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“Why won’t you talk to me Alexander?!”
John trudged after Hamilton, jogging faster as the man ran off into the trees. God, he could be so insufferable sometimes- despite his ever-working mind and brilliant passion- even at times Alex could be too stubborn. Laurens didn’t even know WHY this time.
“Hamilton! Come on!”
Laurens dodged the low-hanging branches of a tree, catching up to him. When he finally came close enough, he reached out a hand and grabbed Alex by the sleeve- forcing him to whip around to face him. Both were out of breath, red-faced and glaring at each other; Alexander in anger and John in confusion.
“What is wrong with you Alex?”
Any ire or hatred towards the man was drowned quickly in the welling of tears that were threatening to spill down Alexander’s cheeks. Frowning, Laurens tried to hold his face with his palm, but was swatted away as Hamilton struggled against his grip. Alex tugged again, the force of it causing him to trip backwards. Laurens held fast, turning as the two fell onto the (thankfully) soft forest floor. It was covered with heavy leaf litter, a pauper’s cushion. Alex had both legs on either side of John’s hips- arms stiff and clenched by his shoulders. Laurens shrunk a little under the position, being unused to how close the small man was when they weren’t in the luxury of privacy.
“Alex, it’s okay.”
“No it’s not,” John let go as Hamilton desperately pushed back the unruly dark hairs that had come free of its ribbon, “You don’t care about me.”
“What? Alexander what do you mean?”
Johns heart was racing, all previous thoughts cast aside for his mind to be occupied with the small man trying oh-so hard not to cry in front of him.
“You’re so stupid Laurens, I thought you were hurt, that you could of-“
Oh. Of course.
“- and you offered to fire again! You could have died John and I told you to do it!”
Tears were falling by this point down Alexander’s sun-warmed cheeks, his eyes staring big and hurtful up at Laurens. It was dark now, the silhouettes of the trees standing tall on the two men like cages. Alexander had both fists clenched to his sides, obviously trying to will away his outburst. John lay dumbfounded as Alex looked away- burning glare into the treeline.
That’s why Alexander was upset.
“Alex, I’m sorry.”
He should have paid better attention to the wide-eyed stare Alex had when John raised his pistol towards Lee, or how Hamilton had ran towards him after the shots rang out through the air- disregarding his safety for the concern that John was injured. He wasn’t, but that didn’t disregard the fear in Alexanders eyes when the limping general offered to fire again- and how Laurens almost agreed. How could he have forgotten that?
“I thought you were going to die John.”
“I know Alexander, I should have listened to you.”
Alex closed his eyes in frustration, leaving Laurens gazing up at the storm of a man.
“But that the point! You did listen to me and that’s why you duelled Lee in the first place!”
Laurens smiled and reached out to brush his fingertips across Alexanders cheeks, the man looked down at him with tearful eyes.
“I should have listened to your heart Alex, I should have known that your pride and my recklessness would have got the better of both of us.”
Hamilton shuddered as he let out the breath he was holding, tightening his grip on the ground even more.
“Don’t do that again Laurens, or else-“
“Else what?”
John grinned up at Alex to see that familiar flame flicker back into life in his eyes, Alex moved his hands to Johns arms and held them tightly there.
“You’re so stupid.”
Before Laurens could utter another word Alex leaned forward and pressed his lips against Johns. His eyes were shut tightly as he face flushed, John stared through half-lidded eyes at the concentrated face of Hamilton. Laurens sighed into it, letting his eyes close as he tilted his head and opened his mouth a little further to accommodate Alex. His hands rested, buried in Alexander’s cravat and tracing the lines of his collarbone under the layers of fabric. Everything felt pleasingly warm between the two, the heat pouring off their skin melding with the quiet murmurs of the both of them whenever they broke away- only to crash back again like waves on a coastline.
Laurens moved a hand up to entangle his fingers in Alexanders now completely loose hair- pulling his head back so he could look at his blushing face. Disliking this change, Alex continued to kiss and bite down John’s neck and clavicle- grumbling as he fumbled with the obstruction that was John’s cravat.
As Alexander nestled further into his throat, Laurens whispered again in the security of night they had:
“I’m satisfied.”
And now, he really did mean it.