Chapter Text
Living with Hercules Mulligan seems almost surreal. Just the fact that they have reliable access to food alone — well, as much as such a thing can be reliable, they are all obviously still bound by the weather conditions and the numerous other factors increasing or limiting the harvest.
Nevertheless, it is the closest thing to it that the brothers have had in a while. Possibly since they were born, but since figuring that out for sure means thinking about Senior, Alexander prefers not to do so. He doesn’t know if it is the same for James or if his brother actually misses his father.
Most probably the latter, but Alexander abhors his younger brother being sad, so it is the only logical course of action not to ask. Perhaps he will do it eventually, once they have managed to build something on their own.
A thought that seems increasingly plausible, considering Hercules does not require them to pay rent for some reason Alexander does not even pretend to understand, and even pays them a small bit for helping out around his shop. To add to that, they are still getting the money from the collection back in the Caribbean.
After countless conversations filled with careful consideration, there is one consequence: Alexander will apply to a university. They had debated whether or not James should apply as well; he is old enough, after all, being 15. That is the average age of people enrolling — around half a decade younger than Alexander currently is, one might add — even if it is the lower end of the spectrum.
James, however, had argued himself that it would be a waste of money. Both of the brothers know that James longs to be like Alexander – even if Alexander himself had been teased back in Nevis as he would rather read a book than roll around in the dirt. There is without any doubt a time for fights, but those disagreements were more than pointless.
The point being, James may have a desire to be like his older brother and he is working ambitiously towards it, but in the end, he is just a different type of person. James is good with his hands and, if Hercules is to be believed, a whole lot more of a help around the shop than Alexander can ever hope to be — with the exception of managing the funds.
In fact, Alexander is forbidden to touch anything not directly regarding money without Hercules’s express permission, while James has been repeatedly offered to become the tailor’s apprentice.
“I got y’all knuckleheads in loco parentis,” Hercules explains, oddly enough his Irish accent coming through more than usually. “That means that I care for you and want the best for you. Alexander’s place clearly is in a university, for now, there is no doubt about that, but James’s isn’t and there’s no shame in that. Not everybody is a scholar, but that doesn’t mean ridiculous claims like that the ones who aren’t don’t matter or any such foolish ideas are true.”
“Hercules, you are only nine years older than I am,” Alexander deadpans. “That’s in no way old enough to be any sort of parent to me.”
“That does not mean that I don’t care about you like a son on some level,” Hercules argues. “Though I suppose I could accept the role of an uncle or so if you would prefer that.”
“I don’t think I have had a proper uncle before,” James whispers and that is the precise moment when Alexander officially adopts Hercules Mulligan in the family.
Or technically it is the moment where he lets himself be adopted.
Whatever.
Hercules, despite not being a blood relative, has cared for them more than most of those who are — Maman being an obvious exception — so as far as Alexander is concerned, Hercules is family.
Just like his friend Ned is, back on St. Croix. Ned had saved their lives in more ways than one, not that anyone — including Alexander — really knows the exact number. Quite likely, it is in the double digits and not just barely.
Ned is family as well and if there is one thing that Alexander misses from the island, it is definitely him.
Fortunately, there are ways to stay in contact. Since both of them can read, writing letters is far from an impossibility and once Alexander has a proper address again, it is only easier. Of course, there is always the chance of their letters getting lost, but they had agreed before Alexander and James left the island that they would always write after two months have passed, no matter if they had received a letter or not.
The topics they talk about vary considerably, which in no way means that they weren’t important. It had been Ned’s assurance that he could not see a sign of Hercules having bad intentions — not after this time, not with the way they met, not with what Alexander described of his character — that calmed Alexander down enough to start trusting the man.
What worries Alexander about that is that James does not have anyone he writes to. He doesn’t have any friends here either unless you count Alexander and Hercules – only the latter of which count because Alexander is James’s brother, but that’s not the same as being a friend.
James needs someone he can speak to that isn’t in a position of power over him — like Hercules as his employer and Alexander as the closest thing to a guardian he has — to talk to and express his thoughts.
But James keeps himself busy by working in the shop and studying various things in the downtime — which Alexander can follow and not criticize without becoming a hypocrite — thus he doesn’t really have the chance to go out and meet someone. Talking to customers can’t be the extent of his brother’s social life, Alexander flat out refuses to let that happen.
However, he also can’t force James to go out and do something. Or rather, he can, but he won’t. He doesn’t want James to resent him and his little brother is just as stubborn as Alexander is himself in regard to other people forcing them to do something they don’t want to do.
The most probable solution Alexander can think of is to bring someone here with him and hope they get along with James, but even that is more than likely to fail. And if he gets accepted in Princeton, he will not even be able to do that, considering that he will have to live somewhere closer to the college to be able to attend all the things he needs to.
There does not seem to be anything Alexander can do but hope. Hope that if all goes well, hope that James will find someone, and hope that maybe so will he. Because having Ned is amazing, but nevertheless it would be good to have someone here other than Hercules.
Although that is a lot less important than the rest. Alexander can deal.