Storm
Pairing: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens
Summary: Alexander seeks comfort from the thunderstorm outside.
Warnings: Nothing much really. Very brief descriptions of the aftermath of the hurricane. The rest is just fluff.
Alexander wasn't one to shy away from danger. He didn't back down from the things that tried to stand up to him. And he certainly wasn't "afraid" of anything.
Another bolt of lightning snapped to the ground in the distance, lighting up Alex's bedroom and causing a particularly loud clap of thunder. You're being ridiculous, he told himself when he flinched. Just go back to sleep. You've been through much worse.
He flipped over in bed, deliberately facing away from the window. Maybe he could try to pretend the storm wasn't there if he couldn't see it. Maybe he could focus on the rise and fall of John's chest and convince himself that everything was going to be okay.
As another roll of thunder shook the house, Alexander decided that this was not going to work.
John had always been a person Alex could trust. He never felt like he couldn't share something with the other man, no matter how personal the topic. Even so, Alex felt his face growing hotter as he reached out to shake John's shoulder. The other man groaned and turned to face him, blinking slowly.
"Alex?" he asked, not unkindly. "What's wrong?"
Alex drew his arm back and grabbed a fistful of blankets. "I'm sorry I woke you. I can't sleep."
John studied him for a moment before a crack of lightning lit the room, realization flashing across his features when Alex cringed.
"Oh, honey. Stay here," he ordered. He got out of bed and pulled each curtain closed, effectively blocking out some of the chaos. Upon returning, he wrapped one arm around Alex's waist, slipping his hand under his shirt to rest on the small of his back. He used his other hand to gently stroke Alex's hair, lingering slightly on the nape of his neck the way he knew the other man liked.
"Shh. I have you," John soothed. "You're safe."
Alex snuggled closer and rested his forehead on the man's collarbone. He certainly felt safe in the arms of his lover, but this thunderstorm took him back to a place he didn't want to be reminded of. He was only seventeen at the time, too young to be seeing the bodies of his neighbors and friends in the water after the hurricane passed over his town.
"Alex, breathe," John whispered. "It's just a storm. We're okay. Breathe, honey."
He hadn't noticed that his breathing pattern was becoming more and more erratic. Alex tried to slow down keep an even rhythm of breath. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. He matched his rhythm with John's breathing, smiling slightly as each inhale brought them a little closer together.
For a couple of minutes, the two men relaxed, slowly slipping back to sleep. The storm still raged outside, but neither of them paid any attention to it.
"John?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too," John replied, kissing the top of Alexander's head.