Quite possibly my favourite RWRB fic.
⌠Okay, donât quote me on that because the competition is fierce (my Top 5 expanded to Top 10 to Top N because I really cannot rank them anymoreâIâve read too many amazing fics.)
Anything Orchid writes is pure gold, but I felt like this story deserved a cover with two versions.
I read this story relatively early least year (fall of 2023) and I didnât begin making this cover until March of this year (yes, iâve been doing this âprojectâ for a while). I initially planned to have just Henry, but I certainly wouldnât have done the justice, especially with how important Alexâs story and representation is in the story itself. I have both covers uploaded in my Kindle.
I think I read this story at least twice in full, not counting the times i just opened to a random chapter to just drink in the storytelling.
Also a little tidbit; not on the cover itself, but the background in Alexâs mockup is dark blue with gold shimmerâa nod to when Henry first steps into Alexâs restaurant.
Also, surprise Orchid! Yes, it was me that @inexplicablymine told you about all those months ago!
The full poster that can be added to the .epub file for your kindle/e-book reader is at the end of the post! If you need any assistance, please don't be afraid to ask!
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by OrchidScript
âSleep.â Henry huffed. âI just bloody want to sleep. Iâd give my left eye to not be so goddamned exhaustedâ.â
âIâve an idea,â Pez interrupted. Henry nodded for him to go on; he was desperate enough to try even the craziest of Pezâs schemes. âYou may or may not be aware of all Oxford campus services, butâ.â
âIâm going to regret this,â Henry huffed.
*
Henry's insomnia takes a turn towards the horrendous. Pez decides his royal friend should consider some creative solutions. Enter Alex Claremont-Diaz, exchange student from Georgetown University, peer relaxation counselor, and the most beautiful person Henry has ever seen. The rest is inevitable, isn't it?
Words: 7960, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: Gen, M/M
Characters: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz, Percy "Pez" Okonjo, Shaan Srivastava, David the Beagle (Red White & Royal Blue)
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, First Meetings, Falling In Love, Fade to Black Relationship, Insomnia, References to anxiety, References to Depression, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of Cancer, Mentions of Family Dynamics, Henry needs a good long nap, Alex wants to tuck him in a read him a story
via https://ift.tt/gLosP94
9. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?
Answered here!
17. Share your favourite opening line
Oh, it's gotta be the mermaid stripper AU for kinktober:
The most beautiful man Henry has ever seen is currently floating in a fish tank.
20. Share your funniest line
Is it cheating to say literally every word out of Henry's mouth in All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers? Because I was giggling madly the whole time writing that.
Trademark is lovely humor and romance, then swooping in with a single poignant sentence thatâs emotionally crushing.
Thinking specifically of ALTA as I write this âĽď¸
oh thank you so much đ it's a well known fact that i just have the biggest insecurities with that fic and then you come and be all sweet about it how dare you (let me kiss you on the head).
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Henryâs been working on the new LA shelter for months. Heâs had countless conference calls with investors, contractors, city council, and more. Now, theyâre ready for the final touches before opening, and Henry needs to be hands-on, literally. He knew this time would come, but he hates being away from home.
Heâs on the phone with his assistant, discussing hotel options, when Alex interrupts. âWhy do you need a hotel in LA? My dad lives there. Stay with him. Heâd be thrilled to have you there.â
Henry stays with Oscar Diaz his father-in-law while he's getting the new LA shelter up-and-running. It's a bit of an adjustment, but it's actually nice. He even picks up a few new skills in the kitchen to show Alex!
Part of @thebrownstone's anniversary event, prompt by @orchidscript:
"Not a win, no, but certainly not a disgraceful performance."
Been working really hard on the second installment of Henryâs story, and I wanted to share a bit of dialogue that Iâve been grinding through. Itâs a conversation between Henry and Carter. No prose, only dialogue, which is strange for me, and Iâm not giving you anymore than that to go on! Enjoy!
The scientific name for house cat that is the title makes sense, I promise. Just hang with me and my lame attempts at being clever.
âYouâve been⌠focused lately, on what truth means for you. If someone is being honest with you, if you can believe a story you canât remember⌠if someone can be a liar if they believed wholeheartedly something that turned out to be wrong/untrue. Youâre still there, I think. In a different way.â
âSounds about right...â
âYouâre doing well with it.â
âIâm not. I feel like a goldfish in a plastic bag. Iâm stuck in my own fucking head... everyoneâs just been really kind. I donât remember much, but. But my gut trusts them.â
âLike I said. Youâre doing really well with it all.â
âYouâre all waiting for me to snap arenât you?â
âWaiting for it, expecting it, preparing for it when it does happen however it does. Itâs all the same to us. Weâre just happy youâre awake.â
â...Iâm sorry.â
âFor what?â
âI. I feel like Iâve been a lot to handle.â
âMaybe. But I wouldnât have done it if I didnât think you deserved the time and space. Itâs been a lot to come to terms with. Youâre in school. You needed to do some thinking. I canât tell you I love you and not give you that.â
âNot for nothing, but... You said we broke up. A few years ago. Because of me.â
âWe did. That⌠that was different, Hen- Aiden.â
âIt doesnât sound all that different.â
âIt was. Really. We were immature, first thing. Second thing. You were struggling and hurting, and I didnât have it in me to understand the way you needed me to. I tried to help in all the wrong ways and ended up hurting the both of us when it was too much. You didnât want help until you realized just how far gone you were.â
âNo oneâs told me what was wrong with me.â
âItâs not something we â or you â like to revisit.â
âTell me?â
âHen-, Aiden, I shouldnât-.â
âYou donât know how to call me anything else, do you?â
âYouâve only ever beenâŚâ
âBeen what?â
âYouâve only ever been Henry to me. Iâve never known you any other way.â
âJust Henry?â
âJust Henry⌠Henry, Hen, H. Haz once, but it you hated it and laughed. Fritz, Fitz, Fitzy, honey, baby, babe⌠Gorgeous, sexy⌠Mine⌠Yours⌠Sorry. Iâm so sorry.â
âItâs alright. Youâre⌠you really love Henry, donât you?â
âYeah. Yeah. I love you.â
âIâm not Henry.â
âNot by name, no. But⌠I wish you remembered this, but Iâll say it again for you. Whoever you are, whatever you call yourself, whatever you end up doing, I love you. And⌠Aiden, Iâm alright if you donât love me back.â
âAre you really?â
âNot really, but Iâm better at understanding someone where theyâre at than I used to be. Because of you.â
âWhat did I do, Carter?â
âYou⌠you were coping, by drinking. You hid it well. None of us knew. You were basically functioning until you, you suddenly werenât. I, I bought you a lot of what you had hidden in your bedroom, and the guilt about killed me. I didnât know what Iâd been doing. You started therapy, you were getting betterâŚâ
âBut?â
âYou gave up. You quit going and didnât tell anyone. Then, then you got me to take you to a party, at school, and you were drunk⌠And I couldnât do it anymoreâŚâ
âYou broke up with me.â
âYeah.â
âAm. Am I better now?â
âYou are. Youâve been sober for⌠four years. Youâre doing really, really well.â
âBut I donât remember any of that⌠Is that why Iâm not going home with you?â
âYeah. June and Caleb, they know your warning signs and how to look for them better than I do. They donât want the stress of this to send you back to that mental place.â
âMakes sense.â
âThey should have told you that.â
âTheyâre doing their best⌠You canât take care of me that way, I take it?â
âI know my limits. But Iâm not pushing you off. Iâm going to be there, Iâm going to help. Iâll bring over photos, your clothes, Pixie if I can get her in the cat carrier. She misses you. You have some journals, in your desk, that you wrote during all of it. You still keep one, but I donât know where that is. Iâll try to find them all. Iâve never read them, donât worry, but. It might give you an idea on what youâve been through.â
âI have a cat?â
âYeah, Pixie. Sheâs an absolute menace, just like you. You feed her turkey bacon and act like you donât know why she starts yelling when you turn the stove top on.â
âWait⌠is she fluffy? And white-ish?â
âMhmm.â
âBlue eyes?â
âYup.â
âI remember that. Her. I remember my cat, but⌠but didnât know she was my cat.â
âSheâs deaf too. Thatâs harder to remember.â
âDo I⌠Do I knock on the floor to get her attention?â