Work Text:
In retrospect, it was probably John's fault for putting his bike in the rack the wrong way.
In his defense, the racks were full when he first got to class that morning.
That didn't change that his bike was half-fallen next to the rack, attached to someone else's lime green bike, and his own bike lock shoved in the front basket.
John sighed deeply and sat down criss-cross on the cement to wait for whomever it was that had latched their bikes together.
---
It was fifteen minutes before someone else came to unlock their bike- a short girl with a buzzcut and a yellow romper that didn't seem like the most appropriate cycling attire.
"You alright?"
John looked up from his game of Subway Surfers, allowing his character to crash directly into a train car. "Yeah, I- uh, someone just. Accidentally locked their bike to mine?"
She smiled wryly and pulled a granola bar out of her pocket. "Here- I know that bike. You'll want this."
He frowned, but stood up to accept the snack. "Why's that?"
"Alexander Hamilton. Dated my sister. He has class for another-," she paused to look at her watch. "Three hours. But he'll probably go to the library after that."
John whistled lowly and crammed the granola bar into his pocket. "Well. Guess I might as well get to work on my art assignment."
"My sister's an art major too. Elizabeth Schuyler, you know her?"
"Um," John said eloquently. "Yes? I wouldn't have guessed you were her sister. How did you know I was an art major?"
She laughed delightedly. "People who take art as an elective don't do assignments on time. I'm the prime example."
He offered a nervous smile and suddenly remembered his manners, offering her a hand. "I'm John. Or Laurens. Either is fine."
"Peggy," she replied, taking his hand in a firm grip that Laurens' hadn't been expecting. "Theater major."
"Thanks for the granola bar," he said uncertainly. He had never been great at progressing conversations, especially when all he wanted was to ride his bike back to his and Mulligan's shared apartment.
"No problem," she responded, rolling her bike out and turning it towards the street. "Maybe I'll see you around. Good luck, Laurens!"
"Thanks," he mumbled as she cycled off.
Somehow both dejected and excited, he sat himself back on the ground and settled into another round of Subway Surfers.
---
By the time three hours had passed, it was nearly six pm and the sun was beginning to set. John's phone only had ten percent charge left, and there was no sign of this Alexander Hamilton. There were no other bikes left in the rack, and Laurens was flat out laying on the ground at this point.
"That's not clean," drawled a nasally voice. Laurens launched into sitting position to find Thomas Jefferson standing in front of him, wearing an atrocious pair of purple skinny jeans. "There's chewing gum all over this campus."
"Did you need something, Thomas?" he asked coldly.
Jefferson snorted and shook his head. "Only wanted to see who was on the floor. Keep the homeless out of our campus, and all that."
"Excuse me?" said a voice behind him, a short boy with black hair tied back stepping around Thomas.
"Alexander Hamilton," he said, dragging the name out as long as possible. "We all know you're a poor immigrant already, there's no need to remind us."
"Um," John interjected. "Not to be rude, but I really just need my bike unlocked?"
Alexander smiled weakly at him and held up a single finger before turning back to Jefferson. "Yes, I am. And it's far better than being a pompous ass with no fashion sense and no morals. Kindly- well, anything you do is unkind. Unkindly return to your dorm and leave, er-"
"John Laurens," he supplied, still on the ground.
"Leave Laurens here alone," Hamilton finished.
Jefferson scoffed. "That's right, you're a homosexual on top of that. Enjoy your night, Hamilton." He turned away, somehow completely unflustered by the entire situation.
"Sorry about him," Alexander said, turning back to John and offering him a hand up. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. There's nothing wrong with being homeless."
"I'm not homeless," John said awkwardly, accepting the hand. "And you don't have to excuse him, we've already met. He- ah. He modeled nude for my art class."
"Oh my God, please tell me his dick is tiny," he laughed.
"I wish it was," Laurens sighed. "Anyways- my bike is locked to yours?"
"Oh, yes, of course," Alexander said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Someone was trying to steal it this morning, so I threw a book at them and locked your bike to mine. Why is it bright pink?"
"My sister painted it while I was in high school," he admitted. "And thanks, I think? I hope your book is okay."
"I hope it's not okay," he replied disgustedly. "I hate calculus."
John laughed and found himself resting a hand on Alexander's shoulder, something he didn't do even around friends. "I feel you there. I'm barely passing it myself."
"You a sophomore too?" Hamilton asked as he crouched down to undo his lock, leaving John to awkwardly shove his hands in his pockets.
"Uh- yes. Art major."
"It's always the art majors," Alex said under his breath.
"Sorry?"
"I wasn't- I phrased that poorly. My girlfriend was an art major," he said, standing up with the lock clutched in hand.
John stared at him blankly.
"I'm trying to say you're cute. It's not going well for me."
"Oh," he replied dumbly. "Um. Thanks? I like your... sweater."
"You can take your bike and never see me again now," he said quietly, a little colder now. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"What?" John blurted. "I'm not uncomfortable. I'm gay."
Alex blinked. "Oh. Oh! Okay. I'm bi. Also, can I give you my phone number? I owe you a coffee or something."
John fumbled to pull his phone out of his pocket, only to find it completely dead. "It's dead," he said obviously.
He laughed and pulled a pen from his pocket, pulling John's hand towards him to scrawl his number down.
"My friend works at this coffee shop a few blocks away, Buns and Chips, do you know it?"
"Er- no, but I can use a map."
"Well, yes, I suppose. Unless you'd let me take you there now?" Alex asked tentatively. "You can say no. That would be okay too."
"I'd love that," John said, once again resting a hand on his shoulder. "As long as you don't lock our bikes together once we're there."
Alexander laughed delightedly and pressed a brief kiss to Laurens' cheek before moving away to put on his bike helmet.
Laurens flushed down to his toes and nearly fell back to the ground. He was becoming quite glad that he forgot to lock his bike that morning.