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Alexander Hamilton had an extremely fucked up day. The entire office had decided to play a "prank" on him and treat him poorly. He had no idea that his colleagues were doing such a thing, and his mind raced through every action he had done to warrant such cruel behavior.
He stopped in front of Aaron Burr's office, hesitating before he knocked. A soft, "Come in," was heard, followed by papers shuffling. Alexander turned to handle, stepping inside and closing the door.
Aaron looked up at Alexander, his expression hardening into a mask of indifference as he looked back at his paperwork, "Can I help you?"
Alexander fidgeted by the closed door, "Yeah, actually. Um... D-do you happen to know why everyone has been treating me so horribly? I-I just came to work as normal and I don't think that I did anything rude..?"
"Maybe they got sick and tired of your constant debating. Maybe they decided that your debt plan, if you even want to call it one- I don't even know how idiotic one has to believe that it would work, wasn't worth arguing over," Aaron responded coldly, guilt weighing in his chest as he spoke, but he didn't wish to undo the prank. It was only going to last for two weeks, surely he could handle it. "Maybe take my advice and talk less for once. Didn't I tell you that fools who run their mouths off wind up dead? Take that advice for once."
Burr heard Alexander swallow, hearing the change in Alexander's tone go from hopeful to hurt and betrayed as he shifted where he stood, "Right... I'll leave then..."
Burr played a mask of indifference as he left.
~~~
The prank had finally ended, and Burr had started to worry for the man. He hadn't come out of his office other than to use the bathroom, and he kept his blinds closed. He hadn't even gone home. Not once. He slept in the office, and the only reason that Burr knew he was alive was his shadow passing over his own blinds.
Burr walked to Alexander's office, knocking once, twice, three times. No response. "Alexander?" Burr tried the door, which opened with a soft click. The sight he saw caused him to freeze and shut the door.
Papers and ink were strewn all over the floor. Books and ledgers lay in odd places. The windowsill, the chair, even in a potted plant, which seemed to be withering. There were scratch marks on the desk, and in the center of it all? Alexander Hamilton, passed out on his desk.
"Alexander?" Burr tried again, shaking his shoulder. The reaction was immediate.
His eyes shot open, and Alexander flew to the corner of the room, wedging himself inside a corner and cowering, shaking. "I-I've been good- I finished the reports. Don't hurt me... please I did what you said..."
Burr froze again, the color draining from his face. What did they do to him? "I'm not going to hurt you...?" He said quietly, taking a step towards the normally brave man, who was never afraid to get close and personal.
Alexander shrunk around himself more, shaking harder. His sleeve rode up, and the little color that was still in Burr's face left completely. Bruises and cuts. All the way to where his sleeve still covered, and he knew the injuries didn't stop there.
"Alexander... what did they do?" Burr crouched down beside him, trying to ignore how much Alexander looked like he was about to attack him, "The prank was never meant to go this far..." Burr trailed off.
"Prank..?" Alexander asked quietly, his eyes flickering with emotions. Hate. Anger. Hurt. But most of all? Fear. "A prank? Last time I checked... a prank didn't involve eating my food. A prank didn't involve dragging crumpled parchment across my skin." Alexander brought his sleeve up, proving his point, "It didn't involve purposely dropping ledgers on me. And it sure as hell doesn't involve bending me over my own desk and-" Alexander's voice trailed off.
Burr looked back at the desk, then at the rest of the room. "The marks on the desk... A-are those yours?"
Alexander stayed silent, disassociating.
"Hey, hey, Alexander- stay with me," Burr spoke softly, trying to refrain from touching the man, who was obviously not there anymore, "Alexander. I'm speaking to you. You're safe. I'm not going to hurt you."
Alexander glanced at Burr, the little emotion in his face showing distrust. "I'll fix this." Burr stood up, "Stay here. I'll make sure those disgusting, disgraceful, MOTHERFUCKERS-" Alexander flinched as Burr raged, "WHORES, ASSHOLES, CUNTS, get what they deserve." Burr strode out of the office, making sure to close the door without realizing Alexander's shaking.
~~~
Burr walked in the break room, radiating anger, "FUCK ALL OF YOU! YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE BEING FUNNY?!"
"Oh please," Jefferson responded smugly, setting down his coffee, "He's being dramatic."
The others ignored Burr's ranting, although James and Lafayette had the decency to glance to the side, clearly unable to hide their guilt. Although their faces after what came next proved that they were doing around the same level of making Alexander Hamilton miserable as Burr; aiming to distress him, but not scar him for life.
"Oh- he was being dramatic?!" Burr whirled on Jefferson, walking towards the man like a cat sneaking up to a mouse, "Raping him is dramatic?!"
"He was inviting us to-"
SMACK!
Gasps were heard as Jefferson's head whipped to the side, an angry, red handprint blossoming across his cheek. "Don't EVER insinuate that. And who's 'us'? Who else was there?" Jefferson glanced at Washington nervously, who was looking away.
Burr's vision turned red, and he disregarded the fact that he was the president as he yanked Washington down by the collar. "You son of a motherfucking BITCH."
Washington pushed the man away easily, straightening, "I did what had to be done. I just used the prank as a pretense."
"Do you even feel regret?" Burr asked, recovering, "Shame? Guilt?" He looked between Jefferson and Washington. "Fuck you. Fuck you both. I resign. Me and Alexander both."
He walked out of the room, going back to Alexander's office. Alexander was still where Burr had left him, shaking like a leaf. He knelt down to Alexander's level, "Come on. We're getting out of here. You're not safe here."
Aaron stuck out his hand, and Alexander took it after a long moment of hesitation, flinching.
"I'm sure Eliza has missed you..." Aaron said quietly, leading him out the back, walking him straight to his home, "She'll understand."
Alexander wiped his eyes, "I'm a mess..." He spoke quietly as the house came into view, not wanting to face his wife after what had happened, "I don't even think that she'll still want me after this. Nobody wants a broken man."
Aaron, bless his heart, squeezed his shoulder, causing him to flinch, "You're not broken. Scared, maybe. But not broken." Aaron let go, walking up the steps of Alexander's house and knocking on the door.
Eliza opened it, and upon seeing Alexander's frail form, ran up to him. Alexander stumbled back, flinching. Eliza stopped in front of him, keeping her arms open in an invitation, confused, "Alex?"
Aaron stepped forward, "Let's go inside... I'll explain it inside. This isn't a conversation to have in public."
"Right, right," Eliza stepped back, leading the two men inside and letting them sit on the couch. She stood in front of them, "Explain."
Aaron looked at Alexander, asking for permission. When he nodded, he launched into an explanation. The prank. The way people were treating him. The mess in the office. The eating his food. The claw marks on his desk. The deliberate violence. But at the end of it, Eliza looked like she was refraining herself from hugging Alexander and telling him that everything would be okay, that he was safe now.
But they all knew that was a lie. They knew where they lived.
"You need to leave. They won't come after me, at least not..." Aaron hesitated, "Not physically. Lafayette can't really help get French citizenship. I don't trust him even though he wasn't as involved. I think your best chance is to go to, God forbid, England."
"I could get into contact with my sister..? I could get a place for me and Alexander," Eliza supplied.
"That would be best," Aaron responded.
~~~
"Angelica!" Eliza shouted, jumping off the ship and running into her sister's arms. Alexander stood awkwardly off to the side, glancing at Angelica's husband, who tipped his hat kindly.
"She won't tell me what happened, she burned the letters so I wouldn't find them, actually," The man laughed, "But you'll be safe here. We've already got your new identities at home. I'm John."
"Alexander," He responded, looking at the two girls who were rapidly whispering to each other.
"John, love, be a darling and grab their bags from the ship?" Angelica asked.
John smiled, going off to grab them and returning a few moments later.
They only walked a few blocks before they reached Angelica's estate, which was a large upscale house overlooking the sea. Angelica helped Eliza put clothes in the dressers of one of the extra bedrooms, while John and Alexander became good friends.
John was patient, changing the subject when Alexander went silent, as well as avoiding asking him what had happened, before showing him his new identity. Harry Schuyler. "We'll just tell the public that Eliza remarried and all will be well."
Alexander- wait- Harry was irked, but knew it would be in his best interest. Both for him and Eliza, as well as John and Angelica. John had been nothing but kind to him, and he would absolutely not want to return that kindness but being difficult. He already knew what happened to difficult people. He lived through the worst punishments imaginable and didn't ever want to relive that.
"Thank you, John."
"Of course," He smiled back.
END