Chapter Two - Curtain Call
short summary: vegas, baby! henry and william have just landed for their little weekend getaway.
warnings: brief mention of drug use
word count: ~2.2k words (2,178 words, to be exact!)
extra notes: thank you so much for your patience. school (and life) has been kinda rough these past couple of months so I didn't have the time to write or provide much updates. thanks for sticking around!
September 14th, 1962 - 4:30 AM - McCarran International Airport
Henry’s bloodshot eyes were struggling to stay open as he leaned against the smudged glass walls of the payphone booth. The dial tone was lulling him to sleep. The monotone drone nearly won; only his mother’s voice snapped the thread of his sleep. He glanced at his free hand as his mother repeatedly said ‘hello?’ a few times. He was holding a cigarette. He'd been meaning to go cold turkey several times to have a bit of money for the trip that was going to begin in a few hours, but he never really quit the habit successful—
“Henry Gideon Emily.” His mother said more firmly.
“I'm sorry, Mom!" Henry barked out a strangled shout through forced, gritted teeth in an attempt to keep his voice from echoing across the terminal. This promptly woke him up with alert eyes and a stiff posture. The mental picture of his mother having that look that read both affection and exasperation as she shook her head towards him with crossed arms only made him feel more embarrassed.
"What were you saying?" He asked with that sheepish smile. His mother scoffed lightly. "Bless it…." she chuckled.
William glanced through the glass pane at Henry before flicking his lighter open. He held the flame to his cigarette, then tucked the lighter into the pocket of his lily-pad green trousers. Shifting the cigarette to his left hand, he pulled out his wallet and flicked through a thick fan of twenties to either eyeball his roll or simply enjoy the weight of it.
He took a short moment to retrohale the smoke before he briefly licked his right index finger to separate the various $20 bills haphazardly folded in the cramped pocket of his wallet. He took a few seconds to look up at Henry. He was still recovering from his brief moment of discomfiture from being nagged by his mother. William would be more sympathetic if he didn't find Henry's situation so amusing.
"Okay… Mom, I'm fine. We're at the airport, okay? Alive and well… Yes, the light's are still on, what are you— I'm fine. I'll call you later at the hotel for your nerves, alright?" As his mother badgered on about how he should call her throughout the trip for the sake of her comfort, Henry smiled apologetically seeing William lean against the phone with crossed arms. The bastard was tapping his wristwatch playfully.
"Listen, I have to go. I'll tell you the hotel room number as soon as we get there. I love you. Goodbye." Henry said quickly as he somewhat shoved the phone back in its cradle.
"Sorry about that. My mother still finds a way to worry about me." Henry explained with a short shake of his head as he walked out of the booth. He took the offered cigarette from the crumpled pack William held out for him with a smile. Henry leaned towards his free hand that held the ignited flip lighter for him. Chivalry wasn't dead, at least not in this airport.
"Mothers, they really know how to get under your skin." William said with a slight titter as he played with his lighter for a moment before pocketing it again. He clapped his hands together to end the short moment of dead air. "So, where to first? Are we going straight to the hotel or are we going to sight see a bit?"
"Sightseeing sounds great, but I'd rather not give her a heart attack," Henry jerked his thumb towards the payphone booth. "Besides, I'm beat and we'll need our energy for those Warhol pieces you're so obsessed with." he said somewhat sarcastically.
William snorted as he straightened himself up. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Though, you are right. That was a pretty exhausting flight. Did you hear that baby in the back?" He cleared out his right ear with a finger. "My God, you'd think the mother was deaf."
"Come off it, Will," Henry's eyebrows furrowed as he began to walk towards the exit of the airport. He waved for a taxi with the free hand that wasn't carrying his suitcase. "You have to give people grace, you know. There's only so much you can do with a baby."
William trailed behind him, triple checking to make sure he had everything in his pockets by lightly slapping the sides of it. "Yeah, yeah, kinda thought it would've fallen asleep by then."
"It was a red eye flight. It's kinda hard for anyone to sleep through those..." Henry paused to lightly punch William in the arm with a mischievous smile as they stood outside the entrance of the airport. "Especially with your snoring."
“I was not! …was I?” He rubbed his arm, looking at Henry with a genuine questioning stare.
"Yes!" His eyebrows raised to emphasize his point.
"Jesus Christ. Please tell me I wasn't drooling,"
"No... You have enough decency for that, at least," Henry muttered.
A yellow taxi stopped in front of them. Henry climbed into the backseats first after putting his luggage in the trunk. William did the same, scooting next to Henry. Although an attempt was made to keep a little space between them, their knees did end up touching one another. Henry didn't mind the miniscule invasion of his personal space. These sort of things happened between them all the time.
"Are you paying?" He asked after William told him the name of the hotel that they would be staying at for the next three days to the driver. Henry thought he was joking.
The Flamingo was one of those hotels you didn't just randomly stay in one weekend with a marine's and… actually. He didn't even know what sort of job William had to be travelling around like this.
“On it, Mr. Emily,” William grabbed some cash from his wallet, handing it to the taxi driver with a wink.
Henry scoffed. "You're unbearable." he said with a hint of a smile.
“You love it.”
"I tolerate it."
September 14th, 1962 - 4:55 AM - The Flamingo
Pink neon lights from the hotel’s champagne tower, paired with a light nudge on his shoulder, jolted Henry from his nap. His eyes widened as his focus returned just in time to see the Flamingo sign. For a moment, the shock of their destination stayed etched on his face.
"Oh." he murmured.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" William leaned against Henry’s shoulder. The marine went rigid, unsure if William was admiring the landscape, the hotel, or the ghost of his reflection.
"Very." Henry rubbed his nose with his thumb. He was trying to mask his growing blush.
"You look surprised. Didn't you read the brochure I gave you?"
"I thought you were joking," his voice dropping to a low, guarded murmur as William stepped out of the car to open the door for him. "I mean... we were both stoned."
"Don't worry about it." William’s smile was as bright as the neon behind him, but his eyes stayed cool. He offered a hand that felt more like a command than an invitation. "I have it covered. You know this."
Henry stepped out of the taxi, his shoes hitting the pavement with a heavy rhythm that felt entirely too loud. He didn't look at the hotel, he looked at the people. He scanned the valet, the socialites in sequins, and the tourists. Henry's neck prickled with the heat of a thousand imagined judgments, even if there wasn't too many people around them. The pink neon was just another spotlight for him.
William simply squeezed his hand as he gave the taxi door a casual slam that made Henry's shoulders jump. As they approached the entrance, the massive glass doors swung open like a pair of golden wings, breathing a chill of perfume and cigarette scented air onto the hot pavement. Crossing that threshold, the marine had the familiar urge to trail behind William so that he'd draw all of the fire with his beatnik appearance.
William slowed his pace, however, staying right at Henry’s elbow to ensure they were seen as a pair. The plush carpet beneath them silenced the marine's militaristic rhythm in his unnatural gait.
"It should be under Afton," William said to the desk clerk. His English accent had sharpened into something posh and undeniable, a perfect fit for the gold-leafed surroundings.
"The suite for the weekend, Mr. Afton?" she asked, her eyes briefly flicking from the registry to Henry before returning to William. He offered a smile that was all teeth and charm, giving a polite nod. "Yes, dear. For the weekend."
Henry felt his heart squeeze. He stood perfectly still, his gaze anchored to the side of William's face. He was making his situation worse. He knew he should be looking at the pretty girl behind the desk, or how all of the mirrors and fixtures were gold plated, or doing literally anything a normal man would do. But he couldn't look away. It was a slow motion car crash of his own making, and he was terrified the woman behind the desk could see the devotion written in his eyes.
Henry was broken out of this spiral hearing the clerk slide a brass key across the mahogany into William's waiting hand. He hoped he hadn't stared at the man long enough to warrant a confession.
"Thank you, darling," William chirped as he snatched the keys away from her hand with a flourish. He had no time to wait for a bellhop to attend to them as he hooked his arm around Henry's. The gesture felt more like he was claiming a piece of lost luggage rather than any sort of affection.
As they turned toward the elevators, Henry caught a glimpse of them in one of those gold-plated mirrors. He looked small, a shadow in olive colored drab, while William, in his Technicolor greens and reckless confidence, looked like the only thing in the room that was real. The two men stepped into the compact space of the elevator, moving quickly to escape the lobby's gaze. Henry let out a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding as the blurred reflection of the gold doors slid shut, sealing them in.
William didn't even wait for the doors to close completely as he let out a short, sharp laugh that echoed off the metal walls to alleviate some of the tension. He didn't let go of Henry's arm as he tucked it tighter against his side, forcing their shoulders to grind together.
Henry was already anticipating William making a comment about his stiffness. He was already silently rehearsing his defense of blaming it on the cramped space. He hoped the dim lighting was enough to swallow the heat in his cheeks.
"Can you at least look like you're enjoying yourself?" William teased. His voice wasn't nearly as posh now. It was casual; something reserved only for when they were alone. "It's a hotel. You've been in one of those before, right?"
"Not in a luxury one. Not with you..." Henry’s voice trailed off as he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He kept his eyes fixated on the numbers lighting up above the door. They were going up far too high.
"Oh, is that why you're acting so strange?"
"It's the space. It's cramped, I'm claustrophobic." Henry said, the lie coming out even faster this time. He was desperate for any alibi.
"Is it?" William's smile didn't reach his eyes fully this time. He pulled back just an inch, his gaze sweeping over Henry’s rigid frame with that once over that always felt like an inspection. "Or are you just realizing that you’re finally trapped with me?"
The elevator gave a sudden, stomach-dropping lurch as it reached their floor. Before Henry could find a word to defend himself, William was already stepping out into the hallway, the brass key spinning around his finger with a celebratory clink.
"Don't dawdle, Henry. I paid for the suite and I intend to see every inch of it." William's long hair bounced as he practically dragged Henry down the long hallway. The peace and quiet of the other guests were briefly disregarded by the sound of their giggling and the frantic clicking of the brass key against William's palm.
Henry felt the militaristic rhythm of his gait break entirely as it was replaced by a clumsy stumble to keep up. Seeing William like this, unburdened and bright, was like a hit of the stuff they'd smoked several months ago. It made the spotlight of the lobby feel miles away.
They reached the end of the hall, and William didn't hesitate. He jammed the key into the lock with a lack of grace that bordered on violent, his grin widening as the mechanism clicked.
"Welcome to the top of the world, Mr. Emily," William declared, throwing the door open to reveal a room bathed in the pre-dawn glow of the desert.
