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Isaac’s day was going perfectly fine. And so, the universe seemed to have a problem with that.
Bright and sunny days looked marvellous on Woodstone manor, the light filtering through the tree leaves highlighting the detail in the manor’s beauty, and the sun itself bringing life onto the manor’s normally gloomy stature. Isaac had thought it was a splendid day to spend inside, on the sofa with Nigel.
Isaac’s smile was soft as he looked down at Nigel, who sat beside him, with his hand inadvertently sitting on Isaac’s leg. He didn’t seem to notice it, too lost in talking about some friendly banter he had participated in when he was alive. Isaac nodded as he watched Nigel, but there was more in his mind than what Nigel spoke of. By God, Isaac’s focus remained on Nigel’s mouth but not his words.
Now, if this had been an Isaac from two hundred and something years ago, shame would’ve grown like weeds around sodomy’s roots and left Isaac in a husk of himself. But through the times and those around him, Isaac had learned that there was no dishonour in love, and there was nothing and no one he loved more than Nigel.
Isaac put his own hand on Nigel’s shoulder, causing the other to stop and look toward him with confusion, then love. Isaac placed one hand on his lover’s shoulder and leaned forward, close enough for Nigel’s lips to feel like a second home. Right as he was about to press a kiss to Nigel’s lips, he caught a shocking sight in the corner of his eyes.
It was two ghosts, dressed in the same attire Isaac wore, laughing lightly as they phased through the front door. What made the sight lurid was that the two ghosts were Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens.
Instinctively, Isaac pulled away from Nigel, tucking his hands behind his back. A confused Nigel became an even more confused Nigel as turned to find the two ghosts. He looked back at Isaac, then back at the two ghosts, then back at Isaac again. In the brief three seconds this commenced in, Alexander Hamilton seemed to spot Nigel and Isaac and had a similar, albeit less negative reaction to seeing them.
“Pardon me, but I must enquire. Are you from the American Revolution?” Alexander asked, pointing at Isaac’s uniform, like he hadn’t even noticed Nigel yet. “I would recognise that uniform in a castle of drapery.”
Isaac put on a strained smile as he replied. “Of course I was. The uniforms were certainly worth a trademark, weren’t they?” Isaac twisted his fingers around the ruffles of his uniform. “It is a great honour to meet you, Alexander Hamilton. And you as well, John Laurens.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well,” John said curtly, nodding his head.
“Truly, it is a pleasure to see you…” Alexander paused, his features scrunching in deep thought. “...Frederick Neale.”
“Isaac Higgintoot.”
“Ah. I was but a few letters away,” Alexander chuckled to himself.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Isaac said with a plastered smile on his face.
“Oh, John and I were simply strolling around.” Alexander said, lightly patting John on the arm.
“Strolling around?” Isaac stopped Alexander in his tracks. “But how can that be? Ghosts cannot move from where they have died.”
“We too thought that. But, as chance would have it, if you were an important figure during your living, your ghost is allowed one day a year to wander the world and relish in the wonders you have made possible.”
Isaac was bewildered. And greatly annoyed.
“Oh, what a lucky opportunity to be handed to you,” Isaac said, trying to make his voice sound less hollow. “Now really, you must be quite busy, what with wandering the world and similar. We’ll let you get back to it.”
“Now, now, wait,” Alexander held his hands in the air. “It is rare to see and talk to my brethren. We simply must not let this tremendous opportunity go to waste.”
“And what would not allowing this opportunity to go to waste look like?” Isaac asked, afraid of the answer.
“I propose to you that we—” Alexander grabbed John’s arm and squeezed it. “Spend the rest of our day here, with you.”
“That is certainly one way to use this opportunity.”
“Yes, yes. We can do our very best to participate in the activities that Livings nowadays participate in. Perhaps we can spend an hour or two haunting the likes of those who live here.” Alexander grinned. “What says you? How does a day with us ghosts sound to you and your friend…”
“Nigel Chessum,” Nigel said.
John Laurens let out a gasp of indignance. He scrambled back, one hand in a protective stance over Alexander’s chest and the other reaching for an imaginary sword. “Aha! I could identify that accent in a chamber of horrors. We have among us an Englishman.”
“John, wait—” Alexander called out, but John thought ahead. He took two thundering steps forward with one hand in a clenched fist and the other in the shape of a claw. Nigel, slightly shocked, managed to just dodge the attack, but in doing so he nearly stumbled onto the floor.
Isaac’s heart leaped. No one lays a hand to hurt my lover . In a state of anger fueled panic, Isaac stepped in front of John, grabbing his hand and twisting it until John let out a tiny cry. Alexander, ever the hero, stepped between the two.
“Order, order!” Alexander yelled. Upon hearing Alexander’s voice, Laurens seemed to temporarily pause the war-like trance he was in. “I understand our differences more than I let on, you believe me. But in the decades I have roamed this earth and watched as a bystander as history goes by, there is nothing more debilitating than letting our differences rule us. So come, let us embrace our chance as ghosts and enter a new age of comraderieship!”
Alexander’s words seemed to soften John. He spoke quietly in a conversation that was meant for him and Alexander, but Isaac heard him. “But all the pain and gruesome deaths at the hands of the English…”
“And what of people , John? What of the lives lost and lovers forced to show their affections through scarce letters? Who are we to let such actions continue? Who are we to condone war?” There was something soft in Alexander’s eyes, something that only John seemed to know how to read. Alexander turned back to the group. “Let us forget our deaths and be reborn in friendship, starting with today.”
Isaac searched his mind for an alternate answer, but none came to mind. “Perfectly put.”
“I have taken a liking to adopting the language of the Livings, though I’m not quite a master of it,” Alexander said, glancing at John. “I have more recently found home with the alias Alex.”
“Then Alex you shall be,” Nigel said brightly. “I must admit, your words have resonated with me. I formally welcome you to spend the day at Woodstone Manor with me and my love-”
“—Lovely friend!” Isaac cut off Nigel loudly. He laughed nervously. “Yes, yes, Nigel and I are in great amity. Not anything else, of course.”
“Wonderful!” Alex clapped his hands together. “Now, I must inform you all, I’ve taken interest in haunting Livings. Perhaps we could begin the day that way?”
“Well, actually, Samantha and Jay are good friends with us,” Isaac said. “Sam had a horrific near-death experience and has been able to communicate with us since.”
“That is incredible,” Alex said, and he sounded awestruck. “Well, we must meet this Sam and Jay . Could you perhaps introduce us?”
“Certainly,” Isaac said through gritted teeth. The last thing on his agenda was introducing Samantha and Jay to Alexander Hamilton . “I will bring her downstairs.”
“I’d like to join you, if that’s all right.” Nigel said, stepping beside Isaac. Isaac nodded in response, turning around and walking up the stairs with Nigel following close behind. As soon as they were out of Alex and John’s earshot, Nigel grabbed Isaac’s arm.
“Lovely friend?” Nigel repeated, blinking fast. “Am I just that to you, Isaac? What of us being lovers?”
Isaac took both of Nigel’s hands and squeezed them. Ashamedly, he looked down. “I sympathise with your upset. But you must understand, being in the presence of someone from our time, someone I hate but is still so important to history… saying what we really are is more difficult.”
“Do you plan to tell Alex that we’re friends?” Nigel asked, and his eyes seemed more shimmery, like they were coated in tears.
Isaac couldn’t meet Nigel’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Nigel grabbed Isaac’s shoulder and pressed a kiss on Isaac’s cheek. “There is no animosity between us. I understand. You will always be my lover, Isaac, even if we must pretend otherwise.”
The words were so kind, but Isaac could sense the disappointment and hurt in Nigel’s eyes. He cupped his lover’s face in his hands and leaned forward, closing his eyes as he did so. It was like they were back at the sofa, hardly any room between their lips. Just as Isaac was about to kiss Nigel, the bedroom door swung open.
“So I was just wonder—” Sam and Jay walked in, side by side. Same froze in her tracks and turned away.
Isaac dropped his hands and the two turned away from each other, their cheeks taking on a rosy tint. They took a step away from each other, the moment between them once again lost.
“I’m so sorry, I can just head back in if you’d like—” Sam said, turning around slowly.
“Let me guess, we walked in on ghost shenanigans?” Jay said, waving past Isaac and Nigel. “Is it Thorfinn and Flower?”
“Babe, it’s Isaac and Nigel.” Sam placed an arm of his shoulder, turning him around. “They were just… having some fun, so we’re going to be leaving.”
“Having some fun? Wait —”
“No, no, it’s quite alright, we were here to ask you a question anyways,” Nigel said, elbowing his lover.
“Right, well,” Isaac cleared his throat. “It turns out that Alexander Hamilton wishes to spend his day here in Woodstone Manor.”
Sam gasped, grabbing Jay’s shoulder hard. “Alexander Hamilton? As in the Alexander Hamilton?”
“Yes, yes, that one, who else? Not like there were other valiant figures during the time—” Isaac began, but he stopped himself. “Yes, well, he would like to engage in some Living activities and meet you, Sam.”
“ Alexander Hamilton wants to meet me ?!”
“Hold up,” Jay said. It was his turn to dramatically grab someone’s shoulder. “ What ?”
“Alexander Hamilton is here and he wants to talk to us and spend the day here!” Sam squealed. “We gotta prepare.”
“Alexander Hamilton?” Jay’s jaw dropped. “Man, I might actually give myself a near death experience.”
“Aw, babe, it’s okay,” Sam wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. “He’ll be here with you in spirit.” Sam held her poker face for a moment, before bursting out in laughter. Jay rolled his eyes but it was paired with a small smile.
“Ah, yes, well. We must find activities to do. So on and so forth,” Isaac said, not trying to disguise the despondency in his voice. “He would like to experience what Livings do in today’s day and age.”
“Babe, I know!” Jay turned to Sam, placing an arm on her shoulder. “We could watch Hamilton with the ghosts.”
“What a marvellous idea,” Isaac squeaked, thinking the opposite. “Watching a musical praising and dedicated to my greatest enemy with said enemy. Nothing negative could possibly come of that.”
“What are the ghosts saying?” Jay asked Sam.
“They’re saying it’s a wonderful idea,” Sam said, glancing apologetically at Isaac. “You go get the TV set up, I’ll go introduce myself to Alexander Hamilton !”
“Er, he does go by the name of Alex now,” Nigel said to Sam.
“My bad. I’ll go introduce myself to Alex Hamilton!” Sam took off downstairs, leaving a very confused Jay to throw his hands in the air before going to set up the TV.
Isaac held his breath as Sam flew down the stairs, glancing at Nigel with terror as Sam’s eyes nearly popped out when she saw Alex Hamilton.
“You must be Samantha,” Alex said when he noticed the three of them arrived in the living room. He nodded courteously as he spoke. “It is an honour to meet you. Hardly any adult Livings can communicate with ghosts. What a breath of fresh air.”
Sam had a goofy grin on her face and a lilt to her voice as she spoke. “Oh, yeah, I was just walking around the house and when Trevor accidently knocked over a vase that I accidentally tripped on, and then I accidentally tripped on that vase and ended up in a three day coma and when I woke up I could see ghosts!” Sam said, smiling so much it looked like her cheeks hurt. “And then I met the rest of them.”
“The rest of them?” Alex blinked. “Do other ghosts reside here in this manor?”
“Yeah,” Sam said, looking back quizzically at Isaac. “There’s a bunch of other ghosts. Thorfinn, Flower, Trevor, Alberta, Pete, Hetty… and a lot more.”
“How peculiar. I had no idea,” Alex said brightly. “Well, perhaps I can meet them sometime. For now, I was wondering we could—”
“—Participate in Living activities,” Sam finished for him. “You got it! I think you’ll like the first thing we have planned.”
Alex nodded to John, smiling lightly as he gripped his friend’s upper arm as the two walked. John noticed Alex’s touch and patted his friend on his head. Isaac slumped his shoulders, deciding to very unsuspiciously keep his focus on Nigel as the four walked to the living room.
Jay had turned the TV on to the very start of the musical, and had thrown some random pillows very haphazardly on the sofa, and was sitting down casually when they walked in. He locked eyes with Sam as he stood up.
“This is my husband, Jay,” Sam said, walking over to loop an arm around Jay’s shoulder and press a kiss to his temples.
Jay smiled widely. “Hi, I’m Jay, Sam’s husband, but you already know that. So, I have a few questions—”
“Babe,” Sam said, smiling widely at the guests but speaking only for Jay to hear. “Maybe not the best idea to bombard them with questions on how they died?”
“Oh, right,” Jay said, his shoulder visibly untensing. “Of course. Er, I have a musical you might want to watch. Hamilton, you might have heard of it?” There was smugness in his voice.
“Hamilton?” John asked, tossing his head between Alex and Jay. “As in, Alex Hamilton?”
“Yeah,” Sam nodded, grinning even wider. “After Alex died, he kind of became a huge figure in American history and there’s a whole musical about his life.”
“By God, Alex, there’s a musical about you,” John was awestruck.
“A musical about me?” Alex repeated. “By God, I have cemented myself in history. I have achieved what I could only once dream of.” His voice quivered as he spoke.
“I am immensely proud of you, Alex,” John’s voice was its usual quiet tone but there was something softening his edges. Hesitantly, John slipped his arm around his friend’s shoulders. “Now, if we may, I would very much like to watch whatever a musical is about dear Alex’s life.”
They all took their seats on the sofa, Jay and Samantha on one side, Alex and John in the middle, and Nigel and Isaac squished on the other. Truth be told, Isaac didn’t mind being so close to Nigel, with their legs brushing up against each other, but he had to keep a third eye on Alex and John. As much as he wanted to hold Nigel’s face and relish in a kiss between the two, he had to admit, Alex and John’s watchful eyes weighed on him. Even though there was nothing he liked about Alex Hamilton, being in his truest and most vulnerable form was a challenge.
The musical was punctuated with Sam shushing Jay every time he began singing along to the songs, and Alex laughing along with the music, poking John’s side repeatedly as he did so. John sighed but there was a trace of a smile on his face as he leaned his head back on the sofa and watched quietly. Beside Isaac, Nigel’s eyes seemed to get heavy. By the time the first song was done, he was already dozing off. Subconsciously, Nigel’s head tilted to Isaac’s shoulder, resting there for a peaceful minute. Isaac jumped, pushing his lover’s head back far too aggressively, causing him to wake. Nigel sat up straight with wide eyes that turned into sad ones before he continued watching the musical, leaning his head on his palm that rested on the armrest. Isaac’s heart dropped. He peeled his eyes away from his lover, trying not to think about how sad he looked. In doing so, he noticed Alex resting his hand on John’s leg as the two’s eyes filled with tears. He looked back at the screen, almost forgetting about the musical in front of him. It was Alexander Hamilton—the one on the screen—learning of the news of John Laurens’ death.
“There is no greater sadness than the sadness I felt when I lost you, dear John,” Alex said softly, leaning his head on his friend’s shoulder. “Nothing in this universe could closely compare to the pain, to the agony. A letter didn’t do your death justice. Even this musical didn’t.”
“I thought about you on the battlefield, Alex,” John said, and he spoke his words through a sigh. “My very last thought was of you. And my ghost was there beside your Living form the years we spent apart. I was there, Alex.”
Isaac’s heart softened as the unmistakable sadness became visible on their faces. It was true, it was a strange sight, watching his greatest enemy cry along with his best friend. But the moment was too tender to not feel any sympathy.
“I’m so, so sorry, I completely forgot about this bit,” Sam said, getting up and pressing pause. “Maybe we should… do something else?”
“I believe that might be a smart idea,” Alex said softly, standing up and wrapping his whole body around John as he did so.
Nigel and Isaac stood up too, a noticeable distance between them. Isaac turned to Nigel with sorrowful eyes, mouthing a mournful, I’m sorry , as he stared at his lover longingly. Nigel’s smile was small and fake as he mouthed, it’s okay back to Isaac. Isaac knew for a fact it was not. Helplessly, he tried to communicate his apologies through his eyes, hoping that Nigel could see it.
“Our next activity is going to be—drumroll please” Sam patted her knees for a few awkward seconds before announcing. “Food smelling!”
Jay leaned down toward Sam. “Babe, I haven’t cooked anything.”
Sam whispered back to him. “Just gather anything leftover from last night.”
Jay saluted at Sam and ran off toward the kitchen like he was on a mission. Sam laughed nervously, gesturing toward the door so the ghosts would follow. Alex let go of his grip on John and resorted to placing an arm on John’s shoulder as the two walked. Nigel, however, seemed to keep a small distance as him and Isaac walked. Isaac tried not to think about that.
When the ghosts arrived at the kitchen, Jay had laid out all the ghost essentials: Hot Cheetos, some chicken from the night before and some vanilla ice cream. Alex tossed his head around excitedly, the frown on his face now lost. “And what heavens have you laid in front of me?”
“Uh, that’s Hot Cheetos. And that’s some chicken and that’s some vanilla ice cream.” Sam said, pointing at the different foods. “I would offer you a bite, but you know…”
“A feast fit for a general,” Alex said, leaning on John and wrapping an arm around his waist. “Perhaps even two.”
Isaac looked at Nigel, who seemed to avert his eyes. Isaac bit his lip, trying to push down those tears that seemed to form in his eyes. He looked at the floor, hoping that no one could see his upset. How badly had he messed up things with Nigel, he wondered. THe love of his afterlife, and he couldn’t even bear to hold eye contact. Alex leaned forward to sniff the Cheetos, letting out a soft ohhh as he did so.
“Sam, I was just wondering about what we could do to save the trees—” Flower said, the rest of the ghosts walking in behind her. She cut herself off upon noticing the sight in front of her. “We have ghosts?.”
“Er, not really,” Sam said. “This is Alex Hamilton and John Laurens, they’re visiting for the day.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Trevor said. “Alex Hamilton as in Alexander Hamilton ? The important dude from like two hundred years ago? How are you even, like, in Woodstone Manor?”
“I’ll have you know that he is more than just some important dude from two hundred years ago,” John said, narrowing his eyebrows as he spoke. “And he goes by Alex now.”
Alex placed both his hands on John’s shoulders. “That’s right. We’re here because we get a day a year to wander the earth. Being important and whatnot has its perks. It’s nice to meet you, er…”
“Flower!” Flower said. The rest of the ghosts behind Flower introduced themselves.
“You Isaac’s friend?” Thor asked, pointing to Isaac. Isaac gulped.
“Well, I suppose so,” Alex glanced back at Isaac. “Though that does stretch the definition of friend quite thin.
“And Nigel?” Flower asked. “You know, maybe you and Isaac and Nigel could hang out sometime. It might be a bit awkward because Isaac and Nigel are—”
“—Very close!” Isaac squeaked. “Incredibly close friends.”
“So I have seen,” Alex laughed, but Isaac’s focus was on Nigel, who looked like he was about to cry. This was a disaster. The last thing he wanted was for his own lover to cry.
Friend, friend, friend . The words rang in Isaac’s head, tormenting him. What of all the progress he had made with himself and his feelings? What of how far he’d come as a person, to learn to accept himself even find the love of his life? What of Nigel, who had also spent decades and centuries staring longingly at Isaac from across the manor, who had worked on himself too, and had put in the effort to make them work as lovers? And what did it matter if Alex Hamilton didn’t approve?
“I must admire your friendship, Isaac,” Alex marvelled. “You and Nigel have a bond that few friendships can replicate so effortlessly.”
Nigel turned away, shielding his face from Alex. That was it.
“Alex, I appreciate your words but you must know the truth.” Isaac said. His voice quivered as he grabbed his lover’s hands as he spoke. “Nigel and I are united, not in amity but in love . For decades long I have buried how I have felt about Nigel because of the cruel people who hunted those who dared to be their truest self. And after so long, I have Nigel not as a friend, but as my lover, and there is no reason for secrets. I do not care if that disappoints you, if that disgusts you, because Nigel is the love of my life and there is no shame in that.”
Isaac exhaled sharply, red in the face after speaking. Nigel stared at his lover with confused eyes but a small, bewildered smile on his face. Isaac grabbed Nigel’s face, holding his stare for a moment before pulling him and closing the distance between them. Isaac felt gentle explosions in his stomach, and the red in his cheeks intensified as he felt Nigel’s hand find its way onto Isaac’s neck. When the two pulled away, they stared at each other with a soft smile and half-lidded eyes. Isaac turned back to Alex, vengeance in his gaze. Whatever Alex had to say, it didn’t matter.
Alex blinked, looked at John, and blinked again. “Pardon me, do you believe that I would be prejudiced against your affections? Simply because you are two men?”
That made Isaac take a step back. “Well, I did assume so. You were alive when I was. You know how love like mine turned out.”
Isaac thought Alex would cry treason, leave the property, engage in a fist fight with him, but no. Instead, Alex Hamilton— the Alex Hamilton—began laughing. He placed an arm around John’s shoulder whose lips turned upward in a small smile.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Alex spoke. “I could hardly be partial against your love, Isaac. Not when I too, feel that very same kind of love,” Alex wrapped his arm around John’s shoulder, and leaned his head in the crook of his neck. John took this as a chance to lean downward and kiss Alex on his temple.
What .
“Oh my,” Isaac muttered. “Oh my, oh my, oh my.”
Nigel had a similar reaction.
Alex threw his head back as he laughed. “Clearly, there have been some misconceptions. Well, if that be the case, I would like to introduce you to John Laurens, my lover.”
John leaned forward, leaning down to match Alex’s height and wrap his arms around his lover’s waist. He closed his eyes, pulling the two into a kiss. Now, Isaac wasn’t familiar with watching such delicate kisses—truth be told, he tended to be a part of such kisses—but even he could tell there was magic, some sort of electricity between the two of them. A spark that even two hundred years of pain and suffering couldn’t extinguish.
When the two pulled away, Alex’s face was rosy red and alit with a smile. John too had a tough time hiding the joy on his usually stoic face.
“So, uh, does anyone care to explain why everyone’s gone quiet?” Jay asked, shoving a handful of Hot Cheetos in his mouth. “Or is everyone talking and I just interrupted a conversation?”
“Babe, Isaac and Nigel just came out to Alex and John, and Alex and John just came out to Alex and Nigel.” Sam squealed.
“What?” Jay yelped. “ I should’ve been the one to trip over that vase.”
Sam wrapped an arm around his shoulder and laughed. Soon, the entire room of ghosts devolved in laughter, and where there were ashes of fear, animated chatter sprung into life. This time, when Isaac spoke to Alex and John, he did so while holding Nigel’s hands, and kissing Nigel’s temple and resting his head on Nigel’s shoulder (which Nigel seemed to enjoy quite a bit).
Soon enough, the end of the day came, with the sun sending a gentle orange glow that haloed Woodstone Manor hauntingly. The gardens aglow in orange, Alex and John stood up from their spot on the sofa, hands interlocked.
“We thank you deeply for allowing us to spend our day a year here,” Alex nodded, smiling brightly. “I must admit, I wish we could stay here longer. We have centuries to catch up on.”
“Yes, I agree,” Isaac said wistfully. “The day is gone so soon.”
“There will always be next year, my love,” Nigel said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lover’s cheek.
“Yes, yes,” John said softly. “We can always come back in a year. We’re ghosts after all; years are like days.”
“You are correct, my beloved,” Alex said. “We will be looking forward to another day here.”
Isaac hated to admit it, but so did he. He hated that, when they stood at the edge of the property, he found himself a bit sad that he couldn’t go beyond.
“Farewell, Isaac Higginsfoot, Nigel Chessum,” Alex nodded. “You will be dearly missed.”
“Likewise, Alex Hamilton, John Laurens,” Isaac nodded. He smiled at Alex for perhaps the first time in his afterlife, and Alex returned the gesture.
Alex and John walked away, and it was clear how badly they wanted to look back again, but they held themselves back. Isaac sighed, pulling Nigel so his head rested on his chest.
“What a day,” he said, his face buried in Nigel’s hair.
“What a day indeed, my love,” Nigel replied. “But there will be others. For now, I would like to show my affections in, er, more private ways.”
“So would I.” Isaac smiled smugly at his lover, the two linking arms as they walked back to Woodstone Manor, taking their time to bask in the brilliance of the setting sun..