A/N:

Hey folks! I'm sorry I disappeared, the place where I was working kinda failed so I had to search for another job and move to another city - I'm telling you, adulthood sucks guys! Anyway, this is the first thing I wrote after almost two months so I hope it's not too weird or grammatically incorrect. Let me know what you think of it.

CHAPTER XX

The following day Alexander woke up to what seemed to him the sweetest sound on earth.

"Wake up, you jerk! How can you sleep so soundly while I was almost dying?!"

It took a couple of seconds to bring the world into focus. John's perpetually smiling freckled face was peeking at him from above. "John!" Alex jumped out of the bed and into John's embrace at once, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling soooo good right now – they gave me pain killers and told me I was free to go," John smiled again, dreamily. "I'm going back for a check in three days though."

"Oh yeah, hospitals' drugs are the best," Alex chuckled. "I'm so happy you're okay."

"I wouldn't be without you, mate, you saved my life – " John's face turned deadly serious for a moment. Without his wide smile lighting him up, Alex noticed John had dark circles around his eyes and was very pale; it was safe to say he wasn't living his best life at the moment.

"Actually, I panicked and called Thomas. He told me what to do… he is the one who saved you."

"Oh," John sighed heavily. "Well, speaking of him, I think there's a note for you," he added, nodding towards a crumpled piece of paper placed on Alexander's night table. "Sorry, I couldn't help but read it when I got in."

Alexander lazily rubbed his eyes before reading the note. He immediately recognized Thomas's elegant handwriting –'I almost forgot how beautiful you are when you sleep. See you tomorrow. Thomas'. It was a simple note but Alex's heart started to race at once; 'See you tomorrow' meant that Thomas still wanted to see him, after all that had happened.

John sat on the bed next to him, his clever eyes were once again lit by curiosity. "So – are you two dating again? Even if he's… married?"

"It's a long story," Alexander answered slowly, his eyes still glued to the note. "Martha, his wife, actually left him three years ago and reappeared the very week we saw them at the restaurant. They never had the intention of actually going back together but she needed his help – I think you remember she's pregnant – and he offered her to stay for a while. The fact that he'd never told me about their relationship created the huge misunderstanding that made us broke up. I never let him explain until yesterday."

"Ugh, I see. Actually, I've always thought you were wrong preventing him from telling you the whole story."

"What?" Alex finally looked up from the note, casting a bewildered look at his friend.

"Yup, I thought you ought him a chance to explain himself, at least."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Cause you were devastated, man – you heard his voice once and threw your phone against the wall! I mean, none of us had the courage to make you face it and, well, I'm sorry, but I also had personal reasons why I didn't really want you to go back with him."

"I know."

"But you are going back with him now."

"I guess so. I- I'm sorry."

John stood up abruptly. "Jeez, Alex, I beg you, just stop feeling guilty for every tiny thing you can't give others and start being happy for yourself!"

"But – aren't you disappointed in me?"

"Cause you don't like me back?" John rolled his eyes but couldn't really hide the hurt look on his face. "I can't honestly say I'm happy you rejected me for him, but I'm really proud of you for following your heart. Now stop asking stupid questions and let's go eat something, I'm starving and Laf has already booked a table for us."

Alex got up and hugged his friend once more. "Thank you, John." God, it was so good to have him back.

The restaurant was extremely crowded and chaotic. The three of them had to make their way through the thick wall of people as they were among the lucky ones who had somewhere to sit, while most of the others were in line outside, waiting for their turn to eat.

"Wow, I didn't know we had such a fancy restaurant only two blocks away," Alexander commented, eyeing the crowd and shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"It's the opening week, you know how New Yorkers love to overflow every new place the first two weeks, right before going back to their usual," Laf shrugged, "anyway, Hercules told me you would definitely like it."

"I don't know – I mean, I love Italian food but this is way too many people."

"Well, let's forget about the others now," Gilbert cast a look to John, who was studying the menu, "we need to figure out a way to help John."

At the mention of his name, John suddenly looked up at the two of them, utterly surprised by the new topic of the day.

"Guys, you don't have to worry about me, I have my own dorm and I'll find a job or something... What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he looked puzzled at Gilbert's hesitant face.

"John, mon ami, er, Hercules went to collect some of your stuff at your parents' this morning; they told him they've cut you out from all the family possessions… you don't have a dormitory anymore."

"They... what?!" John turned pale at once. "No, they wouldn't do something like that. I- I get they're angry and probably shocked, but they would never actually threw me out!"

"John," Alexander carefully took John's hand, "that motherfucker was about to kill you with a cane. You were about to die only a couple of days ago – " Alex's voice cracked and tears streamed down his face at the bare memory – "we'll help you, okay? I'll freaking adopt you if I have to, but please, please, just stay away from your parents."

John opened his mouth to talk, then closed it, nodded quickly and buried his face into his hands. His back was soon shaken by sobs and Alexander couldn't help but feel his heart getting a little bit heavier at the sight.

After a couple of hours they were still there, sipping their coffee while lively debating on John's future.

"I'm telling you I could never accept it!"

"But Hercules need someone to work at the shop, he cannot do it all by himself!"

"You work at the shop with him, Alex. I don't want you to lose one of your jobs for me, you need money as well as I do!"

"I resigned today," Alex announced after a pause.

"No, you didn't. The only things you did today were sleeping like a baby, drooling all over your pillow, and then coming here with us."

"All right, well... I will resign today."

"You won't."

"Alexander, mais que fais-tu? Vous ne pouvez pas vous permettre de perdre ce travail." ["What the heck are you doing? You can't afford to lose that job."] Gilbert hissed to Alex, ignoring John's confused look. "Vous avez encore des dettes à payer!" ["You still have debts to pay!"]

"I- I don't speak French," John said weakly, but Alex ignored him as well.

"Je trouverai un meilleur travail après avoir obtenu mon diplôme. Je peux me permettre quelques mois sans mon deuxième emploi, il," he cast a look at John, "ne peut pas!" ["I'll find a better work after graduating. I can afford a couple of months without my second job, he can't!"]

Gilbert's crossed his arms and pursed his lips into a straight line for a couple of seconds. "All right, John I think you should accept Hercules's offer and work at the shop," he declared eventually.

"Tu quoque, Laf? Hercules is already giving me a bed to sleep on, I can't take advantage of his hospitality."

"Look at Alex, he took advantage of it and he's doing very well," Gilbert snorted.

"Thank you, asshole." Alex crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in an exaggerated display of disbelief. Gilbert looked back at him in amusement.

"I'll find something else," John gently took both Alex and Gilbert's hand. "But I love you so much for worrying and caring about me. I'll be fine. It's so good to know that I still have a family to look up to."

Laf was about to reply when a loud exclamation made them turn at once.

"Alexander Hamilton! I can't believe we meet again!" A black haired, good looking man wearing a chef hat approached their table, beaming at them.

"Bernie!" Alexander jumped off his seat and hugged him warmly. "It's so good to see you man. Damn, you're tall!"

"Well, height isn't something one can easily show off in a wheelchair," he winked and turned to John and Gilbert. "This man saved my life," he announced proudly, "without him I would still be living on a street."

Gilbert made a beeline for him and kissed him on both cheeks. "You must be the famous Bernie, Alex's roommate from the hospital! We've heard so much about you, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Alex turned to John to introduce him as well, but his friend was already offering his hand to Bernie, smiling like an idiot; all the previous tiredness seemed to have suddenly disappeared from his face and John shook Bernie's hand, winking shamelessly at him and holding eye contact a moment too long. Bernie didn't seem to mind though.

"So," Alex frowned at John before focusing back on Bernie, "how are you doing lately? Is this place yours?"

"I'd love to say yes, but I'm only a humble chef for now – I've already started saving money for a place of my own though. I'm still sleeping in a hospitality centre, and that's okay cause I work all day long at the moment," he shrugged as if he didn't really care, "but I'm looking for a small place to rent and a roommate to share the expenses. I'm telling you now just in case one of you knows anyone who's looking for a place – "

"I am!" John basically threw himself on the table and scribbled his number on a napkin. "Call me when you're off and we'll go find something together."

"That's great!" Bernie cast him a huge smile and Alex could almost sense John's heart explode. "I have to go now, we're full of customers these days, but I'll call you after the weekend!"

"I'll definitely wait for it."

Bernie's smile lingered another moment on his face as he scanned John for the hundredth time. Then he waved happily at Alex and Gilbert and went away.

Alexander's jaw dropped and he and Laf exchanged a knowing look.

"I guess you accept Hercules's offer then," Alex coughed to hide a laugh while Gilbert openly giggled.

"Well, I mean," John's face was ruby red, "I guess the earlier I get back on my feet again, the better, right?"

"Right."

They stood silent for a moment. Then Gilbert sighed dramatically.

"I was completely invisible," he complained, "I was about to hit on him and John stole the whole spotlight."

In that very moment, John turned to Gilbert with the funniest face ever and Alex completely lost it and started to laugh his head off. The whole situation was just so hilarious. He was still giggling when they got home.

A/N:

John, please stop writing your number on napkins and dollars and just use your smartphone already! Anyway, what do you think about John flirting with Bernie? Do you think Bernie could reciprocate or will he only be another person who can't love poor John back? :(

ALSO while you wait for this story's updates, why don't you give a go to my other Jamilton Fanfic "Mr Jefferson is Coming Home"? I hope you like that one as well and, if you do, please leave a comment to let me know!