at this, "- and we don't really talk about this stuff, but my dad came in for Christmas, and he and my mom are like tiger sharks fighting over a baby seal when you put them in the same room for more than an hour."

He goes on like this for a while, until there's a pause in which Henry stares wide-eyed at Bea, who silently nods, disappointed, but understanding flashing in her eyes.

"Hang on." He covers the speaker, shooing Bea out of the loom, sighing again as she snags the biscuits and steals them away with her. When the door swings shut behind her retreating back, Henry returns to the phone. "All right, I'm listening." There's a faint exhale of breath from the other side of the phone, as if Alex is steeling himself, and then he dives right in.

***

When Alex has finished, Henry just stares at his phone screen, mouth open in an 'o' of horror.

"It sounds like you did your best." Is all he can manage to choke out. He thinks he might throw up at the thought of Alex; curled up on the floor, alone, tearing his beautiful curls out in clumps. Alex pauses, and Henry wonders if he's somehow said the wrong thing. It's true, though- Alex always does his best. He just can't see that about himself. Not right now. Henry wishes he could; wishes Alex could see himself the way that everyone else sees him. The way Henry sees him.

There's a soft knock on the door, and he nearly gets up to open it, but it's from Alex's side of the phone.

"Ah- okay, thanks, man, I gotta go."

"Alex-" Henry starts, unsure what to say.

"Seriously, um. Thank you. Merry Christmas. Night." He hangs up before Henry can reply.

***

Later, Henry realises he's slept through the whole night. And woken up smiling.