"Burr!" Hamilton raced towards his 'friend,' pushing through the crowd to get to him, leaving Laurens to watch on. "What are you doing here?"

"You know I always come out to these sort of things..."

"So are you just opposed to everything anyone else stands for??? Do you actually stand for anything, Burr? What are your ideals, what do you want for America can you write down an itemised list?" Hamilton was being aggressive, but he knew he had the right to be. The black eye he'd given Burr was staring back at him, reminding him of even more reason for his anger.

"And you're just here because your boyfriend brought you along. Would you really be here otherwise, Alex? This argument is pointless. You have as little reason to be here as I."

Fuck. Him. Anger turned to fury which quickly turned into a severe rage, growing stronger, at the back of his throat. He was so ready to tear into Burr. While he had used his fists to do so when drunk, he could now use his sober, clear of mind, words to bring this disgrace crashing to the ground.

"Burr, just because Laurens has allowed me a platform and place to bring my opinions, doesn't mean I am in any way parallel to you. Don't even think that we are alike in any way beyond our intellect. And even that is to a point, because yours falls behind mine and we both know it."

Laurens had caught up to him at that point and caught his arm.

"Hey. Don't."

"Why not? He's protesting a protest against slavery??? This is so fucked up Laurens, I cannot let it slide. How dare he?"

Laurens sighed. "I know, but you've already punched him. And besides, there's hundreds of us and just three of them, they don't matter. We're out here to show people we care, we don't have to get into fights and I'm just..I don't want you to give him another black eye..or you know, get arrested.." Hamilton couldn't say no to that small, worried smile.

Turning back towards Burr, he reluctantly growled, "Burr. Get fucked," then let Laurens escort him away.

Jefferson called him a few hours later, while he was in the midst of chanting crowds, the protest in full swing.

"Jefferson...I'm at a protest on the commons I'm sorry if it's a little loud.."

"That's okay, Alexander. I need to talk to you about the publication."

Hamilton slipped away from Laurens, Lafayette and Mulligan, whom he had been introduced to earlier, and found a quiet space towards the back of the crowd where he could have a little more privacy.

"Yes?"

"Well...you're gay??"

"Uhm. Yes."

"And ...dating John Laurens?"

"...Yes." He hadn't even thought about the fact that Jefferson had paired them up and knew they hadn't met before then. They were working together and he'd just outed them both to their boss. Fuuuuuuuck.

"You see why I'm calling you? This was just. A lot."

"I'm sorry, Sir I-"

"It's okay, don't apologise. The writing's good, you might actually make us some money again. I'm just a little surprised that you're... gay. I would have expected as much from John, but you're well..." So Jefferson wasn't just racist but also homophobic? And he just wanted him for the money he'd gain? Hamilton felt exploited and anxiety was making his chest tighten so much that he couldn't breathe well. What if he fired Laurens? Hamilton couldn't shake the growing feeling that he'd made a terrible mistake. "Anyway. It's already gone through the printers. Things are slow right now. We're not getting a lot of new work sent over there at all regularly, meaning that they could run it quicker than expected." Brilliant. "I'll get a copy to you tomorrow, or you could come in now..."

"Thanks, Sir," The words came out tense. Every part of Hamilton's body was tense. Fuck. He had to tell Laurens. "Uhm...Sir.. this hasn't compromised the positions of me, nor Laurens, yes?"

"Of course not, Alexander. As long as this makes me the money I know it will, you two can do whatever you want to in your spare time."

Now why the hell did that sound like a threat???

"Laurens." As soon as he returned to the crowd, he was dragging his boyfriend out. "I need to talk to you it's exceptionally urgent..crucial, even..."

Laurens let Hamilton pull him by the sleeve, back to where he'd paced about on the phone to Jefferson.

"I've fucked up. Big time. Darling..." Hamilton didn't want to let go of his senses to the extent that he'd give in to crying in public, but he was coming really damn close. Laurens hugged him gently, sensing how immediate those tears could be. "Shhh. You're okay. I have you. What did you do that's fucked you up this much? Babe.. you're one of the most brazen, brave, headstrong, bold ...I could go on? - people that I know. What's up?? Is it Burr? Because I can show you that I, too, can kick that motherf*ckers ass..."

Hamilton shook his head, and grabbed Laurens' arms, drawing himself closer, for both comfort and grounding. "No, no. It was me. All me. Every last aberration.." His lips trembled, words coming out broken, disjointed.

"Tell me.." Laurens breathed into his hair, kissing the crown of his head, gently.

"Laurens...I wrote you. A lot. So many pages of essays, love letters.. I sent it all to Jefferson to publish.. your name is in it...it's already gone to the printers'..." He took a gulp of air. His words were all spilling out way too quickly. His brain could hardly keep up. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking.. I ...shouldn't ever have dreamt of it. I just wanted to see your face when you read it or saw it in a store and knew that those words were from my heart and to yours...you must forgive me. I'm so sorry... I thought you were out..."

Laurens inhaled, sharply and gave himself a few, painful moments to reply. They seemed like weeks, months, centuries. "No, Hamilton, the only people I'm not out to are my parents. Fuck Jefferson. Fuck everyone else I really don't care... You wrote me a book? Like a full book? Fuck. What??? Hamilton.." Laurens wrapped his arms around his waist again, and let their foreheads touch. Hamilton watched his eyes close and mirrored the action. He felt as they were alone, even if there were in a busy park mere meters away from a massive crowd of loud protesters. The world slipped away. It was just them.

"That's the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done. And the most extravagant. And it's the most You thing... I should have expected this much..." Laurens kissed his nose. "You're the greatest thing to ever happen to me, Alexander. And you're definitely the only person whose ever treated me this well.. with this much love."

Sighing with relief, Hamilton allowed himself to lean against his boyfriend, anxieties dispersing slowly. His heart ached for them to be truly alone, so that he could allow his heart to completely spill from his lips and into the air between them. He would, he knew. So soon. He was so glad that Laurens loves him. He was so glad that they'd found each other.

"Never let me go," he whined, anxiousness still tugging at his thoughts. How close that had been. If Laurens was someone else, of a different character, his heart could've been torn to ruins in just a moment. And it would have been all self inflicted.

"Of course." They kissed on the common and were happily cheered on by some stray protesters who happened to witness the sight. Oh how love was this strange, unifying thing. Hamilton couldn't remember a time when he thought so highly of it.