Who Would Have Thought

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/50685229.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Relationship: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Henry Fox-
Mountchristen-Windsor & Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex
Claremont-Diaz & Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Character: Alex Claremont-Diaz, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Philip Fox-
Mountchristen-Windsor, Martha Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Catherine
Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Beatrice Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-10-08 Words: 813 Chapters: 1/?

Who Would Have Thought

by smsanchez96

Summary

Alex and Henry are spending three days in Paris after a trip to London. Queen Catherine is,
well, the Queen. Beatrice is helping her mother plan the events celebrating her first year on
the throne. Martha has an official engagement that just can't be moved. So, that leaves
Philip with the responsibility of babysitting his nephew.

Notes

I'm not sure when the next chapter is coming BUT it's coming!

“But Uncle Pip,” the little voice says. “Papa said I didn’t have to go to school this week.”

A tiny smile crosses Philip's face. A few years ago he could barely mutter through a polite
conversation with his brother and brother-in-law, now all these years later he finds himself
babysitting Henry and Alex’s son for the first time. Alone.

“Well AJ, that is true,” Philip says, conceding to a five-year-old. “But if you want to go to the park
and play then you have to change out of your pajamas. It’s not proper to wear cow pajamas in
public.”

A tiny laugh fills the room. “They aren’t cows, Uncle Pip. They are longhorns. Like Bevo.”
Bevo…that sounds familiar, Philip thinks. Then the memory comes back to him. It was nearly
seven years ago and Henry and Alex had just moved to Austin. Martha and Philip were in the
States for an official trip when the call came. “Pip, Alex, and I would love to take you and Martha
to a real American football game. You two can stay with us at the house.” Two days later the four
of them found themselves in a suite watching a University of Texas football game. It was the first
time Philip found himself actually excited to be around his brother and brother-in-law. That night
the three of them got drunk off tequila shots with Alex sneaking off to bed around 4 AM. Philip
and Henry, however, stayed up to watch the sunrise on the horizon.

“I’m sorry, Hen,” Philip says while gazing at the sun hitting the lake in the middle of the property.
“I know I can never take back what I said or make up for what I didn’t do but you’re my brother
and I love you. I always have and I always will. I should have protected you against gran. I should
have protected Alex. I should have –”

“It’s okay Pip, I forgive you,” Henry cuts him off. “Alex has the nasty habit of showing us things
about ourselves that we could have never seen without him.”

They didn’t say anything else - they didn’t need to. They watched a new sunrise signally a new day
and a new phase in their relationship.

“Uncle Pip?” he finally heard, snapping back to the five-year-old standing in front of him holding a
suitcase with the initials AGCDFJ monogrammed. (That kid will never have a chance, Bea joked
to Alex and Henry when they told the family their plan: their first son would be Alexander Gabriel
Claremont-Diaz Fox Jr. the second would be Arther Henry Claremont-Diaz Fox)

“Let's get you some clothes and get to the park, huh,” Philip said to AJ’s excitement. “Can I wear
my new T-shirt? Papa and Papi said you would love it.”

“Of course, Alexander, let's see what your dads sent with you,” Philip said, opening up the suitcase
almost afraid to find out what this shirt would be. Then he spotted it at the very top and let out a
loud laugh - his real laugh that only his family ever got to hear, not the fake one he forces at public
engagements.

“MY DAD USED TO BE A PRINCE BUT I’M STILL A KING” the red shirt read. “Let’s get this
shirt on you and head to the park, bud,” was all Philip could say through his laughing fit.

Philip hoped Martha would be around to help, but she had an engagement this morning with the
kids that, in her words, was “simply immovable.” She will never admit it, but Phillip knows that
his wife, brother and sister concocted this plan to make him babysit solo. Maybe his mother, Queen
Catherine, was involved too.

Alex and Henry were wrapping up their trip to London with a three-day, childless trip to Paris.
Their trips across the pond were becoming increasingly rare after they settled in Texas and decided
that surrogacy was the path forward. But when an invitation arrived in the mail directly from
Buckingham Palace they knew “no” wasn’t really an option. How do you say no to an event
celebrating your mother’s first full year on the throne? Alex would never admit it out loud but he
was also celebrating the first year without Henry’s grandmother. Queen Mary hurt Henry more
than anyone else so fuck it, Alex thought. Ding dong the witch is dead.

Philip wasn’t entirely helpless when it came to kids - he had three of them himself. But it was clear
to everyone that Martha, and the small army of nannies employed by the palace, were the real
caretakers. Bea loved her nieces and nephews and would usually be the first to volunteer to watch
AJ during Alex and Henry’s trip down memory lane but she was helping his mother personally
plan her celebration.
Scratch the maybe, his mother is definitely in on this plan.

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