Work Text:
April 18
It was the night before the wedding and John was actually freaking out. John was sure he loved Alexander, that was not something that would change anytime soon. However, John was currently at the Schuyler apartment and losing his mind. John always got along better with the girls. He was never really a man's man and felt more comfortable around his three best girl friends the night before his life changed. Not that he wasn't comfortable with Laf and Herc, but Eliza had been his best friend longer than any of the boys, so staying with her and the two other sisters seemed like the best option. Plus, all three of the girls knew how to calm John during freakouts like this in ways that Hercules hadn't caught onto.
"John, just breathe, it's fine," Eliza murmured as she brushed his hair. His current situation was like any Friday night with the girls. He was sitting in Eliza's bed, which they shared more often than not, with a glass of white wine in one hand and a glass of mint tea in the other as Eliza combed through his hair. Angelica and Peggy were on the floor arguing over which movie to watch. Their once a month Friday rituals were simple. A sleepover at the Schuyler sisters apartment, choose a theme for the movies of the night, and pray they sticked to wine and never let the vodka come out like how it did on 90s movie night. Unsurprisingly, the movie theme was Wedding and Angelica wanted to watch Bridesmaids while Peggy wanted to watch 27 Dresses. "Tomorrow will be lovely."
"I know, I just," John fiddled with a loose hem on his pajama pants. They were from his high school in South Carolina before he moved to Europe for the last two years of high school. Why hadn't he gotten rid of these yet? They were the most tattered pajamas anyone had probably seen and they had more than a couple questionable stains. "What if I trip when I walk down the aisle? Or if it rains? Did you see there was a forecast for rain? Of course tomorrow would be the one day in the past month that it would rain. With my luck, it would probably thunderstorm and there would be lightning or something."
"John, dearest, with your luck it will be sunshine and rainbows and God would probably come down from Heaven just to see your wedding," Angelica said softly from the floor with a laugh. Angelica and Eliza both had a soft side for Alexander, but always respected John and never had tried for Alexander, even before they were dating. They, to this day, still remind John of how lucky he is to be with Alexander as if he needed to be reminded. "It will go flawlessly, my love."
John trusted the sisters with his life and had decided to trust them with his wedding, too. John had been planning his wedding since he was born, it seemed, but once he got engaged, it was like he had never even thought of marriage. With school and the new internship he had at the hospital, wedding planning seemed to be the last thing he wanted to do. That thought alone induced more arguments than Alexander and John had had before the engagement, but they would end as soon as they begun. John threatened to sleep on the couch just to be separated from Alexander after one rough argument and Alexander was close to being on his knees begging for forgiveness. After that night, John left all planning duty to his bridesmaids and groomsmen. He knew what colors and flowers and venue he wanted, but other than that, everything was fair game. Except the budget. That was not fair game and was actually tighter of a budget since John's dad was officially out of the picture.
"John, don't think too hard! Alexander would actually prefer it if you tripped because that would take all the attention off of him being a fool," Peggy said with a wink as she gestured to John's tea and gave him a smile that said Drink the damn tea and calm down. He rolled his eyes at the youngest sister and sipped at the warm tea. Even though Eliza was his best friend forever, Peggy and Angelica would definitely be close for second place. Angelica was so fiery and kind with beautiful looks to match while Peggy was quiet and sweeter than candy to anyone she met. Every sister was different and they helped the most when making any decision, like when he decided to ask Alexander out on a date.
"I guess. I just want tomorrow to be absolutely perfect. You only get one first wedding," John said as the beginning of 27 Dresses caught his attention. He hadn't even noticed that Eliza had finished brushing his hair and was now in bed. He crawled under the covers, allowing Eliza to wrap her arms around him. The two other sisters joined them in the king sized bed and he couldn't help but smile. "Can I just marry all of you and Alexander? Sister Wives was a hit, I think we could do it."
All of them dissolved into laughter and John snuggled deeper into the covers. Tomorrow was in the hands of these three girls and he knew it would be perfect.
April 19
John woke up alone in the bed and sighed softly. Today. The day John had been dreaming of since he learned what the word 'wedding' meant. He focused his eyes on what was in front of him and smiled. The dresses were hanging up against the wall, the white contrasting beautifully with Eliza's deep blue painted walls. John always loved the idea of wedding dresses and sort of wished he could wear one. He definitely could have, but the girls wearing white dresses was good enough for him. He told them to each have a different one, but nothing too flashy. Unsurprisingly, the girls read his mind and got dresses that John couldn't even conjure with his own imagination. They were so beautiful. Eliza's was a simple cap sleeved chiffon dress that went straight down to her ankles in pleats with a satin ribbon just underneath her chest. Angelica's matched in length but was a silk mermaid style with long sleeves and deep V plunged neckline. Peggy's was a short A-line, sleeveless dress that went to her knees that poofed out at her waist with a ton of tulle and a high, lace scoop neck. Each dress matched their personalities.
Checking the time, John groaned into the green pillow under his head. It was just past nine in the morning, which gave him three hours before he had to leave for the venue. He sat up and turned his head, stretching as his eyes made contact with his tux hanging alone on the wall next to a window. A simple black tux with subtle satin detailing as piping on the collar and around the sleeve's cuffs with a white tie. That was one of the few wedding decisions John had made. There was a small black box on the bedside table next to his suit with a pink envelope. Curious, he leaned over to grab the two items. Opening the pink envelope, he chuckled under his breath as a stereotypical wedding card peaked out. He pulled it out of the envelope and smiled at the not-so-subtle crossing out of "Congrats to the Bride groom and Groom" on the front of the card before looking at the inside.
John,
I promised I would get you something new and something blue, since Angie called dibs on something old and Liza called dibs on something borrowed. I saw you didn't have cufflinks to go along with your banging outfit, so this seemed like an obvious gift.
- Much Love, Peggy
John was smiling so big his face hurt, begging his teary eyes not to spill. He opened the black box, revealing two shiny blue book shaped cufflinks. They looked like they cost a pretty penny. John reminded himself to give Peggy the biggest hug when he saw her. He set aside the box and card before rising out of bed and tossing on a random hoodie he left here for nights like these. It was Alexander's freshman year King's College Debate Team hoodie. John made his way out of the room and walked into the kitchen, humming under his breath.
"John, are you humming the wedding march?" Eliza said, peaking her head over the couch in the living room which was across from the kitchen. "I'm not even surprised. Of course you would be."
With a laugh, he leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before making his way into the kitchen as planned. He could smell the pancakes Peggy makes from miles away. He wrapped his arms around the small 19 year old girl and planted a kiss in her deep brunette hair. He was close in age with all of the girls, but sometimes being around Peggy reminded him of how he was three years ago while being around Angelica reminds him of how he wants to be in three years.
"Good morning, Mr. Almost Laurens-Hamilton," Peggy said as she flipped another pancake. There was pancake mix everywhere and John laughed at the mess of white pancake mix trails all over Peggy's tanned arms. "I know what you are thinking and we all make mistakes, John. Opening the box was a struggle."
John laughed again as Peggy bumped her hip against his, pushing him out of the way to plate all the pancakes. Peggy was one of the cutest people John had ever met and that was saying alot because his fiancé is Alexander. She was walking around in pajama pants that were obviously too long for her and obviously not hers - which John would have to talk to her about after the wedding if she had a new girlfriend. She set up the kitchen island with food and John watched his small friend rush around the room.
"Do you need any help, Pegs?" John finally asked after watching her struggle to reach for the syrup in a high cupboard.
"If you wouldn't mind..."
John rolled his eyes as if to say Why would I mind? and grabbed the syrup for her as she called for the other two sisters to come get food. This was easy and natural for John. He had lived with Angelica and Eliza before he and Alexander got serious and right when John moved out, Peggy had graduated high school and moved in. He was used to this. A casual Saturday morning with the girls, gossiping about the latest drama in social media and the most recent political debate. In usual circumstances, they would all get dressed and maybe go see a show on Broadway or go to Central Park. However, today was not a usual circumstance. He was getting married.
It seemed like once breakfast was over, everything was full throttle. Each girl had her own room, but the apartment only had two bathrooms. Eliza had the lucky room with the en suite bathroom. She was also very unlucky today as that was where everyone decided to be to get ready. John sat on the toilet seat, watching as Peggy applied fake eyelashes and Angelica curled her hair while Eliza put on blush. It was all very surreal watching the three girls get ready for his wedding while he did nothing. There wasn't much for him to do. He had already done his normal daily routine. The only thing that might be different is he didn't know if he wanted to wear his hair down or up.
"John, should I wear red lipstick or pink?" Peggy asked, turning to look at him as she held up two lipsticks. She always wore red, so John didn't know if this was a trick question or not.
"Wear what you prefer," He finally decided on saying with a smile. She smiled back and began to apply the red lipstick. Everything was coming together. John hadn't noticed that Eliza had taken his hair out and brushed it till it was in soft, loose natural waves. Maybe he would wear his hair down.
"All right, all right. We have to leave in thirty minutes. John, can you go put on your tux?" Angelica said with a grin as she slipped her dress off the hanger. "We obviously don't mind you changing in here, we've seen each other naked more times than probably normal, but I think a big reveal would be fun."
John nodded, taking his tux and making his way out of the room. He changed in Angelica's room, staring at her pastel pink walls with a smile. Today was the day. He couldn't believe he had made it this far. He never thought he would come out, let alone have a boyfriend, let alone marry that boyfriend. It seemed too good to be true. Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the room and back into Eliza's. It seemed like all the air had been sucked out of the bedroom. The three girls were dressed and looked stunning, his eyes wide as tears dared to form. The girls had the same expression he did as they stared at him.
"Oh, John..." Eliza whispered, her hand going to cover her mouth. Peggy grabbed her camera and took a photo, a smile plastered on her face. He hadn't actually seen himself yet, but their reactions were all he needed. If the Schuyler sisters approved, it had to be good.
"John, love, you have to see yourself. You look so gorgeous. Alex is going to die," Angelica said, taking his arm and dragging him in front of the full length mirror. Damn. He did look good. Not as good as Alex was going to be, most likely, but he still looked pretty good. The tux hugged him in all the right places and his brunette hair cascaded over his shoulders. The day was becoming more and more real every second.
With that, they took a few pictures and selfies before grabbing everything they needed and made their way into the car service. John wouldn't have minded taking a taxi, but Eliza insisted they take a town car. She instructed the driver on how to get to the venue - The New York Botanical Garden - before reaching over the center console to interlace her fingers with John's.
One day years ago, they had decided to get matching best friend rings. They were really good quality in reality, but they had made a promise. They would wear those rings until they got engaged. Whoever got engaged first wore the engagement ring while the other friend still wore the best friend ring until the wedding. John couldn't believe Eliza still had her ring on. John was getting married today and Eliza still had it on. She could have taken it off, but she didn't.
"Love you, Liza."
"I love you too, John," Eliza said, leaving a soft kiss on his hand before turning forward in the passenger seat. Today was happening. John was getting married today. Today.
They pulled up to the venue at around one thirty, giving them an extra thirty minutes to spare before the ceremony. John hadn't heard a word from anyone except the girls today. They had taken his phone from him to keep him from communicating with Alex, which at first he complied with. Now, however, he was having withdrawals after not speaking to Alex. Only thirty more minutes. The girls rushed around him as he sat in the waiting room, fiddling with his cuff links. A door opened and John snapped his eyes up.
"Mon ami! You look absolutely handsome, Alexander is a lucky man," Lafayette said, enveloping John in a warm hug. Lafayette always looked stunning, no matter where they were. Currently, they were in a simple navy blue suit with a loose tie to match and while it was very simple, they made it seem like the most fashionable thing invented. Plus, their subtle smoked out eyeliner and contour made it just as beautiful. "It is five minutes until you walk down. Bonne chance."
They left as soon as they came, leaving John in the room to prepare. He had his vows in his pocket, what else was there he needed? He took a deep breath as he stared in the mirror. From an optimistic perspective, he could say he needed his family and they would be here. From a realistic perspective, he knew they didn't even get an invitation. It stung a bit to not even consider inviting his family, but all they would do is cause pain to a day that was the most important to him. He did not need a biological family to feel at home. He had everyone he needed here, today. Alexander will be his family after today.
Alexander was the reason John felt like he deserved love and a family. John knew he wanted a family with Alexander. Oh, how he wanted. They were still young, they had years ahead of them. Yet, just four years ago, John was barely out of the closet. Now, he is getting married. Who knew what was in the cards for them? All John knew is he was about to marry the love of his life.
Eliza rushed into the room, a bouquet of white roses in one hand as she held out her empty one for John to take. The wedding party was small. John was to walk down the aisle with Eliza first, Angelica and Lafayette following second, Peggy and Hercules following third, and then Alexander with George and Martha. Seemed easy enough.
Except that John's hand was tight around Eliza's and shaking and he might be sweating, but he was nervous and oh, god the music was playing and he was at the front. He began to walk down the aisle, his grip on Eliza's hand probably causing pain. He loosened his grip just the smallest bit and saw everyone rise from their seats. He made eye contact with Aaron Burr, James Madison, Martha Manning, Sally Hemings. Once he got to the front, he sighed a breath of relief as he watched everyone else continue to walk down. It wasn't until he realized Peggy was walking by him that Alexander was next.
When he saw Alexander, it was like everything didn't matter. Everyone faded away. Alexander looked gorgeous. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and he had on a plain black tux with a grey bowtie. When Alexander finally saw John, it was as if you could see all the tension leave his body. John suddenly relaxed at the sight of Alexander's eyes on his and couldn't help the tears that fell. Alexander had never looked more beautiful. That was saying alot because he was Alexander Hamilton. John did not understand how he could ever get so lucky. He was a fake rich kid from South Carolina with shit parents and he is about to marry this amazing, beautiful, smart man. What lottery did John enter and how did he win? George and Martha kissed John's cheeks before handing Alexander over to him and sitting down. Everyone followed suit and John gripped Alexander's hands as if his life depended on it.
"Dearly beloved," the speaker began. He spoke softly and John didn't process a word he was saying. All he could focus on was Alexander and the smile he kept giving him. Alexander almost looked shy, keeping his eyes downcast but a smile on his lips the whole time as his fingers interlaced through John's. It wasn't until the speaker asked for the vows that John finally focused. He struggled to pull his vows out of his pocket with shaking fingers before he spoke softly.
"Alexander, you are the light of my life. You remind me that life isn't about the busy moments, but it's about the easy moments. You and I. We are busy. We're the busy couple that everyone hates in the library because we make book forts in a corner and just spend hours working. We're the busy couple that everyone hates at coffeeshops because it'll hit ten at night and we'll forget that coffeeshops usually close at eight but we had been working so hard that it passes our mind," John heard a few laughs from the seats at that and Alex smiled wide, his eyes beckoning him to go on.
"Yet, with that, you bring out the easy side in me. You show me how to have fun, how to have joy, and you showed me how to love. Someone who believed they were unlovable was shown by someone who had never understood love before how to love. Once you showed me love, you showed me a life I never want to leave. A life with you. This life will never be my own life anymore. The minute I laid eyes on you, you became my life and I don't want that to change. I love you so much."
The tears that shown in Alexander's eyes were worth messing up a few words and the shaking fingers as John let out a teary laugh while Alex pulled out a small piece of paper.
"John, I promised you I wouldn't write you 27 pages of vows and declarations of love for you. I did write this, though. John has four letters and so does love. That's not exactly a coincidence, because so does Alex. But, I can promise that my love for you will be more than just a four letter word. I promise to show you in actions rather than words everyday that I love you. I will not sleep at night till I'm convinced that you know my love for you is past the definition of a word and past the concept of an emotion. I am my love for you, John, and I'm so happy that I get to spend my life showing this love for you to you."
John smiled so big, tears streaming down his face now as he stared at his soon to be husband. They exchanged rings and the speaker gave them promises to repeat - to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part - and then John felt the giddy feeling in his stomach. It was about to be official.
"Do you Alexander Hamilton take John Laurens to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"Fuck, yes, I do."
"Do you John Laurens take Alexander Hamilton to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do, I do, I do."
"I now pronounce you two married. You may kiss."
John heard cheers but couldn't focus. All he could focus on was the man in front of him. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around Alexander's waist as Alexander's arms snaked around his neck. He kissed Alexander as if he had never kissed him before. They kissed slowly but with sincerity before separating. Alex wiped the tears off of John's face and smiled so big.
"I love you so much. You look so beautiful," Alexander whispered into John's ear, kissing the skin there before they turned to the crowd with their fingers interlaced.
As they walked down the aisle, together, married, all John could think was that yes, it was perfect.