A/N: Hey!!!! This is basically a spinoff type thing based on "Glory of a Hero" by spanishsunrise as i'm sure many of you have read and if you haven't, here is some context as to what's going on, Alex is Robert's camp-aide and she is from the future lol, they have been falling for eachother and right now, Rob is going to see his family for the first time in months and Alex is tagging along. Susannah is Rob's sister btw. It's basically a few parts from "Glory of a Hero" but in the way i've would have written it. Leave any suggestions or questions you have and lmk if I should rewrite any other parts or any scenarios that you think of that you want me to write! Thanks!
Alex hugged Susannah tightly, appreciating the physical touch that she had long been starved of while at camp, but this hug was nowhere near as tight as Mrs. Shaw hugged her son. From the way the embrace looked, you'd think they hadn't seen each other for over a decade when really it had just been a little over a year. But, it so felt like a decade to her, Robert being her only son.
He placed his head on her shoulder, bending his knees a bit because she was so short. He had been closing his eyes but upon opening them, his gaze fell on Miss Janeiro - Alex. She was oblivious to the way his eyes laid on her silky brown hair, wrapped in the ribbon he had given her, and her gorgeous blue eyes that dazzled as she clasped onto his sister. He wondered if she wore the ribbon out of necessity, beauty or simply because it flattered him to know his gift was being put to use. From their recent encounters though, he assumed that it had to be one of the first two options for she disliked him much too greatly to want to flatter him.
Alex embraced the warmth that Susannah was giving off, though it was greatly limited by the many layers of her extravagant pink dress. Pink was her color though, Alex would have to give her that. But, with a beauty like Susannah, you'd have to believe that most colors were her color. Most colors were his color too - Robert's. Though Alex had mostly ever seen him in his navy blue suit, on occasion he was wearing, white, or black, and when he did, damn he looked good. As much as she loathed him, she had to admit to herself that he was handsome and that she wouldn't mind spending more time with him, strictly as a friends, of course. Though, he would never permit it, with his no fraternization rules.
Alex looked up from the floor that she had been so intently staring at over Susannah's shoulder to find Robert eye's piercing right at her. Their eyes locked, both too enticed to look away, when Mrs. Shaw's arms let up around Robert, allowing him to stand up straight again. Did Miss Janiero and him just make eye contact? He shook his head at the mere thought that she was as captivated with him as he was her. Robert had to keep reminding himself of how annoyed she was whenever he spoke to her. And besides, it's not like anything could ever happen between them, for god's sake Alex - Miss Janiero was his aide de camp! It would be highly improper to even entertain the idea of something more. But, something more he still longed for. And he despised himself for it.
Unbeknownst to Alex and Robert, there was someone who had seen the rendezvous between their eyes, and that was Miss Annie Haggerty - Robert's former beau. She remembered the days when Rob and her had shared hidden looks. She did not know who this new girl was, but she did know that Robert could never love her the way that he loved Annie. For god's sake, the girl was wearing trousers! She was barely a woman in Annie's eyes. And if he had fallen for Annie once, a perfectly feminine young lady, how could he ever fall for a girl with trousers and a farmer's tan! It was simply shocking. But, knowing Robert, Annie could tell when he was in love. And by the way he looked at this girl, it was clear. He was so far gone, there was no saving him, even if Annie kissed him on the lips right now, he would still stare at the boyish-girl. And with that, Annie faded into oblivion, never being thought about by Robert again.
However many days later at the ball in South Carolina - A/N: I switched up the timeline a little bit, basically the convo Rob has with Charlotte happens before he firsts sees Alex in the dress at the ball and somehow Charlotte knows who she is, idk
"Oh, Miss Janiero? No, she is just my camp-aide." Robert replied to a confused Miss Charlotte Forten who had just asked if Alex was his wife. He felt so guilty for saying 'just' as if Miss Janiero were some insignificant servant. In his heart, he knew she meant much, much more to him then 'just his camp-aide' but for some reason he couldn't convey it through his mouth. Perhaps, that's why he gave her that ribbon, all those months ago, perhaps he had hoped it would send her the message that his mouth refused to produce - No, it couldn't be! That would be highly inappropriate! He had only given her that ribbon because he had noticed that her hair was always falling into her face. Oh, how he loved to watch her hair. It flowed in the wind like the mane of a horse, except much more gracefully. It was dark brown, like his. He never met someone with such a similar hair color as him, but leave that someone to be Miss Janeiro! Of course it was her to be the first! She was always so extraordinary at everything - No! Robert attempted to stop himself from drooling over the mere thought of her. But just then, he saw her walk through the door frame of the ballroom in that extravagant yellow dress. It was hard to not step over his own feet as he walked towards her. And by the way she stared at him as he came closer, even with all their bad blood, Robert knew that she felt the same.