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Alexander was so nervous that he might have passed out.
Hercules and Lafayette had arrived in Paris about three days before; Angelica and Eliza had only just joined them, as, with Angelica's busy schedule, they had only now been able to get a few days off.
Of course, Eliza had wanted to see the Eiffel Tower first thing. Of course, Alexander had found it disgustingly clichè.
It was just perfect.
The weight of the little box in the pocket of his jacket was haunting. Correction, the pocket of John's jacket, given that, as John himself had stated multiple times, not only did it not quite fit him anymore, it suited Alexander much better. John's words, not his.
John was standing with his back to him, their fingers loosely interlaced as he talked to Hercules. Angelica and Lafayette were nearby, leisurely talking as they watched Eliza stare mesmerized at the Tower, taking about a million pictures.
He couldn't quite tell what it was, but, as he looked at his surroundings, all he could think was how it was the perfect time, right there and then.
Now or never, Hamilton.
Ignoring the feeling of his insides twisting with worry, he dropped down on one knee, fishing the small box from his pocket.
He saw how Hercules stopped breathing, eyes wide with his mouth slightly open as the realization hit him.
He's going to kill me.
Instead, Hercules' face softened as he smiled, tears pooling in his eyes as he motioned John to turn around.
He saw John's confused expression shift into seriousness as he turned to face him.
"Are you joking?"
"Depends," said Alexander, swallowing around the knot in his throat. "If you're about to say no, then I'm definitely joking, and we should never speak of this again." John laughed, eyes glistening with tears.
"What if I say yes?"
Alexander chuckled. "Well, that's a whole other story." He took a deep breath, his hands shaking as he tried to find the right words to say. "I swear I had a big speech planned."
"You did?" John shakily said as Alexander nodded. "But I forgot." John burst out laughing, a couple of wayward tears starting to roll down his face.
"What do you mean, you forgot?"
"That's what you do to me, Jackie, you sweep me right off my feet."
"You're such a clichè, proposing under the Eiffel Tower with some corny pick-up line."
"Is it convincing you to say yes?"
John smiled. "Keep talking. The jury's still out."
Alexander laughed as he felt tears running down his face as well. "See, that's the thing with you, Jackie. I'm always talking, always saying something, and yet with you, I don't have to. You know me so well, you understand me even without a million words." He smiled. "But if it's words you need, say yes, and I'll keep on talking until my lungs give out. As clichè as it sounds, make me the happiest man alive, John, and I promise I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you just as happy as I've been every second we've been together."
John smiled.
"Yes, you idiot, I'll marry you."
Alexander laughed wetly, almost in disbelief. "Yeah?"
John profusely nodded as Alexander slipped the ring on his finger with shaky hands, tears uncontrollably filling his eyes. John pulled him to his feet and kissed him. When they pulled apart, their friends crushed them both in a hug, confusingly speaking in tandem.
"One at a time, guys, please." Said John, giddily smiling as the hug broke apart. Lafayette spoke first.
"Why didn't I know? Hercules, did you know? Girls?"
"Nobody knew." Clarified Alexander, taking John's hand, his heart skipping a beat at the unfamiliar feeling of the ring. "I wanted it to be a surprise. I bought the ring a few months ago, been waiting ever since."
John stared at him in confusion. "Months? The hell have you been waiting for?"
Alexander shrugged. "At first I thought I wanted to be sure you'd say yes, but then I realized I'd never be sure whether you'd say yes or laugh in my face - to be honest, part of me still thinks you've said no, I've passed out and I'm just hallucinating - so I just ended up waiting for the right time to come."
"I must say," started Angelica. "You had some nerve proposing without asking Hercules first. Weren't you afraid he'd start chasing you?"
"Why do you think I'm wearing my good shoes? I was ready to run for my life." He eyed Hercules suspiciously. "I still am, you've been threateningly quiet."
Hercules stared at him for a few moments, silent as everyone waited for him to speak.
"I'm just trying not to cry." He said, his voice choked up as he hugged them both. "My brother's getting married, for fuck's sake!"
Alexander sighed in relief. "I take it I have your blessing?"
"What, you wouldn't still marry me if you didn't have Herc's blessing?" Asked John, amused.
"Of course I would. I'd be dead after half an hour, but it would be the best half an hour of my life."
John lightly punched his arm. "Stop being such a clichè. I still can't believe you proposed under the Eiffel Tower, Alex, that's so corny."
"Stop ruining the moment, John, it was all so romantic." Said Angelica.
"Besides," added Eliza as she scrolled through her phone. "Judging from your face in these pictures, you're pretty into clichès." Alexander and John quickly leaned towards the small screen. "Send me all the pictures, 'Liza, I'm framing them. Look how beautiful my boyfriend is. Scratch that, look how beautiful my fiancè is." He looked up at him with a smile. "It sounds nice, doesn't it?" John mirrored his smile.
"God, this feels like a fever dream. Alex, pinch me, I need to know if this is real."
Alexander kissed him. "Does this feel real enough?" John grinned.
"We're getting married, Alex."
"You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with this hot mess?"
"I did tell you I'd keep you around forever just to spite you, didn't I?"
Alexander laughed. He took John's hand, giddily smiling as he felt the ring on his finger once again. "No turning back, you're stuck with me forever now."
"Somehow, I don't seem to mind."