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)

2. Chapter 2

It went without saying that the three of them grabbed the fastest horses in the area and rode all the way from New York to South Carolina. No words were spoken between them during their three day journey. Lafayette and Hercules switched between desperately avoiding eye contact and staring at each other for so long, their horses almost ran into trees. Alex paid them no mind. He was too focused on racing down south. He had to get there. He had to see John. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if John passed away while Alex was missing.

They arrived late at night on the third day of their journey. Alexander jumped off his horse, finally letting the poor animal rest. He sprinted to the medic tent; Hercules and Lafayette close behind him. A dozen or so slaves stood around the tent, anxiously waiting for an update on their leader's health. But they weren't allowed inside, so they stayed huddled in the dark night. Alexander walked past them without a second glance, he had to know if his John was okay.

"Where is he?!" Alex shouted as he entered the tent. A doctor jumped at the noise and quickly approached him. "Where is John Laurens!?"

The doctor put a hand on Alex's chest, "I'm sorry; I cannot let anyone see him at the moment -"

"We're his fusion, move." Lafayette growled.

Hercules clasped his hand with Lafayette's, his thumb brushing against the soft skin. He looked into the doctor's eyes and begged, "Please, let us see him."

The doctor's mouth snapped shut and he nodded once. "...Alright. Follow me."

The three men were led to the back of the tent, behind many curtains, where a large bed was sitting. In the bed was a man that Alexander didn't recognize. A very, very big man. This individual made Mulettens look like a child. Alex's gaze drifted up and down the tangle of limbs, a mess of too many parts. Alex silently counted: four eyes, two mouths, two and a half legs, three ears, and seven arms. This creature no longer looked human. Half of Alexander felt a bit disgusted, but the other have was extraordinarily intrigued.

Alex turned to the doctor, "Sir, what happened?"

The doctor took a deep breath, looking at his notes, "Well, from what I gathered from witnesses; the Lieutenant Colonel was shot. The bullet was lodged straight through his chest, puncturing his left lung. It's still in there. The slaves around him saw it happen and, without hesitating, they took him into their arms and fused with him. It's hard to say, but I believe there are eight, possibly more, men in this fusion right now."

Alex shook his head, "Why would they do such a thing?"

It was Hercules who spoke, his voice in awe, "They're keeping him alive."

Lafayette stared into Herc's eyes as he whispered, "They're trying to take his wounds. If they split it between them; they might all survive."

The doctor crossed his arms, "Yes, in theory. But the fusion hasn't moved in over two days."

Alex felt his heart jump to his throat. His eyes widened as he frantically searched the fusion for any sign of life. Dear God in heaven, please be alive.

Sensing his worry, the doctor quickly continued, "Don't fret; your friend is still alive. The fusion appears to be breathing fine, despite the hole in his lung. I believe he is simply lost in his mind."

Lafayette was shaking as he said, "So what do we do?"

"We wait."

---

Alex stayed by the bedside for three more days; only ever getting up to use the restroom. He slept slumped over in a chair. He ate very little, and only when the doctor demanded it, lest he'll be kicked out. Hercules and Lafayette split their time between fretting over the unconscious fusion and arguing outside the tent. Tensions were running high.

Alex wasn't expecting to see Mullette anytime soon, but the fusion walked into the tent one afternoon, chewing on his nail. All three eyes were red from crying. He didn't say anything - what was there to say?

He just sat down on the floor next to Alex's chair, and laid his head in Alexander's lap. Alex numbly brushed his fingers through his curls, silently providing what little comfort he could.

After a long, long moment, Mullette looked up into Alexander's eyes and said in the most broken voice, "I just love him so much."

Alex agreed wholeheartedly.

---

Fusions move slower the more discourse there is inside them. When there are more voices in one's head, all fighting to be heard, it takes time for an agreement to be made. This is why the fusion has stayed unconscious for so long. Because his mind was in the middle of a great war.

'I will be the one to die!' Robert shouted. 'I have no family, I will take the bullet and -'

'No!' Mark interrupted, 'I will die! I have lived a long life, I am ready!'

'I am the one who dies tonight!' James declared, 'I welcome death!'

A chaotic mess of men screaming over each other broke out, giving the fusion an intense headache. His breathing picked up only as the noise grew to be too much.

'Men! Stop it this instant!' John shouted, 'If this arguing continues, fission will take place. You would have gone through the pain of being shot for nothing!'

'It's not nothing.' Sam said calmly. There were many murmurs of agreement from the rest of the slaves. 'You have tried to save us. Now we must save you.'

'I understand.' John replied, knowing that the fusion's full attention was on him. 'But I believe we can all make it out of this. No one has to die tonight. I want to thank each of you in person. Do not make me do so at a funeral.'

'Someone will have to take the bullet.' Robert said solemnly. 'Even if everyone else takes pieces of the injury; there will still be someone left with the bullet.'

John said instantly, 'I will take it. It hit me, it is mine to carry.'

This comment only exploded the mind into another round of intense arguing as none of the slaves wanted John to be stuck with a bullet in his chest for the rest of his life.

'You will never be able to fight again!'

'I refuse! Let me take it!'

'Good sir, you deserve so much better!'

Mentally, John sighed. Yes, this fusion was keeping him alive, and if it weren't for these men, he would be in the ground by now, but there was only so much arguing a man could take. He wished they could just make a decision already.

---

"You can leave for France." Mullette spoke quietly.

Alex looked down at him, since he was still resting his head in his lap. Sometimes he wondered if the fusion was speaking out loud for his benefit, or if he just didn't realize he was speaking at all.

When the fusion didn't answer himself, he spoke again with a sigh, "I understand now. You're just like John. He was so lonely, but he had to go and fight. He would have been safer with us, but it was important to him, so he had to go…"

"My love, I don't wish to leave you." Mullette was fiddling with his hands, his fingers intertwining slowly, "I adore you in every way."

"...I know." Mullette's voice was soft, gentle and caring. "That's why you have to go. You will be missed, but you have much to accomplish, across those seas."

"I will not leave until we form Mulettens one last time." Mullette smiled at this, looking up to the large fusion that was still unconscious. "I know he will survive this. It takes much more than this to end our Laurens."

"I'll take care of him when you're gone." Mullette said, his gaze slowly sliding up to look at Alex, "We both will."

Alex blushed and looked away, nodding his affirmation.

Mullette then shifted to his knees and took Alexander's hands in his own, "My Alexander, listen to us."

Alex glanced back, his mind a bit slow from lack of sleep. "Yes?"

"I know how you feel about us. About fusion." Mullette started.

"I-" Alex began to defend himself, but was quickly interrupted.

"But! You have some false ideas in that mind of yours. John is not ours. He can happily find a life with you. When Lafayette leaves, he will be sad, yes. He will seek comfort in Hercules, of course. But this does not mean he loves me more than he loves you." Mullette bit his lip, two eyes glancing away as he added hesitantly, "...Haven't you noticed that every fusion he is a part of has adored you?"

Alex felt his face turn a bright red, "I- well- he- it's just-"

"Alex, stop wasting time. You have fought in a war together. He has been shot. Give him the love and peace of mind that he doesn't want from us." Mullette said seriously. His expression shifted to a soft smile as he kissed each of Alex's hands, "You can have the kind of love you always wished for. If you just let yourself be vulnerable to him. If you just let yourself love him without fear."

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but the large fusion on the bed suddenly groaned. Alex jumped out of his chair as the fusion slowly broke apart into nine different men. After days of waiting by his side, begging and praying for signs of life, Alexander was finally getting a response. For the first time in his life, Alex didn't try to look away from the fission.

As soon as John was stable, Alex ran to him, clutching his hand to his chest. "John!?"

Laurens' head rolled slightly and he groaned. Distantly, Alex heard Mullette call for the doctor. But Alex was only focused on John's face; his beautiful, gorgeous face. Oh, dear Lord, he's still alive! Mullette picks Alex up like a child, pulling him away from John. Alex screams, but he can't squirm out of the fusion's grip. Mullette keeps Alex close to his chest as the doctor checks over John and the other men.

By the time the doctor has checked all of their vitals and bandaged those who were still bleeding; John had gained some coherency. He looked up at Alex and Mullette. Alex's felt a small chuckle escape his lips when John saw them and immediately started crying.

"Oh my good Lord." John mumbled, stumbling to his feet. The doctor tried to get him to sit back down, but John ignored him and pressed his face into Mullette's stomach. "Oh my God."

"Hello, lovely." Mullette smiled, his hand brushing back John's hair gently, "You had us all very worried."

"My men saved me." John whispered, his hands digging into Mullette's jacket tightly, "Fusion saved me."

Mullette lowered himself to his knees, setting Alexander down as he did so. Alex took a step back, allowing them to have their moment. Mullette brushed away John's tears, whispering, "Oh, beautiful, look at you now. You've done everything you wished to accomplish."

"What do you mean?" John mumbled, leaning into the fusion's touch. He very much looked like a small child seeking comfort from their parent, the way his wide, wet eyes stared into the other man's.

Mullette brushed back one of John's stray hairs gently as he whispered, "The war was won. You did it, John. Your men are free."

John stared in disbelief; he started crying again as he fell into Mullette's arms. He buried his face in Mullette's chest and let out an emotional sob. Mullette chuckled and rubbed John's back. "Hey now, you're looking weak in front of your men."

The soldiers were quick to retaliate with; "I have never seen a braver man!" and "I owe John Laurens my life!", which only made John cry harder. Alex smiled when John stared into Mullette's eyes and leaned forward. He could see from the warm way that they were looking at each other that they were about to fuse.

The doctor saw this too, and started hitting Mullette with his clipboard, "No! No fusion! He's still under my watch; I have to do vital checks!"

John laughed as Mullette squawked and tried to avoid being hit. The fusion relented, but still held John's hand as the doctor looked over him. When the two tried to fuse three more times, the doctor finally kicked Mullette out of the medic tent.

"Go wait outside with the others!" The doctor shouted as Mullette sulked away.

"I'm sorry, doctor." Alex apologized, "He's just excited that John's alive."

John hid his bright red face in his hands. With a goofy smile, peeked through his fingers to Alex and whispered, "I have never in my life wanted to fuse with someone so much."

Alex's smile was pinched on the edges as he tried to ignore his pining heart. "You'll have your chance, once the doctor is satisfied."

The doctor had all the men take off their shirts so he could inspect each of their wounds. Some of them had worse injuries than others; John only had a faint scar. But all of their wounds were in the same spot on their chest. They were all connected in this way; sharing a common wound of war. Alex found himself very interested in the doctor's notes as he commented on each of their progress.

The doctor held out his hands in a surprised gesture, "I can't believe I'm saying this; but men, you'll survive this. All of you. The worst, Mr. Jones, will take a few months to heal up fully. But after that; you're all fine. Just make sure you keep your wounds clean. I would hate for one of you to die because you got an infection. And don't fuse until I give you the okay. There are still some chances of nerve and muscle damage."

Alex leaned over to John. He slowly raised his hand to John's bare chest, his palm pressed against the light scar there. "So. You took the bullet?"

John nodded, "It's in my chest; right by my left shoulder blade. Doc says I can't fight anymore."
"Hopefully there will be a distinct lack of fighting for all of us." Alex murmured as his thumb brushed over the freckled skin. Alex couldn't look away from where his fingers traced.

"Hey." John said softly, ducking his head to catch Alex's attention. He smiled warmly when Alex looked into his eyes, "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad you're here, too." Alex whispered, his voice raw.

John pressed a kiss to Alexander's forehead. He stayed there for a long moment, taking in a deep breath through his nose. Finally, he whispered, "Let's go home."

---

Home ended up being a two-room apartment in New York that Hercules had picked out. It was homey; small and affordable. But it had high ceilings and came with a bed big enough for Mulettens. Alex wasn't surprised by Hercules' choice. It had a warm feeling in the air, even when it was bare of furniture (save for the bed) and had no memories attached to it yet.

As soon as the doctor had said that it was probably okay for Laurens to fuse, Mullette was all over him. Alex actually did look away that time, a blush rising to his cheeks, as the two men frantically clung to each other.

The two spent a few days spending Mulettens' combined fortune on furniture, clothing, and food to stock their new home with. Alex tried to help pay on multiple occasions, but was shot down by the fusion each time.

"Don't worry, baby boy. We can pay for this easily." The fusion said with a kiss to Alex's head. The Immigrant felt like such a freeloader, since Mulettens refused to let him pay for anything; including rent. But he decided that if Hercules was willing to spend John and Laf's money, then he was too. No one could blame him for following Herc's lead. Besides, now that the war was over, he was kinda jobless. They all were, actually.

Alex informed Mulettens that he was going to look for jobs at local law firms in order to help pay for his part of the apartment.

"You don't have to pay for anything, baby boy." One mouth said, as the other spoke, "Oh, that's a great idea! You'll be an amazing lawyer!"

With his friends' encouragement; Alexander was able to find a job at a law firm in New York. He delved into his work with as much enthusiasm as one would expect from him. Despite Mullettens' protests, a majority of Alexander's money went to his half of the rent. But that was fine; he didn't need a lot of money when he got to spend every day helping the innocent and hanging out with his friends.

Hercules started his own tailoring business; where he made fine suits from expensive French materials. Alex had no idea what John did; but he did it well. When a month passed with them staying in New York, Lafayette told them over dinner that it was time for him to go.

"I have procrastinated this long enough…" Laf said to his sandwich.

John's shoulders drooped, "Wait. You're really leaving?"

"He has to, Jack." Hercules replied quietly, staring out the window. "France needs him."

Lafayette stood up and approached John's seat. His hands gently cupped John's face. He spoke quietly as he brushed a thumb over a dozen freckles, "If there was another way, I would do it. But I have to save my people. You understand, don't you?"

John swallowed hard and looked away. His voice was vulnerable as he said, "You said you'd never leave me."

"And that was true at the time. But, my love, things have changed. Your war is over, but mine has just started." Lafayette sighed as he pressed a kiss to John's forehead, "You will never be alone; you have Hercules and our dear Alexander."

Alex silently reached forward and placed his hand on John's. The southerner's gaze flicked over to him and Alex offered him a small smile.

John looked back to Lafayette, sadness obvious in his voice, "Okay."

---

The night before Lafayette was going to leave; Alex slept in the guest bedroom, giving the master bedroom to Mulettens. Alex didn't know what they were going to be doing all night, but he figured he should give them some privacy. The walls were thin, and Alex could hear them talking quietly to one another. He didn't know what was being said, but he could hear the emotions in their voices. They shifted easily from morose to soft to jovial to sad again. Alex felt calmed simply by hearing their voices.

As Alex was starting to fall asleep, the tone of the voices changed noticeably. Alex didn't think much of it, until he heard a distinct moan from the other room.

Alex's face grew hot as the moans grew louder. He covered his ears with his hands when the bed started thumping against the wall.

"Fucking fuse inside me - yeah, shit-"

Alex started praying.

No one in that apartment got any sleep that night.

---

Alexander could barely look the other men in the eyes the next morning as Lafayette said his final goodbyes. He figured that something like this would happen eventually. He just didn't realize that it would be so awkward. He blamed his awkwardness on the fact that he listened to literally every possibly fusion come to release in that room. Those three didn't stop until everyone was satisfied.

Alex expected Lafayette leaving to be just as painful for Hercules and John as Herc's departure was for everyone. But this time was a lot less emotional. When Lafayette parted ways; kissing Hercules' lips, John's cheek, and Alex's forehead - there were no tears. No sobbing. This was a long time coming, it seems. Everyone was ready for it.

The days following Lafayette's disappearance were the same as always. Alex, John, and Herc slept in the bed; leaving a spot open out of habit. Things were nice; peaceful.

---

"I wanna be in the middle tonight!" John shouted as he jumped into the massive bed.

Hercules laughed, "You were the middle last night."

John squirmed from his spot in the middle of the bed as Hercules climbed over to him. Alex shook his head as the two started wrestling for the middle spot. They had always slept in the same bed, for as long as they had known each other. It was only natural during war times; trying to keep warm in the harsh winter nights. It would be strange for them to stop now that they had their own home. Their second room was now officially for guests; bare and unused. Alex didn't mind the cramped bed; he craved it actually. From the first day they moved in; Alex allowed Mullettens to hold him while they slept. Alexander would be lying if he said that he didn't adore sharing such sleeping arrangements.

Which meant that these two idiots had to have an argument every night about who got to be in the middle (supposedly it's the best spot). Herc flipped John over onto his back as Alex took off his shirt; leaving himself in just his trousers. He looked up when the sharp squeals and giggles from John were cut off suddenly. Alex squirmed when he saw Hercules' tongue slide into John's mouth. Herc was on top of John; holding his arms down as they kissed. John pulled away after a moment; his face slightly flushed, his eyes half-lidded. Alex's lips fell open when their gazes locked. John licked his lips and gestured for Alex to come closer with his finger.

Alex swallowed hard as he slowly crawled on the bed. Hercules scooted over so Alex could take his spot. Alex's heart was pounding in his chest as he glanced between Herc and John. Hercules smiled softly at him and brushed a strand of his hair out of his face. Alex squeaked when Herc used the hand on his neck to pull him forward slightly. Their lips connected sloppily and Alex found himself leaning over John to kiss Herc better.

When Herc pulled away, Alex was panting hard. He blinked, trying to clear his mind, as he mumbled, "What was that?"

"Goodnight kiss." Herc replied casually.

John snorted from below them. Alex glanced down at him, his expression darkening hungrily. Neither of them said anything for a long moment; they just stared at each other, gazes drifting down to the other's lips. Alex hesitantly shifted forward, ducking his head slightly. John's eyes widened a fraction as he started to sit up to meet him halfway.

"This doesn't mean you get the middle." Hercules said.

John's gaze snapped away, the moment broken. "W-what?"

Herc gestured to their positioning, with John between Alexander and himself. "I still get to be in the middle."

"Oh, you wish!" John cackled.

Alex had to hold back his frustration at having an opportunity to kiss John stolen from him. The two bickered for another ten minutes before Alex fell asleep between them.

---

"Please!" Burr shouted at the doctor, not for the first time, "Let me fuse with her!"

"No!" The doctor replied, not for the first time. "We don't know how the child will react to a sudden fusion! You don't want to risk a miscarriage or stillborn!"

Burr had his hands clasped around one of Theodosia's, who was screaming in agony. He pressed small kisses to his wife's forehead, "Shh, you have to do this one on your own, love. I'm so sorry. I'm right here, I'm right here."

Theodosia dug her nails into Burr's hand, trying to work through the pain. She couldn't get a word out between her pained hisses.

"Still here!" Burr grunted, his eyes bulging out at how harshly his wife was crushing his hand. "You're doing great! Just, keep going, sweetheart -"

"Aaron!" Theo growled, turning her head to look at him furiously.

"Yes, my love? You're doing so good, you'll be okay, you're -"

"SHUT UP!" Theo shouted, giving a hard push as the doctors worked around them.

Aaron took his wife's advice and quieted down, giving her a strong arm to dig into. She was sweating from the effort and Aaron wished with all his heart he could be with her to help her through this.

Before too long Burr's head whipped around at the sound of a baby's cry. The doctors worked quickly, cutting the cord, wrapping it in a blanket, and doing their best to stop Theodosia's bleeding.

Aaron's voice shook as he watched the doctors hand his newly-born child, "W-well?"

"Congratulations, Mr. Burr." The head doctor said, "You've got yourself a healthy baby girl."

Aaron turned to Theodosia, who was extraordinarily exhausted, "A daughter! We have a daughter!"

Burr pressed delighted kisses to Theo's face, her forehead and cheeks. Theo sighed, her eyes dropping. Aaron smiled at her, brushing back her hair gently.

"Rest now, my love. I'll fuse with you as soon as it's safe." He pressed one last kiss to her forehead before he turned to the doctors. He reached out for the child, "Can I hold her?"

"Of course." They carefully handed the small child over.

"She's beautiful." Aaron whispered, holding back tears. His daughter had no problem crying enough for both of them, "Oh, shhh, darling, don't cry. I'll take good care of you. You're safe…"

A doctor came by with paperwork, "What's her name?"

Burr looked down at his daughter, and then over to his sleeping wife, "Theodosia Burr Jr."

---

Alex and John were making dinner together when Hercules burst into the home one day; a whirlwind of fabric and emotions.

"Guys, I want a kid!" Herc shouted when he saw them.

Alex blinked rapidly before turning back to the meat he was cutting into strips. "The human kind or the goat kind?"

"The human kind." Herc replied before sliding over to steal a piece of carrot. "Preferably."

"Where did this come from?" John asked, swatting Herc's hand away.

Hercules sighed as he leaned back against the table, "We're getting old, guys. By the time I convince someone to stay with me, I'll be dead. There's no time like now, right?"

John smiled, shaking his head, "Herc, you're, like, thirty-five."

"Exactly! I'm ancient!" Herc said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I should have a kid by now!"

Alex could hear the amusement in John's voice as he said, "Well, good luck with that. It's not like we can have a kid."

"Why not?" Herc asked.

John deadpanned, "I want you to think about that really hard. Think about what you just asked. Why can't three single men with no women present create a child? I just can't figure it out."

Hercules flicked him, muttering, "I meant adopt, stupid."

Alex's hands shook as he focused on cutting the chicken breast in front of him. John huffed, "It's a lovely thought, but I don't know, Herc…"

Hercules reached for Alexander, "Al, what do you think?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder, "Um… Yeah, that'd be… something."

"What?" Herc asked.

The two of them were now staring at him, confused and concerned about the non-Hamilton-esque answer. Alex felt his skin crawl under their gazes, he looked away and tried to appear nonchalant.

"Alex, hey," John said quietly, stepping close to him. He placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, trying to get him to look at him, "tell us what you're thinking?"

Alexander sighed and looked over to Hercules; painfully ignoring John's concerned gaze. "You know how I feel about … I just don't think …"

Hercules' expression softened into one of understanding. "Alex, you won't be like your father. You would be a good dad."

John glanced between the two, missing the context that would make this conversation meaningful. Even after the war, Hercules never spilled to John or Lafayette what Alex and he had discussed in that room when they tried to fuse. And Alex wasn't ready to share that kind of information with the others just yet. So they relied on vague phrasing to get their points across.

"But what if I am? I work a lot… Already my spot on the bed grows cold."

"No, you're different, Al. He didn't care; you care with all your heart."

"I just don't want to mess this up for you."

"You wouldn't! Any child would be blessed to be adopted by you."

Alex squirmed, looking away. His mind was battling itself between wanting to believe Hercules, and wanting to fall into his childhood insecurities. Hercules stepped forward and took Alex's hands, holding them in his own, "Hey, what you told me? I want to make sure a child doesn't have to go through that. I think this apartment could be a good home for them. We could make it a good home for them."

The room was quiet for a long time as Alex soaked in Hercules words. Finally, Alex nodded mutely. His voice didn't say it, but his lips mouthed the word, "Okay."

Herc turned to John now, who was watching with a carefully blank expression. Herc shot him a grin, "So?"

Alex went back to cutting the chicken, trying to feel at peace with this discussion.

John huffed a small laugh, but shook his head again, "I don't know, buddy. It's a lot. Children aren't accessories for your outfit. They need constant love and affection."

"Oh, so the same as living with your needy ass." Herc commented, "So, nothing changed."

Alex snorted and hide his expression from John, who scowled. He opened his mouth to retaliate again, but Hercules beat him to it.

"Literally everyone has a kid! You already have a kid. It's not fair. I want one!"

Alex cried out in pain when his hand slipped and he cut himself with the knife. He stared down at his bleeding hand, frozen. John's eyes flew wide as Alex slowly turned to look at him. The two stared at each other for a long moment; a flurry of emotions crossing through both of their gazes.

Alex spoke quietly, his voice shocked, "You have a kid?"

Herc shot John an apologetic look, "You didn't tell him?"

"I was waiting for the right time." John hissed, his expression deadly.

Hercules smartly kept quiet and went to the bathroom to grab some bandages.

John sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah. I, uh, have a daughter. ...And a wife."

The pain from Alex's bleeding hand was nothing to the deep pain in his chest. "A what?"

"It's a woman that you marry?" John said quietly, unable to bring humor to the joke. "Um… Her name is Martha. And my daughter is Frances."

Hercules sure was taking his fucking time finding those bandages. Alex swallowed around his suddenly dry throat; "Oh, that's, um, cool. Glad you bothered to tell me."

"Alex…" John sighed, closing his eyes tiredly.

Alexander just shook his head, trying to hide his unshed tears. "No, I mean, that's good. I'm happy for you."

The tense silence hung in the air; leaving nothing for them to focus on. Alex kept trying to swallow around the knot in his throat; doing his bed to not break down because of this. Of course John was married. To a woman. With a child. Of course he loved this girl dearly and Alex was just a distraction. Of course everything he ever wanted in live was already taken from him. This whole time, he was so worried about Herc and Laf being the center of John's affections; he never stopped to consider some faceless girl already won that prize.

John stared at the wall as he spoke, his arms wrapped around himself; "It was my sophomore year of college. Father sent me to Europe to get a better education. I was in Britain when it happened..."

---

John wouldn't consider himself a party boy. He just liked getting drunk. But he was an amazing student; smart and focused. This kind of contradictions meant that he had two groups of friends: Those Who Studied and Those Who Smashed.

John was probably a better person with Those Who Studied; but he wasn't sure if they really knew him. They got together and did homework and talked about the world. He spoke of the colonies and they complained about the Scottish. It was easy and enjoyable. But they didn't know about John's self-hatred. They didn't know about his passions and his dreams. They only knew that he had the answer to question seven.

Surprisingly, Those Who Smashed were far more intimate with him. Whether they were in public or in private, they were always drinking. And alcohol tends to make horrible things easier to say. So, on occasion, they would sit around, chugging liquor, and sharing stories that they've never repeated before.

"My mother tried to drown me once. How weird is that?" One would laugh, a blush on their cheeks from their drink.

"I prayed to God that the King would die. It didn't work. Yet." Another joked, "Imma try again tomorrow."

Another waved their hand around dismissively, "None of this matters. You know? We're all studin', gettin' our degrees. But like, who cares? Fuck it. We're wasting our lives doing this."

It always took a lot of alcohol for John to join in on these conversations. When he did, he was never able to laugh it off like the others. He would start out strong, "Yeah, my father is real controlling, you know?" but then by the time he gets to what he wants to say, all eyes are on him, and he can't raise his voice much higher than a mumble, "He - he said he'd disown me if I didn't study law. I don't actually like law, you know? I don't want this. But, he scares me sometimes, you know?"

Drunk people always have the best advice. Every time John would share with Those Who Smashed, he would feel so much better about his life. They had so many bright ideas.

"Man, fuck 'em! Fuck 'em all!"

"Yeah! Gimme his name, I'll ruin him!"

"Lawyering sucks, don't do lawyering - you should break the law instead! That's irony!"

"That ain't irony, shitthead!"

John smiled and chuckled to himself, shaking his head. So what if he only spoke to these people when they were all drunk or high off their asses? They, in their weird little way, cared for each other and were ready to drunkenly fight whoever was hurting them.

A gentle hand was placed on his. John glanced over to see a beautiful girl. One who stood out from the drunk group of friends, because she somehow found her way into both of John's friend circles. She was both a part of Those Who Studied and Those Who Smashed. She knew how smart, how brilliant John could be, but she also knew how scared, how alone he was. And John knew the same things about her. They were fairly close for study/drinking buddies.

John blinked once, his mind a little slow, "Martha?"

"Hey," She whispered, nodding to a vacated room, "Do you wanna seriously talk about this?"

John glanced up at the rest of the group, who were now roaring with laughter at something someone said. They wouldn't even notice they were gone. He smiled and nodded, "Sure."

The two snuck away into an empty bedroom where they could talk privately. Martha sighed when they closed the door behind them, cutting off the noise from the small party. "Good Lord, they can be rowdy."

"Funny how one second they speak of attempted murder, then the next their tongues meet in celebration." John commented, shucking off his jacket tiredly.

Martha snorted, "They have strange foreplay."

John cackled, "I never considered that."

The lovely woman sat down on the bed, smiling kindly, "Seriously though, John. Is everything okay at home?"

"How would I know? I'm not there." John grumbled as he sat down next to her.

She sighed, "You know what I mean."

John waved her off, "Don't worry about it. My father is just intimidating. He wants great success for me and he thinks following in his footsteps is the way to do it."

Martha pursed her lips, "You've spoken unkindly of him before. I take it you two are not close?"

"As close as the distance between us now." John replied, referring to himself being in Britain, while his father stayed in the colonies. "But, he means well, I guess."

Martha didn't seem convinced. "John… you said you're scared of him. Does he … does he harm you?"

It took John's drunken mind to figure out what she just said. He's eyes fly wide as he shakes his head rapidly, "No! No no no no no! He has never touched me! He only harms my mind, not my body!"

"That is still abuse, John." Martha said sternly.

"No it's not." John shook his head, "It's, it's parenting. It's - you wouldn't understand."

They were quiet for a moment as Martha chewed her lip. Finally, she spoke, quickly, "My father has forced fusion with me."

John's body grew cold. He suddenly felt very sober as he watched Martha watch him. "...What?!"

Martha looked away, wrapping her arms around herself. She laughed bitterly, "After my mother died, he had no one to fuse with. And there was a pretty young girl, ready and waiting."

"Martha, that's -"

"I know."

John didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react. So he just dumbly stared at her while she watched her bare feet brush against the floor. She spoke again, quietly, "You speak of fusion when you're drunk, did you know?"

"Um, vaguely..." John mumbled, most the time he wasn't sure what was coming out of his mouth. Anything that popped into his head got to be voiced. No discrimination between drunken thoughts. It wasn't his fault that his mind wandered to fusion often.

Martha chuckled softly, looking up at him, "You talk about how you want to fuse like the others," She nods her head to the noise from the other room, "speak of bedding their crushes."

John blushed, "It's just - always fascinated me, I suppose. But my father forbid it in our house."

Martha shrugged, "He's not here now."

John's gaze snapped over to her. "Martha…?"

The girl sighed and looked away, "Look. I have spoken to some doctors. A few have suggested that the best way to get over the trauma, is to replace those memories with good ones."

"I'm not sure if that's what they mean." John said hesitantly.

"I think so. If I were to fuse with someone I love, then the process will no longer seem like an act of violation." Martha said slowly, "Does that make sense?"

John frowned, "Martha, we are just good friends -"

"Yes, and that's all I wish to be!" Martha quickly confirmed, "Just good friends who fuse."

John blinked rapidly, "Is that allowed? Wouldn't that complicate things?"

"I don't think so." Martha shrugged. "But I, obviously, won't force you. I just thought… you always wanted to fuse, and I need to be in a healthy fusion… Why not?"

John swallowed hard, his cheeks dusting pink at the thought. "Um, okay… How do you do it?"

Martha stood up and held out her hand, grinning at him excitedly, "We dance."

And they did. They stepped easily with each other; hands clasped, nervous smiles on their faces. They swayed to the sound of one of their friends doing a keg stand from the other room. John laughed at the absurdity of it all. Martha giggled as well, the two leaning into each other.

A warmth washed over the two; peace and love and trust exploding into a whole new being. When they opened their eyes, they felt completely content; better than any high or passing grade. Their hands traveled over their chest, their stomach, their arms. They felt an excited squeal escape from their lips.

"Oh my Lord!" They cheered, their hands coming up to touch their hair. "We did it!?"

They stumbled over to the mirror in the corner of the room, desperate to see their reflection. "Oh, goodness, this is so much different than my last fusion."
They had wavy blonde hair and a chest that wasn't sure what it's purpose was. A strong jaw, but delicate hands, with pale freckles and muscled thighs.

"How do you feel?" They asked in the mirror. They watched as their expression changed, thoughtful, "Honestly? Amazing. I never thought fusion could feel like this!"

"I know! I have never felt more safe in my life!"

They blushed and covered their face with their hands, "Oh, gosh, that was embarrassing to say."

"No, no," The hands reached out to the mirror, exposing their face, eyes open and wide, "it's okay… I get it."

They just stood there, staring at themself in the mirror, smiling uncontrollably. It wasn't until they heard someone vomit outside did they decide that they should investigate. Stepping out of the room for the first time, their friends quieted upon seeing them.

And then, because they are college kids, everyone started shouting.

"YEAH! JOHNNY-BOY GOT SOME!"

"Shit, I'm gay."

"Damn, Martha, hit me up next!"

"FUSION PARTY!"

So they laughed and drank and had a good time with their obnoxious friends. They politely refused to fuse with anyone else, finding joy just in being together.

---

Alex looked away, his expression dark. "I didn't realize you were in love."

"I'm not!" John quickly said. But that only made Alex more upset, and John tried to fix it, "I mean, not with her! I never was. We were just friends and our fusion was one out of companionship rather than romance."

Hercules had returned with bandages and was quietly wrapping Alexander's hand, keeping his head down and his mouth shut. This wasn't his story to tell and he already spilled the beans.

"So why did you marry her?" Alex asked, clearly trying to keep any emotion from his voice.

John sighed, forcing himself to keep eye contact. "So, we kept fusing. It was the only way we both found peace. But, a few weeks before the end of the semester…"

---

"John, I need to talk to you." Martha said as she pulled him into an empty classroom.

John grinned, a joke at the tip of his tongue, until he saw her expression. She's obviously been crying; eyes red, hands shaking.

"What's wrong?" John asked, his hands coming up to wipe away her tears, "what happened?"

Martha let out a shaky breath, unable to meet his eye, "...I'm pregnant."

John smiled, his shoulders relaxing, "Martha, that's amazing! Congratulations!"

Martha shook her head, pushing his hands away gently, "It's yours."

John's smile faltered, "I'm sorry?"

"It's yours, John. My baby is yours." Martha repeated, fear and horror in her eyes.

"But - we've never - not once have we -" John stumbled over his words, trying hard to remember if maybe when they were drunk did they ever fool around. But they didn't. He knows they didn't. He has never once touched Martha is such away.

The woman hid her face in her hands as she whispered, "It's a fusion baby."

"...O-oh." John whispered, his eyes wide.

Fusion babies were a race occurrence. When a man and a woman fused, on occasion things get mixed up in the fission process. Things like sperm and eggs. It doesn't always happen, but under times of intense stress, it is possible. Forced fission can higher the risk of a fusion baby.

"Martha, I am so sorry." John said, ducking his head to look her in the eye, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I-"

"I know." Martha whispered. "I just don't know what to do. I'm a pregnant, unmarried woman. My father is going to kill me."

Fear rose in John's chest. If Martha's father was the kind of man to force fusion on his own daughter, what would he do if he was upset about her unborn child? He thought quickly, reaching out for her, "Then marry me!"

"What?!" Martha gasped.

"Marry me!" John said, dropping to his knee, "Martha, this is my fault, I should fix it!"

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine! I asked us to fuse in the first place!" Martha shook her head, staring down at him like he was insane.

"It was my seed that infected you! It's my child! Let me help you!" John said taking Martha's hand, "Your father cannot get upset if you are a married woman. My father will finally get off my case about finding a wife. We can use our combined fortunes to make a good life for our child - I see no downside!"

Martha gently pulled her hand away, "I don't love you."

John nodded, standing up, "Yes, and I don't love you. But we could make this work."

"What if one of us finds another?" Martha asked, holding her hands close to her chest.

"Then I hope they are understanding and kind. I hope that they are alright with loving a married person. I hope that they are trusting. I hope that they love you as much as I do." John smiled, running a hand through Martha's hair gently, "My girl, you will be okay. I promise it."

---

John waited for a response, but none came. Alex only stared at him. Hercules had finished bandaging him and was now leaning against the table, watching silently.

John continued, "So, we wed. But the war started, and I had to stop my studies in order to fight for my country. I wrote her letters every week. She knows of Mulettens; she doesn't mind at all. In fact, she has her own lovers in Britain that take good care of her when I cannot. Should I pass, she is the heir to my father's fortune. And if I were to die in battle, Mullette has partial custody over Frances."

The freckled man was going to keep talking, but Alex held up a hand, silently signaling him to stop. "You said you've never met your daughter?"

John bit his lip, "No."

"And you dare call yourself a father?" Alex snarled, anger radiating off his body.

"Hamilton!" Herc shouted, stepping between them.

John held up his hands in a placating manner, "No. He's right. I am no father to Frances. I should do more. I should visit her. I should be better. It's almost as if I already know this and it keeps me up at night because I hate myself!"

Hercules tried to grab a hold of John's hand but the man pulled it out of his grasp, glaring right at Alexander. The immigrant's face was hard, closed off.

John was almost screaming now, tears in his eyes, "You may be my best friend - but you are not my fusion! You have no idea what haunts me! You have no right to criticize me or my lifestyle choices!"

"My father abandoned me and my mother when I was ten!" Alexander shouted back, "And you didn't even give your daughter that long! What makes you think you can say you love Frances when you don't even bother to see her?"

"I've been a bit busy, if you haven't noticed, fighting for the independance of my country!"

"Well, now you sound like Lafayette!"

"Don't you fucking dare use Lafayette as an insult! He is a better man than you ever will be!" John screamed.

Hercules shouted over them, "John!"

"You're more protective of your fucking fusion than you are of your own child! Why would we bring a child into this home, when clearly you can't prioritize one!" Alexander shouted.

"Alex!" Hercules snapped.

John pushed past Hercules suddenly, getting in Alexander's face. The shouting was over, now his voice was a deadly low; he spoke like a promise, "Don't you ever dare mention my wife or my daughter's names again. I will end you. I don't care what happened to you as a child; this is not your place to talk. I know you won't understand when I say this, but, Hamilton, your opinion doesn't matter."

Alex's jaw snapped shut and he looked away. When he spoke, his voice was quiet as he said, "I just don't understand how Hercules can wax poetic about how we'll be better than my father, and fail to mention that you're exactly like him. Why would we bring a child into this home? We can barely take care of ourselves."

Hercules shook his head, "That's not true. We have stable jobs, we've got an extra room, plenty of time on our hands, we have a healthy fusion relationship -" Alex scoffed at that one, "-I think we could do this if you both would stop worrying about everything that could go wrong."

The two men took a few minutes to calm down, not looking at each other.

"Alex," Herc started, "John is not like your father. He hasn't walked out on Martha and Frances. He's doing the best he can. Almost all of his salary from the war goes to them. He sends them gifts and artwork more than any other soldier did to their family."

Alex shifted awkwardly on his feet, stealing glances at John.

"John." Herc sighed, "Alex is just scared. He doesn't mean any of what he said. He's clearly taking his anger out on you. He's always been insecure about having a family; which is part of why he's never seeked out a wife."

Alex grumbled, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

Herc held up his hand, silencing him, "Shut up, I'm really disappointed in both of you right now. You two are best friends, start acting like it."

Alex and John looked at each other quietly. They mumbled their apologies like the toddlers they claim they aren't.

"Look, I'm sorry I brought this up. I didn't mean to start a fight." Hercules said apologetically, mostly to John. He sighed desperately, "But I know how you feel about your daughter. I know what kind of love and pride forms in a parent. I want that. I want to share it with you guys. I want us to be a family." Hercules wrapped his arms around himself, "...Don't I deserve that?"

Alex had to look away from Herc's vulnerable expression. Guilt spread across his chest for acting like such a child. But it really only proves his point. He's not ready for a kid. None of them are. What if they mess up? What if they ruin someone's life, like his father ruined his?

"Of course you do." John sighed, stepping forward and pressing a kiss to Herc's forehead, "Okay. We'll look into it."

---

Some time later, they got mail. The letter was addressed to all three of them. Alex waved it around as he entered their home, shouting, "Guys! Laf wrote from France!"

Hercules' expression was one that should have been painted, for it was the embodiment of pure joy. He and John were sitting at the dining room table; John in Herc's lap, their arms around each other. Alex tried hard not to be jealous. Things have been a bit tense between him and John since their fight. John followed Hercules around like a puppy, constantly holding or touching him. Distractedly, Alex wondered why they didn't just fuse. Clearly, they wanted to.

John waved Alexander over, "Well, don't keep us waiting!"

Alex slid into the seat next to them and ripped open the letter carefully. He unfolded it and began to translate the elegant French out loud for Herc.

My dearest friends,

The war for my country is by no means complete. We must fight and keep fighting in order to end this discrimination between the classes. My people are starving, and so am I. Wealth means nothing when it cannot be shared. A man by the name of Napoleon leads our people to rally. I am not yet sure of how I feel about this man. But, as we have learned from our precious Alexander, sometimes men of small stature, have big ideas.

Alex squawked and immediately grabbed an empty parchment and a quill, furiously writing his rebuttal. In about three paragraphs, he managed to effectively explain that he is not short he is just unfed and if people like Lafayette would not eat as much, then he would be really very tall and-

"Alex, please," John said in a laugh, taking Lafayette's abandoned letter, "He writes in jest."

Hercules nudged John, leaning over his shoulder to look at the loopy handwriting, "What does he say next?"

John continued where Alex left off, translating on the fly.

In much more pleasant news, I wish to inform you that I have not been abandoned in my new country. Although no one can compare to my lovely Hercurens, I have, somehow, found another.

John paused to look up at Hercules, whose eyes had grown painfully dark. His voice was distant when he said, "Keep going."

My dear Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles; she is a beautiful woman who I will happily spoil. We have endlessly connected in the most pleasurable of ways.

John showed the phrasing to Alex, saying, "I can't tell if he's talking about fusion or sex right here."

"Knowing Laf, probably both." Alex muttered, scanning the page. They both glanced at Hercules, who was looking out the window, quiet.

If I cannot return to America; which I believe I may never will, I will ask this woman to be my wife. My dear Adrienne makes me happy in these trying times. I hope that you can understand, my loves, that I must do what I can to survive. I am unsure if I can write often, but when I cannot, know that you will always be in my heart.

God be with ye,

Love,

Your Lafayette

With that, the letter was finished. John turned to look at Hercules, hesitant to touch him, "Herc? Are you okay?"

"Excuse me, gents." Hercules said, picking John up and setting him down in his now vacated chair. "I just remembered I have something to attend to."

John reached out, but Hercules was already walking away. "Herc! Wait, I can -"

"Not right now, John." Herc mumbled, disappearing into their room.

Alex looked back down at the letter he was drafting. "We should finish this. Laf will wonder how we reacted."

"Then we should lie." John replied, "No need to break two hearts."

Dearest Lafayette,

We know you will fight well for your country, for you are American, and we do not give up easily. Your news pleases us greatly! We are all so excited to hear more about the woman who claims your heart! Stay safe across those wretched seas; we miss you more with each passing day. Mullettens has not died yet; we still believe we will see you once again.

God be with ye,

Love,

Hercules, John, and Alexander

P.s. I am not short you stupid French fuck

---

"It's just hard, you know?" Hercules mumbled into his drink. "I know that we were never together. I mean, we were affectionate and our fusion was our life, but, like, I guess that didn't really mean anything in the end…"

Alex hummed in agreement and took a long swig of his drink. The two of them went out to try and drown their sorrows. John got another letter from his father and was in one of his don't talk to me, don't fuse with me moods. So he stayed at home alone. Before Alex could comment, Herc quickly carried on.

"I just wish that, like, things were more clear, you know? Because sometimes I really thought that he loved me like how I loved him. Sometimes - sometimes I thought I had a chance." Herc pouted as he swirled his drink thoughtfully, "But then he goes and pulls shit like this. And that whole thing with Washington. Things would be different if he just gave me a yes or a no. But he didn't. He just, pulled me along for the ride. And my dumb fucking ass went with him."

Alex gently took Herc's mug from him. "I think you've had enough, buddy."

"No, I think I can still make coherent thoughts. I still need that." Hercules said while making grabby-hands from across the table.

Alex laughed, but didn't give him his drink. Instead, he commented, a bit seriously, "But, I know what you mean. There's not enough certainty, when no one has the balls to make a definitive move."

"Oh, we moved. We moved all the time. We moved in bed, against a wall, next to John when he was asleep -"

"OKAY THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"Damn, Al, no need to yell." Herc grumbled before he sat up quickly and said, "Just so we're clear, there's nothing romantic between you and I. Or me and John. I don't like you fuckers."

Alex grinned, "Yes, the same goes for me. Uh, with you, I mean. I don't like you either."

"Cool, cool." Herc said, bumping their fists together.

Alex let out a long sigh, "But, look. You weren't there when you were in England. You didn't witness how much your absence broke him. Both of them, actually. I was completely useless. They didn't want logic, they didn't want me, they didn't want peace. They just wanted you." Alex scratched at his cheek awkwardly, "I was a little jealous of you, actually. And you weren't even in the same continent."

Herc held his head in his chin, "Yeah, both John and Laf blocked certain memories from me when we fused. They really didn't want me to see something, I guess."

"Probably how Lafaur reacted." Alex muttered as he raised his glass to his lips.

"OH FUCK LAFAUR!" Hercules shouted, scaring Alex. The immigrant scowled as he spilled some of his drink on his shirt. Herc paid him no notice, "I forgot about Lafaur - shit - I left him alone!"

Alex shrugged, "Yeah, well, you had to. It's all behind us now; nothing you can do to change it."

"Yeah, but, why do I feel like if I wasn't a spy, Mulettens would still be around?" Hercules grumbled.

Alex's skin crawled guiltily, "Oh, I don't know. That's a strange thought. So, hey, have you and John looked into adopting a kid or something?"

Herc glanced up lazily, his finger tracing nonsense patterns on the sticky table. He shrugged, "Not really. He needs time to get over the fact that you called him a shitty dad."

And now Alex felt even more guilty. He quickly threw back a mouthful of his drink. "Okay, I deserved that. Um, so have you -"

"Alex. Shut up." Herc muttered, lowering his head to the table. Alex did as he was told and snapped his lips tight. He sat in silence with Herc, occasionally taking a sip of his drink. The night was unusually cold and somber for it to be the summer. Alex only eventually dragged them home when he finished his and Herc's drinks.

John was up when they got back. He took one look at them and scoffed, but helped them get cleaned up and put to bed. Hercules got to be in the middle without a fight tonight. He apparently needed it, since he clung to both John and Alex like they would leave him in a moment's notice.

---

"We're sailing off for London tomorrow morning." Angeliza said, gently brushing Alex's hair.

Alex looked over his shoulder, saying, "Just you? Or Peggy as well?"

"Peggy's love is here, in the states. But our lovely Church lives in England. He's going to take good care of us, Alex." Angeliza smiled like she was sharing a secret, "He confessed that he loves me."

For a second, Alex thought it was Angelica speaking through the fusion, since he was told that Church was her love first. But then he realized that it was the fusion herself who was speaking. Alex twisted around from his spot on her bed, his eyes wide, "As in, he loves you? Like you?"

"Yes!" Angeliza squealed, "Angelica, Eliza, and myself! He said he loves us all!"

Alex sat up on his knees, taking her hands in his own, "Angeliza, that's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"I know!" The big woman giggled excitedly, barely holding back overjoyed energy. "So we must write all the time, my Alexander. Because I simply must be kept in the know about your life. How is your little boy?"

Alex's smile fell, "Ah. John and I are, um, not in the best place right now."

"Dearest, why?" The fusion set her brush down, giving Alex her undivided attention.

"Well, we got in a fight -"

"About fusion!?" The woman interrupted.

"No. It was about … something unimportant." Alex said in a way that suggested it was, in fact, very important. "And we apologized, but things have still been a bit… not good."

Angeliza held up her hands, "If he truly loves you, this will be nothing. You two will be fine in no time; trust me."

Alex breathed a long sigh, "I certainly hope you're right."

---

Hamilton had been thinking a lot about what everyone had been telling him. About how he and John are going to be fine and how he should make a move and all this stuff. But no one else knew what it felt like. No one knew how his heart picked up the second he locked gazes with John. No one else could tell how Alex craved the way John would slide up behind him in bed. No one else knew how completely terrified Alexander was of being wrong.

These thoughts plagued him, first thing in the morning, as he stepped into their little kitchen. John was sitting at the table, Hercules next to him. Their free hands were clasped, like they were some couple or something. Alex hasn't had his coffee yet; he can't deal with their shit.

John hummed, "Mornin', baby boy."

The phrasing made Alex take pause. He turned and observed John, who had never called him such a thing before. But all of his fusions had. Alexander watched as the man took a long sip of his drink. He squinted at his friend, "Are you the reason why Mulettens liked me?"

John choked on his tea.

He freed his hand from Herc so he could awkwardly clean his burning face. He avoided eye-contact, only to turn and stare right at Alex with terrified eyes.

"Um, well," He cleared his throat, "A fusion's uh-affections are a combination of the parts', and, uh -"

Hercules held out a vanilla envelope to Alexander, ignoring the tense atmosphere between his friends. "Al, this is for you."

Alex slowly stepped forward, taking the mail from Hercules. He was going to say something about John's strange reaction, when he looked down at the address and his mind forgot everything that just happened.

"It's from work. I have a new case." Alex muttered to himself, opening up the envelope to get a better idea of what he'd be working on. After reading the papers, he spoke to his friends, "It's a murder trial. I guess the guy's really worried about being thrown in jail, so he hired to two best lawyers in New York City." Alex grinned when Herc snorted, "His words, not mine."

John, thankful for the change of topic, was quick to ask, "Well, who will you be working with?"

Alex skimmed the next paper in the pile until he found his answer. An evil smile broke out across his face as he found his answer.

---

"Aaron Burr, sir!" Alex cheered excitedly as he met his old friend at their office.

Burr glared at him, doing his best to sound civil as he said, "What do you want?"

"We're on the Levi Weeks case together." Alex grinned. Aaron only stared at him, deep bags in his eyes. Concern washed over Alex as he took in his friend's state, "You look like ass. What's wrong?"

"Not that it's your business," Aaron muttered, "But my lovely Theodosia has kept me up last night."

"Ew, Burr, gross. I don't wanna know about your sex life." Alex muttered.

"I meant my daughter, you insufferable little -" Burr took a deep breath and turned and started walking to his office. He probably shouldn't murder the man helping him prove a client was innocent of murder.

Alex followed him, because of course he did, "You have a daughter?"

"Yes. And she's teething and I never been a begging man, but I wish for death with each passing night." Aaron spared a glance at Alex, "And day."

Alex took a second to let Burr sulk. He had never seen his friend so grumpy before. Sure, Burr was always a bit irritated with Alex. He knew that, he wasn't blind. But his friend was never so sleep-deprived. So disgruntled. So … like Hamilton.

Burr glanced at him and sighed, "Don't worry about me. I'm just … tired. The details of the case are interesting. Levi hired the best two lawyers in New York because of it. Have you read through the file?"

"Yeah, just a little, though. John and Herc were, um, distracting. So I didn't get to be as thorough as I wished to." Alex admitted.

"Those two seem good for you." Aaron said, before continuing on, not allowing Alex to respond, "So. A pregnant woman named Elma Sands was found dead at the bottom of a well. Her chest and head was badly damaged. The autopsy says she was pregnant. Levi Weeks was supposed to wed her."

Alex nods along, "And we're supposed to prove his innocence. What kind of good man would kill his pregnant lover and then throw them in a well to rot?"

"Well, here's where things get tricky." Aaron said, "The night of Elma's murder; Levi, fused with two other individuals, and Elma go on a walk. Levi returns alone, unfused, and Elma's body is found the next morning."

Alex stopped in his tracks, "Wait. Fusion is a factor?"

Burr halted and turned to look at him, "Yes. Which is why Levi needed the two best lawyers in New York. Fusion makes things messy."

"But I don't know anything about fusion." Alex said, lowering his voice so no one but Burr heard. "I don't know how to defend this man's honor."

"Then I suggest you do some research." Burr stated, turning and walking off, leaving Alexander alone.

---

Alex stood in the doorway of their shared room. John and Herc were sitting on the bed, they hadn't noticed him yet. Alex watched as they tentatively thread their fingers together. Their touches were soft, unsure, in a way that Alex had never seen before. John glanced up into Herc's eyes and hesitantly pulled away. Herc's eyebrow twitched as he carefully let his fingers land on John's thigh. John swallowed, but nodded, and Hercules' hand relaxed slightly.

They sat there for a long moment, not moving. Then, slower than Alex hand ever seen them move, they leaned forward, into each other. They let out small sighs just at feeling the warmth of another human under their hands. But it wasn't just any human. It was each other. Alex briefly wondered how long they had been refusing each other this soft intimacy. Sure, they've touched one another no less than usual. But maybe there was something there that Alex didn't notice.

Alex could tell from the way their breathing had synchronized that they were about to fuse. Alex made himself be known then, "Hey, I -"

John yelped and jumped away from Hercules, his head whipping around to look at Alex. Herc appeared just as shocked, his hands retracting close to his chest. The two slowly relaxed, upon seeing it was just Alex. John hesitantly looked back at Herc, who whispered, "Soon." meaningfully.

Once John nodded, he forced down whatever he was feeling and smiled at Alex, "Hey, what's up?"

And now Alex felt all kinds of awkward and invasive. He shouldn't have bugged them. He shouldn't have even watched them to begin with. This was a private moment and whatever they were doing, they clearly needed it.

"I… I wanted to try fusing …" Alex mumbled, his hands balling up in fists, "...again."

Hercules and John shared a look, one that Alex couldn't read. John's eyebrow twitched when Herc's chin dipped. Alex shuffled his feet and tried to not look stupid. Finally, John placed a gentle hand on Herc's knee and turned to Alex, "Of course. Come here."

His voice was soft and it made Alex shiver as he crawled onto the bed to join them. He felt a strange sense of deja vu as Herc leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on John's lips. He's been in this spot before, with John between him and Herc, in the middle of their shared bed. Alex felt his mouth run dry as he wondered if he could fused this time. Maybe he could be with John how he always wished to...

"What do I do…?" Alex asked quietly as he glanced between John and Herc. He was lost when it came to this kind of stuff. Being with Mulettens and his counterparts has helped him, but he still was blind to all things fusion.

"We're gonna try something different this time." Hercules said, his voice gentle.

"No dancing." John smiled.

"And no sob stories." Herc brushed back a strand of Alex's hair. "Just sit with us, and relax."

Alex nodded, quietly glancing between the two men. "Um… okay."

Herc smiled softly and reached forward. Alex squeaked when his big hands wrapped around him, pulling him into Herc's lap. Alex's back was stiff as the bigger man settled under him. Alex's eyes met with John, who was sitting across from them, grinning. Slowly, Alex allowed himself to relax against Herc's chest. Herc's chin rested on Alex's shoulder and the immigrant could feel the other man's smile pressing against his neck.

John shuffled forward until their knees were touching. He gently picked up one of Alex's hands, the other settling comfortably on Herc's thigh. Herc's hand laid itself on top of John's, while Alex's free hand stayed awkwardly in his lap. Alex gave John a nervous smile and the boy chuckled lightly before pressing his lips to Alex's knuckles.

The immigrant's face burst into a deep red, as he pressed back against Hercules', unable to look away from John's hungry eyes. Herc's arm around Alex's waist tightened comfortingly. He could feel his heart pounding in his hears and he hoped to the good Lord that Hercules wouldn't mention it. Surely he noticed his sudden inability to breathe.

"You'll never fuse like that." Herc's lips were at Alex's hear, whispering so quiet that John couldn't hear what was being said, despite their close proximity. "Come now, relax, Alex."

Alex shuddered as John's thumb ran across the back of Alex's hand, his expression open and caring. Fuck, he's so cute. Alexander glanced away from John, trying to force his blush to calm. Feeling the soothing rhythm of Herc's deep breaths, Alex closed his eyes and aligned his breathing with the Irishman's.

"Yes, good." John praised, his lips still brushing against Alex's knuckles. Alex swallowed hard, his eyes fluttering open to look into John's gorgeous browns.

Alex's mouth felt very dry under John's intense gaze. Hercules let out a long, warm sigh as he relaxed around Alex's smaller frame. Alex felt like a child, completely engulfed in the bigger man's presence.

"Alex, darlin', can you feel Herc's acceptance? Can you feel him wanting to be one with you?" John asked gently, his gazed locked on the immigrant's face. "Can you feel him asking to fuse?"

Alex slowly shook his head, "No. I- I don't feel anything."

"You will." John promised, pressing another quick kiss to Alex's hand. "Just focus."

"What's it feel like?" Alex asked quietly, "What am I looking for?"
John thought for a moment, then he said, "It's warm; very welcoming. It feels like the first rays of sunshine. It feels like victory in battle. It feels like being close to someone you love. It feels safe."

Alex tried to feel those things. And, in a way, he did. But he must be feeling them in the wrong ways, because Herc only pulled him closer silently.

After long moments of Alex leaning back against Herc and quietly watching John play with his fingers, it became apparent that nothing was going to happen.

"He's not letting me in." Herc hummed, his face buried in the juncture of Alex's neck and shoulder. Alex stiffened in his arms. Shit. He couldn't do it; he knew he would fuck this up somehow. Herc is trying so hard to sync with him, and it's just not working because of Alex. He'll never understand fusion, he's just-

"Hey, woah, baby boy, it's okay." John said, sitting up on his knees. He took Alex's face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away tears Alex didn't even know he was shedding. Herc's hands rubbed up and down Alex's sides, warming him. His lips pressed softly to the sensitive skin of his neck.

"Shh, honey, it's fine, you're doing great." Herc mumbled between peppered kisses.

Alex's hands were shaking as he reached up and held John's wrists. "I- I can't do it, guys…"

"Of course you can, sweetie. Just, maybe not with Herc." John spoke gently, his eyebrows canted upwards in worry. "Try to fuse with me, darlin'. Give it some time, you'll do it eventually."

Alex shook his head, pulling John's hands away from him, "NO! I can't do it! I've tried and tried and it's just - not possible…" His voice grew quiet as his sobs overtook him, "I'm unfuseable…."

John and Herc looked at each other over Alex's crumpled form. Neither of them really knew what to do, how to help him.

"Okay, okay," John said quietly, "Alex? Herc's gonna get you ready for bed, okay?"

Herc nodded, his large hands coming to rest a Alex's hips, pulling the boy closer to his chest. "And John's gonna get you some water. We're not gonna fuse anymore tonight, okay? You did good, honey. Fusion is hard, it takes time."

"We've known each other for years! This should be simple!" Alex shouted suddenly. "Children can fuse on the first try! I didn't do good! I'm- I'm- I'm-"

Herc waved John off to go and get the water. The poor boy almost fell off the bed in his scramble to return quickly. In the meantime, Herc manhandled Alexander until he was facing him. Herc's hands were gentle but firm as one held the back of Alex's neck and the other tipped his chin up.

"Alex, listen." Hercules said seriously. Alex clamped his mouth shut and looked at the wall over Herc's shoulder. "Regardless of the outcome, I am proud of you for trying. You don't have to. You could stay completely oblivious to fusion culture. But you're not. You're trying your damndest to understand. And that's one of the things I admire the most about you."

Alex sniffled pathetically, but, for once, didn't say anything.

Herc leaned in a little, lowering his voice considerably, "I'm going to tell you something, and I don't want you to tell John that I told you this..."

The smaller man looked into Herc's eyes and nodded silently.

"John and I have been having trouble fusing since Laf left." Hercules said morosely. "We've… we just can't connect like we used to. And maybe that's us. Maybe that's Laf's departure… I don't know. But, Alex, we've known each other for years. We've fused countless times. And even we're having difficulties with it. So it's okay if you haven't successfully fused yet. It doesn't make you stupid or less of a person or anything. Okay?"

John reentered the room with a glass of water. Alex glanced at him once and then back to Hercules. He swallowed hard and whispered, "Okay."

John climbed back onto the giant bed next to them, careful to not spill the water. He smiles at Alex, resting a hand on his knee, "Hey, baby boy. How do you feel?"

"M'okay." Alex mumbled as he wrapped an arm around Herc's shoulder, twisting a bit to face John. "I mean, I will be. I think. I'm just … tired."

"That's alright. We can go to bed. But first, will you drink this for me?" John gently pressed the glass into Alex's free hand. He nodded and smiled when Alex took a small sip. "Good, thank you. Can you do more?"

Alex kept sipping until the water was gone. The entire time Herc was rubbing his back soothingly and John was whispering praises and encouragements. When John took the empty glass back Alex stopped him from crawling away.

"Hey." He said quietly, a hand catching John's wrist. "I was wrong."

John glanced at Herc for a second, confused, "About what, darlin'?"

Alex smiled sleepily as he said, "You'd be an amazing father." He turned to Herc and added, "You both would be."

Herc swallowed heavily, his eyes wide. He cleared his throat and mumbled, "Thanks, Al. Means a lot."

John was frozen, unmoving, as he stared at Alexander. The smaller boy quickly pressed a kiss to the other two's cheeks before curling up in Hercules' lap, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It took Herc to gently push John for the man to snap out of his thoughts. The southerner crawled to the edge of the bed to put the empty glass on the bedside table.

Herc coaxed Alexander into laying down, but the man quickly suctioned himself against Herc's chest; like he was trying to merge into him that way. Herc chuckled, but wrapped an arm around Alex's waist, keeping him in place. John blew out the candles and crawled over to Alexander's other side.

Alex fell asleep to the sounds of John and Herc whispering and to the feeling of fingers running through his hair.

---

Working on the case with Burr was not as stressful as either of them were expecting it to be. They both were very in-depth with their discussions and research. But despite this, they couldn't come up with a legal way to prove Levi's innocence, purely because of the fusion debacle. If Levi hadn't fused with anyone, this case would be simple. But it wasn't.

"Say the fusion killed Elma. Would the components of that fusion be guilty? And thus Levi is?" Alex questioned.

Burr shook his head, "No. Because the fusion was the one who did the murdering. Levi could have had no control over the actions of the fusion. Levi could have just been in an unfortunate situation."

Alex crossed his arms, "Okay, then say that was the case. How could we prove such a thing to a jury that could be possibly hostile to fusion?"

Aaron thought for a long moment. Finally Burr looked up at him and said, "I know of one way that would work."

Alex gestured excitedly, "Awesome, what is it?"

"We could fuse." Aaron said seriously.

Alex sputtered, "W-what?!"

Burr carried on, nodding, "Yes, if we were to fuse and speak in front of the jury, we could be able to prove that our fusion is it's own person. One that has full control over the situation. And thus neither of us could be held responsible for anything that should happen."

Alex hid his blush by quickly questioning, "Okay, but would we not be charged for the creation of such a person."

"Is a mother charged for the birth of a murderer?" Burr raised an eyebrow.

"Would the jury really believe that a fusion is akin to a child?" Alex asked, genuinely curious.

Burr scoffed, "Those who have fused will."

"And those who haven't?"

"Alex, that's why we'll be fused. With our combined knowledge, we'll be able to outwit any of the court's rebuttals." Aaron said. "And we'll be a piece of living evidence. Our fusion, whoever he'll be, is going to be vastly different than us, and the jury will be unable to deny that."

Alex found himself unable to argue with that logic. He blamed that on the topic, rather than his incompetence or Burr's points. There had to be a flaw, somewhere. He just had to find one.

As the court date drew nearer Alex's nerves were on edge. He bounced his leg at the dinner table, leaving Herc annoyed and John worried. But he didn't bother to explain to either of them why he was so anxious. He did mention the case, and after hearing the topic of it, John wanted to come to watch.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Alex said weakly.

"Nonsense! I've never seen you in action before, it'll be great!" John grinned, his face lit up with excitement.

Herc nodded along, "Yeah, and the first murder trial of America, that's something we can't miss."

"Especially if it's involving fusion." John placed his hand on Herc's. The two got quiet as they stared at each other. Alex had to look away.

Herc spoke again after a long moment, "We just wanna watch. We'll be quiet and sit in the back. Please, Al?"

Alexander bit his lip, but nodded. "...Yeah, of course."

His leg started bouncing faster.

The day of the court date, Alexander found himself pacing the empty halls of the court building. His hands were shaking as he tumbled through his notes. His mind was racing. He couldn't do this, he couldn't. It just wasn't possible. He couldn't prove Levi's innocence. But Burr could. Aaron would be fine without Alex. He would blow the jury away. Alex didn't have to be here, he could sneak out and -

"Alexander?"

Fuck.

Alex looked up, finding Aaron standing at the corner, watching him. "Aaron Burr, sir…"

Burr approached slowly, like Alex was a terrified animal. Which, he was, for the most part. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah! I'm just, uh, you know, thinking, about…" Alex shrugged weakly, "...stuff."

Aaron watched him for a second, his gaze darting across Alex's face. "Hey, tell me, what's wrong?"

Alex glanced away, his breathing uneven, "I-I just don't know if I can do this. I-I mean, I don't- I haven't-"

Burr's eyes widened in understanding, "You still haven't fused with someone?"

The immigrant flinched visibly, "I tried! I've tried over and over again! I just can't do it!"

Aaron's expression softened as he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Hey, we don't have to fuse, you know. I didn't realize that you hadn't yet experienced it. I thought that you and your roommates were fusions."

"We tried, but…" Alex glanced away. "I just can't."

"Of course you can." Aaron said. "You're just doing it wrong."

Alex muttered bitterly, "Yeah, I got that part."

Burr smiled gently as he asked, "If you want, we can try to fuse. But if you're uncomfortable, I'm sure we can prove Levi's innocence without fusion."

Hamilton worried his lip as he glanced down at his notes, "...Okay."

Burr grinned as he stepped forward, into Alex's space. His hands rested gently on Alex's neck, holding, but not forcing, the two men close. Aaron's forehead brushed against Alex's as he whispered, "Close your eyes."

Alex did as he was told, his hands awkwardly coming up to Burr's hips.

"Now, I don't want you to think about fusion." Aaron whispered, "Don't even consider it. Just think about me. Think about us."

Alex nodded as he forced any thoughts of fusion out of his mind. He, instead, thought of his good friend, Aaron Burr. He remembered how he had heard the name countless times while in college. He thought of when he seeked the man out at a political debate. He thought about how they would get drinks and share opinions. They have years of history, these two. Alex found himself smiling fondly at a memory.

'Burr, what are you doing?' Alex asked as he approached the other man. He was sitting alone in the camp, his hands working furiously.

'Trying to light a candle.' Aaron responded without looking up.

Alex leaned over to glance over his shoulder, 'With gunpowder?'

'Yes, clearly.' Burr mocked as he lit a spark. The gunpowder caught rapidly, a huge flame exploding to life in front of them. The fire climbed up Aaron's arm, his coat burning suddenly. Alex yelped as Aaron screeched. Alex dropped to his knees to help Burr shovel snow onto his flaming arm. The entire time they were howling like banshees.

As the flames flickered out, leaving Burr with just a charred uniform and some mental trauma, the two men stared at each other in shock. A childlike giggle rose out from between Alexander's lips. Aaron's lips twitched at the sound and, soon, they were both laughing hysterically at what just happened. The two clung to each other as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Alexander…" A voice Alex didn't recognize said softly, "Open your eye."

Eyelashes brushed against the soft skin of of his cheek. He groaned as his muscles stretched for the first time. His hand came up to brush against his chest, his beating heart strangely calm. It is only then that he realizes that his mind is more cluttered than usual. Thoughts and memories he doesn't remember having float through his consciousness.

The breath was sucked out of him as he realized what had just happened.

"Did we just fuse? Am I a fusion?" He asked.

He chuckled in response, "Yes. I told you you could do it."

He had the sudden urge to see what he looked like. This was his first time coming into existence, he simply had to know what face he was wearing. Giddy with excitement, he rushed to the nearest washroom. He looked down at the sink before he caught his reflection in the mirror.

Shaking, he took a deep breath. Slowly, oh so hesitantly, he looked up into the reflective glass; curious as to what he'd see there.

A gasp echoed throughout the small washroom. His fingers came up to brush against his high cheekbones. They trailed down to his pouty lips, framed by dark peach fuzz. He had beauty marks; moles and freckles. They peppered up his neck and appeared in random groups along his face. His hair was poofed up in a small afro. He brushed his fingers over it, feeling the coarse hairs.

"You don't touch a black man's hair, Alexander." A voice laughed.

"I do when it's mine." He replied, grinning. "Oh my god…."

The most interesting part of the new body was the eye that sat in the middle of his forehead. It rarely blinked; wide and all-seeing. He found himself falling into that eye's murky depths. It was intense and almost hypnotizing. He had to drag his gaze away from the third eye.

"What's our name? What's our name?" He asked as he stared at himself in the mirror.

"My name is Aarlex Hamburr." A voice that wasn't quiet either of them said. He nodded once, liking the name.

Hamburr spent another few minutes watching himself in the mirror, before it was time for the trial to start. He had to go and speak with Levi quickly before the judge comes in.

The poor man was surprised to see he now had one lawyer instead of two, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Please," Hamburr scoffed, "I'm now officially the smartest man in the room. Just trust us."

Levi hesitated, but agreed. "Okay. My fate is in your hands."

There was a sharp intake of breath as people started filing in to watch the trail. Hamburr absentmindedly glanced up, only to do a double-take at what he saw. John and Herc were standing in the middle of the walkway, staring at him.

Oh. Hamburr thought. This is interesting.

Hamburr offered a nod and a smile before turning back to his paperwork. He had a job to do first. He could confront his friends later.

Not long after, the trial began and Hamburr lost himself into the world of law.

"Gentleman of the jury, I would like to start out by bringing a short note to your attention. This is the first murder trial of our brand new nation. We are all in the process of making history. Let's ensure that it is a moment our decedents can be proud of." Hamburr grinned as he continued, "That being said, my client Levi Weeks is innocent. Call your first witness."

Aaron was right. Hamburr worked flawlessly. He was well-spoken; elegant, yet brief. He understood every angle and was ready with an argument to prove himself right. He could tell that the jury was in favor of him, even when they showed disgust at his appearance. Hamburr was able to prove what he had known before he was even formed: Levi Weeks did not kill his lover.

"We, the jury," one man spoke clearly, "find the accused, Levi Weeks, innocent of the murder of Elma Sands."

Levi broke down into a deep sigh next to him, "Oh dear Lord, thank you."

Hamburr grinned at himself, his eyes shining with pride. He shook hands with Levi and sent him on his way, giving him some last condolences for his loss. The audience and jury were getting up, people bustling around to get out of the stuffy court room.

Hamburr took that moment to unfuse. He wasn't worried about never coming into existence again. It didn't bother him. He had a job and he did it. His work was done. No need to hang around longer than necessary.

They still had their foreheads touching, arms around each other, when they separated. Alex opened his eyes to find Aaron smiling at him. The immigrant couldn't help but grin back. They each let out a practically childish giggle as they took small steps away from each other.

"So? How'd it feel?" Aaron asked, a wide smile on his face.

"Words cannot describe the emotions that are currently circulating my heart." Alex gasped, still a bit high from the taste of fusion. "Dear friend, thank you for this experience!"

Burr clasped hands with him, saying, "It was a pleasure. We should form Hamburr again. He's very stable."

"Of course." Alex nodded, a bit eager to feel the completion of fusion once more.

Aaron took his hand back, smiling, "Well, I must go. My lovely Theodosias are waiting my return so we can celebrate."

"Have a great night. Give the Theodosias my love." Alex nodded.

Burr glanced at something over Alex's shoulder, his smile falling. He leaned forward, giving Alex a quick hug. "Incoming."

Alex blinked and the man was gone. He wondered what he could have been warning him about when he turned around and saw John and Herc standing behind him. Herc was grinning, eyes wide with celebration. John had his arms crossed, and his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"DUDE!" Herc shouted, pulling Alex into a hug, "You fused!"

"Yeah, I noticed!" Alex chuckled.

"With Burr." John added, sounding only a little bitter.

Alex nodded, "Yeah, the inside of his head is actually not super boring."

Before John could reply, Herc looped an arm around both of them, "Well, I say, this is worth celebrating! To the bar!"

---

"I tol' 'im. Didn't I? I said you could do it. A-and you did!"

Hercules Mulligan was smashed.

"Yes, Herc. You were right." Alex laughed over his drink. He was pleasantly buzzed, but if he moved too quickly, the world started to buffer. So he knew he was getting close to Herc's level. John, however, was almost completely sober.

He swirled his drink disinterestedly, "Yeah, we're all super proud of you, Alex."

"You don' sound super proud!" Herc pointed a finger at John's nose. "You sound … not super proud!"

Alex glanced at John's annoyed expression before fishing a few dollars out of his pocket. "Hey, Herc, why don't you go get us another round?"

The bigger man's eyes lit up at the idea. He stumbled out of the booth, crumpled cash in hand. Alex watched him go, making sure he didn't slip and die or something. Finally, he turned to John.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

John glanced away, "Yeah, I just… It was a bit of a shock, you know? To see … Hamburr … in the courtroom. I didn't even know you and Burr were like that."

Alex's face grew red, "Burr has a wife and child!"

"I didn't mean it like that like that! I meant…" John sighed, chewing his lip. "I didn't know you two were fusions. You never told us. And I thought you wanted one of us to be your first."

Alex put a hand to his chest, "My dear Laurens, I swear to the good Lord that did not plan this. It was Aaron's idea! He believed that the best way to prove that a part of a fusion was innocent was by using fusion in the court. I didn't even think we could do it, but he made things surprisingly easy…"

John's eye twitched as he looked away. "Well, I'm glad that fusion with Burr was so easy for you."

The immigrant frowned, trying to find his mistake. "No, I didn't mean that fusing with you was difficult - I mean, it was, but why does that matter? I've fused once before, I can do it again -"

"It does make a difference, Alexander!" John hissed, "You're more compatible, more in sync, more intimate with fucking Aaron Burr than you are with me!"

"Earlier today was the first time I had ever fused! It's not my fault it just so happened to be with Burr!" Alex growled, feeling defensive. "This is a big moment for me, and I can't understand why you're being so sour about it!"

Hercules returned then, setting three large mugs of ale down. "D'un worry 'bout him, Al. He's just - hic - mad cuz he's in love wi'h you."

"HERCULES!" John shouted, his face bright red. The man threw more money at him, growling, "Go get another round!"

Herc stood there, swaying, as he stared at the money in his hand. He nodded once, drunkenly deciding that they did, in fact, need more to drink. He turned around and made the trek back to the bar.

Alex chanced a glance at John, who was staring down at the table, his hands bracketing his face. Alex could see the tips of his ears, which were as red as fire.

"...John?" Alex whispered, hopeful.

"Alexander." John muttered, embarrassed.

Alex felt his heart in his throat as he asked, "Do you-"

"I must make haste." John said as he stood up and put on his jacket. He wouldn't look at Alex's crushed expression as he said, "My girl awaits another letter and I cannot ignore her."

"Wait, I-" Alex reached out, but the man was already gone. Alone with his thoughts, Alex retracted his arm so he could feel the cold of his fingers. His heart was trapped between rising and plummeting as it tripped over itself. Was Hercules correct in his comment? Or was that just drunken rambling? Alex's gaze landed on the full mugs.

Yes, Alex wanted to fuse with John. As soon as possible. He loved him. He wanted to know what it was like being a part of him. And now he knew he could. He knew this wasn't some unreachable goal. He could, if John agreed, be with him in that way. They could be … a fusion.

The slam of three more mugs on the table shocked Alex back into reality. Hercules was crawling back into the booth, humming to himself.

"Bleck chicka bleck bu bum bum bum!" Hercules grinned as he wobbly sat upright. He looked over to Alex and then to the empty spot next to him. He gasped loudly, "John's dead!?"

"No, he just left." Alex said quietly.

"Oh. Why?" Hercules pulled one of the many mugs closer to himself.

Alex glared at him, "Because you made him uncomfortable, claiming he loved me!"

Hercules squinted, deep in thought, "I did no such thing!"

"You literally just did that five minutes ago."

"How wou'd I know? I'm drunk."

Alex sighed. "Which means you don't even know if you were telling the truth."

"'Xactly." Herc grinned, winking at him. Alex sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Let's go home, Herc. I've had an eventful day."

Hercules shook his head rapidly, and then had to sit there for a moment while the world spun. When he was okay again, he said, "Nu-uh! I paid for theses drinks! Imma drink them!"

"John and I paid for those!" Alex huffed.

Hercules grinned, "Which means they'll taste even better! Free booze!"

Alex rolled his eyes and looked out at the busy bar. Herc nudged him with a mug. Alex paused, seeing a hint of sobriety in his friend's eyes.

"Hey, you look like you could use this." Herc said warmly. "Come on, raise a glass."

Alex smiled a little, picking up the mug. "Well, someone is going to have to finish these, and I know it's not gonna be you."

Hercules squawked in offense.

And thus began the Great Drink-Off of 1788.

---

And thus began the Great Headache of 1788.

A police officer dropped Alex and Herc off at home, telling John to "keep an eye on them."

"Thank you, officer. I'm sorry for the disturbance." John politely said as he pushed his friends into his home. "Have a good night."

Once the door was closed, John whipped around to glare at the two drunkards leaning on each other in the middle of his livingroom. "What the hell, guys!"

"Ihaddadrinkerrerythin!" Alex said.

Hercules was past the ability to speak. He just blinked slowly at John, unable to process what was happening before him.

"You, sit down. You, come with me." John directed. He ended up having to help Herc sit down on their couch. The man's eyes glazed over at the sudden movement and John cussed quietly. "You dumb fuck."

Alex followed after him like a puppy when he went into the kitchen. John filled up a glass of water, which he shoved into Alex's hands.

"Drink this." John said, turning around to grab another glass.

"Yur relly pretty." Alex grinned, smiling like an idiot.

John's shoulders tensed, he froze, hand mid-air. He slowly looked over his shoulder to meet Alex's eyes. The boy's face was flushed from the alcohol, he swayed up on his tip-toes, giggling when he lost balance and bumped into John's shoulder.

"Like, relly relly relly pretty."

John switched Alex's full glass with an empty one and side-stepped him. "I will not let Herc die because you're trying to distract me."

Hercules had his eyes closed when John returned to him. John gently shook him until his eyelids slid open. Herc stared at him, scowling slightly. John firmly lifted the glass to Herc's lips, helping the man drink. They moved slowly, waiting between sips for Herc to breathe. Eventually, the man was able to drink the full glass. John helped him lay down on his side on the couch. He found a blanket to throw over him and a bucket to place on the floor, in case he woke up in the middle of the night to vomit.

Before John left the room, Herc was asleep, as healthy as someone with that much alcohol in them can be.

Sighing, John returned back to the kitchen with Herc's empty glass. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Alex, peering into his own empty glass. The immigrant reached into it; his fingers brushing the bottom. He pouted.

"What are you doing?" John asked, trying his best to sound patient.

Alex looked up at him, surprised. "'Es emp'y."

"Yeah, it is." John confirmed, stepping up to the drunk man.

"I though'd it was full." Alex explained quietly, his hand still in the glass.

John sighed, shaking his head. Fuck, this boy was cute. "No stress. I'll get you a full one."

Alex didn't respond until John filled up Herc's glass with water and held it out to him. The boy gasped loudly when he saw the full glass. John was able to coax him into switching glasses with him. He filled up the empty one and quickly dropped it off on the table by Herc's couch. Returning back to the kitchen, he found Alex had drank his water and was now staring out the window.

The night was a clear one; the stars shined beautifully in the sky. Alex's mouth was slightly parted as he observed the sleeping world.

"Hey, it's bedtime." John said quietly.

When Alex tore his gaze away from the stars, he smiled a little at John. "Hey…"

John waved him over and chuckled, "Come on. Let's sleep this off. You'll be back to your normal self in the morning."

"Lemme say sompthin real quick." Alex said as he stumbled forward. John wrapped an arm around him, making sure he didn't fall. Alex sighed and leaned into his embrace. "I woul'nn't min'."

"You what?" John asked, slowly leading Alex forward.

"I woul'n't min'." Alex mumbled again.

John squinted, trying to figure out drunk Alex's thought process. They entered the living room and John was about to speak, but Alex shoved a finger in his mouth.

"Shhh! Hers's sleepin'!" Alex whispered.

The finger in his mouth twitched and John had to pull away, his cheeks pink. "Alright, I'm tired of this."

He practically dragged Alex the rest of the way into their room and to the bed. Alex took control then, happily stripping himself down as he hummed and giggled.

John sighed, taking a second to catch his breath as Alex crawled into the middle of the bed. He was in much better shape than Herc was. John almost considered staying in the livingroom for the night, just so he could keep an eye on his friend. But he knew that Herc had been in worse conditions before and came out of it perfectly fine.

With this in mind, John crawled into bed beside Alex, who was still humming.

"Alex, it's bedtime." John said again, growing tired.

"I kno', I kno'." Alex said, taking the opportunity to snuggle right under John's arm. Without his permission, Alex curled himself against John's chest, smiling to himself. John had to take a second to relax.

"Be still, my beating heart." John mumbled to himself as he brushed back some of Alexander's wild hair.

Alex's fingers tapped against John's chest as he said sleepily, "I woul'n't min'..."

"You wouldn't mind, what, baby boy?" John asked, tilting his head to try and look at Alex.

The immigrant tilted his head up and grinned at him, "I woul'n't min' if you loved me."

John's skin flashed cold as he stared down at the other man. His mind was racing as the words circled around his head. His mind only short-circuted even more when Alex leaned forward slightly and pressed their lips together.

It wasn't sloppy, but it wasn't perfect either. Alex missed a little, between the darkness and his drunkness. The soft press of lips against lips was sweet and warm. It made John's toes curl, and his cheeks heat. John didn't react to it, he didn't kiss back. He couldn't in his good conscious be an active part of this when Alexander was so inebriated. But Alex didn't seem to mind. He pulled away a second later, his head returning to it's place on John's chest.

"What-" John started.

"Shh, John! E's bed'ime."

---

When Alex's eyes flickered open, there was a beautiful boy in his bed; arms wrapped around him and chest bare. Naturally, Alex flipped shit.

"OHMYGOD JOHN WHY ARE YOU IN MY BED!?" Alex yelped, scrambling away from the other man.

Poor John was jerked awake from the scream, he accidentally bit his tongue. He huffed and briefly wondered why he loved this idiot.

"Alex, we sleep in the same bed every night." John grumbled, covering his face with a pillow. "Calm down, nothin' happened."

Alex felt his blush darken at his own thoughts. "Oh. Right."

Despite his words, when John emerged from the pillow, his face was pink. "...What all do you remember?"

Alex thought for a moment, then replied, "Herc saying 'I bet you can't'."

"And then?" John asked.

"Well, I assume I proved to him I could." Alex replied. His mouth was disgustingly dry. He crawled over John to get off the bed and head to the kitchen. He didn't see John's mildly disappointed expression.

Alex found Hercules sitting at the kitchen table with a spread of papers. His quill was tapping at a piece of parchment as he sipped coffee. He was reading one of the papers, humming in thought. Alex leaned against the wall, smirking.

"How are you not dead?" Alex asked.

"Practice." Herc replied without looking up. "Drink some water, Al. You look like shit."

Alex huffed, but followed the order. By the time he was sipping at his glass of water, John had entered the room. His hair was down and it curled over his shoulders in the most amazing ways. Alex found himself staring. When John glanced up at him, they maintained eye contact. John blushed and looked away, and Alex wondered what caused such a reaction.

John walked behind Herc's chair and draped himself over the back of the man, his head resting on his chin. He pressed a soft kiss to Herc's ear as he asked, "What are we looking at this morning?"

"Adoption papers." Hercules said.

The glass slipped out of Alex's hand, shattering on the floor; covering his bare feet with water and glass alike. John was on him in a second.
"Alex!"

Alex blinked rapidly, a bit of a delayed reaction, as he realized what had happened. "Shit, I am so sorry! I just - it was slippery - and I wasn't paying attention - I might still be drunk - um -"

"Shh, shh, baby boy, it's okay." John said, holding Alex's hands and looking at him, "Are you alright with this? Do you want to adopt?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was just - surprised." Alex said, looking away, "Honest."

John hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Okay. Come here, let me take care of you."

Alex sat quietly as John dried his feet and made sure he wasn't cut anywhere. Herc watched him silently and Alex wanted to die a little.

The morning continued slowly, with Hercules and John quietly discussing the best places to buy baby clothes, toys, and a crib.

"I could always tell my father that it's for my girl." John suggested. "Although, my Frances is much older than a babe. He wouldn't realize the lie; he doesn't even know her name."

"No." Alex spoke for the first time in an hour. "If we have a child, it's with our money. We should be able to provide for them. Besides, with our combined salaries, buying the supplies will be nothing."

John and Herc shared a look, but nodded with little comment.

Once Hercules had finished all the paperwork, he signed it and passed it over to John. He read through it and chuckled, "Ah. You said that you and I were a fusion, thus the need for three signatures."

"It's not breaking the law." Herc said, leaning back. Belatedly, he added, "And, it's not a lie."

John gave him a sad smile and signed on the dotted line. He passed the parchment to Alexander, along with the quill. "Whenever you're ready, darlin'."

Alex stared at the paper, his gaze a bit distant. "I only knew my father long enough for him to leave me."

"Al, if you're not ready…" Herc said, reaching forward to take his hand.

"But I'm not my father." Alex whispered, as if Hercules hadn't spoken. "I promise that I'll be around for our child."

He looked up into John's eyes, his throat tightening until he couldn't speak anymore. His gaze slid over to Hercules. He nodded once and picked up the quill with shaky hands. His signature sealed the deal. They would be adopting the child that Hercules and John had been spending time with.

---

The baby was perfect. He smiled when Hercules picked him up. He chewed on stray curls of John's hair. He spoke beautiful nonsense when Alex read to him. He had little tuffs of black hair and wide, wondering eyes.

Alex had only known him for twenty minutes, and he would already die for him.

"I call being 'Daddy'!" Herc said when he brushed the baby's hair back.

"You'll always be 'Daddy', Herc, there was no competition." John winked.

Alex turned away so the baby couldn't see their disgusting fusion-gaze. "Guys! Not in front of the baby!" He then spoke to the child, using his normal voice. He never understood when people changed their voices to speak to children; it wasn't like they were an animal or something. "I'm sorry; your new fathers are really kind of disgusting. You see, they just don't understand that some things were meant to not be spoken out loud. Especially in front of such virgin ears."

John cackled, leaning against Herc for support. "Oh, good Lord! If you keep talking to him like that, he'll sound like a piece of legislation!"

"I see nothing wrong with that." Alex said, smiling down at his new son. Oh god, he had a son. He was a father. Oh, dear Lord. He felt emotion well inside him as he the seriousness of this moment was crashing down on him.

"I think I should be 'Papi'." John said. "It's what I called my father growing up."

"No, gross, you sound like an old man." Herc scowled. "I think you should be 'Pops'."

"How the hell is that less like an old man?" John scoffed. "No, I'll be 'Papi'. Alex can be 'Pops'."

Herc crossed his arms, "What about fusions?"
"All fusions default to 'Dad'." John said with a nod.

He had a son. Alex felt his knees slowly give out as he sank down to the floor, holding the child close to his chest as the emotion became too much for him. John and Herc were by his sides in a second, one making sure the baby was alright, the other focusing on Alex's wet eyes.

"Alex?!"

"I have a son…" Alex whispered between his tears. He looked up at John, and then to Herc, "I'm a father."

John laughed, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead, then to Alex's cheek, and then to Herc's lips. Herc giggled, too, his hands shaking with excitement. They laughed until they cried. And they shared kisses and brushed their fingers along the baby's soft skin. And they sat their, in the middle of their livingroom, crying, as a family.

Alex kept repeating, "I have a son, I have a son."

John and Herc kept assuring him, "You do. You do."

"Philip, my son."

---

The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays that were created to promote the ratification of the new United Stated Constitution, which would replace the ineffective Articles of Confederation. The essays were to convince the general public to put their trust in their politicians and understand that the new Constitution was a necessity. The most important thing that the authors wanted to stress was the desperate need of a strong Union. If the country falls apart, now, during such a fragile time, it will never recover. They had to express to the readers of America that a State was not as powerful as a Union. It was surprisingly harder than expected.

"That's stupid wording." A man by the name of James Madison snapped.

Alex blinked once in surprise before winding up for a full-out fight on how his wording is actually pretty fucking great and what do you know anyway? But he was cut off by John Jay waving Madison off. "Ignore him. He's just upset his fusion is dead."

"He's not dead. He's dormant." Madison muttered, only looking more angry.

Alex leaned forward, "What happened to your fusion?"

Madison looked Alexander up and down before grumpily saying, "If you must know, my other half has traveled to France."

"Oh! That exact thing happened to my -" Alex cut himself off. Because he suddenly wasn't sure what John and Herc were to him. They were his roommates. His friends. And they're raising a kid together. But they also kiss and hold hands and act pretty romantic. Does that mean they're dating? Would they be his boyfriends? If so, no one informed Alexander of such a thing. Finally, Alex settled on, "...that happened to a fusion I knew."

"Mulettens, right?" Madison asked after a second. "The fusion under Washington's command during the war?"

Alex's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Uh, yeah, actually. One part of them was a Frenchman named Lafayette. He returned to France after the war, breaking the fusion."

Madison nodded, "He's famous in the fusion community. Him and the Schuyler Sister are the only successful long-term three-person fusions. Sad his legacy ended."

Jay sighed loudly, standing up. "Alright. I'm sick of fusion talk. Here, I wrote five pages. I'm out."

"What?" Alex asked, twisting around to see the other man pull on his jacket.

"You heard me. I'm done. I don't want to work on this project anymore. Especially with two fusion sympathizers." Jay waved his hand, "Good luck, fellows."

When Alex looked back over at Madison, the man's jaw was clenched tightly. The immigrant found himself at a loss for words. Yes, he had finally fused, but his fusion with Burr wasn't as important to him as Madison's appeared to be. He finally said, "Hey, just ignore that idiot. You're other half will return soon, yes?"

Madison offered him a small smile before looking down at the paper he was writing, "Yes, well… Not soon enough."

---

It was a cloudy day when Alex made the trip into Manhattan, where the meeting place was chosen. Thoughts of his beautiful son swirled in his mind as he climbed the steps of the fancy building; regardless of the outcome of this meeting, Alex had to keep what was best for his son in his mind. Thoughts of his kid helped him ignore the fact that the clouds were gathering in the distance. A storm was coming.

Once he was inside, it wasn't hard to find who he was meeting with.

"Ah, Your Excellency!" Alex grinned as he approached the tall man. "It's a pleasure to see you once more!"

"Alexander!" Washington smiled as he shook Alex's hand. "You look well. How has the new country treated you?"

"Very well, sir." Alex nodded, "I still keep those from the war close to me. Lieutenant-Colonel John Laurens and Mulettens component Hercules Mulligan share a home with me downtown. We just adopted a beautiful boy."

The older man didn't look surprised in the least, "Allow me to wish for a long life of matrimony."

Alex's face grew pink, "Ah, it's not, um, like that, sir."

Washington chuckled, "All the same."

Quick to change the topic, Alex asked, "Why have you sent for me, sir?"

"They are asking me to lead." Washington sounded a bit pained. "I'm doing the best I can."

"You will be our new king?" Alex squinted.

"Not a king. That would fix nothing. I'm suggesting a position that is entirely unique, but I do not know how to introduce it properly." Washington explained, "So I'm gathering people who can help me achieve what is necessary for our new country to survive."

"And what position would you suggest I take?" Alexander asked.

"Secretary Treasury."

"Let's go."

---

The chapters are going to get progressively shorter and I get more and more annoyed with scrolling up and down a huge wall of text.

We done with Act One! It only took 90+ pages...

Tell me what you think!