Chapter Text
George Washington would never forget the day Alexander Hamilton first walked into his classroom. Actually, he was pretty sure he was incapable of forgetting it. That day truly changed his life forever, twisted his future in ways he had never imagined, if he really took the time to think about it. Although it wasn't as if anything horribly memorable happened either. It was simply the day that started it all.
But, of course, Washington had no understanding nor clue of any of those details that completely unsuspecting Tuesday morning, instead simply leaning back against his desk with a coffee mug in his hand as his students filed into AP History.
It was first period and quite early in the morning, most of the sophomores nearly collapsing into their chairs as they groaned dramatically. These kids had long mastered the technique of coming across as exhausted, overworked children and eager young adults simultaneously, something that may be the overall goal of being a teenager, Washington mused. But, nonetheless, they all displayed their exhausted, overworked children side now as they leaned back in their chairs, eyes half closed and hair half brushed in their apparent and undiluted exhaustion. Washington suppressed a chuckle at this. He had been up and awake for several hours now and was doing just fine, but for the teenagers waking up anytime before 10 am was dreadfully early.
Still early into the school year, Washington had memorized all of the names in his classes, but had yet to get a good understanding of the personalities of his students. Most of them, anyway. He absently pondered how these kids would turn up to be like when he got to know them better through teaching, gazing out the still-dark window as he sipped his coffee.
That was when the sound of laughter pulled his attention to the classroom door. There, the usual group of boys he had come to think quite fondly of were tumbling into the room. One was his foster son, Lafayette, leaping around the group exclaiming loudly in French, sparing Washington a quick wave of hello before turning back to his friends. Chuckling, Washington waved slightly back, watching as Hercules Mulligan, his son’s boyfriend, let out a booming laugh around the stack of textbooks in his arms and stepped masterfully around the twirling Lafayette to set his books down at his seat. Then John Laurens laughingly skidded into the room, an open sketchbook topping his own pile of binders and a No. 2 pencil tucked behind his ear, the yellow painted wood nearly lost in his wild, pulled-away-from-his-face-but-still-untameable brown curls.
Washington had grown to think of the other two boys as family as much as he did Lafayette. For good reason as well; they were over his house more often than Washington was. Martha had even begun introducing the trio to strangers as her sons, much to Herc and John’s bashful embarrassment and Lafayette’s delight.
That was about when Washington realized there was another boy among the group. How he managed to miss the new teenager before, he wasn't entirely sure, because now the unfamiliar boy was shockingly apparent.
Although he was shorter than the rest of the group, small and slight in figure, he had a presence that definitely made up for his size. His deep brown hair was pulled back into a artfully done messy bun, dark eyes smiling yet distrustful. Wearing an oversized sweatshirt that only dramatised his small stature and build, he seemed oddly at home yet uncomfortable in the middle of the friend group.
Frowning, Washington set down his coffee mug and glanced at his email, open on his computer. New student arriving October 11. Alexander Hamilton. Ah. Today was October 11. That would explain the new boy.
Taking another look at the small teenager, Washington chuckled lightly at the sheer size of the boy’s name. But, something in the boy’s eyes, whether it be the determination, fire, or spirit, told Washington the kid would be living up to it.
Smiling faintly, Washington approached the boy. He offered his hand in introduction. “I’m Mr. Washington,” he explained, the boy cautiously shaking his hand. “You must be Alexander.”
Nodding, the boy pulled his hand back to tuck a piece of hair behind his ear. “Alex, please,” he requested quietly, looking up at Washington with plain, intelligent curiosity.
“Of course,” Washington smiled.
Suddenly, Lafayette seemed to notice that Washington and Alex were speaking, and immediately made himself part of the conversation. “Mon ami!” he gasped, flying to Alex’s side. “This is my foster father as well as our teacher!”
Eyebrows raising in surprise, Alex looked from Washington to Lafayette. “Oh?” His voice was delicate and polite.
Ruffling his foster son’s hair, Washington chuckled. “Ah, yes. My wife and I took in Lafayette about four years ago.” Lafayette laughed as his already extremely messy bun was just worsened by his foster father, causing Washington to chuckle again. “As you can see, he became part of the family nearly instantly.”
Alex nodded, a small smile still gracing his face. “That I can,” he agreed.
“Well, we’d best be getting to our seats. Tu vois, we found Alex wandering in the halls, and we have the same classes together, so nous voilà!” Lafayette exclaimed. Hercules had already gone to his seat, John shooting a quick smile at Alex before doing the same.
Washington grinned fondly at the boys as he returned to the front of the classroom, just in time for the bell to ring. “Good morning,” he said into the classroom, sipping his coffee.
A chorus of drowsy good mornings, among a loud exclamation of “Bonjour!” from Lafayette, filled the room. Washington leaned forward against his desk, hands on the wood and fingers spread for stability. Lord, he loved this job. And, as he eyed the dark eyed boy sitting among the crowd of famIliar students, watching Washington with clear interest and intelligence, he had a funny feeling this job was about to get a lot more interesting.
Whether the feeling would take action or not, he wasn't yet sure, but something about that kid was certainly about to change something or another.
Washington was nearly positive of that.