FIC;

[21st_sacrament]

1.

What few people realize is Henry Townshend is a hopeless worrier when it comes to things that mean the world to him. The list in itself is admittedly quite short but it just means he has even more time to devote to wringing his hands and triple checking every possible scenario as it plays out in his head. It's a miracle he doesn't drive himself mad and he has to wonder how transparent he's become when all he's doing is sitting on his sofa, head tipped back to the ceiling and whatever you're thinking about, let it go, christ.

Henry's never been good at sheepish and he can only flush at being caught, lost in his worries. He knows there are worst things to be worried about, he's lived through a week of them, but considering the weeks it took him to ask and Alex looking like he didn't know whether he wanted to sigh or laugh at him -- he always laughs in the end and Henry's stomach never fails to do a funny little flip that suggests he doesn't mind the attention so much anymore -- when he finally did...

He spends the night before the trip with his head buried in his pillow, mentally telling himself to shut up shut up shut up and all it gets him is a fitful sleep and falling off his bed in the morning, wrapped up in his sheets.

Alex takes one look at Henry in the morning, sees the tired expression and barely concealed grumpy furrow of his brow and yeah, okay, i'm driving. He teases him during the two hour trip, hand falling to squeeze his arm when he can and Henry focuses on that while reading off the directions.

When they finally get there, a bag each slung over and hanging by their sides, Henry lets out a breath and tries to tell himself one final time there isn't anything to be afraid of. He doesn't actually believe himself until his knock on the door is answered and his mother's small frame suddenly appears, arms wrapping around him and squeezing for all they're worth. He hears Alex huff a laugh from behind him before he gives a warm greeting and gets a hug of his own.


2.

Diane Townshend is a small woman, he's heads above her and he's pretty sure his own hand could engulf hers. He can see Henry's skin tone, eyes and hair come from her and later in the day he'll find out his smile does too. She's a sweet lady and he likes her before he's even stepped into her home.

She's older than his mother would have been if she were still alive and he keeps the feelings that rise up at that in the back of his head, he didn't come here for this and instead focuses on making this visit a good one for Henry. They obviously have a good relationship, he can see the warmth and closeness between them he only could guess at when he overheard Henry on the phone and he feels pulled in by their attention, his own chest something warm and tight and maybe he isn't used to being taken care of quite yet but he likes it and lets himself be guided into the kitchen for tea.

She's quiet but unlike her son she isn't shy. He finds himself appreciative of how comfortable she is with him being here, especially later in the evening when she brings up their sleeping arrangements i thought the fold-out sofa would be okay? unless you two don't sleep together, then i also have a bed in the guest room and he doesn't have to look at Henry to know he's already pink and his lips twitch into a grin. She's so comfortable with him and Henry that he can't help himself and teases Henry relentlessly before they go to bed the only frightening thing about your mother is the high risk of developing cavities after meeting her.

3.

His mother has only been living here for the last four years and it's the eighth move she's made in her life. From what she's told him she likes the neighborhood and town a lot and he thinks she'll stay here for good. She's out for an afternoon, plans she made a week and a half ago and he gets her to stop apologizing with a tight hug that picks her off her feet. They have a few more days and Alex has already raided both his mother's bookshelf and her brain for her opinions on her favorites.

He walked in on them having a debate one morning and he wishes he had recorded it, if only for proof that if the stars and planets aligned themselves just right Alex would leave him for Stephen King in a heartbeat.

He stays quiet when they talk, just watching them and listening and lets himself be pulled in long enough to appease them before inching back out. His worries were for nothing of course, they get along and him bringing Alex here told his mother everything she needed to know about how he was doing and how they were doing. He's never brought anyone to meet her before, even if he mentioned them and she smiles at him softly when he's helping wash the dishes one night and he finds himself smiling down at the sink softly.

They never got the hang of verbal communication, probably never will, but it doesn't matter - not when they can understand all the important things.

4.

Alex untangles himself from Henry early one morning, watches Henry immediately roll from his side onto his stomach and bury his face into a pillow, and snorts before noticing the light on in the kitchen. It still surprises him, with how early the both of them get up, Diane always seems to be up for hours, settled at her table with a mug and book. She's cleaning her reading glasses when he walks in and he tells her g'morning and gets a glass for himself.

They sit in quiet companionable silence for a minute or so before she glances at the clock above their heads, a quick side glance to the living room and almost conspiratorially do you want to see pictures?

He has to cover his mouth to muffle the bark of laughter before nodding, knowing exactly what she's asking and then they're sitting side by side going through photo albums and Alex can't help smiling because goddammit Henry was a cute kid. She has stories, little anecdotes that have his side sore from laughing silently and he feels himself washed in the fondness of her tone, when she points at a picture of Henry covered in fingers paint -- non-toxic i thanked the lord -- and one with her, Henry passed out asleep on her lap.

He knows, he knows about Henry's father and he isn't surprised when there aren't too many pictures of him from age five to ten and doesn't let the knowledge leak into his expression, his tone, doesn't notice when Diane stumbles in one of her stories, changing it and flipping to a new page.

He sees pictures of Henry, growing and awkward and looking so fucking shy and impossibly young in his high school portrait and he sees his tendency to look elsewhere, never straight ahead and he chuckles indulgently at pictures of Henry taking pictures and balancing a sketchpad on his knees and charcoal stained hands and candids catching him surprised and face open in a way that can only be described as vulnerable.

He hugs her at the end, maybe a little too tight, and feels oddly grateful.

5.

Henry feels younger, in a good way, whenever he visits and on their last day he digs up boxes of chalk and sits in his mother's driveway with them. Alex watches him at first, kneeling off to the side like a spectator before Henry tells him to draw something. He makes a face, Henry makes one back, not caring if he can draw or not and tosses a box at him.

They fill up the entire driveway, much like he did on a Saturday afternoon when he was ten, with animals and planes and stars and superheroes from their favorite comic books and Henry can't help but burst out laughing at one of Alex's attempts and he's shoved into the grass playfully, laughing and wheezing with Alex crawling over him.

He misses his mother stepping out the door to take a snapshot of them and won't know until he gets a copy of the picture in his mail two weeks later.

6.

They return the rental car when they drive back and walk to the nearest bus stop in the late evening. The ride home was quiet and they're quiet now, something sweet and tender in the silence.

Henry falls asleep with his head on his shoulder after they get on the bus and Alex doesn't think he'll ever take a more relaxing vacation.