Back again!
Lams, fighting, angst:
"What the hell? Alex!"
"What?" Alex asked, not bothering to look up from his laptop as he clacked away at the keys.
"What happened?" John waved his arms at the chaos encompassing their dorm-papers strewn over every available surface, the trash can toppled in one corner, at least six half-drunk coffee mugs lying around-the list went on. "When I left for bio I had everything clean."
Alex glanced up, seemingly taking in the mess around them for the first time. "Oh. Got distracted, I guess."
"Distracted while a tornado ripped through here?" John picked up a throw pillow covered in crumbs and dusted it off with a grimace. "Would it kill you to eat at the table?"
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Alex shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I might have gotten a little carried away, but-"
"But what?" John burst out. "But 'you'll get it later?' But 'you've got work to do?' Well, I do, too, and I just..." he cut himself off with a tired sigh as the surprised hurt blooming over his boyfriend's face. John dragged a hand over his eyes before tugging at his curls. "...I just wanted to come home and relax."
"John, I...I can pick up, so you can…"
He waved a hand dismissively, all previous aggression lost. "No, it's fine. I'm gonna head over to Herc's, 'kay?"
Alex watched as John pulled his jacket back on and left, the door shutting behind him with a soft click. The dorm settled into heavy silence.
He resisted the urge to turn back to his laptop and gathered up the coffee mugs instead, dumping them in the sink.
Angelica and John both confess to each other how they both like Hamilton and are a tiny bit jealous of Eliza/friendship
"Laurens."
"Miss Schuyler! I didn't think you'd come."
"I've always been one for a good wine-and-dine," Angelica gestured to where Alexander and Eliza were practically fawning over each other in the corner. "And someone has to make sure she doesn't get in over her head."
John smiled a little too wide. "Ha. No kidding. He's still sending letters?" Of course he was. She was all he ever spoke about now.
"If they keep this up, I think we'll have to get a bigger mailbox." Something fond tugged at Angelica's lips and she tore her gaze away from the pair.
John huffed in agreement. "I feel terrible for the postman." A beat. "Shit, sorry, that sounded harsh-"
"-No, you're fine, I know what you mean."
A flicker of recognition in John's eyes. "You do?"
Angelica tilted her head almost imperceptibly, an eyebrow raised. "I saw you at the ball. Before any of us made introductions. He was blushing, too, you know."
That same flush crept its way up John's neck and he rubbed at it. "Nah, it was the booze."
"It was you and the booze. And all the other people, too, probably. Poor boy didn't know who to flatter first."
Memories of brushing shoulders together, faces far too close and the air heavy with a drunken thrill flashed through his mind. In the corner, Eliza laughed, merry as ever, and John felt something sick coil in his stomach.
"It's not that I'm not happy for them," he blurted out, meeting Angelica's eyes and surprised to see his own longing and hurt resting there.
"Right," she said. "I understand it, because if it was me…"
"...but it's still-they're just…"
"And sometimes you think back and…"
"Yeah." John scuffed his shoe on the floor. The music of the party was still thrumming around them, far more upbeat than the last ball, but still too similar.
"Well!" Angelica smiled-a little stiff, a little like she was scolding herself-and set down her wine glass, wiping her palms down the front of her dress. "I do believe we have some dancing to get to."
John held out his arm, and she took it. It wasn't what either of them wanted, but if they spun around and around until they were panting for breath and their boots were worn thin, it was easier to forget the couple in their peripherals, giggling and charming and perfect.
Schuyler fam as kids, sledding, happy
The wind whipped at the three little girls' faces as they raced each other up the hill. Snow clung to woolen mittens and curls, red noses poking out of scarves as they toppled over one another.
"Ha! First!" the youngest cried, raising her hands in triumph.
"That's just because...you and Eliza...don't have to carry the sled," the oldest panted, tugging the heavy wooden thing behind her. "Budge over, it's my turn anyways."
"We'll all go down together, it's big enough," Eliza said, climbing on and snatching the reins away from her sister. Both girls clambered on after her, kicking at the packed snow to get enough momentum to sail down the hill in a colored blur, landing in a giggling heap at the bottom.
"Again!" Peggy leapt up and began her sprint to the top. Before she could make it far, a clump of snow hit her squarely in the back and she gasped. Angelica tossed another snowball her way before shoving the sled in her direction. "You carry it this time, little miss energy."
They stayed out long past the hour their coats soaked through and their teeth started chattering. Eventually the premise of a warm quilt and scorching mugs of hot chocolate drew them inside, where they stomped out their boots and left the sled waiting for tomorrow.
A big thank you for reading! :)