10 chapters already! I just wanna say thanks for all the lovely reviews you've been sending, it really fulfills my confidence in this story. Quick warning: there may be a big time skip (like a month or so) soon, cos writing about every single second of their lives for a month of nothing will be boring. Enjoy this 10th chapter!

888888

Jefferson's p.o.v

So... bus rides are fun, aren't they? To start off, yes, I did read the timetable wrong, but that's not the point, is it? The bus came exactly when Mads had predicted, and I immediately scampered to the back, securing the best seats in the corner. James paid the driver slowly, making his way to sit himself next to me. Discontent, I pulled him into my lap, making him blush.

"Thomas..." he murmured, his face now resembling a ripe tomato.

"What?" I exclaimed. "Am I not allowed to show affection to the man I love?"

If it was possible, he turned even redder as he tugged the hem of the sweater down even further, even though it was already way past his thighs.

"I suppose so," he replied in a small voice.

"What's up?" I asked, worried; the bus moved forward. "You're acting a little... off."

Madison's p.o.v

My heart began to pound, my legs trembling even though I was sitting down. Feeling weak, I gave a feeble cough, shrugging. I could feel every bump in the road, and they seemed to vibrate through me as Thomas looked at me with an anxious expression, his dark eyes concerned- an emotion which was there far too often for my liking.

"It's just the cold," I mumbled, averting my gaze.

"No," he shot back almost immediately. "This is something else."

Damn his cold hard logic.

"I'm just a little self-conscious about the stitches," I admitted, wrapping my arm around my abdomen. I wasn't lying, either- it was ugly and horrible- I was just omitting part of the truth. It seemed enough for Thomas, as he peppered my stomach with kisses, his hair tickling my skin.

"You are perfect and beautiful and those stitches don't change anything," he told me firmly, pressing his lips on mine. At first, I was a little surprised, but I soon melted into the kiss before remembering I was sick and pulling away. Thomas looked as if I'd just ran over his puppy. "Why'd you pull away?"

"I'm sick!" I cried. "I don't want you to get sick as well." Looking up, I spotted our apartment, lunging for the button. "We're finally home!"

We hopped off the bus, and the lanky Virginian ran towards the door as I thanked the driver, hobbling to Thomas, who was rocking excitedly on his heels.

"Wanna do the honours?" he drawled, holding the key aloft in a dramatic fashion. I giggled and nodded, slipping the key into the lock, hearing the satisfying click before pushing it open and finally entering the apartment. It was pretty much how I'd left it, but there was now a magenta towel flung across the living room: I turned to a red Thomas with a raised eyebrow. That stupid bed was still in the hallway, but I couldn't be bothered to walk to my bedroom, so threw myself on the bed, curling up under the slippery cold silk sheets. I don't know why Thomas insists upon them: it's like sleeping under eels, for God's sake! Anyway, not the time. Thomas came over and I felt the edge of the mattress sag a little under his weight, his hand caressing my cheek. I was tired, so tired...

Jefferson's p.o.v

His eyes slipped shut again. I don't know what it was, but I was suddenly struck by how much I love this man. Sure, he's small and snores a little (well, a lot), but he's completely perfect. I curled up next to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. We were home, and it was our home now.

1 week later- Madison's p.o.v

It was finally time to get the wretched stitches out. The cold had now passed, but Thomas' kisses and hugs throughout the last week or so had given him a really awful one. He insisted that he was fine, but the flushed cheeks, runny nose and harsh cough declared otherwise.

"Have you got a coat on?" I fretted as we hung around in the doorway.

"And 2 hoodies," he replied weakly as I straightened his scarf almost obsessively. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Giving him a stern look, we headed out to Thomas' car, which was surprisingly not purple, but a pleasing red (they didn't do magenta). "I'll have to teach you to drive at some point," he mumbled as we got in.

"That's a point," I announced, thinking back to before the accident. "Why didn't you take your cane, your phone, or get in your car? How much of a hurry were you in?"

Thomas murmured something inaudible, eyes glued on the road ahead. "C'mon, Tom, tell me."

"I woke up late and I wasn't going to give Hamiltrash something to rub in my face!" he blurted, sinking as low as he could in the seat whilst still being able to drive. "He already had my hair and my clothes and apparently my entire life."

I slipped my hand into his, smiling supportively. He glanced at me for a moment, a grin slipping onto his melancholy face.

"You missed the turning."

888888

The doctor's office wasn't too busy, just a few people milling around lazily. Thomas tried to sneeze inconspicuously as we sat down, but failed greatly and did what was quite possible the loudest sneeze in the history of mankind, gathering the attention of the entire waiting room. He hid his face in my coat, but thankfully for him, the doctor called my name pretty quickly.

"Mr Madison, have a seat," she said warmly, casting a slight look at Thomas, who was hanging off me for dear life. He was surprisingly light, and I sat him on lap like a little toddler. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad, considering," I replied cheerfully, shaking her pre-offered hand with the one that wasn't trapped around Thomas' waist. "Had a bit of a cold, but it's passed now and the stitches seem to be healing."

"Would you mind if I had a quick look?" she asked, and I nodded, trying to coax my boyfriend (God, it felt so good to call him that) off my lap.

"It'll only be for 5 minutes," I said, turning his head towards me.

"Promise?" he whispered, and after I promised on all of our potential children and my parents' future grave, he moved over and allowed me to lie down on the examination bed, nervously slipping off my Princeton College t-shirt. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, she probed the stitches gently. Looking quickly over, I noticed that Thomas looked... almost jealous. His arms were folded moodily and he was staring daggers at the doctor.

"These look fine," she proclaimed, grabbing a sterile stitch-cutter from the drawer. "I think they can come out today."

"Hold my hand?" I asked shyly, and Thomas rushed over, entwining my fingers in mine as the doctor began to cut the stitches.

"So, Princeton, eh?" she said conversationally. "I did some of my training there."

"What year?" I asked, intrigued.

"Graduated in '12."

"Me too!" I exclaimed, trying my best not to move. (A/N: this is working on Mads and TJeffs being 28, so being born in 1990, going to college in 2008 and graduating with a Bachelor's in 2012) "I studied politics."

"James Madison!?" she replied, equally as excited as me as she continued to cut the stitches with professional precision. "I remember you! Anna Kripke? I lived two dorms down?"

"Your roommate was George King, yeah?"

"God, yeah. He used to always bring his shitty boyfriend Samuel Seabury back to the dorm when I was tryna work. What about your boyfriend?"

She jerked her head towards to Thomas, who was coughing violently into the crook of his arm.

"He studied for 3 years in France, but he was my roommate for the last year," I explained, casting a concerned glance at him.

"I totally shipped you two!" she squealed, doing the last stitch. "Oh, I'm so glad it worked out!"

She let me get up and put my t-shirt back on, Thomas wrapping his arm around my waist as she handed me a small piece of paper. "Just be careful with your stitches, and give me a call. We'll meet up for coffee?"

"Sure," I replied, thanking her and dragging a mardy Thomas out to the car. "What's up with you!?" I demanded, giving him a small shake. "You're acting really weird and it's scaring me. Please tell me what's going on!"

He look in shame at the floor, and I was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"I'm... just scared, I suppose, that this isn't going to work," he mumbled, bottom lip trembling as a single tear trickled down his face. "That all the vile homophobes and the jerks are gonna get to one of us and it'll all go wrong."

I attacked him in a hug, murmuring in his ear,

"I love you, and nothing can change that. You always have to remember that."

888888

Okayyyyyy... sorry if this is awful, I was just struggling for what to write, but I need to write this chapter so I can do the time skip to their unusual first date next chapter. Please remember to RR! Lots of loves and hugs and kisses (if you're into that sort of thing)!