It was so unlike Hamilton to stay silent in class, to let Lee ramble on without clashing once with him. He knew that Burr had noticed his silence, but rather than attempting to explain himself, he slipped out before the class had even ended.

The note for Laurens felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. He'd made sure to place it in the left breast pocket of his coat, on the inside, so that it would be both kept safe from any potentially ruinous weather, and close to his heart. Hamilton had already prepared himself for his heart to be crushed. This man was so monumental. He couldn't compare him to any god or goddess that had ever been so gracefully imagined. There was no way he was going to regret falling for him, no matter what the outcome may be. The momentary uncertainty was getting under his skin, however, so by the time he'd crossed the city again to arrive back at Bridge, he pulled out his phone and text Laurens.

Hamilton : Is this a date?

Almost instantly, John responded.

Laurens : Wasn't today 1 also?

Laurens : Where is this coming from? Are you ok Hamilton?

Hamilton : I'm okay. Needed to clarify.

Laurens : I thought I made it pretty clear ;)

Laurens : I really like u, Hamilton.

Laurens : Don't keep forgetting!!

Hamilton : You'll just have to keep reminding me ;)

Laurens : Okay ...let me see..

Hamilton : Oh, right now? Laurens, you spoil me

Laurens : ;)

Laurens : As I was saying..

Laurens : Hamilton, ur pretty perfect

Hamilton : Just pretty?????

Laurens : oh my GOD STOP INTERRUPTING ME. Ur so much more annoying via text... :P

Laurens : I'll send u the location of the bar

Laurens : Does 7 sound ok? I don't want 2 leave so long before I get to see that cute ass face

Hamilton : Sounds great, Laurens

Hamilton : I think I may have come up with a plan to make you completely fall for me. Just so you know..

Laurens : OH really?

Laurens : I'm intrigued..

Laurens : Sadly, all I've got's my damn good looks

Hamilton : True Dat

Laurens : omg you used slang

Laurens : It's a Christmas miracle lmao

Laurens : Talk later, you

Hamilton : I'll hold my heart for you

Laurens : That's gay but I dig it

Hamilton couldn't stop smiling down at his phone. What THE FUCK. His coffee had gone cold while he'd been absorbed in the conversation. The waste of a perfectly good cup didn't even bother him. Even texting Laurens was absolutely exhilarating. Thinking of tonight seemed almost unbearable. The short hours felt like far too long. It took him a while to shake himself from his daydreams, but once he was back to the present, he set himself the task of perfecting the letter to Laurens. Maybe he should condense it?? Eight pages might seem like a bit much...

Time's a funny thing. Waiting for 7PM to roll around was painstakingly hard for Hamilton. Never before had time seemed to go so slowly, or been of such little use. He cycled back to his apartment, which sat above a small corner store, a fifteen minute cycle from Bridge. It was an old building and had been renovated many times over, but never properly. It looked decent from all angles, but when sharp winds blew, his window might as well be pane-less. Not somewhere he'd like to take Laurens back to, if that ever happened...he tried his best not to let himself imagine Laurens, curled up around him in his bed, sheets pulled up around them, finding warmth only in each other. His knees felt weak. There was nothing Hamilton wanted more, in that moment, than to be able to wake up beside the sleeping John Laurens and offer him a good morning kiss. He could almost imagine the feeling of the skin of Laurens' forehead as he pressed his lips against him gently, so as to not wake him. Sleeping with any of his past lovers had been challenging at best. They took up so much room, wanted to be as close as possible - suffocatingly close. There was no way, he was positive, that he'd ever feel this towards Laurens. He'd never felt this way towards another person. It was making him question whether or not he'd ever fully known love.

Hamilton debated getting an Uber, then realised he had no clue how to use the app. Taxis repulsed him, anyway, and he preferred the solitude of cycling. So that's what he did, as soon as Laurens sent him on the Google Maps location. Laurens had chosen the Fraunces Tavern, Which Hamilton actually knew quite well, and which he knew Burr enjoyed frequenting. As did Washington, Hamilton's old English Literature professor. This had the potential to be very awkward, he duly noted to himself.

There was a constant babble of voices, not yet raised in intoxication, when Hamilton arrived at the door of the Tavern. One of the bar-tenders was kind enough to help him with his bike, and put it behind the bar so that it wouldn't get in the way. While this was happening, he let his eyes scan the room. Obviously not just looking for Laurens, but additionally, for Washington and Burr. In the midst of a sea of unfamiliar faces, some beginning to grow red from laughter and the small quantities of alcohol consumed so far, he saw John Laurens. In a little booth, quite close to the bar, but still tucked away to one corner out of the immediate rowdiness, sat the very man his heart sang for. With a contented sigh, both due to gratitude that Burr wasn't there, and with the knowledge that he could relax and actually enjoy himself without thinking about work, he strode towards Laurens.

Already drinking Sam Adams from the bottle, Laurens jumped up to greet him. "Hi! I thought you'd got lost..." They hugged and right away Hamilton wanted to live every single second as close to Laurens as he was for that brief instance. Hamilton sat, unable to keep his eyes from Laurens'.

"Do you want a drink??"

"Sure, thanks. A Sam Adams?"

John winked at him, "you betcha."

Well? Fuck you too, Laurens, Alexander thought to himself. How was that legal? To be so handsome? He snorted, annoyed that he felt so much from something as simple as a wink. While Laurens was momentarily gone, he pulled out the letter he'd condensed to two sheets of paper, and began to read over it as quickly as he could.

Laurens was back before he had the chance to even finish rereading the first page. He sat down at the other side of the table, tucking a stray curl behind his left ear, such a simple yet absolutely entrancing movement. Then, he slid Hamilton the larger he'd bought him, with a curious grin. "What's that? More work?"

This was it. His shot. He wouldn't throw it away. One chance to vocalise his yearnings for Laurens he thought, his intense mind spinning more rapidly than even when he was writing the most complex of essays. This was it.

"It is quite the opposite, actually..." he let himself inhale sharply, before continuing, "This is my heart, Laurens."

All he could do now was watch as that very heart was being dissected right in front of him, Laurens' eyes lapping up. Every. Single. Word.

Finally, those beautiful blue eyes met his again, and all of his most precious time, came to a standstill.