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“I know how to charm someone, I was raised around royalty and became quite, how you say, accustomed to it.” Lafayette slurred, his accent ever the more noticeable, before gulping down the last of his drink and slamming the glass onto the table. “Is it not so, my friend?” He slurred, maybe a little too loud, and threw an arm around Mulligan’s shoulders.
“Whatev’r you say, Laffy.” Mulligan mumbled, seeming a little dizzy.
“You don’t believe me?” His tone was a little offended.
“‘Course I do.” He insisted.
Hamilton laughed a little louder than he intended once Lafayette humphed and pouted. This brought the French man’s attention to him. “And what about you, Monsieur Hamilton? Do you believe yourself to be a charmer.”
Alexander felt his pride kick in and boom in his chest, the alcohol in his system making it all the more pertinent. He smirked wide and proud, “I assure you I can woo anyone in this room! Anyone!” He exclaimed.
The two men in front of him shared a look before turning to him, eyebrows raised, “Anyone?” They both speculated in unison.
“Is that a challenge I hear?” Hamilton prodded, feeling all too cocky.
They shared yet another look, grinned at each other, then grinned at him. “What say you to a little wager, Hamilton?” Lafayette asked, seemingly delighted.
“And what’s at stake here?” He already knew he would agree, he just wanted to see what he could lose here.
Lafayette and Mulligan pulled out two dollars each from their jackets and placed them down on the table. They looked at him expectantly.
“I do hope you know I do not have that kind of money to throw away.” He said. Did they think him wealthy? He didn’t have a dollar to his name. Alex was already risking it by getting so many drinks. At least he hadn’t had a many as them, he’d been wary of money, after all.
“Right.” Lafayette furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of an alternative, before lighting up like the sun, “Oh! Alright, if you win, you get to keep the four dollars.” He paused for dramatic effect. That was already a tempting offer, four dollars would be very helpful, and he was confident he wouldn’t lose. “But, if you lose, then you have to do everything we say for the entirety of a day.”
Well, that changed things a bit. Alexander being bossed around never ended well, and if anyone heard about it he would never live it down. They could humiliate him. Although, they were very drunk. They probably wouldn’t remember any of this by the morning. Plus, the money would be amazing. And the odds were on his side, if he did say so himself.
He bit his bottom lip as he scanned the room, searching for possibilities. After a few seconds he nodded, confident smirk on his face as he stretched his hand out to Lafayette. “It’s a deal, then.”
The French man took his hand and shook it, probably a bit harder than intended.
“So, who is it that will fall victim to my charms?” He asked. They turned to look at the general area of the bar and pointed. Alexander followed where they gestured, which led him to look at “Laurens?” He was almost shocked. Almost, since they were drunk and obviously wanted to win.
The two men only nodded smugly, clearly underestimating Hamilton’s infamous pride. Alexander was never above it, he’d been with as many men as women in his lifetime. He knew it was wrong, per se, but he didn’t really care. He was far from feeling guilt at this point. Still, he hesitated for a number of reasons. Firstly, the bar was very public, and, even though he knew how to be discreet and most everyone was inebriated, there was still the risk of being accused and hanged. Specially if Laurens didn’t reciprocate. At least he was quite drunk, as he’d ordered quite a few pints, and wouldn’t remember any of this by the morrow. Second, Laurens seemed like someone Alexander wanted to get close to. He really wanted to be his friend, as ridiculous as that sounded. He never really had friends, and he really enjoyed the man’s presence so far. Something could go wrong if he did this. Sure, Alexander was a handsome, honourable, eloquent man with a top-notch brain and a tolerance for pain, but he couldn’t be sure of the outcome. And lastly, Laurens was, well, to put it frankly, one of the most beautiful men Alexander had ever seen. He was tall and well built, tan skin speckled with freckles that were almost certainly everywhere. Oh, how desperately he wanted to test that theory. His long, curly brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, leaving a few strands lose that bounced along with him. That smile of his seemed to shine brighter than the sun, the fire in his hazel eyes burned bright with passion, and his determination paralleled Hamilton’s. His heart wrenched at the mere thought of him, and Alex just couldn’t wrap his head around why. They basically just met.
Alexander shook himself out of it and turned to look at them, “Why him?” He asked.
“John is not easily won over. Many women have tried and all have failed.” Lafayette explained, shooting him a complacent look, “But since you claim to be quite the charmer, this shouldn’t be an issue, no?”
Alexander looked over at Laurens, his back facing them as he sipped his drink at the bar. The bet certainly had a lot of perks his way. Money, a win to flaunt over Lafayette and Mulligan, and the chance to flirt with the beauty that was John Laurens. Maybe this could open an opportunity for him in the future. He mimicked the look Lafayette had given him, “Of course not.”
With that, he gulped down the last of his drink, slammed the glass onto the table, and got up without another word. He maneuvered around random strangers, his eyes trained on the other man. He just couldn’t help but look at him. When he got to the bar, he stood next to Laurens’ chair, discreetly pulling over the one next to him with his foot so they could sit closer. The other didn’t seem to notice or mind the proximity.
“Officer Laurens,” He cheerfully greeted him, one arm resting on the counter in front of the other, “mind if I joined you?”
“Be my guest, Mr.Hamilton.” He turned and smiled at him, his southern accent more audible and his cheeks a little flushed under the influence of alcohol. He got the sudden urge to run his thumb over that blush, count every freckle on his face, but he restrained himself.
“Please, no need to be so formal. You can call me Alexander.” He insisted as he sat down next to him, keeping close but not making any contact.
“Well then, you can call me John.” He responded, that small kind smile making Alex feel warm inside. He really couldn’t pry his gaze off of him. Things were starting off well.
“Well, John, I’ve heard so many things about you, I’m glad that I met you tonight.” He stated softly.
John gestured to him, “Same to you, Alexander.”
“Oh, I’m not much.” He felt his hear flutter in his chest. The sound of his name rolling off the other man’s tongue so naturally was strangely nice.
John chuckled, smacking him lightly on the arm, “Don’t demur. Ignore those who say you’re young and scrappy, ‘cause, from what I’ve heard, you’re destined for greatness.”
“I could say the same thing to you.” He felt a little warm, and he didn’t even notice the smile that crept onto his face, “Care to tell me about that black battalion that you mentioned? I think we think alike, and I’d like to know what you want from the war.”
He straightened up, that passion flaring in his eyes as he raved, “I’ll free us, then the slaves! What we do is wrong. Men, women, children all being treated like animals just because they look different is not right. My battalion will give them that chance at freedom. We’ll never be free until we end slavery!”
Hamilton listened intently to every word. And he was right. Alexander had seen so much in his childhood, lost so many friends, and he shared John’s thoughts. He was so... so wonderful. It was far from normal for Alexander to be at a loss for words. “You are a brave man, you deserve respect. I am certain you will be a great leader.”
“You’re a braver man than me, what with your story. It truly is inspiring.” John fiddled with the drink in his hands a little before taking a few more sips.
“Thank you.” Alexander mumbled, finding himself a little flustered before shaking out of it, “I would be willing to offer my assistance wherever you might need it. I do expect to be climbing the ranks soon.” He bragged, shooting him a small wink.
John rolled his eyes a little, a grin on his face, “I appreciate the offer, I’ll be keeping you in mind.”
They spend a moment in comfortable silence, John turned away with a hand over his mouth as Alexander kept a close eye on him. He took the moment to notice what should have already been obvious. Laurens didn’t seem to be acting anywhere near as drunk as he actually was. That was strange. Hamilton had seen how many drinks the man had had. He was no lightweight himself, but damn if it didn’t look like John could hold his alcohol. It was almost unnatural.
Alexander then broke the silence, “And what about a woman?” He spewed the words out casually, as he apparently could not feel humility.
John snapped back towards him, reeling back his reaction once he saw Hamilton’s brow raise. He cleared his throat, “I beg your pardon?” His brows furrowed in a puzzled look.
“Don’t get me wrong, now. Handsome young man with a wealthy background and a heart of gold coupled with a thirst for justice, such as yourself.” Alexander gestured to the man with his hand, leaning a little closer, “I’d simply expect women to throw themselves at your feet."
John paused and looked away for a brief moment, fingers fidgeting around his glass. Hamilton could have sworn the blush on his cheeks grew a little darker, too. “Oh, I see...” John stammered a little, “Well, I just have no interest in a woman...” he looked Hamilton right in the eyes as he said it, “at the moment...”
Alexander slacked his jaw and closed his fist to contain himself as he caught the hint. He raised a playful eyebrow, small grin on his face, “I can understand that.” So John wasn’t into women... good to know. Hamilton looked away for a second to suppress the delight he felt.
“You know...” John then slurred quietly, successfully getting the other’s attention. Then, Hamilton noticed how he was biting the inside of his cheek, his eyes slowly wandering over the length of him. He felt his face grow a little warmer as he basked in the feeling of John’s eyes on him and the butterflies on the certain places where they’d stopped before meeting his gaze again.
“You’re not so bad, yourself, Mr.Hamilton.” His voice was low, like honey. The man looked forward then, gulping down the rest of his drink as he avoided Hamilton’s longful eyes. “Where’s your woman?”
Alexander flared his nostrils, ignoring the fast beating of his heart and the warmth that filled his chest, “I guess I find myself focused on other things as well.” He admitted, hoping that Laurens would catch on to what he meant.
John only hummed in response, and it was clear to Alexander that he was flustered. They spent another moment in pleasant silence. Hamilton was absolutely entranced by the sight on the man before him. His eyes, his hair, his flushed cheeks, his lips. How badly he wanted to touch. To run his fingers through those messy curls, run them over his blush, over those pink lips. To feel how his hand fit in Alexander’s. Any small act of physical contact would do. Even just to place a hand on his shoulder. He wished they were somewhere private. Oh, he wanted to take him far away from this place. Maybe he was a bit more drunk than he thought.
“You strike me as someone I will always remember, John Laurens.” He said nonchalantly, earning a small chuckled from the other.
“Be careful now, those words could lead to my surrender.” He joked, a playful smile on his face but something different in his eyes.
Hamilton leaned a little closer again, his voice suave, “Don’t be scared.” His hand was resting right next to John’s on the counter, and he placed his pinky over the other man’s, watching closely for any negative reaction. It was the smallest of things, but it made his heart flutter, “Have you never been satisfied?”
John flushed, his eyes darting from place to place until he could get them to focus on their hands, his head bowed to try and hide his blush, “That might be.” He muttered.
“You’re like me.” Alexander smiled, moved his hand a little closer, “I have never been satisfied.”
John peeked at him from the corner of his eyes, “Is that right?”
“I’ll make you satisfied.” Hamilton stated, sounding as casual as he could as his eyes flicked down to the other’s mouth for a second. He moved his leg until he felt his knee bump against John’s, and he was very happy to feel John lightly push against him in return.
Alexander noticed how Laurens’ breath hitched a little, how his face grew redder, and how there was a glint of something in his eyes. John turned to him, a playful grin on his face, “That’s a very bold thing to say, sir.”
“Yes, well, you could say I’m a very bold person.” Alex threw him a small wink and a smile.
John bit his lip for one, maybe two seconds, “I guess that is why you are where you are now, no?”
“Well, there’s a million things I haven’t done.” Hamilton stood from his stool, knowing that it was getting a little too late and thinking better than to take advantage of John in his current state, but still hating to have to leave. He slid his hand down and lightly placed it on John’s leg, relishing in how his breath caught in his throat and how his face flushed even more again. “But just you wait...” The smirk on his face was huge, the room feeling warm, as he leaned in closer so he could talk into John’s ear. His eyes roved over him slowly, just as John did to him. He enjoyed how his clothing looked on him, they were nice on his skin. He was almost perfect. Hamilton just had to let his tongue dart out and lick his lips. And he knew that John saw. “ Just you wait ...” His voice was low and thick, the words rolling smoothly off his tongue.
The reaction that that pulled out of Laurens was deliciously sweet. He coughed a little and cleared his throat, most likely to collect himself. He took shallow breaths, his lips parted, and tried to look as calm as possible even though Alexander knew he must have been bursting at the seams with how flustered he was. His face was an adorable shade of red, his heart probably going a hundred beats per minute like Alexander’s was. He subtly squirmed where he was, his leg raising the slightest bit under his hand to lean into his touch. This prompted Hamilton to move his hand up a little and give him a light squeeze. His heart was wrenching pleasantly in his chest, his breath coming out hot and a little heavy as he clung to his composure. Thankfully, they weren’t making a scene at the bar, and their actions were guarded, so, to anyone else, it seemed quite normal. It gave him some sort of adrenaline rush.
After a few more seconds of Alexander enjoying the view, he moved his hand from John’s leg and let it rest on his shoulder. They looked each other in the eyes for a few moments, Alexander sporting a shit eating grin as John gave him a daring look.
“Unfortunately, I think I should be going.” He said, feeling a pang of guilt at the disappointed expression he got in return. Alexander squeezed his shoulder, “But I do expect to be seeing you again very soon, Officer Laurens .” He all but purred into John’s ear.
As he walked away, he looked back at John, already missing him. John looked at him as he went, too. His expression was a mix of many emotions. Disappointed at his departure, confused as to what just happened, flustered, with longing and determination in his eyes. He gave him a little wave before turning, signalling the barkeep to give him another round, and downing that drink in one go immediately. Alexander chuckled to himself. He was quite excited to see that man again. He wondered what the future held for him with anticipation. Then, as he walked, he suddenly remembered the small wager he had made before going to talk to Laurens. It had completely escaped him. Well, he did definitely win. What a wonderful little thing to remember.
Alexander triumphantly strolled over to their table, confidence in each step he took. The two of them had their jaws on the floor, looking absolutely shocked that he won. “What did I say?” He bragged, grabbing the four dollars off the table and tucking the money into his coat pocket. That was quite the helpful sum of money.
They just stared at him. Alexander laughed, a little nervous. “Well, gentlemen, that’s me for the night.” He winked, feeling cocky as he walked away and out of the bar.
For the rest of the night, Alexander had two things on his mind. He savoured his victory, as well as greatly cherished the thought of John Laurens. He replayed the entire encounter in his mind over and over again as he walked home, smiling a bit more each time. He also couldn’t stop the thought of that smile popping up as he dozed off to sleep.
It had been three weeks since that night at the bar, and his experience with the revolutionary gang was clear as anything in his mind. He’d been completely entranced by John Laurens, hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him every second he got. It was beginning to get a little distracting, but he honestly didn’t mind thinking about him when he could. Alexander desperately wanted to meet with him again, wanted to make sure that John, too, remembered that night, since he’d drank so much, but they had both been so busy. He longed to hear that voice, to look into those beautiful eyes, feel him squirm like he had when Alexander put his hand on his leg. He wanted so badly to kiss him wherever he could. And he didn’t care that is was wrong.
At the end of that day, as Alexander was walking back to his cot, head filled with less than pure thoughts of the other man, he heard what sounded like music to his ears.
“Colonel Hamilton!” A melodic voice that he recognized as John Laurens called after him.
Alexander immediately turned on his heels, completely euphoric at the sight of who he’d been thinking about for so long. His curls were bouncing with every step he took and his wide smile seemed to replace the sun. Hamilton returned the smile, feeling his heart flutter as he stopped so that he could catch up with him. “Ah, Officer Laurens!” He cheerfully greeted.
The taller man stopped at his side, then they both started walking at a slow pace, “I have been looking forward to seeing you again.” He said, a little coy but still casual.
“Same to you, sir.” Hamilton grinned up at him.
“Would you like to take a walk with me?” John offered, his eyes snapping away for a moment before looking at him again.
“Of course.” Hamilton’s tone was nonchalant, but his eyes conveyed his excitement well.
They walked in comfortable silence, knowing that many people could and would notice if they got a little too friendly. It was a very nice walk, there was very nice weather and the fresh air helped clear his mind. Their shoulders would occasionally bump for a few seconds. Alexander never did like the quiet, but it just seemed so serene with John. What was happening to him? It wasn’t typical of him to fall so fast and so hard for someone he barely knew. It was irrational of him. But John was just so perfect. Was it not a little rude to take advantage of his sensibility to steal into his affections without his consent? Well, as they looked at each other, he guessed he could let it slide this one time. Eventually, they reached the forest path nearby, and, even thought they technically weren’t allowed to leave camp yet, they continued to walk.
Once in the forest, when they were sure no one would hear, John broke the silence, “I enjoyed our conversation at the bar.” He stated, that gorgeous tint of pink creeping it’s way onto his face.
Alexander hummed, “We share that sentiment.” Relief washed over him. He did remember. This was great, Alexander had a great chance at getting with him, even if it was concerning how much alcohol he could take in without getting blackout drunk.
Suddenly, John looked around, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him off the path and into the forest where they could have complete privacy. He looked back at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Of course, Alexander complied and followed him where he went. They stopped once they were notably far from the trail.
“It truly is a pleasure to see you again, Alexander.” He beamed.
“Please, the pleasure is all mine.” Hamilton simply couldn’t restrain himself any longer, so he took his left hand in his right and bowed, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of it. When he stood upright again, he smiled at how he was already flustered, shifting his weight from one leg to the other with a timid smile, his eyes trained on him. Seeing John be bashful and hesitant was just as great as seeing him be loud and confident, in his opinion. “You must excuse my recklessness, but it isn’t every day that you get the pleasure of seeing someone as entrancing as yourself, John.” He sighed, his words as delicate as his touch as he laid his charm on thick.
John giggled, the sound filling up in Hamilton’s heart and making him feel warm all over, “My, my, you sure are even more forward when sober.” He quipped, leaning a little closer with an amused look on his face.
“Yes, I apologize, but the mere thought of you seems to intoxicate me.” Alexander shot back with a wink. He realized that he was still holding John’s hand in his own, and Hamilton began to stroke his knuckles with his thumb. His eyes focused on their hands, analyzing them with adoration. It felt lovely. His hand was warm, a little rough, but still gentle. It seemed to fit perfectly. “I must say, I find myself very gay to know that you remember everything that happened.” He admitted.
“I know how to hold my alcohol extremely well, it takes a lot for me to forget. Especially something that set every part of my heart aflame so effectively” He bit his bottom lip again, less shy about his actions in the privacy that the forest provided. He even brought his free hand up to fiddle with one of the buttons on Alexander’s jacket.
Hamilton let go of his hand and took a step closer with a flirty expression and his eyes trained on John, “It seems we’ve had a similar effect on each other. You’ve been a frequent topic on my mind recently. Not that I’m complaining.” He let his hand move back up to tuck a stray curl behind his ear.
“Is that right? I had no idea.” He looked very prideful, the little bastard, and gave him an overly innocent smile.
“I expect you to apologize for what you’ve done to me, Laurens.” He teased, trying to keep a straight face.
John hummed, looking to the side and biting the inside of his cheek, as if to show that he was mulling over it. Then, he shot him a daring look, “I’ll have to think about it.”
They both burst into fits of quiet giggles. Alexander felt his heart swell in his chest, warmth radiating out of it and expanding through him. He sighed, content, which resulted in John blushing a little redder and his smile widening a little more, his eyes full of the same thing Alexander’s were.
Hamilton let himself indulge in counting the freckles on his face before he ever so carefully tilted John’s chin with his forefinger. John’s breath hitched, his lips parted the slightest bit. His gaze flicked from Alexander’s eyes to his lips, a bit of a haze in his own eyes. “I have another question for you.” Alex said, his voice low and smooth.
“And what might that be, Alexander?” John breathed out, adorably tilting his head to the side a little. It wasn’t much of a question, but he still asked it. All that Hamilton could focus on were those pink, plush lips.
Alexander’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as he looked up at him. He felt something tugging him forward, a hunger begging him to pull the other man down and join their mouths. But he contained himself, his nerves tingling with want as his thumb slowly ran over John’s bottom lip. He simply loved how the other leaned into his touch, how his eyes almost fluttered closed, how his face was a beautiful shade of red. “I would like to know, could I see what your lips taste like?” He all but purred, his words coming out a little jumbled.
John could only stare at him with big eyes and parted lips. He moved forward a little, but seemed hesitant, even though his eyes were full of longing. So, Alexander took initiative. He moved his hand to the back of his head, fingers entangling in his soft curls, and pulled him down. And he joined their lips.
He kissed John.
No, he was kissing John.
And John was kissing him back.
He was immediately hit with so many different emotions. It was dangerous to do this, they both knew it. But Jesus Christ, did it feel amazing. It was like a dream come true, everything Alexander had wanted for the past few weeks. He made sure to savour every moment of it, took the time to memorize the taste of him, the feel of their lips dancing together, the wonderful way John squirmed under his wandering hands. The rush was too pleasurable, and it made them completely forget about the risks they were facing. Hamilton felt John’s hands on his chest, traveling up his shoulders and continuing until his thumbs were stroking his cheeks, pulling him even closer. Alexander’s own left hand was having it’s fun, rubbing against and squeezing many things, seeing what sweet little reactions he could pull out of the other and what he was allowed to do, until he decided to let it rest on the small of his back, under his dress shirt. John’s lips were soft against his, tasting better than anything he’d ever tasted before. Alexander practically melted, almost unable to control himself. He took a few steps forward, John complying and moving backwards with him, until he pinned the taller man against the nearest tree. John flinched, a little surprised, but quickly went back to the matter at hand. Laurens seemed just as enthusiastic as Hamilton, too. He was kissing back with the same levels of passion and want, and pushing against his hand.
Eventually, Alexander pulled away, even though John followed his mouth. He was enjoying the view in front of him. John, stuck between him and a tree, breathless and panting, his clothes and hair messy, his lips plump from the kiss, his face beet red, and his eyes glazed over. It was a sight he definitely wanted to take further, but it was neither the place, nor the time. One day, he promised himself.
Alexander chuckled before giving him one last peck on the lips, shit eating grin on his face, “I could get used to that.” He stated to no one but himself, already wanting more of it. He rested his forehead against John’s, “Your lips are soft. They have a pleasant taste, something sweet, like coffee.” He mumbled absentmindedly, absolutely adoring how much that flustered him.
“You will be the death of me one day, Alexander.” John sighed, found his hands and took them into his, intertwining their fingers, “I think we can stay here for a few more hours before anyone notices our absence. What do you say?”
Hamilton smiled wide in response, planting a few more kisses on some of his freckles. He was suddenly very excited to see what the future held for them.