Archive of Our Own

Despite the enormous nature of the school it's library was an entirely different story. Being small and practically in the schools basement ment that most of the student body didn't even know theirs school had their own library. 

But Aaron didn't mind it, quite the contrary, he enjoyed the quiet and secluded place of knowledge, mainly for this said reason. Sometimes he just needed to get away from all of that loudness of student life and this was his main escape.

It was especially true for today, as his day started way too early and way too late. He already hated the fact that both of these things were true at the exact same time and only thanks to his roommate.

Usually he spent his time there reading, as one does in a library, or simply listening to orchestral music from his headphones. Tho that only happened when another person appeared, it was his way of telling them he had no intention in talking to them. 

Who would what to talk to him in a library you might be asking?

While non other that Hamilton of course, that man seemed to know exactly where to find him when he wanted something. It was getting ridiculous at this point and worst thing about it was the fact that Aaron couldn't find it in himself to tell him to stop.

God damn the fact he was raised so politely and God damn Hamilton as well for his politeness as well, how was he supposed to tell him he wanted him gone when the man always addressed him so kindly. 

Aaron found himself simply waiting for Hamilton to slip up one time, so he would have an actual reason to cut him out off his life, he was a distraction nothing else. 

You see another thing that irritated him about Hamilton to no end, was just the fact that despite his endless blabbering, he did have interesting things to say, the conversation with him were interested. Only sometimes of course, which ment most of the time he was just speaking nonsense, Burr reminded himself quickly before he fallen way to deep.

The last thing he needed was to start complementing Hamilton in his own head. Instead he refocused on the book in front of him, which he been neglecting for way too long.

The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman a long name for a long series of novels that much was sure, aside from that Aaron wasn't able to tell anything else about the book, his attention failing to keep on the text and instead going thru random series of thoughts.

Just as he was beginning to get sucked into the text the door at the other side of the small library opened, with way too much force. Aaron was almost surprised that the door didn't fly out of hinges, seeing as it creaked even if one was simply standing close to it.

The person responsible for the sudden scare wasn't hard to guess so Aaron didn't even try. Instead immediately going for his headphones which were supposed lay in the bottom of his bag. But as he reached in he realised, with sudden horror, that they were not there.

He quickly recounted his whole day up to this point and realised he must have left them on the table in his dorm, because his roommate decided he absolutely needed to turn on the light at two in the morning to find his pen, which led to Aaron waking up, not being able to fall asleep for a long time and then oversleeping and forgetting to take them.

Well this was just great, he felt the bitterness rise into his throat as the aforementioned roommate and the most annoying person on the planet sat right next to him, practically throwing his bag on the table.

"Burr, thank Darwin I finally found you, I thought you were sick when you didn't show up in the debate club, but you weren't in bed so I assumed you would be in here..and wouldn't you know it I was right." Alexander started talking as he rummaged thru the bag, frowning as the thing he was searching for seemingly wasn't there.

Burr didn't know if he should even respond to that, it was a lot, which was nothing new for Hamilton. He just rolled his eyes at the Darwin comment, Alexander was never trying to hide his atheism but this was new level of ridiculous.

Aaron guessed that thing he was missing was the pen from the previous night, which if he remembered correctly his roommate never ended up finding so gave him his spare one, not out of pity but out of a simple assumption that Hamilton would be more quiet when writing, at that's how he justified it himself. 

Sharing one room with this man ment that he saw first hand how Alexander wrote, it was fascinating in a way he couldn't really explain, but he could the passion Hamilton had for this craft, for that he couldn't help but envy him a bit for this gift. For it seemed like he didn't even have to try, writing just came naturally like breathing.

Aaron turned back to his book, hoping to at least finish this page, after all that was the only reason he was still staying on this spot. That and also the fact that he wanted to see that pen return to him in one piece. 

For a moment the feeling of calmness surrounded him again, until a foreign object entered his peripheral vision. Making him look up from the book to see Alexander sliding him a bar of chocolate, with a slight smirk on his face.

Aaron raised an eyebrow, prompting an explanation from his strange roommate. Who only slid the chocolate closer patting the wrapped before returning his hand to his own notebook. 

"What, don't look at me like that. I thought you like this brand of chocolate?" Alexander said, adding a sudden question mark at the end, clearly slightly doubting his memory and waiting for Aaron to confirm or deny the fact.

But that still didn't explain why was he even getting chocolate, so he continued to stare at him questioningly, hoping he wouldn't have to use words in order to explain the question he was really asking.

"Is that a no?" Alexander asked again, scratching his hand as he looked between the chocolate and Burr.

"Why are you giving me this?" Aaron questioned, keeping his face neutral, not even sparing a glance at the sweet in front of him.

"It's a peace offering, you know for waking you up that early and making us both miss the first class. I thought that was the reason you were distancing yourself for me today and chocolate sounded like the best way to say sorry." Alexander spoke quickly, quicker than usual Aaron noticed but he wasn't going to ask about it. 

The peace offering part was more interesting to think about because he didn't know what to really respond to it, should he just say thanks and explain that he was simply avoiding Alexander as much as every day? 

Well that sounded way too bad even in his own head, but it did make him question whenever he subconsciously at least decided to distance himself more today, because of the morning incident.

"Thanks you, I suppose." Aaron said disregarding the idea to explain his doings, after all he didn't own Alexander a tour in his head or thought process.

He looked at the chocolate bar closely this time, examining it by picking it up and peaking thru the open wrapper, before turning back to Alexander as he found half of the chocolate missing.

"Well.. what can I say, I needed to check if it was the right one – and it is!" Alexander explained adding a jazz hands motion at the end.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Burr questioned, he couldn't remember any moment where he would tell Alexander what was his favourite brand of chocolate, he couldn't couldn't even remember when did they talk about chocolate other then now.

"I saw you looking at it when we went shopping last Thursday..I mean sure you didn't buy it, but who does such sad puppy eyes on a chocolate they don't like?" Alexander explained as if it were just normal thing, leaving Burr stunned for a second.

"Why do you remember something like this?" He asked too stunned to hide his surprise and slight interest in a way Alexander thought.

Hamilton seemed to match his surprise after this question, tho it was probably from something else, that Aaron didn't catch up on as it took Alexander surprising amount of time to respond. Even his hand scratching go a bit more intense, so much so he had to stop and cover his hand with the other, pinning it to the table.

"It's bit of a fresh memory, why wouldn't I remember it?" Hamilton turned his answer into a question again, clearly wanting to get away from this theme as possible but not wanting to admit it.

Aaron decided to let it go, seeing that there was no point of pushing Hamilton further if his only answer would be another question. Another thing was that he already decided to go out, not back to his dorm necessary, but maybe he could go sit at some nice cafe. 

He got up without another word and walked right to the door, but upon taking the doorknob and turning it the door stayed closed. 

Well that was strange, he was sure the doors opened this way, especially when he saw Alexander open them not that long ago. 

He repeated the motion, with more force this time.

Nothing.

For a second he'd remained frozen on the spot, going thru a list of explanations that pointed to something else then the fact he couldn't get out.

What should he do now?

This wasn't something one simply had a plan for, he didn't know how to react so he remained on the same spot clenching the doorknob in his hand. 

"What's going on?" Alexander's voice appeared right behind his shoulder scaring the hell out of him. At that moment he was glad his surprise response wasn't to scream, but to simply stare.

Aaron retreated his hand, noticing the relief from the doorknob printed into his skin. 

"It's locked." He said simply, distress bleeding into his words.

"Huh..no that can't be possible." Hamilton took the knob instead, pulling at it with seemingly as much force as he could. 

Aaron watched him struggle, before Alexander just started banging at the door calling for someone to open them. Both things were helpless in their own right, Aaron was sure no one would be behind those door during this time. 

They were trapped in without any sort of connection to the outside world since the school wifi nor signal didn't reach that far. Which he never minded before since it just gave him more of a reason to focus on the books but now? 

"Hey don't worry I have broken plenty of door on accident breaking one on purpose wouldn't be that much of a issue." Alexander said clearly noticed Burr's distressed face, despite how much he tried to stay calm. 

He watched Alexander attempt to kick the door open, each attempt getting followed by another one more desperate this time. 

But the door remained locked, refusing to give in.

"Burr, come on...just...help me. If we kick both at the same time it must work." Alexander said taking a few deep breaths, earning him a simple nod from Burr who was still way to lost in his head to really accept that this was their reality.

It still did work.

Aaron went to sit back down, staring at his open book but not registering any words, only thing he could focus on were the sounds of Alexander attempting to break the door. It was useless, they needed to come up with something smarter. 

"Burr...you're not giving up.. are you?" Hamilton called to him, wheezing from the effort.

"No, but this isn't going to work. There..there needs to be a smarter way..a better way to get out." Burr explained, trying to get his thoughts in order.

"Smarter way? Do you think calling for help isn't smart? How else do you want to let someone know where here?" Alexander asked leaning on the door.

"No one will ever hear us down here." Aaron tells him, voice low and quiet. His surprise had not quite fallen off yet, but he managed to make himself feel more calm. 

"Well that sounded... ominous. What else do you propose we do?" Hamilton said sounding unsure, but genuine in the way he asked.

"I'm making a plan, so I would appreciate more of quiet otherwise do whatever you want." Burr explained, closing the book in front of him, feeling that he was getting distracted by it too much.

Aaron started massaging his head, hoping it would make him more relax and therefore more creative with his ideas, but the sound coming from not so far away was bit too distracting for that. Clearly Alexander decided to ignore his request and continued his plan on breaking the door.

Based on the fact the door was still holding up, Aaron concluded that those efforts were simply a lost cause. 

There must be something else to do..but what?

He looked around, perhaps bit foolishly hoping to see some other soul, that got locked in with him too, but there was nothing but rows of bookshelf everywhere he looked. 

Maybe he could try to look for a phone signal, sure he didn't have it right now, but it was possible there was some place in this room where signal was, even if really low and weak. 

He got up, picking up the book as well, deciding to put it back as he looked around. While he walked thru the rows he got out his phone watching the signal bar like a hawk, but it didn't change. 

They really were in the basement cut from the world, weren't they?

"Found anything?" Alexander appeared out of nowhere yet again, making Burr crash into one of the bookshelves, few books fell but otherwise it remained standing.

Aaron threw a glare at him, internally cursing himself for not noticing that the background sounds stopped. How could he missed that or more importantly how could Alexander walk so quietly, he felt like the last person to being able to do it and yet..he continued to surprise him. His unpredictability was driving Burr mad.

"Sorry, please don't murder me in my sleep." Alexander said backing away while holding his hands up in mock defence, clearly finding the situation hilarious.

"I won't be promising anything." Burr told him, quickly regretting he actually reacted to the joke, but it was too late to take it back so he rather turned away walking by the side of the wall.

"Oh come on you would miss me, besides murder is way too messy for you." Hamilton sped up his pace a bit so they could walk side by side. He had that dumb smile on, he wore anytime he tried to be funny or charismatic, tho based on what Burr saw Alexander took the two interchangeably.

"I could just poison you, that wouldn't be messy." Aaron said keeping his features neutral, focusing at the phone in his hand. Still no signal, but he wasn't loosing hope.

"Eh, you think I wouldn't notice?" Alexander sounded partially sceptical but his smile stayed on as he was clearly enjoying their debate.

Burr looked at him with raised eyebrow, feeling that was enough of an answer. 

"What you think so lowly of me, just few minutes ago I proved to you that am like super observant, the chocolate remember?" Hamilton waved his hands in – what Arron assumed, was the direction of the chocolate, despite the fact neither of them could see it. 

"That just proves you have a good memory, which has nothing to do with observance of this kind. I saw you drink that coffee as if there was no tomorrow, you would not even notice the poison." Burr explained, turning in a different direction and continued to walk.

It was a strange debate to be having while being locked in a library, but Burr decided there would be no escaping Alexander now so he might as well tire him out with thought provoking questions so the quietness would last longer. 

So far he had no luck.

"I could still smell it." 

"Poison doesn't have to have an odor to it."

"Sure but that would mean buying one of those really expensive ones and considering the fact we're both poor collage students I figured you don't have that kind of money." 

Burr stopped not to respond but to stare at his phone with disappointment, they already walked around the whole library and the signal was still dead. 

Well then this was pointless, he thought as he turned back to the table where he once sat. Alexander followed him the whole way, silently glancing at him eyes still full of glee from their previous conversation, perhaps waiting Burr would continue it. But Aaron had no intention of doing that as he unceremoniously plopped back onto his chair, gaze unfocused.

Hamilton sat next to him still watching him intensely, tho his look shifted more into curiosity as he raised an eyebrow at the sudden silence that filled the room. 

"Well.." Hamilton started drawing out the 'L' before continuing. "We better start thinking about how get out, I mean if we work together maybe we can like..." He stopped for a moment waved his hands in the placement of words. "What if we try to find a vent and the crawl thru it to the other side?" 

"Real life vents are not that big or that strong to be able to climb thru them." Burr explained with a sigh, turning to face Alexander.

"Have you ever tried it?" 

"No, but that would not change this fact." 

"Maybe vents in a library are like..stronger and more durable, just like those doors." Alexander pointed to them for emphasis, his voice still suggesting he was taking the whole situation as a joke.

"I doubt it." Aaron huffed a puff of air, frowning at him. This was another pointless debate almost designed to pass the time, he wondered whenever that was really Alexander's intension or if this was just part of his 'i don't shut up' thing. It could be both.

"Well I don't so let's go find them." Alexander said already getting up, while Burr stayed sitting silently watching him with raised eyebrow. 

"What? Don't tell me you're just going to sit here and do nothing." 

"Aside from thinking how to get out, you mean." 

"You can do that on the move, come on." 

Aaron shook with head turning to look in a different direction just so Alexander would get the point of Burr not wanting to be involved. Hamilton did actually walk away without another word which was a really strange thing, because Aaron was sure he would try to drag him along. 

He was glad Alexander respected him enough to let him be, but he also found himself almost a bit disappointed that he was now..alone? In a sense that he now couldn't see Hamilton, he could still hear his steps somewhere to his side.

What was wrong with him? He was trapped in a library, night would fall soon and he was thinking about his idiotic roommate who was now probably trying to break a vent based on the sound. 

Aaron sighed again, running a hand down his face, before getting up to look what was Hamilton doing. He couldn't just let him destroy something here, they would have to pay for it and as Hamilton correctly said few minutes ago they were both pretty poor for that.

He cursed his FOMO, as he made his way along one of the bookshelves before walking in on Hamilton fighting with a really small vent. 

Even if he did manage to open it, there was no way either of them could climb thru it. Hamilton must have realised that, sure Aaron called him idiotic but he didn't actually think of the guy as stupid no matter what he did. Reckless would be a better word.

"It's too small." Aaron started the oblivious with deadpanned delivery. Startling Hamilton who in surprise knocked his head on one of the shelves above him, at least Aaron got his payback.

"Thank you for the information sir obvious." Hamilton said massaging his head before crouching back down and fiddling with the vent again. "I won't be climbing thru it, but I figured I'd I screamed into it, someone should hear me." 

"If no one heard you screaming from behind the door, I feel this wouldn't make much of a difference." Burr told him, tho the idea made him think, it wasn't bad but Aaron felt that even if the calling reached the surfice world no one would be there to hear it, most of the student were probably in their dorms anyway.

"This could be heard much farther, that is if I can..get...rid...of this..stupid." Hamilton pulled on the metal, but the screws were holding it strongly to the wall.

"Everyone already went to sleep, there's no one who could hear us or save us." Burr said, showing him the clock on his phone that displayed 8:00 pm.

Alexander frowned not letting go of the metal, there was fire in his eyes that seemingly filled him with determination to continue on this pointless task. 

"Stop it, you're going to break it and then we'll have to pay for it. It's pointless anyway there's no one up there anymore." Aaron warned, watching him intensely. 

"Well excuse me for not giving up like you." Alexander gripped the metal harder this time his knuckles turning white as he pulled again.

"Am not giving up, am thinking before I act." Burr countered continuing to loom above him.

"All you do is criticise my ideas without bringing any of your own, so just go back to sit on your ass and let me do my own thing." Alexander snapped sharply, words designed to hurt and cut deep.

And that was it, that was that moment Aaron was waiting for. The moment when Alexander slipped up, if he ended their friendship now, he wouldn't have to feel guilty for it.

Their gazes were still locked, atmosphere around them noticeable thickening with the silence that spread long and wide. 

"How can I not criticise someone who doesn't look before they leap, who constantly follows me around like a lost duckling and who can't admit when their wrong." Burr's words were dripping with venom, his eyes just as sharp and his tongue as he watched Alexander still crouching on the ground, covered in Burr's shadow.

"Oh so that's what you think about me?! Well am sorry for trying to get us out, for trying to make this a bit more bearable and for trying to do something instead of just waiting for someone to rescue us." Hamilton waved his hands when he spoke this time the movements were more shaky.

"I wouldn't call spending my time with you bearable and all you did was yell for help anyway, I don't see any difference between the two especially when the earliest someone could hear you is tomorrow." Burr replied feeling the coldness of his words himself, but he took no joy from it. 

"Why are you so convinced no one will come!?" Hamilton raised his voice, so it borderlined on telling.

"And why are you so convinced of the opposite!?" Burr snapped back, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"Because if they won't...then that means no one realised am gone." Hamilton said, before turning his gaze to the ground and falling silent and letting go of the metal vent.

Burr just watched him, no knowing how to react to such thing. Not knowing how to continue, he expected the conversation to get heated but this..this was more somber. 

Aaron flexed his arm but kept them in the crossed position, feeling uncomfortable with silent Hamilton. Normal Hamilton was unpredictable enough, and what about silent Hamilton? He thought about waking back to the table, but something about this situation wasn't letting him do that. Perhaps he felt a bit of guilt over his words, something he couldn't just wait out no matter how much he wanted to.

"No one forgot you exist." Burr said feeling his voice echoed more than before, as he slowly lowered himself down so they would be on the same eye level.

"Really? You think am just going to believe your words after what you said?" Alexander questioned, still watching the floor in front of him.

"It's a fact not an opinion, like the others." Burr said and when Alexander raised an eyebrow he elaborated. "You are hard to forget Hamilton, with how much you talk..how much you..just exist." 

"Yes you already expressed that my existence is hard to forget even if you want the exact opposite." Alexander chucked without humour as he fiddled with one of the screws on the vent.

"I said what I said, but perhaps it wasn't the best thing to say." Burr said, scratching his hand. He felt completely out of his depth, not knowing whenever he should apologise for his words or not. Because if he did that would go entirely against his plan.

But he wasn't even sure if he wanted to follow said plan, just seeing how much he hurt his roommate, he didn't want that. It was a strange realisation, perhaps Alexander's friendship grew in him more then he realised. Which ment it was already too late.

"Look, Burr I don't need your apology out of pity, okay? Let's leave it at we both said what we said." Hamilton looked at him, the sharpness of his gaze still present but not as much as before.

"It's not out of pity..I simply... listen I don't understand you and I don't understand why you want to spend so much time with me, how can you be finding me all the time or why you even want to find me." Burr finished his explanation with a quiet sigh, not turning to look at Alexander instead looking to the ceiling.

"We're friends Burr, there's nothing that deep about it." Hamilton scratched the back of his head and winced when he reached the spot where he hit his head. 

"Isn't there? But you have other friends why do you seek out my company?" Burr pushed on.

"What are you talking about I spent time with them too, you're just never with us so I have to keep searching for you. Because I actually like spending time with you..or at least I did." That least part hurt Burr more than he wanted to admit. 

And it also made him realise that aside from Alexander he didn't really have any people he was really close to, or at least that close to. 

Burr's realisation probably showed on his face, because of what Alexander said next.

"Is that why you're so convinced no one will come, because you think no one aside from me would know you're gone?" Alexander asked head on, it stung to heard those words spoken out loud, but he couldn't find himself to be mad and his roommate he was right after all.

"..." Aaron was silent at that, which perhaps told Alexander more then if he spoken out loud. He knew it wasn't that far from the truth, despite the fact he hid his fear behind facts and logic.

He wasn't even sure what he felt anymore, this day was full of realisations he wasn't ready for. He needed a moment to work thru them all. 

"Well it's not true, people know you exist as well Aaron." Hamilton told him putting hand on his shoulder and giving him a comforting squeeze. 

Alexander didn't call him by his first name, he never knew why it was just something he did and Aaron never questioned it, but hearing his first name being spoken now..he wanted to hear it more. In a different context perhaps, different situation.

He simply nodded with an attempt for a smile a sad one at that, which Alexander returned and they sat in silence for some more time.

But it didn't feel uncomfortable anymore, tho the tension between them wasn't gone entirely it still felt comfortable in a strange sort of way. With Alexander's hand still on his shoulder, lightly grounding him to the floor, it was a good moment he supposed. One that he didn't know how to continue from, nor did he even know if he wanted to continue and move on.

Unfortunately he didn't get to decide that as his roommate decided he didn't want just continue sitting on the floor and he got up. 

Hitting his head yet again. Burr was still way to stunned by previous events to really react so he just stared, hoping his face looked at least neutral. 

"Are you planning on staying here?" Alexander asked still grimacing from the pain. But the look on his eyes told a different story, he was clearly up to something and Burr wanted to know what.

"Why are you asking?" Aaron questioned back, after a beat of silence passed. 

"I've got a new idea and it doesn't involve yelling, come on." Hamilton said with a genuine grin this time, giving Aaron a hand to help him stand up.

Thanks to which Burr discovered that one, Hamilton was surprising strong for someone who couldn't break neither the door not the vent and that two, Alexander was probably really confident in this plan as he walked away much quicker than Burr expected. 

They stopped at the librarian's desk looking over the amount of papers and books which were there to sort and sign. The librarian herself was not present of course, but if Aaron remembered correctly she didn't set foot in here for about a week, maybe she got fired, but Aaron decided it was pointless to speculate.

Hamilton jumped to the other side of the desk knocking of some of the papers and started looking for something. Aaron picked the papers of the ground and put them back looking around as if the librarian would appear, that obliviously didn't happen.

"What are you looking for?" Aaron asked watching as Hamilton threw more and more papers on the ground along with pens. 

"A key." Hamilton explained, not stopping his searching.

"If someone locked us in then they already have that key." Burr said frowning at Hamilton who didn't even spare a glance at him.

"But what if we're not locked, but the door just shut..I mean if we were then wouldn't we hear someone locking us?" Alexander explained and started opening drawers only to find more paperwork.

"Considering the fact neither of us are really good at picking out background noise I doubt it." Burr said shaking his head, but he had to admit it wasn't a bad assumption.

"Speak for yourself I'm great at it." Alexander stopped his search for a bit to smirk at Burr.

"Really, that upcoming bruse on your head is saying something else." Aaron countered.

"You got me once I got you twice, clearly am the better one at it." Alexander said confidently, while throwing more papers on the ground, still no key in sight. 

"And yet you hit your head twice." Burr said looking at one of the fallen papers, but it wasn't anything that could help them out, so he carefully put it back on the table.

"That was clearly on purpose I was trying to lift up the mood." Alexander waved his hand emphasising his already exaggerated words. 

"Of course." Burr rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

They didn't find a key to the surprise of no-one, or at least Burr wasn't surprised by it. But they did find a box of paperclips, so of course the next most logical move was to try and use that as the key. 

That's how they ended up sitting on the floor in front of the door, switching everytime the current paperclip broke. So far without their door opening skills where without success, which couldn't be said about their paperclip breaking skills. 

"27th one's the charm then." Alexander said picking up the next one.

"29th one." Burr corrected, watching the numbers on his phone change slowly, of not for them he would have no idea what time of day in was or even whenever it was still a day or not. 

By now the clocks showed 10:17 pm, and God was he getting tired, the strange morning he had was definitely not helping. He was surprised Alexander didn't seem tired at all, although with the amount of coffee he saw him drink it wasn't that strange.

"Doesn't matter because th–" sound of snapping stopped his next words. Or maybe it didn't and Burr's tiredness was just drowning the words out as he found himself slipping into dreams faster and faster with each minute.

His sleep was only broken by loud bang of the door and Alexander decided to kicking it was the next best thing. Aaron stared at his roommate, silently judging both of their life decisions. 

"Ok that's it, you win you God-forsaken, motherfucking STUPID PIECE OF WOOD!" Hamilton yelled out, before kicking the door one last time. Then he went to back to the table where he took his bag and returned with it to the door, sitting down with a thump.

"Can you believe it? I just got defeated by a piece of tree, no scratch that it's worse than that I just got defeated by a dead tree, like who gets defeated by a dead guy?! Unless their a zombie, but that's not the case right now." Hamilton rambled, digging thru his bag aggressively. 

Burr hummed as he watched the whole thing happen with mild amusement, tho that feeling might have been due to the lack of sleep. But now that he thought about it, they would most likely have to sleep here, he should start getting ready for it, maybe find a good spot or something like that.

"We will get out in the morning, all we have to do now is wait the night out." Aaron said with a yawn, looking around the room for a comfortable enough spot to sleep on, so far there was the floor or the table, neither of which seemed very comfortable.

"I know we will, but...I just thought it would be a bit quicker. Like maybe something I did would change it." Hamilton finally fished out what he was looking for which was a very old looking notebook, most of the pages looking like they were going to fall out any minute.

"Mhm...you did...all you could..." Aaron told him with another yawn, feeling his vision getting more blurry. 

He just had to think about where to sleep..

He just..had to think about it. 

For a moment..not a long one, just a moment, he needed to close his eyes and think.

Suddenly he shook himself out a weird half dream, as he felt himself lean bit too much to the side. God he was getting really tired.

"Tired?" Alexander looked at him sympathetically, asking as if he was reading his mind. Based on the amount of words he was able to write in that notebook Burr estimated he was asleep for about 5 minutes. 

"Yes, aren't you too?" Aaron asked back, running a hand down his face to keep himself awake a bit longer.

"Me? Oh come on I thought you knew me, Aaron?" Hamilton questioned back with glee in his eyes. The same eyes Aaron felt himself get lost in each time he gazed into them, he felt himself get lost even more now that he heard his name being spoken again.

He was probably staring again at least based of Alexander's amused reaction. As he grinned at him mischievous glint in those eyes of his.

Oh he really needed sleep, because what are those thoughts supposed to be? Where did they come from, so he can put them back? 

He looked away, feeling like he revealed way to much despite the fact he kept his mouth tightly shut, locked like the door standing behind them, hoping Alexander wouldn't find a key to it.

I don't seem to even know myself. Burr thought, hating that that was the first answer he could think of.

"I do know you, I just don't understand how many cups of coffee did you drink this morning that they can still affect you." Aaron said, finally coming up with a better answer a safer answer, he justified in his head.

"It's not really about cups as it is about the amount of coffee shots. Actually if you decide to use your free will you can just mix coffee with an energy drink and you'll get a really beast of a drink." Hamilton talked as he wrote, still using the pen he borrowed from Burr, who already accepted that he would most likely get it back the moment it ran out of ink.

"Am surprised you're still alive after that." 

"I know right? I guess I just have an act on... surviving." Hamilton added the last part in a much stranger tone then the other ones, like he just remembered a bad memory, but he shook it off quickly trying to start a new conversation.

"Anyway, what was that book you were reading when I first came here?" 

"What?" 

"You know that book, that..that older looking? You already put it back, but you seemed pretty invested in it." 

Burr ran thru his memories before finally remembering what did his roommate mean. It was weird how long ago and yet not long ago did that moment felt. But then again there were closed in here for hours, without any direct view of the outside world it was reasonably he would be confused. 

"The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman, I suppose it was interesting, but honestly I can't recall a single thing from it now." Burr blinked looking to the general direction of the bookshelf where he put the book.

"Interesting I don't think I heard about it.."

"Why did you ask about it now?" 

"It was just the first thing that came to mind, but see how perceptive I am."

"Yes very, you already proved that with the 'chocolate thing'.

"Speaking of which we should probably eat it so we don't starve till the morning." Hamilton tried, dramatically.

"I that case shouldn't we keep it intact for as long as we can, in case we say here longer?" Burr questioned with a straight face, but clearly meaning it as humorously as Alexander.

"What? I want to live now not later." Alexander waved his hands in exasperation before sliding down the door from his sitting position to more of a half laying one.

"You already ate half of it even before you have it to me." Burr deadpanned, blinking at him tiredly.

"Burr am not gonna repeat my reasonings for that, but they were reasonable." Alexander claimed raising his head for emphasis.

"Why did you call me that?" Aaron asked, the realisation he actually said it hit him like a truck and suddenly he felt more awake than before, more aware of everything that before. Especially if the look Hamilton was throwing at him right now.

"You mean by your name?" Alexander asked, tilting his head in confusion.

There was no going back, but he still had to try it. 

"Forget I asked." He said hoping it would dissolve all of his problems like putting sugar in water. At that moment he wished he would be able to change the theme as fast as his roommate could, instead he just sat there hoping the silence ment Alexander would take a hint.

He didn't.

"What, no what do you mean tell me? If you have a new name I can use that one of you want I don't really care it's your name." Alexander sat back up, closing the notebook, but leaving the pen in akin to a bookmark.

"No look I wasn't thinking..just..drop it, forget it, it's fine..really." Burr said, trying to string the words together as quickly and as confidently as he could, but doing both at the same time proved to be the wrong idea.

"You weren't thinking before you said something, you?" 

"It's the lack of sleep, which I have thanks to you." 

"I already apologised, but don't try to change the subject. I mean it really if you have a..like a new name I don't mind using it." Alexander looked at him genuinely and Burr started drowning in his eyes again. 

"I just.." Burr started, hating how he sounded already, this was pathetic, he was pathetic. "I like when you use my name..the first one." 

A moment of silence. 

Which Burr spent staring into the ceiling, it seemed really interesting to him at that moment, he couldn't tell why.

"Ooh so that's why. Yeah okay, sure I can do that..Aaron." Hamilton grinned at him as he said his name, practically singing it.

Aaron hated how much he couldn't hate his roommate right now, as he felt his face get considerably warmer than before. Hopefully it wasn't that noticeable.

"Thank you, Alexander." Burr said back purposefully ignoring the first jab, he didn't what to think about what it could possibly mean. The name feeling foreign yet familiar to his tongue. He could use to saying it more.

Despite the fact Aaron felt like he could never fall asleep after that, he did start to feel tired not so long after. As the atmosphere shifted back to more comfortable one, they didn't talk much after that, he just watched as Alexander wrote. 

Perhaps that was another reason why he felt more tired now.

He felt asleep shorty after this thought, sweetness of sleep wrapping around him like a thigh woollen blanket as he leaned into it. 

It was hard to tell whenever it was really morning when he woke up, with no windows to look out off and no sound of the alarm ringing he had no idea what time it was. 

But that was soon moved down the list of things to think about as he realised where was he even laying right now. 

As he and Alexander were currently on the floor, in a mess of limbs essentially cuddling. 

He would stay like this, frozen like a statue of it wasn't for the banging on the door, from the other side no less. 

In the middle of deciding how to exactly get up without waking up Hamilton, said roommate woke up on his own. 

Their eyes locked for a moment.

Faces way to close together, and neither of them moved the noises becoming background noise as they continued to stay like this.

The door opened, more like was broken from the outside to be broken. 

Making them scramble to get up as fast as possible, with knocking into each other. Aaron just hoped his face didn't show exactly what he was feeling.

The people behind the door which included Hamilton's friends as well as some people he recognised as being part of the schools staff, were questioning them way to fast then what he was able to understand this..early? He felt it was way to early for any of these voices to be properly understood.

He tried to talk, but his explanations weren't probably worth much. Hamilton tried to save him multiple times but without any sort of outside energy he wasn't much help.

After that he avoided Hamilton forthe rest of the day, feeling like he needed to figure some things in his own. Also everytime he even do much as gazed at Alexander he felt he had even more questions.

He tried to focus on lectures and school work, but the back of his mind was always returning to his roommate, no matter what he did he couldn't ignore it. 

Maybe he didn't want to ignore him.

They only met at the end of the day in their dorm, since Burr didn't want to go as far as to actually avoid sleep, even if it ment seeing his roommate.

So there he was, standing in front of the door for what felt like way too long, but still not enough of a long time. He could still walk away and no one would know, he could go sleep in the library..again. 

No, that was a foolish idea a stupid idea the more he waited the more he regretted it. But he still couldn't do it, the first step felt like way to much, especially after that night, after both of those nights. 

He probably still wasn't thinking clearly.

No, he definitely wasn't thinking clearly, he thought gripping the newly bought chocolate in his hand. 

He raised his hand to knock, when the door opened. 

"Sorry, but I just couldn't watch you stand there.. anymore." Hamilton added, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

So this was the guy who he couldn't bring himself to hate despite how much he waited for it?

This is the guy who stole his heart?

He already knew the answer and God was he helpless.

Burr thought as he wordlessly raised his hand presenting the chocolate to his roommate. 

"Since when are we doing gift giving on regular days?" Alexander asked stepping aside so they wouldn't have to talk outside the dorm.

"Since today..I suppose." Burr answered, feeling like he just walked into strangers house. "I can just eat it myself if you don't want it, I simply assumed you like this brand." He added, trying to keep his voice from jumping an octave too high.

"So you do know me well, that's good to know..I suppose." Alexander said with a sly grin.

"You do not plan on this becoming a thing, right?" Aaron asked, squinting at him.

"I suppose I won't. If you don't want me to that is, Aaron." Alexander said failing to suppress his mischief as he winked at him. 

So that meant they were both at the same page right? Or was this a simple joke between friends?

He couldn't just ask, but acting seemed like a more dangerous thing to do, tho he couldn't help and be frightened by both of them. Maybe waiting for a different better moment was the better option.

Of course he could just ignore it, continue like nothing happened, like today or yesterday or this morning didn't happen. 

He could let the relationship slowly get colder and colder until there would be no reason to keep it alive, he could do it.

But he didn't want to.

He took the last few steps seperating them, until they stood so close the intention couldn't be interpreted any other way. 

There was a moment, a beat of silence that perhaps if Alexander got uncomfortable he could leave, he could pull away.

But he didn't, neither of them did.

Their gazes locked and then their lips did too.

The end