Work Text:
"Give it back!"
Eliza could hear the angry yells from three rooms over. She hurriedly nestled the baby she was feeding on her hip, and followed the sound.
"No!"
"It's not yours, Abe, now give it back!"
"Boys!" Eliza scolded as she pushed open the door. "What is the meaning of this?"
She paused for a moment. Edward and Abe were frozen in a clear tussle for something tightly held in Abe's arms. Their room was in disarray, and papers were scattered over the floor.
They slowly untangled themselves and stood up, dusting off their clothes.
"Now, why are you fighting? This is the fourth time this month, you two!"
"Abe stole my book!" Edward yelled abruptly, pointing an accusatory finger at the older boy.
"Abe?" Eliza asked.
"He reads too much." Abe muttered.
"Speak up, please."
"He reads too much!" Abe said defiantly. "He always ignores me when I talk to him, all he wants to do is read! And when he's not reading, all he does is talk! And talk, and talk! And sometimes, when I-"
Eliza could suddenly see, as clearly as though he were sitting before her, her husband. Hunched over his desk, ink staining his new blouse, reading and rereading, scratching out and replacing.
"Alexander?"
But there was no response. Eliza had even stepped into the dark study and rapped on the door.
"Alexander, dinner's ready."
And again, nothing. Eliza sighed and went to his desk, waving a hand in front of his bespectacled eyes. Alexander finally looked up, clearly confused.
"Wha-, oh, Eliza?"
"I said, dinner's ready, my love." She crossed her arms. "When I was standing not ten feet from you. Should I get a doctor to check your hearing?"
Alexander stood up, stretched, and settled his arms around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead.
"Sorry, Betsy. I get focused on what I'm working on. Sometimes it's hard to hear outside of that." He said, grinning cheekily. Eliza ducked out of his embrace. "Sometimes," She said. "I think you just don't want to."
"-and I didn't even mean to spill ink on his report, honestly, Mrs Hamilton!" Abe finished, wringing his hands in one final flourish of adolescent drama.
"Edward? Do you ignore Abe?" Eliza asked, hiding a smile.
The dark-eyed boy flushed and looked down.
"I-I don't mean to. I just get focused on what I'm reading." He glanced at Abe, expression darkening again. "But he still stole my book!"
Eliza bit back a laugh, thinking of the stacks of books her husband would leave laying around, many careworn.
"Boys, you must not hit each other, or steal from each other, do you understand?"
"Yes, Mrs Hamilton."
"Why, Abe?"
"Because you want us to grow up to be respectable gentlemen." Abe muttered.
"Yes, I do." Eliza said kindly. "Now, Abe, return Edward's book. And Edward, don't ignore Abe when he speaks to you, it's very rude."
"....Yes, Mrs Hamilton."
"Thank you. Now clean up. Dinner's ready."