Founding Fusions

by esompthin

In a world where fusion from Steven Universe is a normal human characteristic; Alexander Hamilton has issues with, well, everything. Fusion shouldn't be a public matter. And you can't marry a fusion. And only married people should fuse. - All these thoughts change when he meets Mullettens. (if this sounds like bunny-yam's fusion au, that's because it is; i love it so much)

1. Chapter 1

Humans have always had this ability. Long, long ago, when the species was at the bottom of the food chain, evolution took a turn in an unexpected direction. It defies everything that scientists have come to know about the world; but sometimes, the universe doesn't care about silly things like facts and logic.

Sometimes, the universe allows a little magic to happen.

This is how Alexander's mother explained the process of fusion to him. He was young; the age where kids point out any and everything that seems strange to them. Alexander pointed at a stranger and (rather loudly) asked, "Mama, why do they have three arms?"

Rachel Buck was not a very shy individual, but when it came to these topics she grew a bit flustered. She politely apologized to the stranger, who waved off Alexander's curiosity good-naturedly. Then, she turned to Alex and awkwardly said, "Because they're a fusion."

The next logical question was, "Wha's'a fusion?"

"Shush now, child." His mother said, "It's not something we talk about in public."

"Why?" Alex asked, following his mother along the path to their house. "Is it bad?"
"Quite the opposite, actually." Rachel smiled down at him, taking his hand. "Fusion is a very, very good thing. But it's also a very private thing. So we can't talk about it anymore. Save your questions for bedtime."

Alexander's mother loved that line. 'Save your questions for bedtime.' Because usually, Alexander forgot what he wanted to ask, and she never has to work through the tricker questions a child could come up with. But he didn't forget these questions. So when bedtime rolled around, she was actually surprised when Alexander sat up and said, "Now can we talka 'bout fusion?"

"Oh." His mother blinked, "Um, okay."

"Wha' is it?" Alex asked, big eyes watching his mother as she chewed her lip.

"Fusion is the merging of two or more people into one person." Rachel said slowly, watching Alex's face for any signs of confusion. There it was, a twitch of eyebrows. He was curious. Frick.

"How?"

"Well, you have to completely give yourself to the other person. For some people that's - physically…" Rachel quickly rushes forward, not giving Alexander a chance to question that, "But sometimes it's more emotional or mental. Sometimes it takes a lot to fuse with someone, and it's different for each person."

Alex nodded, accepting all of this, "Can I fuse?"

"Well, yes. But you shouldn't." Rachel said, scowling at the thought of her small son fused with someone. "It's a, uh, grownup thing."

She didn't approve of children fusing. Sometimes, in their little village, she could hear the laughter of merged kids running through the streets. And she didn't mind their joy. But when she looked out and saw children with four eyes or two mouths, something in her twisted. Children just didn't understand what they were doing when they were fusing together like that. She had half a mind to go and tell their parents what they've been doing. What if they gave Alexander, or his brother, James, the wrong idea?

"Do you and Papa fuse?" The child asked.

Rachel's heart sank, "Ah, no… Not anymore. He hasn't exactly fused with me since James was born."

"Why?" Alexander asked.

Rachel shook her head, forcing back her tears, "It doesn't matter, child. Don't worry so much about it. Just know that when you're an adult, and you trust someone with your life, you'll be ready to fuse with them. But not before that, alright?"

"Yes, mama."

Alexander's mother stuck to the thought that fusion was not meant for anything less than married lovers. Thus, Alexander had a similar thought-process. He, a boy who never shut up, grew shy and uncomfortable around fusions. Talk of the action was forbidden; especially when there were ladies in the area. By the time Alexander grew to the age of nineteen, he had never once fused with another individual.

Perhaps it was only fate - or karma - that one of the first things he sees when he steps foot on the colonies' soil is nothing less than a public fusion. Alexander's thoughts stuttered to a stop when he watched as two people fused in front of any walkerby. Alex's face grew bright red as he quickly averted his gaze.

These colonists have no shame.

Alexander's studies in King's College didn't make him any less squeamish about the thought of fusion. At one point, he found himself in an intellectual debate with his classmate about the right to fight for their country and whom should have it.

"Everyone should have the right to fight! If our country needs soldiers, then anyone who is willing to place their life on the line is worthy of the cause!" Alexander said, slamming his hands on the desk for emphasis.

"Everyone? Even slaves?" His opponent said.

"Especially slaves!" Alexander replied, his voice rising, "If a slave is willing to fight for a country that doesn't even accept them, then their believes are truly valid and pure. Not to mention-"

His opponent interrupted him, raising an eyebrow, saying, "Even fusions?"

Alexander's words stumbled to a stop as his face grew pink, "Uh-"

"A fusion has not only one, but two lives at stake. Or more! Surely we can't afford such a costly soldier?" The opponent continued.

Alexander fumbled, scrambling at his notes to see if he wrote anything to counter this argument. He didn't. "Well, if- if they're- um, willing? Then-"

"What if we have slaves fuse? What would happen then!? Indescribably chaos. What happens if a fusion gets hurt? Whom will be held responsible? How would we inform the separate being's families?"

Alexander was gasping, his mouth opening and closing uselessly. He couldn't imagine - this is no way to speak - so freely about fusion!? Like it's some simple common occurrence? And not a private affair?

Alexander helplessly turned to his professor, "Is this really an, uh, appropriate topic?"

The professor raised an eyebrow, but after a long moment of silence, he wrote something down on his grade sheet, "You may sit down now, Hamilton."

Alexander would happily take the poor grade instead of struggle through talking about something so scandalous.

His classmates discovered quickly that the best way to shut him up was to simply say the word - "fusion" - and Alexander would clamp his mouth shut, a horrified expression on his face. The time that some classmates fused right in front of him, the poor Caribbean almost cried. He ran away, his hands covering his eyes, screaming about how undignified they were being.

Truly, it was a bit of a culture shock.

And things were only getting worse.

When Alexander met the infamous Aaron Burr, he wasn't expecting the horrors that would come with it. Aaron himself was not a horrible man. Alexander actually enjoyed his company very much. He was a remarkably intelligent man, who handed out wise advice like candy. Alexander could tell they were going to be the best of friends.

No, the horror was that, because Alexander was hanging out with Aaron Burr, he ran into a certain individual - individuals? - that made Alexander's skin crawl.

Alexander and Aaron were sharing a drink in a simple pub, sharing ideas and opinions. Alexander was speaking softly, swirling his drink lazily as he spouted out; "Never before had this world had an affair so great than that of the new American states and our British brethren. I believe tha-"

His voice was cut off as the door to the pub was suddenly kicked open. Alexander's head whipped around to see if any redcoats were coming in. But no. A creature of a different kind was making its way through the door.

He had to duck, given his larger, combined height. He wore a beanie, although a mess of curls and waves flowed out from under it. His eyes were two different shades of brown; and his hands had the same condition. Although his neither of his hands' matched the color of his face. A small beard sat neatly on his chin; while a smatter of freckles attacked his cheeks. But this mismatched cacophony was not what caught Alexander's gaze. No, the truly remarkable thing about this giant was the way it spoke.

"SHOW TIME!" One mouth screamed.

"SHOW TIME!" The other mouth echoed.

For you see, this creature had two mouths; each fighting for a spot on his face. They came out crooked; the larger mouth cutting from his jaw to his nose, while the smaller mouth settled under that one, tilted in the other direction. Alexander had never seen such a sight. Aaron hummed as the immigrant openly stared.

"You act as if this is the first fusion you've ever met." Aaron shot him a sly smile. One that Alex couldn't return, for his mouth was hanging open uselessly.

"I'm Mulettens, in the place to be!" The fusion shouted, turning to the bartender, "Gimme two Sam Adams!" The second mouth spoke, "Actually, make that three!"

Alex found himself smiling at the creature as he laughed at himself. Aaron pushed his drink away from him, watching the fusion carefully, "Now, if we're quiet, they might not notice-"

"Yo! Monsieur!" The fusion shouted, switching between mouths, "Is that Aaron Burr!?"

"-fuck." Burr sighed, putting on a bright smile as the fusion approached. The larger man set all three beers down on Burr and Alexander's table. They quickly found a big enough chair - all public places had varying sized seats specifically for this reason - and sat down next to them.

"Mulettens, a pleasure, as always." Burr said, taking a sip of his drink.

"You're such a fuckin' liar, Burr!" Mulettens said, grinning from one mouth, while the other pouted. "We know you don't like us when we're together."

The second mouth added, "We know you don't like us when we're apart, either."

Burr quickly waved his hand in dismissal, "Nonsense. You're just a very loud individual, Mulettens. There's nothing wrong with that. I just don't prefer that kind of company."

The fusion stared at Burr for a long moment; practically frozen while he thought. Alexander jumped out of his skin when the large man suddenly burst out into laughter.

"I'm kidding, Burr! Mon dieu! Take a joke!" Mulettens slapped his knee, a very grand gesture that left Alex a bit scared. Jesus, this man was big. Had to be seven foot? Maybe more? Alex could easily fit in his lap. The fusion stopped laughing suddenly, switching topic as if nothing had happened, "How has your political career been? Are you still refusing to fight with us in the revolution for our country?"

"I never said that I wouldn't fight -" Burr sighed, "I'd gladly fight for our country. I just think that there are much better ways to gain our freedom than just being shot at constantly."

Mulettens huffed, "No, I distinctly remember you telling me that you didn't-"

Alexander spoke up, "You keep switching between 'we' and 'I'."

Both men turned to look at him, as if just realizing he was still there. Alexander shifted in his seat, a small blush forming under the fusion's gaze. God, he was going to talk to a fusion. About … fusion. In a bar! What would his mother say?

"...Yes." Mulettens said slowly. "And?"
"And, you know, why?" Alex squeaked.

Aaron frowned, leaning forward, "Wait. Have you seriously never talked to a fusion before?"

Alex held up his hands in defense, "Well, no! Why would I? I don't - they're so - in public no less! And - It's just … dirty."

"EXCUSE YOU!?" The fusion screeched.
"OhGoddon'tkillme!" Alex flinched, ducking his head.

Mulettens crossed his arms. "What makes you think fusion is dirty!? We're not going to hurt you - yet - so just stop that right now." He kept switching between mouths, it made Alex equally confused and excited.

Alex awkwardly waved his hands as he spoke, "It's not like bad dirty, just. Gentlemen shouldn't do such things in public. And it's very awkward for me because you're all, like, fused right in front of my salad and I just don't know how to deal with it right now."

Aaron was watching him with a carefully blank expression. He spoke slowly as he said, "Alexander, how many fusions have you known?"

"Um, personally?" Alexander thought for a moment, "None?"

The fusion blinked, both mouths trying to speak at once.

"Who are you-"

"What do you mean 'none'-"

Alex's blush darkened, "Look, where I come from, fusion is a bit, uh, not really taboo, but, like, it's for married people. And it's only ever done when they're at home. And it's not, you don't, like, flaunt it in front of everyone all the time. And these colonists - Americans - they're just, always, fused? And that's weird? But not like, I don't mean -"

Aaron looked over to Mulettens, "I have never seen him so distressed before. Congratulations."

Mulettens, however, didn't look happy about this. But he didn't look extremely upset either. Instead, he sat there, arms crossed, staring at Alexander. And he sat there, unmoving, for a long time. Silent and staring.

And staring.

And staring.

And staring.

Alex glanced over at Aaron, who seemed undisturbed by the fusion's sudden statue-like attitude.

"What's he doing?" Alex whispered.

"Thinking." Aaron replied, "Just wait for it."

As if on cue, the fusion started speaking very carefully. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. And you're going to give us very short, honest answers, alright?"

Alexander nodded, keeping his mouth shut for once. Gosh, why was he so nervous about this? Fusion always just weirded him out. Alex looked away, his heart pounding as he awaited the first question.

"How, overall, do you feel about fusion?" One mouth spoke. The other finished, "Positively, negatively, or neutral?"

"Um, well, see, my mother taught me that-" Alex started, already winding up for a full-on ramble. But the fusion held up his mismatched hands.

"We said a short answer, mon ami." Mulettens said, "Positive? Negative? Neutral?"

Alex squirmed in his seat, looking to Burr for help. The other man simply watched, his chin resting in his hand. "Uh - neutral?"

"Have you ever fused before?" The bigger mouth asked. "And if so, how was the relationship?"
"Relationsh -" Alexander fumbled, "No? I never?"

Mulettens, "So you have no true knowledge about fusion?"

Alex hesitated. He didn't want to seem stupid. But he also couldn't tell them that he knew anything. Honestly, he only knows the barest of minimums for fusion. He quietly shook his head no.

Mulettens then grinned, leaning forward. One of his large fingers curled under Alex's chin. "Want to have some hands-on tutoring?"

Alexander sputtered, his face bursting into a horrible red shade, "W-what?!"

"Fuse with us?" Mulettens smirked, "I can teach you anything you need to know."

"We are in public!" Alexander hissed, pulling away from the bigger man.

Mulettens laughed, leaning back, "He speaks like a poor maiden whom's purity has been requested!"

Burr shook his head, sighing, "Alright, Mulettens, stop teasing the young boy. He looks like he's about to faint."

"Hm, but he's got such a pretty color to him." Mulettens patted his head with a single finger. Alex felt like some toddler in comparison. "We like how he squeaks."

"Mulettens, do not make me tell Washington what you've been up to." Burr said, looking down at his nails; feigning disinterest. "He will be very disappointed in you."

Alexander squawked as the man suddenly deformed into a pile of limbs and hair. In Mulettens place was three men; all whom were talking at once.

"Monsieur Burr, you wouldn't dare! You know how much I need Washington's respect!"

"What the fucking hell, Laf!? You forced fission because of Burr!?"

"Guys, you're squishing me, I can't breathe, get up-"

Alexander's face snapped from a dark blush to ghostly white within seconds. He watched as these men squirmed and kicked each other in their little dogpile until they eventually found themselves all sitting in the fusion-sized chair.

Burr had the smallest of smiles cross his lips, "I'm sorry, boys, but you were making him uncomfortable. Clearly, Alexander has more to learn about his own biology before he can meet with Mulettens again."

And three sets of eyes were on him once again.

"Yeah, by the way," The tallest said, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

The three paused and laughed at each other.

"We still have fusion on the brain, it seems." The one with freckles giggled, leaning into the other men's space.

"Ah, Mulettens." The one with the neatly-clipped beard swooned, "If I could marry myself, I would."

The one with the beanie nudged him, "We all know you're saving yourself for Washington."

"I will conquer that man one day." The second sat up straight, a determined look on his face.

Freckles scowled, "Ugh, don't say it like that."

"Laf's obsession aside;" Beanie said, turning back to Alexander, "what's your name?"

Alexander squirmed, "Alexander Hamilton. My- my name is Alexander Hamilton."

"Hercules Mulligan."

"John Laurens!"

"Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette."

The one named Laurens leaned into Alexander's space, twirling a strand of hair on his finger, "Sooo, you've never fused before, Alexander?"

Alex shook his head, "My mother taught me that it was only for married individuals. That it's very personal and very intimate."

"Oh, yeah, definitely." Laurens nodded, "Which is why we should fuse."

"John!" Lafayette chided, "You just met the boy! At least take him for dinner first!"

"Aren't -" Alexander looked between the three, "Aren't you guys married?"

Hercules sighed, "No."

The other two either didn't notice his disappointment, or didn't care. Laf quickly explained, "Your mother was wrong on that aspect. There is no need for marriage. Fusion is a maternity of its own."

"Matrimony." John corrected, placing a hand on Laf's knee. "While marriage is usually romantic, fusion is not. Sure, couples fuse all the time - sometimes indefinitely. But that's not the extent of a fusion. Any relationship - even bad ones - can be a fusion."

Herc muttered quietly, "So, no. We're not dating. Or married. We're just… friends."

John waved his hand, "Fusion is more important than marriage anyway. More intimate; more loving; more everything."

Lafayette sighed and rested his head on Herc's shoulder, "One day, I might convince General Washington to fuse with me."

Alexander looked to Aaron Burr, "Have you ever fused before?"

Burr nodded once, "On occasion. With a good friend of mine, Jonathan Bellamy."

Aaron got a distant look in his eyes, a smile pulling on his lips. Clearly, they lost him. The man was pleasantly strolling through his memories as Alexander's attention was stolen by Hercules.

"Well, John's right. The best way to learn about fusion is to do it yourself." Hercules laughed at Alex's embarrassed expression, "Not right now! Or with one of us! With someone that you're comfortable with. Who's your closest friend?"

Alex's shoulders sank, "Um, Burr? I guess?"

"We just met." Burr hummed, still a bit dazed. "I don't count."

Three faces now gave him various expressions of pity. Hercules grabbed Alex's wrist and grinned, "Alright! You're ours now! We're adopting you!"

"What?" Alex asked, feeling a bit intimidated as the three men grinned.

"We're your friends now!" Laurens said, placing his hand on top of Hercules'.

"Oui! You can count on us from this point on!" Lafayette nodded, adding his hand to the pile.

Alex's chest warmed as he slowly smiled back at them. His smile turned horrified and he yanked his hand away when the three men immediately fused into Mulettens again.

Alexander held his hand close to his chest as the fusion laughed.

Somehow, Alex still decided to trust them.

Even as he rocked back and forth and whined, "That was meeeean!"

---

The more time Alexander spent with the trio, the more he was exposed to fusion. Because these fuckers were fused. All. The. Damn. Time.

Alexander walked in on them in the middle of fusing so many times that he had trouble sleeping at night. They didn't even wait until they were in private!

One time, they were walking home after a night of drinking, and John jumped onto Herc's back without warning. Alexander expected the two to go down, but instead they just leaned into Laf and - boom! Fusion.

That just meant that Alexander had to convince a seven-foot-tall drunk-off-his-ass man to be quiet and go to sleep. It was not an easy task. Mulettens only agreed to sleep if Alexander would sleep with him. Alex hesitated at first, because what if he gets squished? But finally relented. He had to admit, it was kinda nice being held by someone so much bigger than him. Relaxing. Safe.

When he woke up; three men were curled around him, snoring loudly. Alexander felt something in himself shift. A small thought, in the back of his mind, told him, 'maybe I could try this…'

---

To say that they were excited, was an understatement. Alexander made the mistake of telling Mulettens that he might, kind of, sort of, maybe, want to try fusion.

The poor man crumbled into three jittery idiots.

"Oh, my god! Really!?"

"Who do you want to do it with?"

"Okay, you two really have to stop forcing fission. This is getting old."

Alexander shuffled his feet. He at least waited until they were in his home; in private. But now that he had his friends watching him, he didn't know if he was really ready for such a thing.

The immigrant's face grew darker as he thought. "Um, I don't know…"

His friends glanced at each other, taking in his discomfort. They reeled back their excitement or annoyance and instead spoke softly.

"Hey…"

"Alexander?"
"You don't have to do this."

Alex looked up to them for a second before crossing his arms. "I just! I want what you guys have!"

The trio glanced at each other. They spoke in unison, "What do you mean?"

"That!" Alexander shouted, "You're all so in sync! It's like you're the same person, even when you're not fused! That sounds so nice and comforting! I don't have anything like that!"

Laf waved the thought away, "That's just because we're so used to each other. We've been doing this for years, mon ami."

John smiled, taking Alexander's hand in his, "You have us. You're not alone!"

"I know." Alex looked away, "But sometimes, I feel like the fourth wheel or something."

Laf glanced over to Herc for help.

"The original term is 'third wheel', but since there's four of u-"

"See! You're doing it again! Laf didn't even have to ask! You just knew!" Alexander threw his hands up in the air.

Herc took a slight step back, "I'm sorry?"

"Don't apologize! It's a great and beautiful relationship!" Alexander shouted and stomped his foot.

"Why are you yelling?" John asked, raising his hands.

"I don't know!" Alex shouted. Then he huffed and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just- I don't know. There's a lot going on up here." He gestured to his head. "I do want this, though. I want to try."

"Okay." John said quietly. "We'll help you."

Alexander smiled softly.

They spent the rest of the night trying to fuse.

John started first.

"I like to fuse through dancing." John explained. "When your bodies are in perfect sync, then it's easier to connect your minds."

Alex sweated slightly, "Uh, what if I can't dance?"
"If Laf managed to stumble his ways through a few steps, so can you." John smiled. "Besides, we'll just do a simple box step."

Lafayette grew red at the simple tease. He looked away, leaning into Hercules to hide his shame. Alex chuckled softly and took the other man's hands. John's eyes brightened at the contact, a small blush adorning his freckles.

John led him through the steps, smiling encouragingly and nodding along. "Yes, you're doing great."

Alex grinned as their steps grew faster. Soon they were twirling around his small living room. Alex's breath caught in his throat. He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. He let out a soft sigh at the contact. John suddenly stumbled. The two tripped over John's feet and they found themselves crashing to the ground. John wrapped his arms around Alex as they fell and Alex hid his face in John's chest.

Blinking, Alexander opened his eyes to see Hercules and Lafayette staring down at him.

"Did it work?" Alex asked, looking at his hand. He felt the distinct shape of a man under him. He looked up into John's eyes and sighed in disappointment.

"Sorry, buddy." John muttered, his face still a bit red.

Hercules helped Alex up as he lectured, "John, you weren't being completely open with Alex."

"Uh- yes I was!" John hissed, sitting up quickly.

Laf raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And you were 100% vulnerable? Willing to let Alexander know everything that you're thinking?"

John's blush darkened and he looked away, "Well, why don't you guys try. Show me how it's fuckin' done and all that."

Laf grinned, "Happily."

He took Alexander's hand and led him over to the couch. "Now, mon ami. My way of fusion is a bit non-traditional."

Alex glanced over to the other two. Herc looked a bit uncomfortable and John was still embarrassed at his failed attempt. Glancing back at Laf, he said, "Okay…"

"You are more than welcome to stop me whenever you please." Laf said, "If you are even the slightest bit uncomfortable, the fusion will not work."

"Right…" Alex was still unsure of what was about to happen.

Laf smiled and gently tipped Alexander's chin up, "Relax, mon petit lion."

Alex forced his shoulders to relax. Laf gave him a pleased smile and he smiled back. Then, the other man was leaning in, and Alexander tensed all over again. Their lips met in a gentle brush. There was nothing forced about the contact. It brought a warm fog into Alexander's chest as he sighed into the other man's mouth. Lafayette's hand rested at the back of Alexander's neck; not forcing him to stay in place, but providing a grounding sense of comfort. Laf tilted his head slightly, changing the kiss from one of shy attempts to a more meaningful need. Alex felt his fingers card through Laf's thick curls. A small whimper escaped his mouth.

Laf pulled away slowly, catching his breath. Alexander was panting, his eyes lidded as he started at the Frenchman.

"Holy shit." Laf whispered.

Alex whined, "Is that all?"
"Non." Laf pulled him back in. This kiss was not shy, nor was in kind. The two tugged at each other's clothes; scratched their scalps and pulled their hair. Laf growled into Alexander's mouth and the immigrant felt himself melt at the sound of it.

When Hercules was able to distinctly see Lafayette's tongue slide into Alexander's lips, he looked away and cleared his throat loudly.

"Okay, Laf. It isn't working. You can stop now." Hercules said.

John squirmed uncomfortably, "Yeah, it's Herc's turn. Admit defeat."

Neither men listened. They started rolling their hips.

"You're just making out! You're not fusing!" Herc almost shouted.

Still, they continued. Laf's hand reached under Alexander's coat.

"Lafayette! Stop!" John shouted, his voice clearly distressed.

The Frenchman pulled away suddenly, leaving Alexander dazed. "Oh, shit. John, I am so sorry."

"It's fine." John looked away, holding himself in his arms. "Herc, it's your turn."

Hercules couldn't make eye contact with Laf or Alex as he said, "I'm going to do my try in private, if you don't mind."

"Will it be anything like that?" Alex swooned, a lopsided grin on his face.

Herc bit the inside of his cheek, "No."

Alex blinked at his tone, but got up and followed him into the bedroom.

Once the door closed behind them, John turned to Laf, "What the fuck was that!?"

"It is how I fuse!" Laf hissed, "You know this! We've fused plenty of times!"

"Yes, but that wasn't- you were just- you know how I feel about him!" John said, running his hands through his hair.
"Yes, it is why you couldn't fuse with him." Laf said simply. "I don't see why this is worth discussion."

John crossed his arms, "So you wouldn't mind if I went and made out with Washington right in front of you?"

Laf sighed, "I know… I'm sorry, John."

The Frenchman tipped John's chin up, smiling down at him. He leaned in a little, only to have John lean back.

"I don't want to fuse with you right now." John muttered. "You made me mad."

"Gelatine." Laf said, "I believe the word is 'gelatine'."

John shook his head, but a smile was pulling at his lips. "It's 'jealous'."

Laf grinned, brushing a finger against John's lower lip, "There is that smile I adore."

John scoffed, "You're a walking stereotype."

"Shut up and fuse with me." Laf whispered.

"Herc will get gelatine." John replied, just as quiet. "You just want to get in trouble today, don't you?"
A mischievous smirk spread across Laf's face, "This is true. I need constant attention, you know."

John chuckled at that, but pulled away. "No, Laf. You're not getting out of this one that easily."

The Frenchman pouted. "Fine."

With that, the two sat down on the couch to wait for Hercules and Alexander to come out. Hopefully as one.

Being shaken awake when you don't remember falling asleep is always a strange feeling. Both Laf and John jumped awake when Hercules and Alex stood over them.

"Jesus, how long were you in there?" John groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Many hours." Hercules shrugged.

It was then that the two got a good look at them.

Alexander's hair was a mess and he appeared dead on his feet. He was far more tired than normal; his bags under his eyes very prominent. Hercules lost his beanie at some point and his voice was rough; the kind that suggests they did a lot of talking. And both their eyes were red.

Laf jumped up, getting a better look at Hercules. He held the other man's face in his hands.

"You've been crying?!"

Hercules shrugged, "Well, yeah…"

John gave Alexander the same treatment, brushing back his hair softly. "Oh my god, what did he make you do?"

"We just talked." Alex mumbled. He hiccuped, the kind that one gets after they've sobbed harshly. John pulled Alex into a tight hug, staring at Hercules.

"You made him talk!?"

"And listen." Hercules offered a tired smile. "We almost had it. But, no dice."

Alex looked up at John, appearing very small, "Can we go to sleep now?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." John mumbled, pressing a quick kiss to Alex's temple.

"I wanna sleep with Mulettens, please…" Alex mumbled into the crook of John's neck. "He's warm."

John glanced at Laf, "Okay. We can do that."

"Thanks."

"Go get ready for bed, buddy. We'll be right with you." Herc suggested. Alex nodded and peeled himself away from John.

Once the boy was gone, the three men turned on each other.

"Are you serious right now!? You made him tell his sob story to you!?"
"Emotional vulnerability is the best way to fuse and you know it! That's why you couldn't fuse with him! You were too focused on your little crush!"

"I was not!"

"You totally were."

"At least I didn't make out like horny teenagers!"

"Uh, we are horny teenagers."

"I cannot believe this!"

"We have to calm down or we'll never form Mulettens."

"I don't want to from Mulettens!"

"John, please."

"No!"

Hercules grabbed John by the shoulders, forcing him to look in him in the eyes, "Alexander is fine! I made sure he was in a good place before I brought him out here. But if he wants Mulettens, then he gets Mulettens! Am I understood!?"

John sighed but nodded once.

"Good." Hercules glared at Lafayette, "Now, apologize for your attempt at fusion!"

Laf shuffled his feet, "I may have gone too far. But we were close to fusion. I could feel it."

Hercules sighed, figuring that was the best he'd get. "And I'm sorry for making him cry. But he didn't do anything different than what you two went through."
"Yeah, but we were able to fuse after that." John mumbled. "And that made all those feelings worth it."

Hercules cupped John's cheek, "So let's make these feelings worth it."

John smiled softly, leaning into Hercules' touch. Laf pressed a kiss to Herc's lips as John twirled into their embrace.

Mulettens ducked into Alexander's room to find the boy sniffling. He was sat on the bed, looking at a picture of a woman. Inside his mind, John and Laf poked Herc for information, but the man wouldn't budge. Mulettens only had a vague idea of what might have happened in this room previously. Alex looked up when the fusion sat down next to him.

"Hey, baby boy." One mouth said.

The other smiled, "I heard you wanted me?"

Alex nodded mutely and held his arms up like a child. The fusion huffed softly in laughter and pulled him against his chest. They laid down on the bed; Mulettens' legs sticking out over the edge. Alex curled up against Mulettens, letting out little sniffles occasionally.

Mulettens pulled up his blanket and wrapped an arm gently around him. "It's okay that you didn't fuse today, baby boy. These things take time."

Alex nodded once, sniffling again.

Mulettens hummed softly until the little man on his fell asleep.

---

New York harbor, thirty-two thousand British troops surround the revolutionaries. Alexander and his brothers in arms were starting to panic a bit. He watched as other men threw their guns down and high-tailed it out of there. Alex grit his teeth, knowing that that was simply not an option for him.

He's always need a war, he's always known that this was the only way he would ever gain wealth and power. So he dug his heels in and kept shooting forward. The battleships in the harbor were shooting cannonballs straight into the city, uncaring if any civilians got in the way.

"Incoming!" Someone shouted. Alexander had only a second to look up and see a cannonball falling right towards him. There was no time to react, there was no where to go.

Suddenly, he was being swept off his feet, pulled to safety. He gasped as his he looked up to see Mulettens. The cannonball crashed into the ground right where Alexander was standing. Mulettens turned to the blast was to his back, shielding Alex.

"Hey, baby boy." One mouth said. Alex laughed, despite the war happening around them. The other mouth suddenly shouted, "Here comes the general!"

Alexander twisted around to see where Mulettens was looking. Sitting on a large, dashing horse at the top of a hill is the man himself.

General George Washington.

"Regarde mon amour!" Mulettens sighed. Then, the fusion rolled his eyes and the other mouth replied, "Is this the best time, Laf?"

Alex smiled, but was quickly distracted by another cannonball crashing to into the wall next to them. Mulettens made sure he protected Alex from the blast. The fusion looked over at the ships that were destroying their city.

"We'll never be able to win like this." Mulettens muttered, then looked down at Alexander, "Any ideas, baby boy?"

A wicked thought crossed Alexander's mind, he whipped around to look up at him, "Yo, let's steal their cannons!"

Two giant grins beamed back at him.

By being a fusion, Mulettens stands taller above the rest of the army. So he's a bigger threat, and an easier target. Their plan was for Mulettens to distract the ships while Alexander climbed aboard and wrecked havoc.

To say it went off without a hitch would be lying. But that's not to say that they weren't successful. Alexander was able to set one ship on fire and shoot cannonballs into two others, only to be picked up by Mulettens once the British started to retreat. Over half of the American army had already disappeared further west, and when General Washington gave the call to fall back, it was clear the fight was over for the day. Mulettens carried Alexander, ignoring how beat up he was. Alex couldn't ignore this, though.

Once they were sat down in a little base in Harlem, Alexander was quick to treat the fusion's wounds.

"Alexander, they are just scratches. We are fine." Mulettens said, waving off the smaller man's hands. "Besides, you don't have bandages big enough for me."

"Then unfuse and I'll treat you all properly." Alexander said, blushing slightly that he would suggest such a thing.

Mulettens grinned, placing a hand on his chest. "But! Alexander!" One mouth said in mock surprise, "We are in public!"

Alex squirmed, looking away, "Shut up. Just do it, okay?"

Mulettens laughed and patted Alex's head with his finger gently. "Very well. Adiós, baby boy."

The immigrant covered his eyes as Mulettens defused, and three men took his place. They were all wrapped in eachothers arms, looking like they just went through a carnal night rather than a battle for freedom.

John giggled as Hercules pulled him and Laf closer, whooping in excitement. Laf sighed, brushing back a stray strand of John's hair. Alex stood awkwardly to the side, first-aid kid in anxious hands.

"That was amazing!" Herc grinned, loosening his grip so he wasn't crushing the other two anymore. "God, did you see us? Those ships didn't even see it coming!"

"Those redcoats don't wanna mess with us!" Laurens shouted, a wild fire in his eyes. "I saw one guy, took a single look at us and ran."

Laf leaned into Herc's chest, holding his heart like he was wounded, "And my general smiled at us - did you see? J'ai soif d'approbation."

"Yeah! He was definitely watching us!" John said, he and Laf high-fived.

Herc, bless him, saw Alexander still waiting. He gestured for him to come closer, "And your idea with the cannons? Genius!"

"Mulettens really likes you." John added, blushing a little.

"Oui!" Laf pulled Alex into the group hug, "You are held close to his heart!"

Alex felt the tension in his muscles loosen. He's never had friends like this before. He's never been friends with a fusion before. He smiled shlyly as he mumbled, "Thanks."

"Now. Let me see those wounds!" Alex held up his first-aid kid. The men chuckled.

"They really only looked bad because Mulettens is so big." John said, "Really, they're all just little scratches."
"Don't care." Alex said, pulling Hercules over to a table. "I'm cleaning you up. All of you."

Herc huffed but sat quietly while Alexander gently cleaned and bandaged his face and neck. Laf's hands were busted and bruised, so Alexander fixed up those as well. John was last. Looking him up and down, Alex couldn't find a single bruise on him.

"What the hell." Alex said, rubbing some mud off of John's cheek. "How are you not hurt?"

John shrugged. "Fusion?"

Laf shook his head, crossing his arms, "It was not Laurens' fault that he was not killed or wounded; he did every thing that was necessary to procure one or the other."

John grinned, "That's true."

Alex was about to comment, when a man approached them, speaking to Alexander, "Mr. Hamilton? The General would like to see you."

The men shared a look before Alexander left them to follow the man to where the general was staying. Alexander was a bit nervous, he'd never met the general before.

But he's heard plenty of things about him. He's heard that George Washington, the only true American, was 7 feet tall. He heard that he had a voice of deep honey. He heard that he could stop a duel with a single word. He heard that bullets fear hitting him. He heard that he's a fusion…

Alexander wondered the truth of the last one. Was his general a fusion? Would that make his accomplishments more or less impressive? What if he wasn't a fusion?

Alexander shook these thoughts away. It didn't matter if his general was a fusion or not. Alexander was excited and ready to meet him. Hopefully he wasn't in trouble. What could this meeting be about?

Taking a deep breath, Alexander stepped into Washington's office, surprised to find Aaron Burr standing there, addressing the general.
"Sir? You wanted to see me?" Alexander called before he made it past the doorway.

"Hamilton? Come in. Have you met Burr?" The man asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"Yes, sir." Alexander said, offering a small smile to Burr. He does not get one in return.

"We keep meeting."

Alexander stays quiet as Washington dismisses Burr. Instead of speaking, he observes the man. He doesn't have any extra eyes or limbs or mouths or anything. And while he's large, he doesn't appear to be double or triple a regular man's height. Alexander comes to the conclusion that this man is not, in fact, a fusion. The thought calms him.

"Did I do something wrong, sir?" Alexander asked after a moment.

Washington stands up and approached the younger man. "On the contrary, I called you here because of a recommendation."
"Oh?" Alexander says, raising his eyebrow.

"I know that quite a few other generals have tried to recruit you." Washington keeps his face neutral as he says, "And you've turned them all down. Why is that?"

Alexander shifts on his feet, "The other generals just want me to be a secretary. I want to be in the battlefield, with my fellow soldiers."

Washington nodded, "You certainly have some bright ideas. I know that you were the one that stole the British cannons."

Alexander frowned, connecting the pieces. How could Washington know about that? And who recommended him? His gaze flicked back up at the general, "Who told you such a thing?"

"The good Mulettens." Washington saw no reason to hide it. "He's very fond of you."

Alex scoffed. He was only talking to the greatest man on the continent because his friends put in a good word for him. That's not exactly what he wanted. Alex chose not to speak.

"You're upset." Washington observed.

"I'm not." He wasn't going to tell his friends not to be excited about him or whatever. But if he was going to make a name for himself, he wanted to do it on his own. Not with the help of a fusion.

Washington paused, and then carried on, "Mulettens is a very … private individual."

That caught Alex's attention. Nothing he's seen proved that right. He watched the general as he continued.

"Being a fusion of three men, three best friends, he doesn't reach out to people often. He'd prefer to be by himself. So, the fact that he spoke so highly is a great compliment. Do not throw it away, son." Washington placed a hand on his shoulder, "Now, are you willing to let me continue, now that you understand the circumstances?"

Alexander hesitated, but nodded.

---

"GUESS WHO'S WASHINGTON'S NEW AIDE-DE-CAMP!?" Alexander shouted as he burst into his and Muletten's room.

His friends whooped excitedly, offering him the highest of fives and hugs.

"Now that you're working with my general, you simply must tell me all about him." Lafayette sighed. "Introduce us, if you will!"

Alexander paused, "You haven't met the general?"

"Not on my own." Laf pouted. "I'm always with these two."

Hercules explains, "Mulettens is the only fusion in the Continental army. He stood before Congress to demand for his right to fight for his country."

John carried on, "Congress agreed to let Mulettens be a test run. To see if fusion is an acceptable - moral - way to fight. If Mulettens works out fine, then they'll think about using more."

"They put us under Washington's command, because he is the greatest human being to ever live." Lafayette said seriously, "But he has only met us as Mulettens. As far as I know, he has no idea who Hercules, John, and Lafayette are."

Alexander frowned, "But Mulettens is friends with him?"

Laf blushed, "Ah, if only. But yes, they are closer than the average soldier-general relationship."

Alex's face lit up suddenly, "Hey, you guys helped me, I'll help you. No problem. Don't worry Laf, you'll be at Washington's side in no time."

Lafayette's eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. "Monsieur, you are too kind!"

Hercules appeared a bit conflicted as he said, "Yeah… thanks, Alex."

---

Only a few weeks later, there was a ball. Held by the beautiful Catherine Schuyler and honorable General Philip Schuyler.

"Now, best behavior tonight, alright?" Hercules said, fixing Lafayette's jacket.

"Or what? You'll spank me?" Laf smirked. Hercules' dark blush was worth it for being smacked in the head by John.

Hamilton rolled his eyes as he let his hair down from it's ever-present bun. He ran a brush through it a few times, attempting to make it look good. "Why are you like this?"

"It is Hercules' fault!" Laf said, pointing his finger at the other man, "He is a bad inflated!"

"Influence." John corrected. "But, he's right. Herc's the real perv here."

Hercules gasped, "I take offense to that!"

Laf chuckled, "We've been in your head. We know what you think about at night."

The Frenchman winked and licked his lips, causing Hercules to make a soft whining noise and look away. John shook his head at his friends. He still didn't know if Laf understood what he did to Herc sometimes.

"Alright, we ready?" John asked, buttoning the last button on his coat. He got a chorus of 'yeah's in response.

Alexander turned around, "How do I look?"

John's mouth grew dry as he caught sight of Alexander with his hair down. The boy looked delectable. "Good, great, yeah, you, good."

"Smooth." Laf muttered, leading the way out the door. "Come now, to the winter's ball!"

---

Alexander discovered quickly enough what the purpose of the ball was. Young, single women stared at him and his friends the second they walked into the room. They were watching him, stalking his every move, trying to decide if he was wealthy enough to bring them a life of luxury. He glanced at John nervously, feeling a bit like prey.

The feeling only got worse when the women started approaching him. Alex looked around, only to find that Lafayette and Hercules had vanished.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Or is that Colonel Hamilton?" A woman said.

Alex gulped awkwardly, "You are not mistaken, miss. And this is Lieutenant-Colonel Laurens."

The woman seemingly lost interest in Laurens almost immediately. Her gaze instead stayed locked on Hamilton.

"You work under General Washington." The woman smiled.

"Yes, miss." Alexander said. Glancing to Laurens for help. He didn't want to be examined like a piece of meat. He just wanted to get drunk and hang out with his friends.

"I'm gonna see if it's too late to fuse with Herc and Laf." John muttered into his ear, disappearing into the crowd.

Nooooooo! Alex mentally whined. Left alone, defenseless to the wolves that were moving in.

More women surrounded him.

Curse my dashing good looks!

Well, might as well give these lovely ladies a show.

"Oh, yes, I worked with General George Washington. The only true American. Yup. We're great buddies. He has a lot of respect for me. Like, a ton."

The ladies excitedly leaned forward, calculatedly showing their bosoms to him, "Oh? Tell us more!"

Alex wasn't going to say no to such polite young women. He began to tell a lengthy story about how Washington and himself were in the middle of a battle against the British, when things were going south. He explained how Washington turned to him, Alexander Hamilton, and asked him what to do. And he went into detail about how Alexander single-handedly saved the day, despite getting shot in the leg and having to be carried back to camp.

"I almost died." Alexander finished, "But it was worth it for our General and our country."

The women applauded his bravery. Some even wiped away a stray tear. Alexander smiled in pride. His smile immediately fell when he heard a voice ring out about the crowd.

"FIRSTLY!" A few women stepped out of the way, "Marquis de Lafayette did that."

"SECONDLY!" Alexander could see two fingers being raised above the crowd, "Washington has told our father on multiple occasions how distasteful you can be, Colonel Hamilton. Although he never mentioned you being a liar."

"AND THIRDLY!" The entire crowd was looking back and forth between Alexander and the mystery heckler. "I'm sure the worst injury you get is a nasty hand cramp since you're nothing more than the aide-de-camp."

Alexander gulped. He's been found out. "Ah, you've caught me, my lovely young misses. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

The crowd parted like the red sea as a beautiful woman walked up to him. Alex's face grew dark as he saw not one, not two, but three pairs of arms. The woman had a light brown skin and hair that couldn't seem to decided if it was straight or curly. The eye that Alexander could see was a bright blue, but the other (others?) were covered by a pile of bangs.

"Oh." Alex gulped. "A fusion."

The woman narrowed her eye. "Indeed. The best fusion in New York, many have said."

The ladies surrounding the fusion looked to Alexander, to see if he would challenge such a claim. Alex kept his mouth shut. The woman was easily a foot taller than him and he could tell by her intricate dress alone that she is of high wealth. No need to stir up trouble.

"But of course. May I ask to whom I'm meeting for the first time?"

"Aneggeli." The woman curtsied, all six hands grabbing some of her dress delicately. "But you may call us the Schuyler Sister."

"An - what?" Alex stuttered for a second before quickly holding out his hand, "Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you - three? You, um, hi."

"Hmm." The Schuyler Sister raised an eyebrow. "Father tells us you are very well-spoken. But you have yet to prove it."

Alexander let his hand drop, "Forgive me. I am just not used to such a beautiful women - woman in my presence."

One pair of arms were crossed, while another had its hand on her hips, and the last were playing absentmindedly with her hair. "Hm. You don't have much experience with fusions, do you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Alexander asked, awkwardly scratching at his head. The women that were surrounding him dissipated, apparently losing interest now that they know he's a fraud.

"Painfully." The Schuyler Sister said. "Dance with me?"

"I, uh, okay." Alexander awkwardly let her lead him to the crowded dance floor. People begrudgingly made space for the larger woman. She was about as tall as Mulettens. Alexander didn't know what he was supposed to do. He was so much smaller than her. His hands were tiny in her own. And which pair of hands was he supposed to hold? What was he doing?

The Schuyler Sister chuckled at his misery. She swayed to the classical music before she carefully spun in a circle. Alexander realized what was happening a second too late. He ended up accidently watching the entire fission process. His face lit up in a bright red as three beautiful women were suddenly surrounding him, dancing gracefully. Alexander didn't know which one he was supposed to look at. The song ended a moment later and Alex realized he spent the entire time standing there, looking like a terrified virgin.

The youngest girl curtsied and then winked at her sisters as she disappeared into the sea of people. Alex almost missed her. She appeared the least threatening. Instead, he looked back to the other two sisters, who were watching him carefully.
"That was - quite a display." Alexander said,

The oldest sister took pity on him, "I'm Angelica. This is Eliza."

"We have a proposition for you." Eliza smiled, but her eyes flashed dark.

Naturally, Alexander's mind went straight to the gutter. He put on his most charming smile and placed a kiss to each of the women's knuckles, "By all means, lead the way."

The girls smirked at each other and then led Alexander through the party, escaping out onto the outside patio. Angelica closed the glass doors behind them as Eliza checked to make sure no one was standing on the ground below.

Alex was slowly realizing that he was probably not about to be a part of an incestuous threesome. The fact was only drilled home when Angelica turned around and said, "Let's talk about fusion."

Alexander wanted to cry. Why did everyone wish to openly speak about such a private topic? He felt his skin start to crawl as he pondered jumping off the balcony.

"Okay." Alexander said quietly.

"Don't sound so scared, darling." Eliza laughed. She had a really nice laugh. Alexander felt his face heating up for another reason entirely. "We're not going to fuse with you or anything."

Angelica stepped forward, placing a hand on Eliza's shoulder, "My sister and I were each other's first fusion. Our parents were equally proud and upset, considering how young we were when we first formed Angeliza."

"I was, what, only six?" Eliza said, smiling at her sister. "We were practically a permafusion. Angeliza was our parent's child, not us."

"Then Peggy came along and well, we were the Schuyler Sister." Angelica shrugged. "I remember one time, our little brothers freaked out because they were meeting Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy for the first time. They had never known us before."

"That was a fun day." Eliza reminisced.

Alex was growing more and more uncomfortable the more they spoke. "Uh, that's great."
Angelica turned her hard gaze onto him, "Have you ever fused before, Colonel Hamilton?"

"Well, no." Alexander looked away, his hands fidgeting awkwardly. "But my best friend is a fusion."

"Oh? What's their name?" Eliza asked, "Are they here tonight?"
Alex shrugged, glancing through the windows to see if Mulettens had formed, "Well, his name is Mulettens. But I don't know if-"

"Ugh. Mulettens." Angelica scoffed. Eliza swatted at her chidingly.

Alexander suddenly grew very defensive of his friend. "What do you mean by that?"

Eliza sighed, "Well, this is what we pulled you aside to discuss."

"Mulettens?" Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"What he stands for." Angelica said. "You see, your friend is an experiment done by Congress."

Alexander frowned, "Yes, to see if fusions are suitable to fight in a war."

Eliza shook her head, "Daddy tells us that Congress was using Mulettens to see if fusions are dangerous to the unfused."

"Why would fusions be dangerous?" Alexander asked. Sure, he was uncomfortable around them and he believed they should stay in the bedroom, but he never thought they were dangerous.

"We're not!" Angelica said, "And that's the issue! You see, whether Mulettens knows it or not, he's a pawn in Congress' game."

"And what game would this be?" Alexander said, crossing his arms.
Eliza took a deep breath, "If Congress decides that fusions are easy to kill, but useful in battle, then they will start enlisting slaves."

"That's good." Alexander said.

"And force them to fuse." Angelica continued.

"That's bad." Alexander corrected.

"And if they die, Congress doesn't care, because they're slaves." Eliza finished. "The Mulettens project cannot succeed in battle. If it does, our soldiers will have no jobs and our slaves will be slaughtered."

Alexander shook his head, "You're wrong."

"We're not." Angelica said, "Our father told us as such. He could be hanged for treason for spilling even a word. But he told us because he knows how much fusion means to us."

"Alexander," Eliza placed a hand on his, "if Mulettens is a success, humans will be forced into fusion. Through manipulation and torture. That's not what fusion is. It's about love and trust."

Angelica's voice is morose as she said, "Fusion will be seen as nothing more than a weapon. People will fear fusions. I can't have that."

Eliza sounded like she was about to cry, "Daddy says the president of Congress wants to ban all fusion in America."

Alexander's hands were shaking, "Washington wouldn't allow this."
"I'm not sure if even Washington knows. If he has a choice." Eliza shakes her head, "This may be something that's unstoppable."

"Unless." Angelica sighs, upset.

"Unless?" Alex leaned forward, wanting to know their plan.

"Unless you can stop the Mulettens project from being considered a success." Eliza said, she was quick to continue, "You don't have to stop them from fusing ever. Clearly, they love each other very much. But they cannot be fused in battle. Or, if they do, Washington cannot approve of it."

Alexander felt very cold suddenly, "Why are you telling me this? Why not to Mulettens?"

"We're afraid Mulettens won't believe us." Angelica said, "You work under Washington. You're his main aide-de-camp. You write his reports. If he is to write a report about the Mulettens project, it has to be expressed expertly. You're the only one who can do it."

Eliza threaded her fingers together with Angelica's as she said, "It has to frown upon fusions being active in war, but not upon fusion in general. If Congress outlaws all fusion, that doesn't help anyone."

Alexander spoke urgently, "Let me tell Mulettens! He won't stand for this! He wants to abolish slavery, free both of his countries, and knit really nice shirts! He won't let forced fusion be a thing! He has argued in front of Congress, he can do it again."

Eliza and Angelica shared a look. Angelica was the one who spoke, "I don't think so, honey."

"Why not?!" Alexander hissed.

"If any of this gets out, our father could lose his job, be put on trial, and thrown in jail, or worse." Eliza begged, "Please, this has to stay a secret."

Alexander crossed his arms, "Mulettens can keep a secret."

Angelica loudly snorted. Eliza shushed her.

"What?" Alexander asked.

"There's a reason he has two mouths, Alexander." Eliza said softly. "He can hardly keep a secret."

Alex shook his head, "Okay, then I'll tell his separate components. The three of them can keep a secret."

The women stared at him like he was an idiot. He felt like he just said something very stupid. He sighed, his lack of knowledge about fusion culture will be the death of him someday.

"What is it?" He gestured for them to just tell him his mistake.

Angelica spoke as if he was the dumbest person she's ever met. "If you tell even one of his separate parts. He will know it. A fusion has the mind of all its components. Anything you tell one of them, the others will know once they fuse."

"So I can't tell any of them about this?" Alex whined.
Eliza said, "No. If one knows, Mulettens will know, and, trust me, he'll tell everyone."

Alexander sighed and looked up at the stars. He wondered what his mother would do right now. He wondered if that would even be the right choice. What could he do to stop this from happening? What if he hurts his friends - his only friends - by doing this?

"Please, just think about helping us?" Angelica asked quietly. "You're our only hope."

Eliza curtsied to him and then stepped into her sister's embrace. Alex quickly averted his gaze. These women have no shame at all.

"Alexander." A large hand tapped his shoulder. He looked up to see the most beautiful women he's ever had the pleasure to look at. Angeliza was a walking goddess. She looked human, except for her added height, and she had the most breathtaking smile. Alexander felt his heart stutter as she sighed, "Good sir, without you, I am helpless."

"I - yeah - I'll do my best, Miss Schuyler." Alexander stuttered, his face burning red.

The women chuckled, she held out her arm and Alexander took it. She's not as big as the Schuyler Sister or Mulettens. But she was still taller than him. It wasn't too difficult to wrap his arm around hers and escort her back into the dance.

As soon as Angeliza left him with a small peck to his forehead, Alexander found himself surrounded by his friends. Laf and Herc were slapping him on the back while John glared at Angeliza's retreating form.

"Dude! The Schuyler sisters!" Herc grinned, "What'd they say to you!?"

"Did they ask you to marry them? Are you rich now? Because I need more rich friends. Herc and John are so depressing when they complain about being poor." Laf sighed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, not all of us can hang out with the king of fucking France." John muttered, finally tearing his gaze away from the beautiful fusion.

Alex shook his head, "They just wanted to talk. I'm still poor."

"Booooo!" Herc said, pointing his thumb down. Alex chuckled and allowed his friends to take over the conversation. He wanted to tell them. He wanted to let them know what they were a part of. But he couldn't. For the sake of fusion. Or something.

---

Alexander anxiously looked out the window as thunder rolled in the distance. It was going to rain soon. Alex shifted closer to John, maybe if he just stayed warm, he'd be able to convince himself that There was no storm.

Lafayette stood up, stretching out his back until it popped. "I am ready for a drink!"

John looked up from the letter he was reading. "We don't have anything."

Laf held out his hand, "Then it is time to go out!"

A blush sprang to Hercules' cheeks. "W-what?"

"To the bar." Laf explained, still holding out his hand. "Who's with me?"

John looked back down at his letter, a pout forming on his lips, "Not tonight, Laf."

Thunder clapped suddenly, Alex quickly shook his head. "Yeah, I'm going to have to say no as well."

Laf pouted, "I cannot party alone!"

Hercules stood up, "Don't worry, Laf. I got ya."

The Frenchman's face lit up like the sky outside. He smirked as he said, "Then, let's make it official, non?"
John snorted when Hercules literally swooned. He sighed as he relaxed into Laf's arms, allowing their lips to fall together. Alex frowned in confusion before he realized what was happening. He squeaked and hid his face in the crook of John's neck. The other man made a noise of pleasant surprise.

When Alexander peaked out from his hiding spot, a new man stood in his friends' place. The man appeared a bit dazed, his thumb was tracing his lips. He sighed happily as he glanced up at Alex and John.

"John! My love! It's a pleasure to see you once again!" The man spoke, snapping out of his reverie.

Laurens waved him off, "Yeah, glad you're not in my head."

Alex got a better look at the man. Half of his head was shaved, but the other half had long, flowing curls that covered half of his face. He only had one mouth, only two arms. He appeared normal, except for how big he was. He had Laf's skin and Mulligan's eyes. He spoke with a French New Yorker accent. Alexander couldn't tell if that was attractive or not.

"Hm, you're right." The man said, stepping forward to lean over John. "I cannot make love to you when you are fused with the other two."

Before the fusion could get any closer, John stuck his foot out; keeping him at a distance, "I said not tonight, Mullette."

The fusion stuck out his tongue, flipping his hair out of his face. It was then Alex saw the third eye resting under his left one. Usually it was obstructed by his hair. But, nope. There it was.

Alex found himself staring. He flinched and blushed when the fusion glanced over at him.

"Ah, new meat. My name is Mullette." He held out his large hand. Alexander took his and shook it.

"Alexander Hamilton."

Alex squeaked when the fusion pulled Alex to his feet and wrapped an arm around him. Alexander found himself pressed against the bigger man's chest, a hand tipping his chin up, "Hm, yes. I already know you, handsome. I'd love to see what else you have to offer, though."

John growled from his spot on the couch. "Mullette. You wanted to get drinks."

The fusion blinked rapidly, realization crossing his face. "Oh, yes! I forgot at the sight of such delicious treats."

"Yeah, yeah." John said waving him off. "Go fuck a horse."

Alex was let go of, the fusion winking at him with one of his three eyes. Mullette waved at them as he retreated. "I shall return with many victories, drunk off my ass, and hopefully as high as the French."

"I longingly await your return, my love." John said sarcastically, not looking up from his letter.

"As you should. Bye lovelies!" With that, he was gone.

Alex stood, staring at the closed door. His body felt warm where the fusion had touched him. Oh god, a fusion had touched him. With the intent to bed him. Dear lord! Alex's face burst into flames at the thought of it.

"Don't mind him." John said, turning his letter over to continue reading. "Herc's perviness combined with Laf's flirting makes that walking mess. He'll fuck anything that moves."
Alexander turned to look at him, "Have you…"

John looked up from his letter, his face blank. "Have I what?"

"Done it with a fusion?" Alexander whispered, like this was some political scandal.

John smiled, shaking his head fondly. "Yeah, all of us have."

Alexander gasped, his face unsure if it wants to go ghostly pale or bright red. "But- but-"

The southerner shrugged, "It's just like normal sex. Except their bigger. And sometimes there's extra limbs. And a few times they have extra … down there, too."

Alexander clamped his hands over his ears, "OH MY LORD STOP!"

John laughed, "It's actually very fun. Once you do it with a fusion, normal people are dull."

"You and Mullette?" Alex gestured to the closed door.

John shrugged, "When I was drunk. And then a few dozen times when I was sober. Mullette's a good lay. Knows what he's doing."

Alex shook his head. "Good lord."

"Herc has done it with Lafaur. And Laf has done it with Hercurens." John shrugged, "If we've been in each other's heads, it only makes sense to be in each other's-"

"Okay!" Alex held his hands up. "I get it! You guys fuck!"

John smiled, amusement sparkling in his eyes as he looked back down at his letter. His shoulders tensed and his expression grew hard. Alex returned to his spot, sitting next to him. The thunder clapped and he latched himself onto John's side.

Laurens, bless him, didn't tease. Or maybe he was too focused on what he was reading. Either way, they sat in silence until John finished his letter. He scoffed and crumpled it into a ball before tossing it into the fire.

Alex glanced at the portfolio of his friend. He watched the shadows shift against John's skin. He hummed softly, brushing his fingers against the back of John's hand. "You okay?"

Laurens glanced down at him and relaxed, his expression softening. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine."

Alex nodded and waited for the other to explain. He won't push it, because John appears upset. If he wanted Alex to know, he'd tell him.

This is proven right when John speaks, his eyes on the fire, "It's my father."

Alex shifted closer, pressing their sides together as he listened. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. No, he's just -" He sighed heavily, running a hand through his curls, "My father doesn't exactly approve of fusion."

"Oh." Alexander said, watching as John took deep breaths.

"That's why Mulettens got so mad at you when we first met. Because my father… he sees fusion as some kind of lesser form. He thinks they're impure. And when he found out that I'm usually fused with two other people… well, it wasn't pretty. Herc and Laf are the only reasons I made it through that."

Alex nodded, quietly listening to his friend. "I never thought fusion was impure or bad. It's just… awkward. And should be done in the bedroom."

"You know fusion is different than sex, right?" John asked, a smile hinting at his lips.

Alex scoffed, but his cheeks dusted pink, "Yes, I'm aware."

"Just saying." John hummed. His expression turned cold a second later when he continued, "And then I stood before him, in front of Congress and basically told him to fuck off."

"Jesus." Alex whispered.

"Well, it wasn't me. But, yeah. Mullettens had a few choice words." John shifted awkwardly. "Now my father is saying that he's going to convince the rest of Congress to ban fusion. I just - it's a lot, you know?"

Alexander nodded. He placed his hand over John's and spoke quietly, "I never met my father. And I've never fused before. But I can tell that both of these things mean a lot to you. And when one doesn't approve of the other, it only makes sense that you're upset. But I want to you know, even if I'm … weird … about fusion, I don't think you're impure. I love Mullettens."

John smiled at him, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "Thanks, Alex. ...That's why I didn't want to fuse tonight. I didn't want the others to know what I was thinking. Mullettens would lose his shit."

Alex chuckled. "I'd like to see that. The gentle giant spitting mad."

"Both mouths talk at once and basically verbally destroy anyone who opposes him." John said.

"Man after my own heart." Alex replied, without thinking.

That brought forth a laugh from John, which made Alex laugh as well. The two spent the rest of the night chatting, holding each other close by the fire. The storm outside eventually passed. Just as Alex was starting to fall asleep against his best friend, the door swung open suddenly.

Alex jerked forward, ready to fight some redcoats. But instead, it was a very crossfaded fusion. He stumbled and stuttered and giggled his way into the room.

"G-guys!" Mullette said, suddenly sounding terrified.

"What, Mul?" John asked, half-asleep. He was not dealing with the fusion today.
"I can't- can't find Hercules or Laf anywhere!" Mullette shouted, tears starting to form in his eyes. The ones on the top left eye fell into the bottom one, which only made him rub at it until it was redder. "I think they fin'lly left us for good, John!"

He started giggling in between his sobs, and then seemed confused about what was so funny.

John stared at the fusion like it was the most annoying thing in existence. "I hate you."

"I don't understand fusions." Alex mumbled as he helped the bigger man to their bed. It took a long time, but eventually they got the fusion to sleep; both men curled on either side of him.

When Alex was drifting off again for the second time that night, he watched John watch Mullette. Even in the low light, he could see how much the man adored the fusion. He couldn't tell if it was just because he was his friends, or it was because he was a fusion, or some combination of both. But he felt a tug at his heart as he wondered how someone could hate something that made him so obviously happy.

---

Washington grows more distressed by the day. Alexander works alongside the other aid-de-camps, writing letters and essays. He follows in Washington's footsteps to take notes on whatever his general may need. He doesn't see the battlefield.

"We just don't have enough." Washington grumbled one night. The other aides-de-camp have turned in for the night, leaving on Hamilton and Washington in his tent.

Alexander pauses his quill stroke. "Enough what, sir?"

"Enough of anything." Washington says, running a hand over his face. "The calvery's not coming. With each day moral lessens. Our men are dying. We're losing ammo with each battle. There's just, don't enough."

Alexander thinks for a moment and then replies, "I suppose if we knew what the British were doing, we'd be able to work with all of this. We'd be able to, you know, ration our people and supplies accurately."

Washington scowled, "And how do you plan on doing that? Asking them?"
This was the moment Alexander was waiting for. The one that might fix all his problems. If he is able to separate a third of Mulettens, then they can't fuse. This'll also help the war, and will allow his friends to rise up in ranks. It solves every issue.

"I propose we have a spy on the inside. Someone who'll blend in with the British and smuggle information to us." Alexander said calmly.

Washington paused, considering his idea. He always did listen to what Hamilton had to say a bit better than the other aides. "Who do you have in mind?"

Alexander silently gets up and gestures for his general to wait. Washington does. It takes a while, and the general gets distracted by reading some of the letters Alexander was translating. But eventually, the aide returns to his tent.

"Don't laugh." Alexander warned.

Washington set the letter down, "Son, I'd never laugh at your ideas."

Alexander took a deep breath and then stepped inside the tent, leading someone behind him. Washington didn't laugh. But his eyes grew wide as a fusion that really couldn't fit into the tent attempted to fit into the tent.

"Mulettens?" Washington scowled, "Hamilton, you do understand that someone of his… situation cannot properly blend in to the British crowd, right?"

"Not together, no." Alexander agreed. He gestured to Mulettens, who appeared a bit nervous. One of the mouths was chewing on its lip. Alexander snapped his fingers and the fusion scowled, but unfused. Washington chuckled as Alexander covered his eyes like a young maiden.

Standing in the aftermath, were three young men. Each had bright eyes and a hunger that was clear as the sun was hot. Washington looked them up and down, waiting for Alexander to continued.

The immigrant peaked between his fingers, then quickly recovered his composure and spoke. "Sir, I'd like you to meet John Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan."

The three men saluted Washington.

"I apologize for not meeting you beforehand." Washington said, "But you seemed keen on staying the other guy."
Alexander grinned, this was going so well. Alex quickly jumped in, "I propose that Hercules be our spy."

Herc's eyes flew wide, but he didn't say anything. He glanced at Alex, his expression unreadable.

"He's a very intelligent man. A taylor, so he would be able to make his own British uniform. And, he is probably the bravest man I have ever met. If anyone could lie to King George's face, it would be him."

Washington nodded once, his eyes calculating.

Alex moved on to the next man. "This is Gilbert du Marquis de Lafayette. He's volunteered into the army for free. And he's from French nobility. We need troops and supplies. If the Marquis requests it, France will supply it."

Laf did his best not to squirm under Washington's intense gaze. His face was a bit pink, just at being so close to his general. He was thankful that Alexander continued talking, he wasn't sure if he would be able to speak coherent English at the moment.

"This is Lieutenant-Colonel Laurens." Alexander said, "Son of Congressman Henry Laurens."

Alexander's thoughts stuttered suddenly as he realized that John's father was the president of Congress. His mind flashed back to whispered voices at night.

My father doesn't exactly approve of fusion.

Daddy says the president of Congress wants to ban all fusion in America.

No. No, he wouldn't be using his son in such a way, would he? Surely the man had morals. Surely he knew that this was crossing a line. To use his son's fusion as a way to test the use of them as weapons? To force them upon slaves? To eventually ban them? There was no way John was just a pawn in his father's masterplan…. Was he? Was this planned?

The need to ensure that Mulettens is a failure only skyrockets.

"Son? You were saying?" Washington asked, setting a hand on Alex's shoulder.

Alexander jolted out of his thoughts. "Just - um, John's one of the smartest men I know. Fluent in more languages than I can count. He's, he's a good man."

John raised an eyebrow at Alexander's strange tone. But Alex quickly tumbled on to his next point. "These men that make up Mulettens are more than just their combination. I urge you to allow them to rise up in their ranks and provide aid to our country."

Washington was quiet for a long moment. Alexander waited with baited breath for his general to speak. Finally, with a fairly disapproving tone, he said, "This is your solution?"

Alexander worriedly glanced at his friends, "Uh, yes?"

"Alexander, you cannot separate a fusion." Washington said bluntly. "No, Mulettens will stay together. Find new men for your plan."

"But sir-" Alexander started, but was, surprisingly, interrupted by Lafayette.

"Mon bon général, we are more than willing to seperate if it is what you believe necessary for the freedom of our country."

John snorted, he muttered under his breath, "Bitch, you ain't even American."

Herc smacked John in the back of the head, hissing, "Watch your language in front of the fucking general!"

The three men started arguing, ignoring the fact that they were in the middle of an important meeting. Alexander offered a weak smile to Washington, "As you can see, sir, I think some time apart will do them well."

Washington raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "I will think about it. You are all dismissed for the night."

"But, sir-" Alexander tried again.

"Dismissed, Hamilton."

Alex huffed and followed his friends out into the night air. "I cannot believe you guys! Arguing in front of Washington! You could have just ruined everything! I'm trying to save you!"

John raised an eyebrow, "Whoa, calm down. So what if we don't get any promotions? Mulettens is still the best fighter in the Continental army. It's not like we'll get fired or anything."

"No but if you -" Alexander quickly shut his mouth before he spilled the metaphorical beans. He couldn't tell them. He sighed deeply and started walking to their quarters. "Just, hope that things go well. Trust me. You guys need these positions."

The three men shared a confused look, "Uh, okay…"

---

Alexander was rushing through the streets of his city, hands full of papers for Washington, and a million things on his mind. Anyone who knew Hamilton for more than two minutes would not be surprised that he man didn't see the six-foot fusion standing right in his path. Lost in his own mind, Alexander ran straight into the poor person. He fell to the ground, his papers flying everywhere.

"Aw, shit." Alexander hissed as he scrambled to pick up his papers. He glanced up at the person he ran into. They had turned around; a look of shock crossing their face. "I am so sorry …" The person had long dreads that were currently pulled into a loose ponytail. They wore the strangest combination of a beautiful evening dress and a soldier's uniform. The hem of the long, flowing skirts morphed into blue tailcoats. Alexander took a swing, "... miss?"

"Close." The fusion's voice was warm like honey. It had a hint of amusement in it; a tone of familiarity. Alexander's mind swarmed as the fusion crouched down to help him pick up his papers. "You still haven't learned much about fusion, have you, Alexander?"

Alex felt his heart hammer in his chest, "Do - have we met?"

"Partially." The fusion hummed, making sure the papers were orderly before handing them to Alex. He caught the glint of a ring on their left finger. They smiled and Alex squirmed under the sight.

Alex had no control over his mouth as he stammered, "I- I am so sorry, I don't even know you're name. I just - have no idea who you were, or are, or could be, or-"

"Alexander." The fusion laced their fingers together and rested their chin on the back of their hands, "Talk less."

The immigrant almost dropped his papers all over again. "BURR!?"
"Belay that shouting!" The fusion hissed, the honey now sounding more like vinegar. They stood up quickly, nervously glanced around, making sure no one was listening in. "Yes, good sir, it's me."

Alexander squawked when the fusion picked him up and set him back down on his feet. Why did fusions always find the need to manhandle him? He can stand up on his own, thank you!

"Why - when did - you never told me you -" Alex sputtered. "I mean, not that you should - it's a very private matter, I was just - surprised - not that you're surprising, I was only -"

"He could go on for a while." The fusion said to themself, then louder, interrupted, "My name is Theoburr. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Alex awkwardly shook their hand. "Yes, me as well."

"Charmed." Theoburr chuckled and it only sounded a little sarcastic.

Hamilton ran a hand through his hair, the other clutching his papers to his chest. "Um, so, are you, I mean, why are you fused?"

Theoburr blushed, which was certainly a sight now that Alex could see Burr's features on the face. "Oh, well…" Theoburr cleared their throat and spoke seriously, "You always said that fusion was a private affair. No need breaking that philosophy now."

Alexander observed the way the fusion wrapped their arms around themself. He smirked at the goofy smile on their face and the dazed expression in their eyes. Alex had only seen that look on Burr one time, previously. When the man spoke of one of his previous fusions. Alex put two and two together and came up with seven but took a shot anyway. With all the confidence he didn't feel, he grinned, "Ah. I see what's happening here."
Theoburr appeared nervous again, glancing at a passerby, "Y-you do?"
"You're in love." Alexander pointed at them.

Multiple things happened at once, as soon as the words left Alex's mouth:

The fusion's face immediately flushed bright red. "ALEXANDER!"

Their hands came up to their face, a bit shaky; and their voice a hesitantly hopeful, "...Burr?"

Their head then fell into those delicate hands, groaning softly, "Theo…"

Alex watched all of this with a wistful fascination. The fusion froze in the same way that all fusions did when there was too much happening in their head. Alex waved at a civilian as they had to step around them. Hamilton desperately wished to know what was happening in that statuous state. Where they arguing? Confessing their undying love? Judging Alexander? What could be happening in there? And in what ways? Was it chaotic thoughts being thrown at each other? Or a very calm discussion? Alex thought about opening his mouth to ask, but before he could, the fusion snapped to life.

"You will not tell a soul what you saw today." Theoburr hissed, pointing a finger in his face.

"On what grounds?" Alexander asked, crossing his arms.

Theoburr sighed, their shoulders deflating. A hand ran across their face as they groaned again, "On the grounds that …"

Alexander waited patiently until Theoburr spoke again. "On the grounds that we're friends. And ... I may be doing something illegal."

The fusion held out their left hand, very clearly showing him a wedding ring. Alex squinted at them, "Burr has a husband?"

Theoburr just stared at him.

Alex stared back.

Theoburr said to themself, "I thought you said he was smart."

Then it hit him. "OH! You mean the other half! Okay! Yes! I understand!"

"Sweet Jesus." Theoburr sighed, putting their hands on their hips. "Alexander, promise me you won't inform anyone of this? I can't get Theodosia in trouble."

Alex waved them off, "Of course. My lips are sealed."

"Thank you!" Theoburr pressed a soft kiss to Alexander's forehead. "I must be off. I do wish that we meet again."

Alexander watched as they quickly walked off, mumbling to themself. He blinked in the morning sun before a strange thought crossed his mind. That was the first bigender fusion he'd met. What was happening under their skirts?

And that line of thinking led him to wondering if what John said was true; about sex with a fusion was better than a normal human. Which then led him to wonder what it would be like to have sex with a bigender fusion.

All in all, when Alexander showed up to his meeting twenty minutes late, he was a blushing, stuttering mess.

"Son, what's gotten into you?" Washington asked.

"There was a fusion…" Alex mumbled weakly.

The general snorted at him and shook his head good naturedly, "Ah. As you were saying?"

Washington found something hilarious in Alexander's failure to function around fusions, much to Alexander's mortification.

---

Alexander almost choked on his drink when Mulettens burst into the bar, whooping out of both of his mouths. The immigrant turned to watch his friend order his drinks with flourish and then sit down next to Alex.

"What has you so happy?" Alex asked.

"I got the promotion!" One mouth shouted.

"My boy is gonna fuck shit up in Britain!" The other grinned.

Alex chuckled and glanced around the tavern, "You might want to keep your voice down. Wouldn't want anyone to figure out who the super secret spy is."
"HERCULES MULLIGAN!" The fusion cheered, slamming his fists down on the table. Alexander now understood why he couldn't tell the man any secrets. Truly, he had a big (two) mouth(s).

Alex shook his head, "Alright, alright. So we're celebrating tonight?"

"Hell yeah!" The fusion threw back all three drinks at once, some of it missing his mouths. Alex winced, realizing he'd have to walk his drunken ass home tonight. "He sails off in the morning! It's time to party!"

But for now, he let himself be sucked up in the joy of the drinks and the companionship of his friend. They ended up talking and laughing until last call, when Alexander had to coax the bigger man out of the building.

He was right, he had to drag his drunk friend home. But that was fine, because even that was kinda fun, if not mortally embarrassing.

In the dead of the night, the drunk fusion shouted at anyone who walked by, "Je l'aime!" while holding Alexander up. Alex whined, hiding his face in his hands. "J'aime cet homme!"

Alex squirmed until the fusion took the hint and set him down. Alexander tapped his foot, crossing his arms, "Mulettens, you gotta be quiet. It's bedtime."
"But everyone needs to know this!" The fusion whined, almost tripping over Alexander. The fusion swayed on his feet for a minute before his eyes lit up, "This is my home!"

"Yeah, we're home now, so you can stop harassing strangers." Alex muttered as he keyed the door open and helped Mulettens in the building. Alex shut the door after them, shrugging off his coat.

"Je t'aime, Alexander!" Alex heard from behind him.

The immigrant smiled softly, "I love you, too, Mulettens."
Alex was lifted off the ground again. He kicked his legs as the fusion carried him to their bedroom.

"Hey - hey! Put me down! Mulettens!" Alex whined. He was dropped unceremoniously onto the bed. He twisted around to shout at the fusion, but his voice was caught in his throat when he saw the way the big man was looking at him. His voice was a little shaky when he said, "Uh, whatcha thinkin', there, buddy?"

"Veux-tu me faire l'amour?" Mulettens whispered as he leaned over Alex's smaller body.

Alex felt the blush spread from his face to his chest, "A-ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Alexander, we are both attractive men. We've been thinking, all night, about this… This is possibly my last night alive," Mulettens worked at slowly, clumsily shucking off his large coat. His fingers fumbling at the buttons, "y pensamos, ¿Por qué no?"

Alex shook his head, "What do you mean, your last night alive?"

Mulettens got his top coat off. It fell to the floor at the fusion's feet. "Hercules got the promotion. He will be sent off to England."

"A-and?" Alex watched as more layers were taken off, one by one. His mouth watered as more tan flesh was exposed.

"Alex…" Mulettens sighed, his expression suddenly morose, "I cannot exist without him."
Alexander swallowed hard, "Yeah, but he'll come back. After the war. He'll be fine. You'll be fine."

Mulettens stepped out of his boots, "Perhaps. But then Lafayette must return to his country."

"I- I don't- what are you-" Alex sputtered as he weakly held up his hands.

"I fear this is my last night." Mulettens sounded genuinely afraid. This wasn't some trick. The fusion honestly believed this was the end for him. He picked up one of Alex's hands - so small in his own. One of his mouths pressed a gentle kiss to it as the other asked, hopeful, "Will you make it special?"

Guilt rose in Alex's chest. Did he just doom this fusion to death by isolation? Did that even count as death? The three men would still be alive. If they truly wanted to, they could fuse again. Unless they were all in separate countries, unable to afford the time or money to travel just for a fusion. He looked away, unable to think when the attractive man was staring at him so desperately.

"I won't force you, baby boy." Mulettens said, leaning back slightly, "I know how you feel about fusion…"

Alexander's curiosity will get him killed one day. He suddenly was overcome with the intense wonder - what would it be like? To feel his friend's lips on his own? If he decided that he didn't want to continue, he'd tell the fusion, and they would stop. He was confident in that. So he might as well try…

One mouth found itself occupied with a Caribbean's tongue while the other gasped an, "Oh, shit, we're doing this?!"

Alex felt as the taller man leaned over him; crawling onto the bed. Alex scooted back until he was resting against the headboard. Alex's hands reached up to trail up the fusion's neck. When his right hand reached his jaw, the tips of his fingers brushed over the free mouth's lips. Alex squeaked in surprise when Mulettens took those little digits into his second mouth. He pulled away from kissing the first mouth long enough to stare at the tongue sliding up his fingers.

"You're kinda kinky, aren't you?" Alex laughed, looking back to his friend.

Mulettens winked as he replied, "You give me good reason to be."

The mouth took his fingers fully into it; tongue swirling around his fingers greedily. Alex felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked back into Mulettens' eyes, and he almost thought he saw raw adoration in there. The thought of it brought a blush to his face. He'd never been loved before…

"May I…?" The free mouth asked. For a moment, Alexander wasn't sure what he was referring to, but then he saw the hand hovering over the hem of his jacket. Right. You have to be naked to do the dirty. With a fusion. Oh dear lord.

"Ye-ah." Alex's voice came out wrong; a little too scratchy, a bit too high-pitched. Mulettens paused, the mouth that was sucking his fingers slowly pulled away; leaving Alexander's fingers wet.

Concern, doubt, flicked across the fusion's face, "Alexander-"
"I'm good. I'm just-" Alex blushed and looked away, "You're a-"

"Fusion." Mulettens finished for him. "Yes, I'm well aware. Alex … you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I want to!" Alex quickly said, "I mean, I think I do, at least…"

Mulettens' gaze darted back and forth between Alexander's; reading his expression. Finally, the fusion nodded, "Okay. You tell us if you want to stop. We won't get mad."

"I know." Alex whispered.

Mulettens slowly moved forward again, giving Alexander plenty of time to pull back or object. He didn't. Kissing. They were kissing again. Okay. Alexander could do kissing. He could kiss a fusion. He sighed around the other's mouth, falling into the action easily.

After a while, Mulettens' moved lower, Alex tilted his head back, giving the man more room to work. He gasped when one mouth nibbled at his ear as the other sucked along his jaw. The attention made his hands shake. He didn't really know what to do with them right now, so they buried themselves into the bedsheets.

Mulettens pulled back for just a moment, observing his expression, before tapping Alex's jacket and raising an eyebrow. Alexander gulped and nodded, helping the fusion remove his clothing from him. Mulettens quickly followed, leaving both men in just their trousers. Alex's gaze wandered down the fusion's torso. His gaze caught on the matching marks on each arm where a body part was borrowed. On his left arm, which Alexander had come to realize is Laf's skin tone, the color of the limb changes just before the wrist. While the right one is all John's from the elbow down. The rest of the body appeared to have Hercule's skin tone.

"Do fusions get insecure about their body?" Alexander asked as his hands traced along Mulettens' left wrist.

"Some do." Mulettens said as he moved to sit beside Alexander against the headboard. "I don't. It depends on the relationship of the people making the fusion. Less love, the less the fusion likes itself."

Alexander opened his mouth to ask another question, but got a finger poked into it. His lips closed around the digit as he looked up at the fusion.

"Talk less, baby boy. We can discuss this later, no?" Mulettens whispered. Alex nodded and the finger was removed. Alex almost missed the feeling of it. But he was soon distracted as Mulettens coaxed him to sit in his lap and the fusion's lips were once again trailing down his neck.

"¿Esto está bien?" Mulettens asked as he tugged on Alex's pants. The immigrant nodded, roughly shoving them down before Mulettens could even think about hesitating. He laughed at the action, "Putian."

Alexander found himself chuckling along with the fusion, but his breath was coming out ragged. He leaned down to kiss him again, enjoying the warm caress of the fusion's big hand sliding across his bare back. Alex's hips jerked forward on their own accord, dragging sensitive skin against the fusion's torso.

Alex could feel Mulettens shifting under him, tearing off their own trousers. Alex's face was flushed and his excited breath shaking when he pulled away from Mulettens' tasty lips.

"No pare…" The fusion whispered, his soft whines filling the quiet air.

"I don't know Spanish, dearest." Alexander hummed as he pulled Mulettens' beanie off; throwing it somewhere over his shoulder.

Mulettens sighed, pressing kisses into Alexander's hand with one mouth. His other spoke in a deep voice, "I said, get the fuck back down here and kiss me again."

The immigrant threw his head back and laughed, "Needy, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are. We've been thinking about this for months. So keep kissing us." Mulettens grumbled, a hand finding its way to Alex's hip.

Alex felt his face flush darkly, "...Months?"

Mulettens' own face darkened and his eyes widened. He looked away as he mumbled, "I already shouted at strangers that I loved you."

And that was a huge pile of Think About Later. Looking for a distraction, Alexander twisted around to see the fusion's length. He was pleased that there was only one - he wasn't sure what he would do if there were "extra parts" like Laurens had described. But then he got a better look at it and he squeaked at the pure size of it. "That is not going in my ass!"

Mulettens laughed, thankful for the change of topic, "No, of course not! You're too little, baby boy! I would break you!"

Alex relaxed slightly, his hands spreading out across the fusion's chest. A shy smile spread across Alex's lips as he blushed, "Then… what do you want me to do?"

Mulettens froze under him, eyes unblinking. Alex quickly grew self-conscious. He licked his lips and looked away, allowing the fusion to think. This was just something fusions did. Alex had to give them a second to think. See? He was learning.

But his mind was telling him he made a mistake. He awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "Um, I just meant that-"

Mulettens' blinked, sucking in a large breath, "No, mon amour, you're fine. I just…" The second mouth continued, "You're really sexy, you know?"

Alex laughed, swatting at the bigger man, "Oh, if that's all."

"Shut the fuck up." Mulettens muttered, his hands coming up to hide his red face. Alexander laughed again, tugging at his hands.

"C'mon, are you gonna fuck me or not?" Alex asked, which seemed to be the perfect reminder for the fusion.

He quickly scooted down on the bed until he was laying down, while simultaneously pulling Alexander closer to his head. "Sit on my face."

"W-what?"

"Assis-toi sur mon visage!" Mulettens whined again, tugging Alex forward by his hips.

"Okay, okay!" Alexander sat up on his knees and then awkwardly hovered over his friend. "I, uh…"

"Something wrong, baby boy?" Mulettens hummed, clearly enjoying the view. Both of his mouths were smirking. One licked its lips.

"Well, just, uh …" Alex felt his ears turn pink as he asked, "Which mouth do I use?"

Mulettens only chuckled as he pulled Alexander down on one of the open mouths. Alex gasped as damp, hot air surrounded him. He sighed as he placed his hands on the wall in front of him; trying to keep his balance. Mulettens' tongue did nasty things to him that made him whine pathetically.

"You're - shit - real-ly good at this!" Alexander moaned, a bit breathless.

The unused mouth grinned while the busy one kept at it, "Monsieur, I was made for oral."

Alex giggled, but his laugh turned into a yelp when the second mouth bit the meat of his ass. He looked over his shoulder to see the second mouth licking upwards, soothing the new wound. Swallowing, his mouth suddenly dry, Alexander leaned back a little to help the second mouth out a bit. It rewarded him by burying itself between his cheeks and lavishing his hole.

Alexander switched between bucking into one mouth and grinding against another. His hips twisted to get a better angle and his head flew back, letting heaven hear about his sins. Of of Mulettens' hands appeared a bit busy, taking care of his own problems down south, but that appeared more less to be a second thought. All of his focus was on his mouths and what they were doing. His other hand held Alexander in place, large bruises forming under his fingers.

Alex never felt more alive in this moment. He looked down at the face he was sitting on, staring right into the eyes of his best friends. But Mulettens was more than that, wasn't he? He looked up at Alex with half-hooded eyes, a deep moan escaping both of his mouths, as his grip softened for just a moment.

Fuck.

The fusion really did love him. Alexander could practically see the hearts obstructing his gaze. It was a combination of this realization and the absolutely sinful things Mulettens was doing to his body that made Alexander reach his climax. He was pleased to see Mulettens follow him over. The fusion swallowed Alexander's seed with a satisfied groan, while his own shot across his stomach and Alexander's back.

Alexander gently pulled himself out of Mulettens' mouth, accidently leaning more against the other one. It was now lazily licking at his skin, a goofy smile hindering any real progress. Alex stumbled awkwardly into sitting beside Mulettens' shoulder.

"Let me clean you up." Alexander rasped, his eyes glazed over slightly.

Mulettens looks like he's about to object, but instead he just closes his mouths and nods. Alex happily gets to work, licking clean any space that was tainted by Mulettens' seed. The fusion sighs in content, one of his hands brushing against Alex's back while he works - cleaning him up as well.

When Alexander sits back with a satisfied sigh, he looks over to Mulettens, who sits up. The fusion's hand cups Alexander's cheek, a thumb rubbing soothingly under his eye. They smile at each other, chests rising and falling in perfect timing. Alexander feels something warm wash over him and he closes his eyes, enjoying it.

He hears Mulettens gasp, "Holy shit, Alexander -"

Alex slowly opens his eyes, "Mmm? What?"

But Mulettens eyes are wide, his pupils blown, his expression one of pure wonder and joy. It kinda freaks Alex out a little. He leans back, trying to make a joke of it, "What? Do I have cum on my face?"

The warm feeling quickly fades away as Alexander's insecurities wash over him. Mulettens stares at him for a moment more, before shaking his head. The astonishment wipes off his face as he presses a kiss to Alexander's lips.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Mulettens pulls away, looking into Alex's eyes as he says, "Thank you, baby boy."

Alexander wants to ask 'what for', but he figures that it was a general kind of thank you. The kind that was for everything. For being there. For being a friend. For understanding. For mind-blowing sex. For whatever. Just, a thank you.

He was wrong, for course, but he wouldn't know that for a long while.

Mulettens gives Alexander another quick kiss before he mumbles, "I'll always love you, Alexander Hamilton."

Before Alex could speak, the fusion was gone.

Alexander was pushed to the far side of the bed as Mulettens unfused. Three grown-ass men were now trying to claim their own space in the newly-freed area. Alex waited until they settled for his heart to stop pounding. Herc ended up in the middle with Laf on the edge of the bed and John on Alexander's side. They each had random clothes on; a sock here, pants there, a single rumpled jacket. Alexander kinda expected them to be ass-naked, but he was, once again, proven that he knows nothing about fusion.

"Guys!" John whined, "I wanted some of the lovemarks!"

Herc tiredly swatted at him, "Sucks. I'm the one leaving; I get all of the hickeys."

"I stole one." Laf sighed, his fingers brushing up and down his neck.

Alex's gaze fluttered up and down John's form. His chest constricted when he realized that, yeah, he kinda just inadvertently done it with him. The two locked eyes. John seemed to be thinking the same thing, because his face brightened and he looked away; a goofy smile on his face.

"Uh - how did John not have any - um -" Alex mumbled, looking to Laf. He could deal with seeing Laf all hot and sweaty. That was fine. The frenchman didn't make Alexander's stomach twist like John did.

Laf's fingers brushed over his hickey, his gaze was sleepy, peaceful and far-off, "Mmm, when a fusion seperates, it has to give all of its pieces back to the original people. But sometimes the components can take what they want. Not anything weird, like taking someone's leg or something. But you can steal a hat…"

"Or some wounds." John muttered, crossing his arms. "Herc and Laf always take all of Mulettens' battle scars."

Hercules groaned as he stretched. He wrapped an arm around John and another around Laf. "Yeah, yeah. How dare we protect you. We're so evil."

Alexander was curious about this now. He had more questions. Who decided who got the wound? And how much? Could they split the injury between them? Was that why John wasn't injured all that time ago, when Alex had the first aid kit? What if there was a fatal injury and two people split it? Would it not be fatal anymore? Or would both of them die? And what about illnesses? Could you take someone's sickness away?

"Alexander, shut up." Herc said, pulling him in close.

"I didn't say anything!" Alex ojected. John reached behind himself and blindly grabbed Alex's arm. He pulled until Alex shuffled forward on the bed, his arm now wrapped around John's waist, their bodies flushed together. Alex could feel the rise and fall of John's breathing.

"You keep thinking." Herc yawned; "Just relax, just for tonight."

Alex figured he could take that advice. It was Herc's last night with them, after all. No need to over think and question every little thing that happened during it.

Sighing, he relaxed against John's back and listened to the soft sounds of his friends breathing. Alexander didn't mind that Laf and John were pressed against Hercules as if they were trying to merge into him once more. He didn't fret over the way Laf's fingers traced mindless patterns on Herc's chest. Alex would maybe never understand how important this moment is for them. But he knew to be quiet and let them have it. He knew he was lucky to be sharing it.

He fell asleep to the soft snores of his best friends, feeling safe for possibly the last time in foreseeable future.

---

Hercules was gone before dawn. Alexander was only on the verge of sleep and awakeness when he heard the others say their goodbyes. From his spot on the now-almost-empty bed, he barely cracked his eyes open to witness the private moment.

John was crying quietly, as Hercules brushed his tears away. Herc whispered, "Hey, no, none of that. I'll only be a few months - I'll be right back in your arms in no time. And it's for a good cause. The call of duty - for our country."

"I know, I know…" John mumbled, sounding an awful lot like a young child on its first day of school, "I'll just miss you."

"Shh, I know." Herc pressed a gentle kiss to John's forehead, "I'll miss you, too."

"Kick some ass for me." John whispered, his voice stronger, more determined.

"You know I will." Herc said, bumping their fists together, "And free some fucking slaves for me."

"Okay." John nodded and quietly stepped back, allowing Laf to take his turn.

Laf flung himself around Hercules' shoulders, the bigger man almost falling because of it. His arms instantly wrapped around the Frenchman's, a smile tugging on his face that he burried in the crook of Laf's neck. They stood there for a long moment, John watching the loving embrace.

Laf then moved, causing Herc to look at him. The Frenchman's hands came up to cup Herc's face as he leaned in; his meaning obvious to even a sleepy Alexander.

Herc awkwardly leaned back, his expression one of confusion; "Laf, I can't fuse with you right now, I have to go-"

"My dear Mulligan, I have no intention of fusing at the moment." Laf whispered, their lips brushing.

"O-oh…" Herc mumbled.

John snorted, giving them some privacy as he looked at his bare feet. Alexander's view was obstructed by Laf's hair, but he could tell from the desperate way that their hands gripped each other that this was truly a big moment for them. Laf had only just shakily pulled away when they heard a harsh knock on the door.

"That's me…" Herc whispered, looking back to his boys.

"Hey," Alex said, only loud enough to be heard. They turned to look at him, surprised to see he was awake. When he was sure he had all of their attention, he spoke gently, a smile on his face, "...Raise a glass to freedom."

A wide grin spread across Herc's face. He saluted Alexander before pressing another kiss to both John and Laf's cheeks. Straightening his back, he put on a brave face, opened the door, and marched out of their lives.

Alexander was not prepared for the way John and Laf crumbled on each other, broken sobs escaping from their little pile. He didn't know what to do, but he somehow felt that he wasn't allowed to join their pity party. He felt in the way that they clung to each other, in the way that they spoke without using words, that this was a broken moment meant only for Mulettens.

Or, what was left of him...

---

Alexander got a letter the following week. He excused himself from the general's side in order to read it in private. He had a feeling he knew who it was from.

It said:

My dearest Alexander,

You have brought great pleasure upon us in ways that we cannot yet describe. I wish you know what a great deed you have done. Word has spread that the fusion Mulettens is no long available in combat. And since no other large fusion has agreed to step up and take his place, the fusion project has been scraped. It is as if it has never happened.

We knew from the moment we set eyes on you that you would be the one to save our way of life. You have not let us down. If you ever need any service from me or my family; do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you,

God be with ye,

Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy,

The Schuyler Sister.

Alexander flicked the edge of the parchment, unsure of how to feel. Yes, he did do as he was asked and possibly saved fusion because of it... His thumb brushed against Mulettens' name. ...But at what cost?

---

If Alexander thought that John and Laf were close before, they were inseparable now. John was constantly hanging on Laf's arm, they were always touching. When they spoke to each other, it was in hushed whispers, arms wrapped around each other, lips by ears. Nothing they had to say was worthy of anyone else. Alexander noticed that they only ever smiled if they were whispering in each other's ears, and even then, their eyes were dull.

The other soldiers noticed. They glanced over at John and Laf while the two were huddled close together. Laf lifted John's hand to his lips, mumbling against his skin.

One of the soldiers scoffed loudly. "That's super gay."

The second soldier smacked the first, "Have some respect, their fusion died."

"Oh, holy shit, I didn't know."

This interaction, naturally, made sense to them. But Alexander felt a swell of panic as he wondered how they figured out that Hercules had died. It took him a moment to translate the fusion talk into English before he realized that Hercules was not, in fact, harmed.

Alexander stopped listening and instead focused on his friends. John was always wrapped around Lafayette's arm like he was some kind of prized maiden, but Alexander could see the way his fingers clung to the fabric of Laf's jacket. He could see the constant pain and worry in his friend's eyes. For the first time in a long time, Alexander felt like it was going to be a painfully long war.

---

It was raining when Alexander finally made it home after a long night in the aide-de-camp tent. He shucked off his coat and toed out of his worn boots before trying to catch his breath. He was fine. It was just a little rain. He's inside now. Everything is alright.

The sob that broke through the house wasn't his own. Although, for a second, he believed it to be.

Alexander followed the sound to find a man he didn't recognize curled up on the floor, his face in his hands as his body shook with sobs. Alex hesitated at the doorway, glancing over his shoulder, wondering how this strange man got in his house.

"Are… are you okay?" Alexander asked.

The man reacted so violently; his head flung forward, eyes wide, as he searched for whoever had spoken. He fell back on his hands, crawling backwards until his back hit the bed. Alex squinted at him. He seemed familiar. He had wide eyes that held an overflowing about of emotion in them. His hair was pulled back into a tight bun, from what Alexander could tell, it was brown with streaks of black going through it. He had a button nose but thick lips. When his gaze locked with Alexander's, he broke into another sob. His hands reached up and clawed at his head.

"Noooo," He whined, his voice low and shaky. "No, no, no -"

Alexander stepped forward, still hesitant, "Um, what's wrong?"

"Everything!" The man shouted, his nails digging into his scalp. "I didn't want you to see me like this - shit!"

"See you - do I know you?" Alexander asked.

The man looked up at him, his hands lowering for just a moment. They stared at each other, when Alex saw the pain in the other man's eyes, he swallowed hard, looking away. The man's hands flew over his mouth as he shuddered again, his eyes squeezing shut as tears flowed out.

"Fuck-" The man whispered, "Fuck, I'm so stupid. You don't even know me yet and I've already fucked up, shit -"

Alex knelt down in front of the other man, his hands raised in a placating manner. "Okay, okay, it's alright. You haven't fucked anything up at all. I'm Alexander. What's your name?"

The man looked away, his voice quiet as he said, "Lafaur… My name is Lafaur."

"Lafaur?" Alex said. He'd heard that name before, strangely enough. He just wasn't sure where from. He knows he's never met this man before, but there was something familiar about him. It hit Alex suddenly and he felt very foolish at his slowness. "Oh, you're a fusion, aren't you?"
"I'm sorry!" Lafaur wailed, hiding his face in his hands again.

"For - for what?" Alex asked, thoroughly confused.

"I know you hate fusions, and here I am - crying and shit!" Lafaur's nails scratched at his neck, bringing long, red stripes up and down his skin.

Alex quickly grabbed his hands, pulling them away from the angry marks. "Hey, hey, if you're going to hurt anyone - hurt me."

"Baby boy, I could never hurt you." Lafaur said, his morose attitude breaking away for just a split second to express divine adoration.

Alex felt his cheeks blush, "Uh, okay, good. So, then, these are staying right here."

The immigrant situated Lafaur's hands to wrap around Alex's wrists. He wouldn't mind if the fusion did dig his nails into Alex's soft skin. He was, afterall, the cause of his misery.

Lafaur started chewing his lip, his worry washing over him again. Alex took a deep breath, "So. You're the fusion of Laf and Laurens?"

Lafaur nodded shakily.

"Why are you so upset right now?" Alex asked slowly.

"I- I thought- if I was me, then I would be okay - but I'm - we're not. We're not okay, Alex!" Lafaur cried, "I miss him. Without Hercules, I am nothing!"

Alex shook his head, "That's not true. You're not nothing. You're Lafaur!"

Lafaur scoffed, "Basically the same thing."

Alexander was lost. He wasn't sure what to say or how to say it. The fusion before him was an emotional wreck. He wanted to help, but he wasn't sure how. What was happening in this fusion's mind? Yes, he was upset about Herc, but was that the cause of his self-hatred? Or was that a previously existing trait?

"I don't understand…" Alexander said slowly, "John and Laf don't hate themselves, do they?"

The fusion swallowed hard, looking away as he mumbled, "We have a lot of insecurities. Without Herc, they all come to life. … As me."

"I didn't realize Herc was so important to you." Alex said, more to himself. He felt a sense of guilt rise over him as he wondered if he had ruined his best friends' lives, by trying to save them.

"Hercules is the only thing I love about myself." Lafaur said, shaking his head frantically. Tears flung off his chin as he spoke. "And now he's gone!"

"But not forever!" Alexander replied, "He's coming back, after the war! He will be sending letters, smuggling information, you'll hear of him soon!"

Lafaur quieted then, watching Alexander with big eyes. Alex waited, assuming the fusion was thinking. He was startled when the fusion suddenly grasped Alex's shoulders, shaking him slightly, "Then we must make this war a quick one!"

---

Alexander woke up alone. Which was strange, because usually he's up before John and Laf. He didn't bother to think much of it as he headed to the aide-de-camp tent. He had a lot of essays to write to Congress.

As he stepped into the tent, he was bombarded with a cacophony of noise that usually was absent along with him.

"Well tell General Knox to get his fat ass into position. Those exact words. Don't sugar coat it." John was saying to one aide, while he was reading an essay from another.

Laf stopped his sentence to add, "Of course, say so with respect, he is a General." Only to dive right back into berating another aide for his poorly translated French, "Are you trying to give us wrong information? If we followed what you had translated, hundreds of good men would die. Step up your game, tu stupide anglophone!"

"This essay needs to be revised here, here, and here. Rewrite it and then maybe I'll give it my seal of approval."

"Shut up, I'm writing now, I need to write a letter to the King of France."

"I hope you got that letter from the south that I asked for three times!"

"Actually, you're not going to be able to get this done on your own, so give me that letter and I'll respond to it as well."

"Jesus Christ - Laf, with you respond to this letter from Rochambo? I'm going to strangle him."

"Ha! Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau - do not worry, mon amour, I will talk the shit to him."

"Aweso- Oh, Alex!" John said when he finally looked up to see the immigrant standing near the entrance. "Where have you been? We could've used you three hours ago!"

Alex stood there, a bit shocked at seeing his two friends have taken over the aide-de-camp tent. The other aides looked to Alex for help, clearly unused to such abuse from the soldiers. Well, Alex wasn't going to stop such wonderful productivity. It's about time people in this tent stepped up their game.

Alexander's expression shifted from one of shock to one of pure determination. He strode confidently up to his two friends, ignoring the pleading glances his fellow aides were giving him. He clapped John on the shoulder, beaming at him, as he took a letter from Laf's hands.

"Let's get to work, men."

---

Washington took notice of the two new men in the aide-de-camp tent. He didn't comment at first, because the two newest attendants and Alexander were in the middle of an intense discussion in French. Instead, Washington allowed the other aides, who appeared to be in worse shape than his soldiers, to go home and rest. Now that he was alone in the tent with the three arguing men, he leafed through their latest work.

There was a pile of unopened letters sitting on one of the desks. Washington opens one and starts to read from it. More bad news. What else is new. George sighed, taking off his hat to run a hand across his scalp.

"Alexander." Washington said, raising his voice slightly above the chatter. The three men stopped, looking up at him for the first time since he entered. They were so into their debate that they didn't even notice him. Typical of Alexander, and it appears his friends are the very same. Washington's brows raised now that the two new men turned around to look at him. "Oh, you're the components of Mullettens."

The smaller one flinched and reached for the taller's hand. But he offered a smile and a salute, "Yes, sir."
"It was Marquis de Lafayette and Laurence?" Washington asked.

"Ah, Laurens, sir." The smaller politely corrected.

"Apologies." Washington nodded and then turned his attention to Alexander, "The cavalries' not coming."

"WHAT?!" Alexander pushed past his friends and snatched up the letter in Washington's hands, he quickly skimmed the script before looking up to his commander, lost. "But, sir-"

Washington placed a hand on Alexander's shoulder, leaning in as he spoke, "Alex, listen. There's a slim chance for us to win this."

"Sir, if I may?" the Marquis spoke up, when Washington nodded at him, the man continued, "I believe there may be a chance of victory if we simply hold out long enough for the British to decide that the cost of the war is not worth the outcome."

Washington leaned away from Alexander, standing up straight. He tilted his chin up and observed the Marquis carefully, "How so?"

The man's eyes lit up at the chance to explain his thoughts. He gestured to the strategy map on the table. He carefully traced his long fingers across the painted battlegrounds as he spoke, "The best way to reserve our weapons -"

"Preserve." Laurens corrected quietly, earning a short smile from the Marquis.

"- is to attack quickly and cleanly. Then, escape to safety even faster. No wasted bullets. No wasted men." Marquis finished, "This will provoke outrage and irritation in the British generals; facing an enemy that refuses to die."

Laurens jumped in then, "And, with the help of slaves guaranteed freedom, our army will be bigger than ever before!"

Washington's eyebrows hit the ceiling of the tent. "Freed slaves? What is this plan?"

Laurens burst into an explanation of his dream to lead an all-black regiment of freed slaves in a fight for the country's freedom. He detailed all the pros of his plan and had almost no cons to combat them. Washington couldn't think of any, either.

"I have been trying to get this passed through Congress, but it appears as though my father has a personal vendetta against any of my ideas." Laurens finished, mildly bitter. Washington chuckled at the young man.

"Well, I will do everything in my power to help your plan along." Washington smiled, turning to Alexander, "Make note of these points. We have word of the British approaching soon; we have much to think about."

Alexander didn't react at first, instead, he was busy staring at the young Laurens boy; his pupils wide. Washington glanced between the two, before letting out a soft sigh. Ah. Young love appeared to be infecting this tent.

He glanced over to the Marquis, who quickly averted his gaze and spoke in French to Laurens, who cackled.

"Marquis, you are a very excellent strategist." Washington spoke honestly, "In another life, I believe I would have created the same plan."
The Frenchman stared at him for a long moment, his face reddening. He sputtered quietly, "Ah- I'm sorry- M-monseur, my - um, English escaped me in this moment?"

"He means 'thank you', sir." Laurens said while grinning at his friend.

Washington turned to his most trusted aide, "Son, I'm going to need a general for this battle. The previous had an unfortunate accident with a spooked horse."

Alexander's eyes lit up wildly, "Does that mean -"

"I need you to draft a letter to Charles Lee, to inform him of his new position." Washington interrupted before the boy got too excited.

"...Yes, sir."

---

As the general kicked the men out of the tent that night, they started their walk home, quietly chatting with each other. Alexander strolled just slightly behind his friends, watching them interact.

"He remembered my name!" Laf swooned, clutching his chest as he blushed darkly, "Oh, our fusion date is nearing, I can just see it!"

John rolled his eyes, "I'm so proud of you, Laf. Truly, you are a model to us all."

"Thank you, Laurence."

"Tú a callar." John grumbled, but the two burst out into giggles as they kept walking in the cold night air; their shoulders' bumping and their hands sliding into each other's.

Sometimes Alexander didn't understand his friends. He tried hard to respect that John was in a relationship with Laf and Herc. But then he was thrown for a loop when the three claimed they were just friends. He wasn't blind; he could see how Herc cared for Laf. And, now that he was gone, Laf for Herc. But the Frenchman also had this boyhood crush on the general. But no one, except for occasionally Herc, was upset by this. Now, Alex never had a group of friends before, but he was sure that they weren't supposed to be as touchy and, well, romantic, the men of Mullettens are. Alex decided it was a fusion thing and his heart would have to be put to the side for a while. John clearly was satisfied with Lafayette and Mulligan.

That's what he kept repeating to himself as he watched John lean up and press a kiss to Laf's lips. Not even to fuse. Just because he wanted to. His chest was full of stones as he forced himself to look away.

John wasn't his. He had no hold on that man's heart.

Good Lord, he was like some pining maiden!

He needed to vent.

And he knew exactly who to vent to.

---

My dearest Angeliza (and more than possibly Peggy),

I ask of you, nay, I beg of you to explain to me how to control my beating heart. There is a good soul that has caught my eye and he refuses to let it go. The good Lord denies me the grace of breath when he is by my side. His quick tongue does not yet match my own, but given some subtle courting and the blessing of time, I believe it may one day. My dear girls, I fear I may adore this man far more than should be healthy. I can say with good certainty that I hate everything in this world except for him. Nothing else is worthy of my attention. His smile could end wars - which explains why this war is still ongoing, because his smile is so rare these days.

But the stars are against me, as be my luck. My dears, I have a question to ask of you. The man that has stolen my affections without my consent, he is a part of a fusion. And I fear that I had lost my chance long before I even met him. I do not mean to intrude, but are all fusions so intimate? He and his counterparts, they hang on each other like a newly wedded couple. He claims that no one makes his blood rush, but I see differently. Please do not take offense when I ask - if you were not related, would you have romantic feelings for each other, because of your fusion? Are my anxieties pity and pointless? Is there any solidarity in my thinking? Is the man of my love already taken, whether he realizes it or not?

Help me,

God be with ye,

A. Ham

---

George Washington was not a man who cursed often. He didn't like cursing, to be honest. Alexander can't begin to list how many times the good general hit him upside the head for cursing in front of him. Like Alex was some kind of idiot school boy. He hated it. Cursing and the general never brought forth good memories.

But in this moment, as Alexander watched Washington positively rip into Lee, on the battlefield no less, spewing curse words left and right - well, this was a good day.

"It is beautiful isn't it?" Lafayette grinned as he shot a bullet in the direction of the British.

"Uh, the battle?" John asked, taking a second to glance at his friend.

"Non, mon amour's language. He curses so beautifully. Splendid, truly. The best cursing I have ever heard!" Laf didn't hesitate in his speech as he ducked behind their cover.

John scoffed, "You are so strange."

Alexander, always one to stay on topic, said, "Right, but what are we going to do now? We cannot possibly fire at the British, when our men are running towards us! We could shoot them!"

"Retreat!" Lee's voice called again, only to be interrupted by Washington shouting over him.

"Attack!"

Lafayette and John got a good look at their surroundings, it was true. There were too many men retreating; shooting from their position wouldn't be helpful in the least.

Alexander watched as the two didn't even speak. They didn't have to dance nor kiss nor even look at each other. All his friends did was brush fingers and they were fusing. Right there on the battlefield. Nothing is sacred to them.

But the Lafaur that charges the field before him is not the same Lafaur that was sobbing in Alexander's arms. Physically, they were the same. A fusion's appearance doesn't change like that. But this man exudes confidence. He strode right through the chaos easily; a one-man army.

Alexander almost felt sorry for the British troops when Lafaur opened fire on them. He shot with one hand while slashed his sword through the flesh of enemy soldiers the other. This creature showed no fear of death as he grabbed retreating Americans.

"What are you doing?! The battle is that way!" Alexander heard him shout, turning a soldier around.

"Retreat!" Lee shouted again.

"HOLD YOUR GOD-GIVEN GROUND!" Lafaur's voice boomed over the battle. It could be heard over the gunshots and the screaming, easily. No sound man would ever refuse a fusion; especially one that fierce looking. Alexander's chest warmed for just a second, at the fact that that was his best friends turning this battle around.

But he was sucked back into the battle before he could think much more about silly things like pride and friendship.

The battle ended as a stalemate with both sides backing out before the loses grew too high. It wasn't what America needed; but it was what they were willing to take.

---

In the early morning, as soldiers slowly crawled back to their camp, Alexander fussed over Lafaur's scrapes and scratches. The fusion was fine, truly, but Alexander still sat him down to help. As he wrapped up the fusion's palms with slow movements, the fusion smiled warmly at him, adoration in his voice, "You bless me with your touch, baby boy."

"In some ways, I suppose." Alexander mumbled, ignoring the tingle in his chest at the intense gaze.

He still wasn't sure how he felt about Mulettens or Mullette or Lafaur, or any fusion really, liking him in a romantic sense. It was strange. Did that mean that all of the people that make up the fusion loved him? Or none of them? Or some strange combination? Did the fusion only like him because of the people it makes up? Or because of their own feelings? People constantly tell Alexander that fusions are their own people; they have their own thoughts and identities, but when something as strange and complex as love is added into the mix, Alexander is lost. He tries to not lead the fusions on or anything. Don't get him wrong, a part of him adores the attention; he's just an awkward soul.

He could never imagine himself actually loving a fusion.

But in the following hours, as Lafaur engulfed him on their bed and promised to keep him safe while he slept… how could he deny the way his heart warmed? He couldn't ignore the fact that he snuggled back against the fusion's chest and allowed himself to fall into a much-needed slumber.

---

The following days were spent recovering and restocking any supplies they could. Spirits among camp where not high. Alexander, John, and Laf were sitting around a fire, eating the small scraps of food they were rationed.

"Here, have some of mine." John said, leaning closer to Alex on their log, "I find myself full."

"No man could be full on these meager crumbs. Eat up, Laurens." Alexander said, nudging his friend, "I will be fine."
John shook his head, "You skip meals more than any other soldier, apart from the general himself. You should keep your strength up. Take the rest of my ration."

"I am no stranger to hunger, John." Alex said with a smile, although there was pain in his eyes. John must have seen it, because his requests for Alexander to eat his food only doubled. The two were still squabbling when the general strolled up to them.

"Sir!" Laf said, gaining the other two's attention. When they saw the general, they quickly stood up and saluted Washington. He waved them off gently and the three men sat back down on their logs.

"Did you need me, sir?" Alexander asked as he once again pushed John's food back to him.

Washington shook his head and clapped his hands behind his back, "No, actually, I came to address the good Marquis and young Colonel Laurens."

Laf's eyes widened and he shot a look to John. The two subtly clasped their hands together, a move so minimal and smooth that Alexander almost missed it.

"Ah, under what means, sir?" John asked, turning from Laf to look up at the general.

"You two did a remarkable job in the battle of Monmouth the other night. I want to thank you for discouraging the soldiers from following Lee's lead. Without Lafaur, I don't think we would have come out of that battle as fortunate as we did." Washington said, taking turns looking both men in the eye.

"Pince-moi, je rêve." Laf whispered, his wide eyes unblinking as he stared at the general. Alex could see the tips of his ears turning pink. John was in only slightly better shape, beaming at the praise; failing to remain professional under the circumstances.

"Marquis, I know you joined this army voluntarily, but given the exceptional work you've been doing, I must request you to accept a pay." Washington said, a small trace of concern ghosting his expression.

Laf smiled as he shook his head, "Being in Your Excellency's presence is the only pay I require."

"Vous lui avez clairement exprimé vos sentiments." John snorted, grinning when Alex had to cough to hide his laughter.

"You are truly an honorable man, Marquis." Washington nodded and then turned to John, "Colonel Laurens, I will be sure to send your father my praises. I'm sure he will be pleased to discover how well you have strived in the army."

"A-and my request for an all black regiment?" John asked, sitting up straighter, "Sir?"

Washington's pleasant expression dropped slightly. He sighed, "I had sent my requests, but the south has found difficulty with agreeing. They believe it not to be the right time."

John's shoulders sagged, "I will wear them down yet."

The general opened his mouth to reply, but his attention was taken by shouting coming from a loud crowd across the field. "What has gotten into them?"

The men abandon the warmth of their fireplace to gather at the edge of the crowd. Standing on top of an applebox, was none other than Charles Lee, shouting above the crowd.

"Washington cannot be held to his own devices! He is more indecisive than the winds! He is no real American! The best thing he can do for the revolution is to turn and go back to planting tobacco in Mount Vernon!" Lee shouted, waving his hands around and spitting like he was in the middle of a seizure.

It mattered not that the crowd was laughing at or heckling him. Anger grew in Alexander's trust. His love for his general was strong and no one would talk down about him without hearing from him first. If you swing at Washington, you better not miss. You better be ready for Alexander's blow.

Washington's stony face glanced down at him and clearly saw the rage; he leaned down and spoke in Alexander's ear, "Don't do a thing, history will prove him wrong."

"But sir!" Alexander almost shouted. A few men heard him and turned to look. The crowd quieted as their gazes fell to their general. Even Lee's voice tricked to silence as he locked eyes with his commander.

Washington stood above all else, even when standing at the same level. His eyes slowly swept among the crowd, looking into the eyes of each of his men, only to flick back to Lee. In a deep, commanding voice, he spoke, "We have a war to fight, men. Let's move along."

The soldiers didn't have to be told twice. They disappeared, their heads ducked down or nodding respectfully to Washington as they passed.

Lee, the coward, disappeared in the middle of the chaos. Washington gave Alexander one last stern glare before heading back to his own tent.

"Strong words from Lee, someone oughta hold him to it." John hissed suddenly, making Alex jump. The fire was strong in his friend's eyes. It boosted Alexander's own drive to fight. But he glanced at the general's retreating from, Lafayette on his heels, gravity pulled his spirits down.

"I cannot disobey a direct order." Alexander sighed, looking down at his hands.

John's fingers were under Alexander's chin, nudging it up so they were gazing into each other's eyes, "Then I'll do it."

Alexander shook his head, a shiver running down his spine, "John, this is not your fight…"

"But it is yours? He is my general, too. And anything that you care so much about is worth me fighting for." John smiled, looking away, "You're the closest friend I've got. I think that warrants fighting your battles for you. Alexander, let me be your knight!"

Alex blushed, as he mumbled, "Promise me you won't throw away your shot?"

John chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to Alexander's forehead. The two blinked in the low light, each surprised by the action. Had John done such a thing on his own before? Wasn't it always a fusion of some kind that had been so openly affectionate with Alexander? Both of them were unsure of how to continue the conversation after such a bold, yet tame, move.

"I'll, uh, find Lee and challenge him. If he accepts, I will tell you the time and place." Laurens said in a rush. He didn't wait for Alexander to reply before he jogged off into the night.

Has Alexander finally reached the stage of friendship of the Lafayette or Hercules share with John? Will he be allowed to be as affectionate with the man as they are? Is that what just happened? Alexander was now at the super-friend level?

He didn't know what was happening, even as he climbed into their bed at night and snuggled against Lafayette's chest for warmth. John arrived long after Alexander was asleep, so the immigrant didn't know how tenderly the man touched him as he slid into his spot on the bed. He didn't hear the soft sigh, and he certainly didn't feel the gentle press of lips against the back of his neck.

---

My dearest Alexander,

You are an idiot.

Yours,

The Schuyler Sister

(Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy)

---

The morning of the duel, Alexander gave John the privacy to write the letters he needed in case this would be his end. It took the poor boy longer than the war to finish what he needed to say, but Alexander could understand that perfectly. Your final words - your legacy - must be written to the best of your ability.

Once the letter was sealed and handed to Alex, the two quickly grabbed their pistols and snuck out. All of this done under the cover of darkness and in near silence, lest they wake up Lafayette. John had a feeling the man wouldn't approve of their actions.

The duel would commence in a field, just a short journey from the camp. There was a risk that someone would hear the gunshot, but, as they say, in desperate times…

Alexander and John slowly walked up the hill that would the battle grounds in silence. As they neared the top, Alexander felt the slide of a hand against his. By the time he looked down, their fingers were intertwined. Alex glanced up at his friend, who was staring straight ahead, a look of determination on his face. Alex squeezed the hand gently and they continued their trek to the top of the hill.

Lee was already there with the doctor and his second. Alexander dropped John's hand when he saw who it was. "Aaron Burr!"

"Sir." Aaron said when he turned around and saw Hamilton. "Please tell me this is not your doing."

"I'm only writing those who have been wronged!" Alexander said loudly, snarling at Lee, who rolled his eyes.

John stepped forward, "Alexander is my second. I will be the one dueling that scoundrel."

Aaron shook his head, "I beg of you to reconsider. Can we not agree that duels solve nothing?"

"Sure," Alex shrugged, his cocky expression hardening, "but how else will Lee learn his lesson? Words have power, Burr. I can't allow him to be slandering good men when his chicken ass can't even fight a battle!"

"Says the man who won't even duel me himself." Lee said, gaze flicking between Alex and John. "Had to force your boyfriend to do it, did you?"

Alexander bristled, his heart pounding in his ears as he glanced at John. The other man's face was a careful mask, one that Alexander had never seen on the expressive man before. Aaron said something, but Alexander didn't hear it over his own voice shouting, "HOW MANY GOOD MEN DIED AT THE DRAW OF YOUR HAND? DO YOU EVEN WISH FOR THE AMERICANS TO WIN THIS WAR?!"

Burr sighed, holding Alexander back in case the man tried to jump Lee. "Okay, so we're doing this…"

Alex, Burr, and the doctor stood to the side, out of bullet range. Alex glanced at Burr out of the corner of his eye as the men readied their pistols. The was has been good for him, Alexander hears of his successful endeavours on the battlefield. Alex wonders how someone with such a cool facade could be so deadly.

Briefly, Alex thinks of the fusion that Alexander ran into back in New York. Has Burr taken this lady with him in his travels, as so many soldiers do? If not, does the separation of their fusion pain him as much as Herc leaving pains John and Lafayette?

"Are we ready, gentlemen?" Burr said loudly, snapping Alex out of his thoughts. He looked to the field to see John and Lee back to back, pistols at the ready. Both of them nodded, John shooting Alex one last smile. "On my mark, then."

Burr counted.

"One, two, three…"

With each number, the men took one stride forward. Alex's eyes never left John, fear creeping into his chest as an image of blood flashed in his mind. What if this is the last time he sees this man alive? If Lee shoots him down now, Alex would suffer through seeing his love die right in front of him.

"Four, five, six…"

This was the problem with having friends, Alex realized. This close bond, this attachment to another human, it leaves a man with many weaknesses. When Alexander was young, he had dreamed of the glories of war; he had never considered the intense losses he may witness.

"Seven, eight, nine…"

John, one of his first friends, the man who taught him to have an open mind about fusion. He has already done so much for him; they both have. Laurens has shared so much with him, but Alexander hasn't given him the same blessing. Laurens still knows nothing of Alexander's past. And yet, he never bothered to impede, aside from inquiring about fusion. Guilt wracked through Alex as he realized he still had so much to tell him; so much to share. He wanted to be a part of John's life. He wanted there to be no secrets between them. He wanted to share a level of trust that was unmatched. He wanted, he wanted - he wanted to fuse.

He wanted to fuse with John. Dear god, he had never wanted this more than anything in his life. He wanted John to want to fuse with him. He wanted to be in his head and in his body and a part of his soul. He wanted everything that he didn't understand.

The first time, when he asked Mullettens about fusion, it was only out of curiosity. He doesn't like not knowing things. He tried to learn, he failed. That was the end of it.

But this - this is so much more powerful than that. As he watched John take clear, confident strides, he wished he could rush forward and embrace him in the same way Lafayette or Herc does. And he wished that would result in more than just his embarrassment.

"Ten, FIRE!"

A gunshot cracked across the air like thunder and Alexander felt his heart jump to his throat. There was a cry of pain. Before the smoke even cleared, he was running for John. It was only as he was by his friend's side, did he look over to Lee, who was surrounded by Burr and the doctor. John was fine, John was safe.

"Dude, you won!" Alexander breathed, delight evident on his face.

John was breathing hard as he said, "No, we won!"

Alexander wanted to embrace the other man, but before he could gather the courage to do so, a shout distracted him.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

"Oh shit." John said, but his gaze wasn't on the general, instead, he was focused on the furious Frenchman that was storming up to them.

Laf pushed Alex to the side as he started screaming in rapid-fire French; "Toi, jeune garçon stupid, insouciante et ridicule, je vais te tuer! J'étais malade d'inquiétude! Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi! Tu sais que c'est stupid!"

Alex was forced to ignore what was happening beside him as Washington turned to him and hissed darkly, "Hamilton! Meet me inside!"

As Alex slowly made his way down the hill, trying hard to breath in the thick atmosphere Washington created, he could still hear Lafayette screaming.

"What if you had died, mon amour?! Then I would be completely -" His voice cut off then and a choking sob was in it's place.

Alex didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence to know what he was going to say. Because he felt it too. That deep intense fear of being…

Completely alone.

---

Alex stood in the middle of Washington's tent, his hands clasped behind his back as he was ready to take whatever his general would throw at him. He disobeyed an order, by allowing John to take his place. Even if his general was angry or disappointed, Alexander wasn't really expecting much more than a slap on the wrist for his poor behavior.

"Son."

"Don't call me 'son'."

That's not to say he isn't going to watch his mouth in these times of intense emotion. Washington wasn't his father. He had no father and he refused to let anyone believe they could ever fill that hole in his heart.

Washington shot him a short glare before continuing, "This war is hard enough without infighting. Just the other week had I not come to you in distress, when Congress refused us once again?"

Alex threw his arm out in a wide gesture, "Lee called you out, we called his bluff! I will not allow him to make a mockery of -"

"You solve nothing!" Washington interrupted, "You have aggravated our allies to the south by acting rashly and running your mouth. Now I must fix this before an all-out brawl strikes in the camp!"

"You're absolutely right." Alex said, looking away, "John should've shot him in the mouth. That would've shut him up."

"Son."

"I'm not your son." Alex shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking at the dirt like a child.

"Watch your tone!" Washington hissed, "I am still your commander! I am not a maiden in need of defending, and you are not my gigolo!"

Alex rolled his eyes, "Firstly, if anyone were to defend your honor, it would be me. I am the most qualified, given the position I have played by your side. Secondly, Charles Lee, Thomas Conway, these men take your name and rake it through the mud! Excuse me if I am trying to lessen the dirt on your legacy-"
Washington waved these facts off easily, "My name has been through a lot, the worst of it I deserved. I can handle anything these men throw at me."

"Well, I can't! I don't have your titles or your land. I don't have your history or your wealth. But if you gave me a command -"

"No."

"A group of men to lead, I could fly above my station after the war!" Alexander said, his voice rising with excitement, a smile almost ghosting his lips.

Washington stood firm, his voice his own weapon, "Or you could die! And we need you alive."

The general advanced on him as he spoke, using his bigger size and height to loom over the immigrant. Alexander almost took a step back in fear, but his pride forced himself to stay.

"I am more than willing to die." Alexander stated clearly, locking eyes with the general. He had lived a pretty shitty life and if dying in battle is the only way to escape it, then so be it.

"Your friends need you alive! Son, I need you ali-"

"CALL ME SON ONE MORE TIME!" Alexander shouted, as he could no longer contain the emotions of this morning inside him. He had faced the possibility that his best friend would die before him; he had discovered the terrifying truth that he wanted nothing more than to fuse with said friend; and he had been yelled at and berated by the only man he had ever looked up to in his life. He was starting to break. When he looked up at his general, unwanted tears escaped from his eyes.

"Go home, Alexander." Washington said, putting his hat back on and turning away from him. Alex used the opportunity to wipe at his wet and messy face with his hands.

Alex shook as he spoke, "Go where? I have no home! I have no family, no wife, no place to call my own..."

The immigrant could see the conflict rise in the general. He was a good man, a father with no children; it would kill him to leave his closest aide in the dirt. But he had to make a point. He couldn't let this kind of action slide.

"You're a smart man, Alex. You'll figure something out." Washington's voice echoed in the tent as he walked out, leaving Alexander completely alone.

---

The skies unleashed their fury on Alexander as he wandered the New York streets. He was heading towards someone who might take pity on him. He hoped.

As each crack of lightning lit the sky on fire, Alexander's hands grew shakier, his mind blurred, leaving only room for panic. How he made it to the elegant doorstep, he does not know. But as he frantically knocked on the door, he looked over his shoulder at the New York street before him. His imagination brought forth horrors of his childhood as a dark, murky wave crashed through the road; destroying buildings and sweeping away villagers. He can hear the screams as he closed his eyes.

"Sir? Are you alright?" A voice said, rising over the sounds of water filling up lungs. Alex whimpered and opened his eyes. There was a black woman standing with the door only slightly opened to protect from the wind. She looked Alex up and down, an expression of worry crossing her face.

"Dot? Who's at the door in this weather?" A voice called from in the home.

The woman looked back to Alexander, "I'm not sure, miss. I think he's a beggar."

Alex couldn't find the voice to correct her. He surely felt like a beggar in his soaking clothes and his hungry stomach. Footsteps echoed from inside the house until the door was opened wider. Alex had to look up and up and up to see the face of the lovely woman in front of him.

"Alexander?!" The Schuyler Sister gasped, two of her hands covering her mouth.

Alex spoke then, his voice desperate, "Please, I know your family comes from honor. I am so sorry to bother you at home, but I don't know where to go, and I've been left out, all alone…"

The servant stepped aside as the fusion opened the door wider with one hand and ushered Alex out of the rain with two more.

"Good Lord, what happened to you? Dot, if you please, get the Colonel a hot mug of tea, and alert father that we will be having company." Aneggeli said. Two hands waved the servant off as two more helped Alexander out of his soaking jacket and another two still had a blanket waiting for him.

Alexander sighed, feeling more sound of mind now that he was out of the storm, "The good general has banished me."

The Schuyler Sister balked, "On what grounds!?"

Alex held up his hands lest the fusion storm to the campsite right now and tell Washington off. "It was all my fault! I disobeyed a direct order and endangered the life of a wonderful man in doing so. I deserve worse than what the general has blessed me with. I was stupid and foolish. I reacted rashly and I am lucky things ended in my favor."

Aneggeli crossed all of her arms, "I don't see what is so lucky about being discharged."

"Yes… but my Laurens lives to see another day. And for that I am thankful." Alex spoke quietly, a small smile on his face. The smile fell then as he spoke, "But I had no home to return to. War is my home."

"Alexander, that's awful!" The Schuyler Sister said, sitting down on the ground so she was closer to his level.

They were in an open foyer with a lit fire that sat in an elegant fireplace. A shelf of books sat on the far wall and an array of chairs surrounded them, one noticeably larger than the rest. On the wall above the fireplace was a family portrait. Alex felt his lips twitch to see that the Schuyler Sister was present for this painting, instead of the three individual daughters.

"How could Washington do this!? I outta give him a piece of my mind! He'll have some trouble dodging these bullets!" Aneggeli said, holding up her four of her fists, faux punching an invisible target over Alexander's head.

Alex chuckled, "You are truly a worthy opponent that I would not wish upon my worst enemies."

"One day you'll discover that's true, Colonel." A new voice said. Alex turned to see General Philip Schuyler walking into the room with the servant Dot following behind him.

Alex rose to his feet, saluting the older man, "General Schuyler, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Agreed. I have heard many stories of you from both Washington and my daughters. It appears you've made an imprint on them." Philip glanced over at the fusion with mystif in his eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Dot." Alex mumbled as Dot handed him a piping hot cup of tea. He turned back to the general and smiled, "As they have me. I must admit, I made quite a fool of myself upon our first meeting. I am blessed they decided to give me the time of day."

Aneggeli petted his head with one of her fingers, humming, "We like how he squabbles."

Philip smiled at his daughter before putting on a more serious expression, "What can I do for you, Colonel?"

Alex grew sheepish. He wasn't good at asking for help. "Ah, it seems as though I have no place to rest my head. Could I possibly stay the night, just until the storm passes?"

Philip looked him up and down, his eyebrow raised and his eyes squinted. Before he could respond, The Schuyler Sister spoke up, "Daddy, I owe this man an unrepayable favor. It would be the least we could do to let him stay in our home until he is back on his feet. We have plenty of room and he is so tiny; he will not take up much space."

As she said the last bit, her poked at his stomach with her finger, causing Alexander to gasp and squirm away.

Philip was quiet once more. Alex didn't know about Aneggeli, but he was stressing at the thought of being sent back out in the rain. Finally, the older man nodded, "He shall take one of the guest rooms. Dot, if you would please make one of the beds for him?"

The servant nodded and shuffled away. Alex felt relief wash over him as he bowed to the general, careful not to spill his tea, "Thank you, sir. Truly, it means the world that you are willing to open up your home to me."

"But of course, good sir. So long as my daughter is happy, so am I." Philip said, resting his hand on one of Aneggeli's.

Alex turned and grins at the fusion, who winks at him with her one visible eye, which only causes Alex to laugh.

---

The Schuyler Sister's brothers are a sight to behold. Young, mysterious things that care not for the family name or the image they must uphold. They run and shout up and down the halls of the large house, pausing only when their gazes fall upon Alexander.

"Who are you?" The oldest one asks.

"Well, who are you?" Alexander asked back, "It's your home, you should introduce yourself."

He crossed his arms, "It's my home so you should introduce yourself!"

Alex smiled and held out his hand, "My name is Alexander. What's your's?"

The boy took his hand and shook it loosely, "John."

Alex's smile fell. He bit his lip, "Is there, uh, anything else I could call you?"

John squinted, but allowed, "Bradstreet."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Bradstreet." Alex turned to the next oldest, "And you, young sir?"

"Philip!" The boy shouted, thrusting his hand into Alex's. "But that's my Daddy's name, too, did you know? So I guess you can call me Jeremiah. I'm also named that."

Alex chuckled, he rather liked little Jeremiah. The youngest one had to have been no bigger than four. He hid behind Bradstreet and only peaked out when Alex lowered his hand and said in a soothing voice, "Put 'ere there?"

The little boy poked out from behind his brother only long enough to slap his little hand against Alex's. Addressing Bradstreet, he asked, "What's his name?"

"Rensselaer." Bradstreet said, placing a hand on the little boy's back. "He's kinda small and stupid right now. But one day, he'll rule Manhattan."

"That's a lot of pressure to put on a four year old." Alexander said kindly.

"Nah. He can do it." Bradstreet nodded once. "Yeah."

It was a pleasant thought. But Alexander didn't know how one could put such blind faith in a baby. Maybe it's because he had no children or younger siblings of his own, but he simply couldn't imagine a future for this child standing before him. Not yet, at least.

"Wanna play!?" Jeremiah shouted. The little guy hadn't yet figured out his volume control. Which didn't bother Alex in the least.

He thought for a moment and then shrugged, "Sure! What are we playing?"

"Redcoats and Colonists!" Jeremiah informed him. "Me and Rensselaer are the Colonists. You and John can be the Redcoats."

"How do you play such a game?" Alexander asked, smiling at the boy's excitement.

"You run from us, and then we shoot you!" Jeremiah said, puffing out his chest, "The colonists always win!"

Alex laughed, "You would do phenomenal for troop moral!"

"Ready? Go!" Jeremiah shouted. Rensselaer roared, stumbling after Bradstreet, who darted down the hallway. Alex quickly caught on, jogging away from the boys, careful to not run too fast or seem too hard a target. As he backed up, smiling down at Rensselaer, who was giggling and wobbling after him; he was blindsided by Bradstreet who shouted, "You fool! I was a spy the entire time!"

"Whaaat?" Alex shouted, genuinely surprised. Bradstreet jumped on his back, causing Alex to stumble. Rensselaer sat down on his foot as Jeremiah wrapped himself around Alexander's middle. He was now surrounded by the colonist army; there was no way out, this was his end.

"What are you doing?" A lovely voice spoke over the clamor of war.

Alex was looked up to see the Schuyler Sister staring at them with great amusement. His face flushed as he pulled Bradstreet off his back, "Uh - fusing?"

"Hm, very funny." Aneggeli smiled, she kneeled down and picked up Rensselaer. The child appeared like a doll in her hands, but the boy didn't seem frightened by the giant woman. "Maybe these boys would improve you, if fused."

Alex clutched at his heart, "Oh, my dear, you wound me."

"He's dead! We won!" Jeremiah shouted, cheering in victory. Bradstreet joined in their battle cry as Rensselaer clapped and distractedly played with his sister's necklace. Jeremiah jumped up and down, grabbing Alex's hands, "Again! Again! Again!"

The Schuyler Sister set the baby down and picked up Alexander instead, keeping him out of reach of the children. "I'm sorry, boys. But I must borrow your enemy for but a moment."

Alex, face flushed, muttered, "You could have said that while I was on the ground."

Aneggeli ignored him and gently brushed back her brother's hair, each getting their own hand to interact with. "I will return him at dinner, does that suffice?"

Jeremiah and Bradstreet looked at one another before nodding seriously. Bradstreet crossed his arms and Jeremiah clumsily copied him, "That shall do."

"Thank you." The Sister smiled and stood up. Alex gripped her fingers as she carried him across the mansion until they made it to a large room with high ceilings.

"Ugh. Daddy has hogged you all week." Aneggeli said as she gently sat Alex down on the bed. Alex's face lit up as the fusion sat down next to him, three of her hands busy pulling her hair up into a lovely ponytail. He felt his heart pound in his ears as he wondered how, exactly, he could tell this beautiful woman that he had no intention of being in a bed with her while she was fused. Mullettens is the only one who gets that opportunity. And that was only because he was "dying" that night. Despite how fantastic it was. And even though there is a lot one can do with six hands. And even though John swears up and down that fusion sex is the best sex. And -

"Colonel Hamilton? Are you alright? You look feverish." The Sister asked, gently pressing a finger to his forehead.

"I am quite alright," Alex mumbled, batting the finger away. "I, uh, just-"
"Oh! I understand. You've figured us out." Aneggeli said, "You've discovered why I've taken you to our private quarters."

Alex bit his tongue, a shiver running down his spine as the fusion leaned forward.

"There's no need to be embarrassed! We'll happily tell you of our beaus!" The Sister smiled, a hand cupping her cheek as another waved in the air expressively.

"What?" Alex was now confused.

The Sister pulled an enormous pillow from the head of the bed and clutched it to her chest, "Oh, yes. I have been dying for some good old-fashioned girl talk! No one tells me much when I am fused and so to have such sweet gossip such as yourself as my captive is a chance I cannot give up!"

Alexander only stared at the fusion, still trying to catch up. He is a smart man, honestly. His mind was just still stuck on 'fusion sex' that he hadn't quite figured out the rest of what just happened.

"Do you wish for us to go first?" Aneggeli asked and then immediately dived into an explanation of Angelica's fiance named John Barker Church. She gushed happily on and on about how he is so respectful of her and how the two of them are equals, and how he doesn't even mind Angeliza and would happily marry her, should Eliza agree. Alexander had some thoughts about that. Marrying a fusion? That shouldn't be allowed! But he dared not speak any of them. It wasn't that he thought it bad, it just seemed too strange to be real.

"Daddy doesn't like him, because he's British. But we all have our little quirks, don't we?" The Sister finished with a grin and a wink. "Your turn, Alexander."

Alex blushed for a moment, unsure if he could even speak about John as openly as the Sister just did of Church. He didn't even know where to start with John. Alex grasped at thin air for something to say. Finally, he settled on, "Your letter was no help at all."

The Sister laughed, laying out on the bed on her stomach. She used two arms to rest her head, another two were hidden somewhere under her body, and the last two reached out to pet Alexander. "We thought it was rather smart."

"But you answered none of my questions! Could my love ever love me? Or is his heart given to his fusion?" Alex sat up on his knees, grasping the Sister's finger desperately.

Aneggeli's smile fell slightly. "I cannot say. For some, fusion is a very romantic lifestyle. But if your love says that he and his counterparts are just friends, you should believe him. Sometimes fusion is built from the love of friends." She paused, and then added, "Or sisters."

Alex sighed, "I suppose it doesn't matter now. He's a world away, where I cannot protect him."

The Sister gave him a look of pity, her hands gently cupping him, surrounding him with warmth. Alex rested his head on her thumb, flicking his longing gaze up to her face.

"It is probably for the best, lest I force him to fight in more duels..."

---

"Oh, so you decided to join me tonight?" John muttered bitterly as Lafayette slid into bed next to him. Laf wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close in order to fight off the cold of the night.

"Uh, oui? Where else would I be?" Laf chuckled, peppering John's cheeks with little kisses.

John pushed him away slightly, "I would imagine deep inside the general's loins."

Laf snorted and shook his head, "Ah, I wish. No, my good Laurens, my business with the general as of late has been nothing more than work."

The smaller man watched him for a long moment, before rolling over and pulling up the blanket to his chin, "I just think it's funny that you keep me on a tight leash, but you get to escape to chase after any ass that's caught your interest."

Laf's smile fell, "John, are you alright? I have only kept you so near because of my fear at discovering you were in a duel. I don't mean to smother you, nor ignore you."

John was quiet for a long moment before he mumbled, "Will you fuse with me?"

He didn't turn around as he made this soft request. He barely moved, hardly breathed, as he waited a response. The hands around his waist snaked up his torso, dipping under his shit.

"But of course, mon amour."

John could feel the walls of Lafayette's psyche fall. A warmth washed over him as he felt the pull of Laf's need. When someone wishes to fuse, they release this aura that others can feel. Then, the other person must accept this offer, and release their own wave of consent. All of this is subconscious, and usually happens within seconds. This is what happened with Alexander after he spent the night with Mulettens. If the fusion had consented, they would've fused right then; post coital. But Mulettens was too shocked, too overwhelmed to accept Alexander's offer.

Which is probably for the best, because Alex didn't even know what he was doing. If he just suddenly fused into a four-person-fusion, right after having fusion sex for the first time, he might be more than a little overwhelmed. Regardless, Mulettens adamantly thanked Alexander for the opportunity.

This crossed John's mind as he fused with Lafayette. He had a lot on his mind lately. As Lafaur laid in their bed, his body curled slightly around someone who wasn't there, he closed his eyes, and allowed himself to think.

'Oh. I see now.' Lafayette thought as all of John's feelings washed over him. 'Couldn't say this out loud, could you, mon amour?'

'First Herc, now Alex. And you're trying to fuse with Washington - where does that leave me?' John conveyed with emotions, rather than thoughts.

Lafaur wrapped his arms around himself; curling tighter into a ball.

'I miss him - I miss him so much!' Lafaur thought.

Lafayette's love and adoration flooded his mind, calming him, 'Shh, we will be okay, love. Herc will return. I will try to convince Washington that Alexander should be forgiven. We will have our boys back.'

'Please don't leave me.' John said without saying. His emotions were clear to read as Lafayette felt them as well. Lafaur's fingers tightened against his shirt; his body shaking with the effort to (possibly literally) hold himself together.

'I will never leave you, my dear John.' Lafayette promised, 'you have me. I am here.'

'I am here.' John repeated, thinking with words for the first time since they fused.

"I am here." Lafaur mumbled to himself, and continued to repeat until he fell into a dreamless sleep. "I am here."

---

Lafayette was gone for four days as he traveled to the docks of New York to intercept the French reinforcements. He spent two days there working on distributing the men and weapons to where they would be the most effective. He owned these ports as he ordered French soldiers into position; interacted with French ambassadors; and did inventory of their new supplies. He speaks pleasantries with General Rochambeau, who helps decide how to best consolidate the French gifts.

He returns to camp on a great steed with guns, men, and the promise of ships. Word gathers round as the first soldiers see him.

"The Marquis is back!" They shout, rushing to help unload the supplies and greet the French soldiers.

Lafayette hops off his horse and lets a stable boy take it from him. John catches his eye, but before Lafayette can approach his friend, Washington intercepts him.

"Marquis, what is the news?" Washington asks, watching as crate fulls of guns, ammo, and other supplies are opened and sifted through. "Good, I assume?"
"Good indeed, sir." Lafayette grins, "I have asked for French assistance, and they have not let me down. But, sir, I have something I must discuss with you."

Washington's gaze lands on him, clearly hearing the serious tone in his voice. He nods once and leads the way to his private quarters. Lafayette waits until the general is sitting at his desk before he clasps his hands behind his back and he speaks, "Sir. The aid and troops are much needed, I have already expressed my thanks to the king. But this alone will not win us the war."

"I know." Washington sighs.

Lafayette walks over to the map that's hung on Washington's wall. Marks have been made up and down the thing; battles, weak spots, possible plans - it hardly looked like America anymore. Laf gestures to a point in Virginia, "I believe we can end this war in Yorktown, if we are able to cut them off at sea. General Rochambeau agrees with me. He said that he would gather his troops there and we could use our combined forces to finally win this thing."

Washington nodded, seeing the tactical advantages of this move; "Very well; let's draft a letter to-"

"Sir." Lafayette interrupted. When Washington looked up at him, he took a deep breath. He had to word this right, or else he could be shot down without a second thought. "For this to succeed, there is something else we need."

"Which would be?"

Laf forced himself to keep eye contact as he said, "Someone else we need."

"...I see." Washington leaned back in his chair, keeping holding Lafayette's gaze.

"Sir, Hamilton is one of the best tacticians you have." Lafayette said.

Washington tilted his head, a bit of a twinkle in his eye, "Aside from yourself, Marquis."

"Well, that goes without saying, yes. But he is the only one who can keep up with me. You have seen how we work together - you have seen his thrill for the fight! He knows what to do in the trench and how to do it, every time. He is fluent in both English and French, which in this battle, with such mixed forces, is a necessity." Lafayette continues, growing more passionate and louder with each word, "Sir, you are going to have to use him eventually! He cannot stay on the bench, you see. If you want to fight for your land back -"

"I'll need my right hand man back." Washington finished for him, his gaze lost in thought.

Lafayette was breathing hard from his little speech. He felt his face flush as he said, "Yeah, you gotta get your right hand man back. I mean, you gotta put some thought into the letter, but the sooner the better, to get our Hamilton back."

Washington nodded, already drafting a letter for Hamilton. He paused after a moment, looking back up at Lafayette, "Is Lafaur going to be joining us during this battle."

Lafayette squared his shoulders, "If the situation requires it."

"I believe it will." Washington said gravely. His tone changed to one of interest as he said, "If I'm not overstepping my boundaries, may I ask, how is it that Lafaur is more … ambitious, in battle than the good Mulettens?"

Laf chuckled. "Reckless is the word you are looking for, sir. Hercules Mulligan, the third part of my fusion, is a majority of Lafaur's impulse control. He keeps us safe. So, with him gone, what is to stop Lafaur from running into the heat of battle; ready to die for his country?" Laf shrugged, and then blushed a little as he asked, "Um, if I may know, sir, have you ever fused?"

"I am by no means as experienced as yourself, Marquis. But yes, my wife, Martha, and I fuse as often as we can." Washington said easily, a small smile on his lips.

Lafayette tried to keep the pain out of his voice as he spoke, "I didn't realize you were married."

"It would be unfortunate to lose a wedding ring because of a war." Washington said, opening a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a small sack, and from it he produced a lovely golden band. "But I keep it with me, always."

Laf stared at the ring like it was a deadly bomb. He swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Yes, of course. I would then assume that since you are a married man, you would only fuse with your wife, correct? That's what I would do, at least. If I had a spouse; they would be the only one who would be a part of me."

The Frenchman wasn't entirely sure if that was true. If he marries someone, and that person is not Hercules or John, Lafayette isn't sure he could give up fusing with them. But he was needed to know this answer.

Washington frowned slightly, either at the intimacy of the question or the question itself, Laf wasn't sure. "I haven't yet. As I'm sure you've gathered, I am a fairly private man."

So there was some hope.

"Ah, yes, sir. I mean no offense, I was just curious." Lafayette said. By now Washington had finished his letter to Alexander. He stamped it with a wax seal and handed it to Lafayette. "Thank you, sir."

"Be sure that letter is delivered, under any circumstances, Marquis." Washington dismissed.

"Of course, sir."

---

Philip Schuyler was handed the mail by Dot. He sifted through it. Letters from Congress, letters from friends, business letters, a letter from General Washington -

Well, that was certainly interesting. Schuyler flipped it over and saw the official seal of the Continental Army. He turned it back over skimmed the address. There were two hand writings. The first, which he recognized as Washington's said the name 'Alexander Hamilton' in clean strokes. The second, which he didn't know, had his address on it.

"Dot, my dear," Philip called the servant over, "would you mind fetching the young Colonel? He has a letter from Washington."

The woman left and returned with the Immigrant in tow, along with the Schuyler Sister. Together, they read the letter. Once it was finished, the Schuylers turned to look at Hamilton, but he was already pulling on his coat, an expression of determination as clear as day.

Aneggeli spoke, "Alexander -"

"It has been a pleasure staying here. Thank you, General, for allowing me to occupy your fine home. I will keep in touch." Hamilton said as he buttoned up his jacket.

The fusion tried again, "Alexander -"

"Our country needs me, my dear. I must go." His grin was almost boyish as he said, "I have troops to lead!"

---

The French and Indian War was a necessity in order for the British to remove the French from the new lands and claim their colony. Both sides wished to own the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The French wished to have these lands in order to connect New France with Louisiana. They did not hesitate to move in and create forts to defend this trade route.

Governor Robert Dinwiddie, of the Virginia colony, heard of the French's movement, and sent a small platoon to one of these forts, in order to warn the French to calm the fuck down. This troop was led by a 21 year old man by the name of George Washington.

"Good sirs," Washington said to the French stationed in one of the forts, "This land belongs to the King of England, as it is the colony of Pennsylvania. I kindly request you to leave."

"Non! Piss off!" The French replied.

Clearly, there was only one solution:

Battle of Fort Necessity, 1754.

The fort was made of vertical wooden logs in a circular with only one opening. It provided excellent coverage from all sides. Or so they thought.

The problem with the fort was that it was stationed in an open field, in musket range of a thick wood. The tree line proved to be a natural fort of its own for the 700 French and Indian soldiers. This is opposed to Colonel Washington's own 300. Horribly outnumbered, they didn't stand a chance. The French and Indians shot from the cover of the trees throughout the battle. A invisible force that choked Colonel Washington's men.

Water in the form of violent storms flooded the marshy grounds of the fort; soaking into their outfits and whipping at their faces. With numb, shaking hands, his soldiers were barely able to load their dripping guns. The trees in the distance shook with the wind, and the chances of spotting an Indian with each flash of lightning seemed impossible.

"Sir," One of his men spoke about the crash of thunder. "I fear this is the end of us!"

As Colonel Washington opened his mouth to speak, a bullet whizzed past him and found its home right in the chest of the man who had just spoken. Washington's horrified gaze swept across the battlefield to see nothing but his men, good British men, were being slaughtered from ghosts in the trees.

"Hold your fire! Take cover!" Washington shouted, ducking as a cannonball flew through the sky. "Raise the flag of surrender!"

No one objected. It was clear that if they did not surrender the fort, they would be forced to surrender their lives. As the white flag was raised, the shooting from the other side grew to a halt. Colonel Washington turned to the rest of his men who were still alive. Dear Lord, there were so few of them. "No matter how this ends, you men will survive this, am I understood? Catch your breaths. I shall return."

Washington walked to the middle of the field where two French men were waiting. They discussed the terms of surrender far into the night.

"You cannot have our cannons!" Colonel Washington crossed his arms, "You can have our fort, but not our cannons. Those leave with us."

"I don't think that is your decision to declare, Monsieur." Captain Louis Coulon de Villiers said with a smug smile. "Unless, of course, your precious cannons are more important to you than your life."

Washington wisely bit his tongue and looked away.

The other man beside him turned and yelled into the trees, "Yo! Go steal their cannons!"

Washington was helpless to watch as an array of French soldiers jumped out of the woods, hollering in excitement as they raced across the field to confiscate the British swivel guns.

"We have the terms of surrender written out here." Villiers said as the second man pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. The fact that they had this ready proves either their arrogance or his own foolishness, but in this moment, he is not sure which. Washington took it from him and squinted at the elegant cursive.

"This is in French." Colonel Washington says.

Villiers turned to the other Frenchman, "Oh, I was wrong! He isn't blind! Then his poor aim bust blamed upon his British training."

"I do not know French, good sirs." Washington continued, doing his damnedest to stay civil. "And I will not sign anything that I cannot read."

Captain Villiers sighed, "Very well, we shall read it to you."

And they did. They read every requirement, right there, while both armies watched from their shelter. Washington listened adamantly, speaking up only occasionally. If he truly wasn't alright with something, they would debate it quickly. But at the end of the day, he just wanted to get his men to safety. Most of them needed medical attention.

"Wait, what was the last one?" Washington said, raising an eyebrow.

"You will be marked with the death of Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville." Captain Villiers repeated. "He was the French leader of your last battle and one of your men shot him."

Washington frowned, "'Marked with the death of'? Is that an accurate translation?"

Villiers scoffed, "This is my brother we are speaking of. I would not lie. I will show you the phrase right here. 'George Washington est un stupid tête et il l'a assassinat Jumonville.' It states exactly what happened and what you did."

Washington tried to look at the paper, but the Frenchman's arm had trouble staying still. Hungry, tired, and worried for his men, Colonel Washington sighed and admitted defeat. "Fine. I take responsibility for the death of your brother. My condolences."

He spoke as he signed his name at the bottom of the paper. Now that this was over his men could escape to safety with their stubbed tails between their legs. His first major assignment as a commander, and Washington had failed spectacularly. And, by signing this paper, he was agreeing that he was the assassin in the death of Jumonville, an action that would be spread like wildfire. The young Colonel was marked as a murderer among the French, and a failure among the British. Washington was not lying when he told the young Hamilton that his name had been through a lot.

"This document needs a date. What is the day, sir?" Washington asked as he skimmed through the paper once more.

Captain Villiers looked to the east, "It's daybreak, a new day has begun."

"Which makes it?" Washington pressed, no longer wanting to deal with these annoying Europeans.

"July 4, 1754."

---

Lafayette was the first person to greet Hamilton once he came back to camp. They clasped hands and pulled each other into a tight hug. Laf pressed a kiss to each of Alex's cheeks, and then one more on his forehead, just for good measure.

"Monsieur Hamilton, it is a pleasure to have you back on our side." Lafayette spoke into the crook of Alex's neck. "You were very missed."

Alex rubbed Laf's back as he spoke, "As were you, my dear friend. Where is John?"

Laf's grip tightened suddenly, his face scrunching up against Alex's skin, "Mon amour has fled to South Carolina to fight a great battle."

"Why would he…?" Alex spoke, his mind racing. "His black battalion was approved?"

Lafayette nodded. When he pulled away from Alexander, his eyes were wet. He chuckled as Alex pulled his hand to the Frenchman's cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "I am fine. I just… we all have been feeling lonely. This war has raged too long. I miss Hercules. The chances of me fusing with the general are nonexistent. It was nothing more than a wishful dream, really. And now my John has left me…"

Alex nodded in understand, "I know. But Washington told me in my letter that this battle could very well end this all."

"I can only hope." the Marquis sighed, "I do not know how long I can continue on this path."

"Okay, well, say that we win. What happens next?" Alexander asked.

Lafayette's expression grew even more pained, "I will board one of the ships that is heading back home. I will then work on freeing my second country."

"You're going to be in another war?" Alex frowned, "Wait, you're leaving America?"

"I must! My fight is not over until all of my people are free. The Americans, and the French." Lafayette wrapped his arms around himself, looking away, "I have not told John. I fear I may not see him before I leave; should this be the end."

"And Herc is in England. You'll all be in completely different countries…" Alex whispered, staring at Lafayette, who nodded solemnly.

The Frenchman took a deep breath, "But let us not worry about that right now. We have a war to fight, no? I ride at dusk with my men. We will be waiting in Chesapeake Bay. I wanted to see you before we set off."

Alexander smiled, "Then let us have a drink, like old times."

"My friend, nothing will ever compare to the old times." Lafayette said with a sad smile, but he nodded and started walking towards the tavern.

---

It was a violent battle; but, they always are. Men from both sides screamed out for help as they laid in the dirt, bleeding and in danger of a horse's strong hoof. The sky is filled with smoke; blocking out the warmth of the sun.

Hamilton and his men were pushing the British toward Chesapeake Bay, where Lafayette's men were waiting to blindside them. Their plan was working as the British kept retreating further and further into their trap.

It was the first time Alexander had fought on the battlefield in - he couldn't even remember how long it's been. But as bullets whistled past him, his heart grew in excitement. His men followed his every lead, fighting up close; mowing down British forces with sheer American will.

Before long, Alexander was able to see blue uniforms charging forward from the other side. They've made it. There was no way the British would be able to come back from this one; surrounded on all sides, with Americans' closing in.

An explosion distracted Alexander as he was hurtled to the ground, his ears ringing. Briefly, he wondered if he survived a hurricane, just to die in the last battle of a war.

---

The American troops were well-trained. And this plan was carefully crafted. Lafayette watched as it fell together like a puzzle. The sounds of shocked and terrified British soldiers warmed his heart.

"LAFAYETTE!" A voice shouted above the explosions.

The Frenchman's head whipped around as he recognized that voice. He felt tears in his eyes as he threw himself off his horse in a dead sprint towards the other, "HERCULES!"

They met in the middle of a shit show; blood and dirt flying around them. Hercules held out his arms, which Lafayette excited jumped into.

Not a second later, they were fused.

"Dearest God in Heaven, I thought I'd never see you again." Mullette spoke emotionally as he shot a redcoat straight in the heart.

"I know, my love, I missed you like the sun misses the moon." The fusion's sword slashed into an enemy soldier's neck.

"Did they take care of you? Were you safe? Are you hurt?" Mullette asked as he threw a British man off of his horse and shot him quickly.

"Who cares?!" Mullette laughed, picking up an injured comrade and carrying him to safety.

"I do!" The fusion gasped; snapping a British soldier's neck with his bare hands.

---

A week later, Alexander was still firing as a white flag was frantically waved in the distance. The Americans lowered their weapons, allowing the British soldiers to escape to safety, sprinting to safety. Alex breathed hard, his eyes wide as a man pushed past him, running away with the rest of his army.

So that's it, then.

It's finally over.

"Who's this little cutie?" A deep voice purred from behind him.

Alex turned, raising his bayonet, only to lower it a second later. "Mullette!?"

"That's me, baby!" Mullette grinned, picking up Alexander, who squealed in delight.

"Hercules! That you in there!?" Alex asked, his hands coming up to cup the fusion's face.

"Do you even have to ask?" Mullette laughed.

Alex looked out at the retreating men. His heart soared with everything they had accomplished. Washington made eye contact with him from across the field. His commander smiled and nodded.

"We did it." Alex whispered, feeling a bit emotional, "We won."

"We won!" Mullette repeated, "WE WON!"

---

Even though the north was free of British reign; the south was still in the midst of an all-out brawl. John had no knowledge of what had just transcribed a few states away. He was busy clasping hands with his men, soon-to-be freed slaves.

"Miller, you've got amazing aim, be sure to use it well tonight." John said as he walked through his camp.

The man nodded hastily, "Yes, Master Laurens."

John stopped, sighing slightly. He turned back to the man, putting his hands on his hips, "Mister Miller, we've spoken about this, have we not?"

"Yes, Master Laurens." Miller looked down, attempting to make himself look smaller.

John's thumb gently grazed Miller's chin, causing the man to look up at him, "I am no master. And you are no slave. After this war, we'll all be free men."

"Yes, Mas- Lieutenant Colonel Laurens." Miller said with a small smile.

John grinned at the man, "Mark my words, Miller, our descendants will tell the story of tonight."

Despite his brave facade, John had an intense sense of foreboding about their upcoming battle. Something in the air didn't feel right to him.

As is custom, John wrote letters that he kept in safe hands in case he should die in battle. And, he knew he would die in battle. He had only two letters. Written and rewritten until he was finally satisfied with the end result. The first letter was one that he had ready for years now. The second letter, he wasn't sure if he could ever write correctly.

He thought about his letters, so similar in content, but so different in style. He had to be careful with the wordings of these things. Although, truly, it didn't affect him either way. Should these letters ever be opened, he would be long dead.

My girl,

If you are reading this, I have moved to my next life. I wish every day that things were different between us two. My lovely girl, I wish I could have met our beloved daughter. But I know you will raise her to be exactly like you: perfect in every way. This war has destroyed our lives, but you are still mine. My father's fortune will provide you with the life you deserve. All I ask is that you teach Frances to be the kind of woman that I would be proud of. This won't be a hard task; since I already glow with pride at every letter I read from you. Please, my Martha, do not mourn for me too harshly. I will always be with you, in the form of Frances. She is, and always has been, our connection. She is made of our love. I have asked Hercules and Lafayette to check in on you; you will never be alone. You can have a good life, even if I am not by your side. My girl, I love you so.

Yours,

John Laurens

My boy,

If you are reading this, I have left you before my time. You may never know how much I wished for more time with you. My beautiful boy, I wish that I could have fused with you. I wish that I could have loved you as intimately as a man loves his wife. You are perfect in every way. This war, as horrible as it is, has brought us together. And for that, I must thank it. I may not live to see your rise to glory, although that is my one wish in this life. I know you will become the wisest man in America. I would ask that you become the kind of man that I would be proud of. But you have already granted that wish. I cannot give you my fortune; that belongs to another. But if things were different - I would gift every penny to you. Please, my Alexander, have no stress; I will always be with you. I live on in the minds of Hercules and Lafayette. They have spent enough time in my head to carry my legacy. Mulettens dies with me, but Mullette lives on. He will take care of you, my boy, my Alexander… You have full ownership of my endless affections. You always did.

Yours,

John Laurens

John wonders how his loves will react to his letters. He knows his wife will be well-off. She will be taken care of; perhaps even given a place to stay at the Laurens estate. Father always did love her. Although, if he learned of Frances' upbringing, his love would harshly falter. John wouldn't want that on his daughter. Maybe it's best for them to stay in Britain…

And then Alexander. It is only with the comfort of death that John grows the confidence to express to Alex how he truly feels. If John is to live another day, these letters will never be sent. Alexander will live blissfully unaware, and his daughter will still have a father.

As the sounds of drums trump in the distance, John pushes all these thoughts to the back of his mind. He cannot let silly emotions like love and fear blind him to the task at hand. He has a war to win and men to free.

With the first shots being fired, John forgets completely about his letters.

---

"Hey, be careful now." Mullette chuckled as yet another child ran in between his feet.

Alex laughed, watching as the streets that were bare only a few weeks ago were now flooded with men, women, children, and fusions laughing and cheering. There are bells in the distance and music flowing out of every home.

Alexander leans against Mullette as he watches yet another couple fuse right in front of him. He's not disgusted by this, somehow. When the soldiers returned home, it only made sense that their lovers, their families, would express so much joy and love - fusion was inevitable. This wasn't something that should be hidden inside the privacy of bedrooms. This was something beautiful and pure. Alex found himself grinning when two fusions, soldiers and their loved ones, held one another close and sobbed.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Mullette said thoughtfully. "It's over. The war we've been fighting for over five years now is finished." The fusion turned to Alex and asked, "What comes next? What happens now that we got what we wanted?"

"I'm…" Alex paused, "I'm not sure. God, how do you make a new country? Where do we start?"

"Guess we'll need a new king." Mullette muttered, his gaze drifting over to where George Washington was shaking hands with soldiers. Alex glanced up when Mullette spoke quieter this time, "My love, I must speak to you… but I don't know if you wish to hear it."

Alex stayed quiet, understanding by the distant look in the fusion's eyes that this conversation was not for him.

"Laf? What- what are you hiding from me? I can tell; you're keeping a secret…"

"Ah, yes. That's what I wish to discuss…"

"Laf?"

Even though Mullette only had one mouth; his voices differed slightly when the two different men spoke out of it. It was subtle; in the inflection and tone rather than the voice itself. Regardless, Alexander was able to (barely) follow the conversation because of this small difference.

"I must go back to my country."

"But - no! We just won!" The fusion pushed his hair out of his face, revealing one of his three eyes was watering with unshed tears.

"Shh, I know, my love, but my home - my people, are not yet free. My job is not finished."

"Lafayette, please! You always say you're American, just stay here, France will survive without you!"

"I can't do that, Hercules. You know I can't."

Alex gasped as Mullette disbanded right before his eyes. He quickly looked away, not wanting to be caught staring at such an intense moment.

Hercules was on the ground, his head in his hands, as Lafayette had his arms crossed. Herc's whispered voice squeaked from behind his fingers, "I just got back and you're going to leave me alone like this? With John so far away?"

"War doesn't wait, my love." Lafayette said quietly, his gaze somewhere in this distance.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Hercules shouted suddenly. A few people turned to wonder why there was any sadness in such celebratory times. Alex waved them off awkwardly. Lafayette took a step back in surprise as Hercules twisted around to look up at him, "You lost all right to call me that the second you decided to abandon me!"

Lafayette's expression grew dark, "You were the one who left first, chère."

"Because I had to!"

"Oui, and I have to do this!"

"But you don't! You could stay!"

Lafayette shook his head, "This isn't up for debate. I must return to my home. That was the plan from the beginning."

"Plans change." Hercules said, desperate now. He reached out and grabbed one of Lafayette's hands, still on the dirty ground. "Please, stay with me. Stay with John. We can have a good life together, here, in this country we made."

Lafayette stared at the other man for a long moment. Alexander didn't think he would be able to say no to this, but the Frenchman proved him wrong. "I'm sorry. I can't. My people need me."

Hercules was crying now as he said, "I need you!"

"And where were you when I needed you?!" Lafayette snapped.

Jesus Christ. Alex thought. They're speaking in circles.

Hercules stood up then, a look of fury crossing his face, "Did you ever mean it?"

Laf took another step back, surprised, "Mean what?"

"All those 'my love's and 'mon amour's?! All those make out sessions and late night sneak outs when John and Alex were sleeping?" Alex's eyes widened, he really didn't need to know that. "Did any of those mean anything to you? Were you just using me, for all these years?"

"Of course not!" Lafayette snarled, "I do love you!"

"Then stay! If you really love me, like how I love you, then stay here, with us." Hercules grabbed Laf's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "If you love me, stay."

Lafayette's voice wavered as he mumbled, "If you love me, let me go."

Footprints approaching caught Alex's attention. He looked over to see a man approaching him. He was in a soldier's uniform, his gaze serious as he locked eyes with Alexander.

"Colonel Hamilton?" The man asked.

Alex glanced at Herc and Laf, who were still deep in an argument. "Yes, that's me."

"I have a letter for you from South Carolina." The man said. Alex thanked him as he was handed the important-looking document. The man disappeared and Alex took a moment to wonder who from South Carolina could be messaging him.

Without much thought, Alex opened the letter, right there in the crowded streets. People were still celebrating the new country as Laf and Herc argued next to him. His eyes scanned the page and his chest was filled with sand. His hands were shaking so bad that he couldn't hold the paper still enough to read it.

It was handwriting he didn't recognize. It wasn't his John's writing. It was someone else's hand who wrote this news for him. Alexander felt his knees give out as his eyes were locked onto one phrase.

"Guys…" HIs voice rose from the dirt where he now sat. Hercules and Lafayette looked down at him, falling silent. He slowly raised his watery eyes from the page, so he could look at his friends.

"...John's been shot…"

---

Tell me what you think!

(don't worry; there'll be more. Just give me a few years to write it)