A/N:
Please read! This chapter contains homophobic insults and violence; when you see this symbols (~!~) please jump to the end if you think you could be triggered. I'll put a summary of that part in the bottom notes. I'll mark both the beginning and ending of that part with ~!~
CHAPTER XVIII
Alexander was still scanning the crowd in search for the phantom, when he saw John approaching him with a wide smile on his black masked face.
"Hey Zorro, what's up?"
"Shut up," John elbowed him playfully, "do I really deserve your jokes after everything my parents have put me through tonight?"
"You surely do."
"You have no mercy whatsoever, Gilbert is right in patronising you." John laughed, his cheerful temper untouched, "anyway, you'll never believe what's just happened. You know my mother wanted to introduce me to all those old rich people, right? I followed her around for almost half an hour when she finally introduced me the Woodstones with – guess who? – their son who's also studying biology!"
"Don't tell me that it's – "
"Will!" John almost shouted, "the guy who had to escape naked from the bathroom's window to avoid my parents at the dorm!"
"Well, that's called bad luck."
"Actually, he doesn't have any reason to hate me now – if my parents had found us together, they would have told his parents as well," John explained, still excited by the encounter, "and before I went away he asked me if I want to have a coffee with him."
"That's great, John! What did you say?"
"Yes, of course! Thinking about it, maybe I'll go find him right now, just to chat, y'know," John coughed to hide his laughter as Alexander faked a very indignant face, "see ya later!"
Once again, Alexander wandered alone among the guests, trying to find Gilbert or someone else to talk with – he'd always hated being by himself in big crowds. He headed towards the fountain that stood away from the dance floor and the multitude of people, where the lights were dimmer and there wasn't so much chaos. Maybe he'd be able to see the stars from there. All around the garden, lovers were walking slowly while enjoying the fresh air of the night or stealing kisses from one another, hidden in the darkest spots of the meadow. Alexander sat on the fountain's border and looked at the dark sky, trying to catch the sparkling of a star or – even better – a constellation.
"May I have a dance?" a low voice – his voice – asked.
Alexander looked down to his right and wasn't surprised to find the phantom standing next to him. Far from the lights, his black suit blended with the darkness all around and the only thing Alex could really see was the milky-white mask, which seemed to float in the air by itself.
"I don't think our host would be happy to see two men dancing together."
"We can dance right here," he replied, offering Alex a hand.
Alexander looked at his hand for a moment, fearing the touch. Then, he breathed deeply and took it – it was just like a phantom, a ghost of past memories, he couldn't do much harm. He led Alexander into a slow waltz around the fountain; his eyes never looked away from his face.
"A phantom – nice choice," Alex whispered, "it's all I saw of you – a shadow of who you really are."
"Alexander, I – "
"No, please, not tonight." Alexander leaned his head on Thomas's chest and closed his eyes, losing himself in the moment, "tonight, we're not me and you. We're wearing masks, we can be whoever we want. We can pretend everything's all right. Just for tonight, hold me and don't promise me anything."
The phantom didn't answer, but strengthen his grip around Alexander, holding him tight. They were not dancing anymore, but only gently rocking from one leg to another, and Alex focused on Thomas's heartbeat; on his heat, his smell, his breathing; on how his proximity felt just right.
"I could've bet to find you into your Darth Vader costume tonight," Thomas hummed, a hint of a laugh in his voice.
"I wanted to, but Laf didn't let me."
"I think I saw him dancing, he had a line of ladies waiting for their turn."
"Yeah, it was probably him," Alex smiled without opening his eyes. Every time Thomas spoke, Alex could feel the vibrations coming from his chest. He didn't want for that perfect moment to end.
"Are – are you with John now?"
And the moment ended. Alexander drew away from him to look at his face – he had the nerve to ask him about John!
"Yes," he answered calmly, "yes, I'm with him."
"I hope you're happier."
Alexander didn't answer – he felt tears tickling at the corner of his eyes, but he pushed them back. He wouldn't cry in front of him, not anymore.
"Alexander – " Thomas took a step closer, putting his arms around Alex's waist once more.
"It wasn't the cheating, y'know," Alex said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I know. I hope no one will ever betray your trust again as I did. I've been an idiot not to talk to you about – "
Boom. The first firework whistled in the sky and exploded into millions of violet sparks, casting its colours all over the meadows. It was followed by the loud 'oooh' of the crowd and many clapped their hands.
Alexander turned his gaze to the sky once more, admiring the bursts of colours that glimmered for a brief moment before disappearing in a coil of smoke. Thomas's arms were still holding him, somehow reluctant to let him go. In the end, they slipped off and let him free. Alex felt the cool air replace the spot where Thomas's warm body had been pressing against his only a moment before, and suddenly turned.
"Thomas!"
The phantom froze. Alex didn't know how he could've heard him over the fireworks, but he slowly turned back to look at him. Without even thinking about it, Alexander pulled the strands that tied his mask, setting it loose and taking it off. He stepped closer to the other man and stretched his arms to reach his mask, untying it as well. Thomas's face was lit by the bright colours of the fireworks; his dark eyes gave away his fear and he looked tired – not that it took something away from his beauty. His hair was braided back, Alex had never seen him like that before. He placed his hand on Thomas's cheek.
"You never gave me my goodbye kiss. May I have it now?"
Thomas's eyes widened and he hesitantly put his hand on Alexander's, as if to silently ask him not to mess with his feelings. Then, he leaned over and gently – so gently it felt like a caress – brushed his lips on Alexander's before pressing them to his. A moment later, they were kissing... and it felt like breathing again. Alexander closed his eyes and let himself drown into Thomas, forgetting about everything else. Thomas tasted of champagne and his lips were not soft as John's – but they were his, Thomas was his, it was everything Alexander wanted, even after being betrayed like he'd been.
The kiss lasted until the last firework cracked into the sky, it could've been hours, but it still felt too short a time for Alexander. However, he gently pulled away and picked his mask from the grass, wearing it back before turning away from Thomas.
"Alexander – "
A loud noise burst from the ball room inside the villa and Alex heard several people yell. He glanced at Thomas one last time – he was too far to hear what he said to him, but read his lips and his heartbeat faltered – and then turned away and ran towards the ballroom, once more away from Thomas Jefferson.
~~~~~!~~~~~
The scene that disclosed before Alexander's eyes was terrifying. The first thing he noticed was Will Woodstone on the other side of the room, trying to hide into the shadows; his eyes, together with the ones of all the people who were now crowding the place, were fixed on a man who was shouting like a mad. As soon as Alex followed Will's gaze, his blood froze. He saw John, laying on the ground with his hand covering his bleeding mouth, towered by… his father, Henry Laurens.
"You freak, you disgust me!" the older man spat at his son, ignoring the people who were watching that pitiful scene, "How could you do this to us, after all we've done for you! What have I done to deserve a son like you," his face twisted into a sickening grimace, as if he'd just eaten something disgusting and wanted to spit it out, "kissing another man, you… you – "
John stood up and spat his blood on the ground, looking up at his father with sad but resolute eyes. For a moment everything was silent, except for Mrs Laurens's sobbing.
" – you fucking faggot!" Mr Laurens roared and his wife whined even louder.
"You can say whatever you want," John said with a trembling voice, silent tears streaming down his face and washing away the blood, "I can't change who I am. I- I love who I am. Mum, tell him – "
Mrs Laurens shook her head violently, whimpering as if she was the one who was really suffering. She refused to look up at John. Henry glanced back at her for a moment, then turned to John.
"Look what are you doing to your mother, you're breaking her heart!"
"I'm not!" John said, wounded by his mother's denial more than his father's words. "You can't be serious, I'm your son and – "
"I have no son."
John's face turned white. Alex could almost see John's hope snap under the burden of those words, betrayal plainly written into his green eyes. After another moment of stillness, several things happened at once. Henry Laurens seemed to decide that his fist wasn't enough to beat his son and rose his walking stick with a swift movement. The whole crowd shouted and gasped at the sight, everyone too far to do something. Alexander saw John closing his eyes and raising his hands in a vain attempt to protect his face.
Then the cane came down hard.
"John!" Alex yelled, elbowing his way through the thick crowd.
But no sounds followed. When John opened his eyes again, Hercules was standing in front of him, the stick clutched tightly in his hand. His face was so threatening Alexander doubted he'd ever seen him so angry. He ripped the walking stick away from Henry Laurens's hands and threw it away; then, he walked slowly towards the man.
"If you lay a single finger on him again, I'll kill you with my bare hands," Hercules hissed, his face bare inches from Mr Laurens's.
"W-What do you want? I do whatever I want with my family!" Henry shouted, looking up at Herc's six feet height with a hesitant look.
"He's not your family anymore, you've been very clear. He's coming with us."
~~~~~!~~~~~
Alexander eventually succeeded in reaching them. He took John's hand and led him away from the room. Gilbert, who'd appeared to their side just moments earlier, took John's other hand, squeezing it gently. Hercules stood behind to check on Will – no one wanted a similar scene for the Woodstone family.
"What the hell is Hercules doing here?" Alex whispered to Gilbert, delicately placing John on the backseats, "wasn't he at home?"
"He texted me that he'd put the children to bed and was coming here to have a dance with me, but as soon as he entered the villa, he found that scumbag yelling at his son and, you know – "
"That's called timing. Thank god he was there." Alex got on the car next to John, who was still trying to stop the bleeding in his mouth and on the back of his head. "Let me help you, John. How's your head?"
"I hit it pretty bad when I fell," he groaned weakly, "but it's getting better I think."
"All right, rest now. I'm here with you – we'll always be here for you."
John leaned his head on Alex's shoulder and fell asleep in a couple of minutes. Alex caressed his hair and hummed him a lullaby until they finally drove away from that dreamlike house and its nightmares.
Thomas was spending another sleepless night when the call finally arrived. The name he'd missed the most was on his telephone screen, flashing together with an old photo of the two of them hugging.
"Alexander," he breathed softly on the phone.
"Thomas, I need your help. John's having a seizure, I – I don't know what to do!" the voice on the other side of the line was quavering with fear, "please, help me."
"Calm down, okay? I need you to think clearly – John needs you to think clearly – can you do it?" Thomas asked while already putting on some clothes.
"Y-Yes."
"Good. How long has he been going on like that?"
"I don't know – about five minutes. I thought he would wake up but – "
"Don't worry, darlin', he'll be all right. Wake up Hercules and call 911," he instructed, grabbing the car keys. "I'm on my way. You keep John away from sharp or hard object and don't try to block his arms or put stuff into his mouth. Loosen all the thight things he's wearing, you know, bracelets and necklaces, and if you can, try to have him lay on the side."
"Yes – Gilbert! Gilbert! Call Hercules, hurry, we need an ambulance right now!" Alex's voice yelled. "Thomas, please stay with me."
"I'm not hanging up, I'll be here with you all the time."
When Thomas arrived at Mulligan's house, the ambulance was already there; the paramedics were loading the gurney on it and one of them was talking with Hercules and Gilbert. Alexander was on the sidewalk, trembling like a leaf, the tears never drying on his face. Thomas walked towards him and took him into his arms.
"You did a great job," he murmured, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
"He hasn't woken up yet."
"He will, very soon. Don't worry." Thomas looked at the paramedics as they closed the ambulance doors and took off. "Let's go to the hospital, I'll buy you a cup of coffee and we'll wait for John to wake up. I can smuggle you into his room – I have my contacts," he winked and gestured towards his car.
"Wait!" Gilbert followed them. "Can I come with you? Herc needs to get the kids ready for school in the morning, he'll come later."
"Of course," Thomas nodded – well, that wasn't the best way to finally meet Gilbert face to face, but still – "I'm Thomas, nice to meet you after all the phone calls."
Gilbert turned to Alex at once. "You called Thomas?!"
"Yup," Alex shrugged tiredly and got on the car, "I didn't know what to do and he's a nurse."
"Merde, Alex, after all he did to you! No offense, but you're a bastard."
"Gil!"
"No offense taken, you're right," Thomas sighed. "Can we go to the hospital now? I get you there and I go away if you don't want me."
"No!" Alex grabbed his sleeve, "please, stay."
Thomas's heart warmed up at the touch, and even more at the words. "All right, let's go."
A/N:
For those who decided not to read the ~!~ part: Henry Laurens (yes, John's homophobic father) found his son kissing with another guy during the party and basically disowned him. Herc saved the day by helping John and taking him away from his horrible family.