Work Text:
Phil was fidgeting with his pen, the clicking filling the otherwise mostly silent room. He was frowning at the books in front of him, eyes flicking down the page as he studied. John was sitting across from him reading some medical journal, eyes amused as he occasionally looked over at his son. The young man was frowning in intense concentration but there was something else in that tenseness that had nothing to do with school work.
“Phil,” John said softly, waiting for green eyes to meet his.
The boy hmmd in response not looking up and John rolled his eyes. Whoever said nature outweighed nurture had obviously not met Philip Hamilton. The young man picked up more and more of Alex’s mannerisms every day, despite there being no biological relation.
“Philip,” he tried again, knowing the full name would get an appropriate response, eyes snapping up from his work, thumb poised over the end of his pen ready to press down.
“Yes,” Phil said, tone wavering between annoyed and edgy.
John set his journal down, closing the thick pages with a snap, leaning forward slightly to indicate this question was one that Phil could not back out of, “Want to tell me what's wrong?”
Phil blinked at his dad for a moment before he set his pen down, sighing heavily, running a hand through his short cropped curls. “I…. I asked a girl out,” he said finally after a few moments of hesitation.
A slow smile turned up John’s lips as Phil’s face went bright red. “And?” John inquired, leaning forward more, smiling widely now, never giving up the chance to gently tease his son.
“We’ve been dating for a while,” Phil’s voice was muffled from where he had buried his face in his hands to try and hide his blush.
John nodded encouragingly, “And?” He said again, trying to keep his smile from being too eager.
A groan was the only response he got. John could see the tips of his ears turning bright red and he smothered a light laugh. Instead he decided to take pity on the poor boy. “Is it anyone I know?” John asked, tone soothing, leaning back in his chair, still watching the embarrassed teen.
Phil looked out from between spread fingers, one wide green eye staring at him. He quickly nodded before letting his head fall down into his pile of books with a dull thud. John blinked at his son. Okay so he apparently knew this girl. The wheels spun in his head as he tried to think of who it might be. He was drawing a blank when Phil sat back up to face his father.
“It’s Theo,” he muttered softly, face going even redder if that was possible.
There was a moment of silence as John processed the information, before he smiled at his son. “Theodosia Burr?” He asked just to clarify.
Philip nodded hesitantly, fidgeting with his pen again, the clicking it in rapid succession for before setting it on the table, as if it had burned him.
John chuckled gently at the boy’s antics, he looked positively green at the confession. “What’s wrong? Do you like her?” John said, trying to understand why Phil was freaked out.
“Yeah,” Phil said shyly, a slow grin breaking over his features, and John recognized that look, his son had it bad.
“Okay, so what’s the problem?”
Green eyes blinked owlishly at him, before Phil sighed, the sappy smile gone from his face, “Pops hates Mr. Burr.”
The laugh that escaped John couldn’t be helped. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were a dynamic duo that were more famous for their stony silences and aggressive not talking than anything else, but the whole of DC - hell most of the world- knew that they were the best at what they did, and when they were talking, well they could do anything. Their arguments had gotten less as the years went on, since Aaron’s wife had died leaving the man alone with his daughter, and since John and Alex had gotten married. But John had no idea what made Phil think Alex hated Aaron.
“What makes you think that?” John asked, cocking his head to one side to appraise the teenager sitting across from him.
The look Phil gave him was a cross between disbelieving and scathing. “Really, dad? The whole world thinks that, I mean they spend half their time aggressively not talking.”
“Fair enough, but they work together, Phil, I don’t think Alexander hates him, so to speak.”
Philip sighed, going face down in his books again, “Just don’t, don’t tell him, please, I wanna wait.”
John nodded sympathetically, the primaries were ramping up and Alexander was in political campaign mode, working for well known Senator Washington who everyone was sure was going to make it to the White House. “I won’t tell Alex, I promise.”
“Won’t tell me what?” Alex’s voice drifted ahead of him as he came into the kitchen, empty coffee mug in one hand, hair tied back in a messy bun, tie missing, top button undone.
Phil let out a pained little noise from where he was still face down in his book. John smirked at his husband happily accepting the greeting kiss, before watching Alex wander over to the kettle to set it to boil. “Nothing, dear, I told Phil he could tell you when he is ready,” John said, even as Phil banged his head slightly on the book, letting out another sound of distress.
Concerned dark eyes turned to the young man who was still face down on the table, and Alex frowned at his son, “Is everything alright, Phil?”
“Yeah, pops, everything is fine,” the reply was falsely cheerful, before Phil sat up, face bright red. He started gathering his books, “You know, I think I’m gonna go study in my room, love you, see you at dinner.”
Two pairs of eyes, one amused one confused, watched him leave. John smirked at his husband as Alex raised an eyebrow at him. “Girl problems,” John said by way of explanation.
Alex nodded sympathetically, “If he wanted to tell me he’s dating Burr’s kid he could just saying it,” Alex said as he turned back to the boiling kettle, waving a hand of if to emphasis his point.
John chuckled again, picking up his reading, “I’m not even surprised you know that, babe.”
A hmm was the response he got, “Theo was in the office the other day, she may have let it slip. You should have seen Burr’s face,” Alex chuckled, before pulling a face of his own, sipping at his tea, “Don’t know how you convinced me tea is better than coffee.”
“It’s better for you, considering how much you drink a day, and put some sugar in it if it’s that bad,” John said absently, this was a conversation they had frequently.
Soft fingers stroked his hair, and John tilted his head back to look up at his husband. Alex had a small smile on his face. “You’re all the sugar I need,” he said leaning down to kiss John sweetly.
John laughed into the kiss before pulling away, “Get out of here, go, you’re too much, take your bad jokes and be gone,” he said waving his husband away still laughing.
Alex pouted at him playfully, before his phone started ringing and he sighed, “You’re wish is my command,” before he kissed John again, digging his phone out, answering it as he beat a hasty retreat back to his office.
Still chuckling to himself, John went back to his reading. The muffled sound of Alex’s voice through his office door and the sound of Phil’s music from upstair filled the house, and John sighed to himself contently.