When the protest wrapped up, it seemed that the entire crowd made their way back to Laurens' small apartment, for a sort of after-party. Which did seem kind of counter intuitive to Hamilton, but he went with it. Laurens was happy, he hadn't stopped smiling since he'd told him about the book, and that was truthfully all he cared about. The masses of bodies swarmed around the tiny space, drinking, laughing and talking hurriedly about campaigns and causes close to their hearts. Hamilton didn't know how he was keeping his cool around so many strangers. Someone he didn't even feel awkward at Laurens' side, he made him feel welcomed and included in whatever was happening.

"Do you actually know all of these people?" Hamilton asked, quietly. Laurens had been chatting to almost everyone he came across, and Hamilton had heard so many new names his head throbbed. Sure, he was able to absorb and retain whatever information Lee ranted on and on about, but remembering names had never been his forte.

"I've met a lot of people, travelling, studying, working, you know?? We've kept in touch and somehow, it seems everyone ends up in New York. It's just a given," he explained. "It's generally the same people at all these protests.. or friends of friends I know everyone, though. Maybe not well, but enough to have a few words to say to everyone, it keeps me going for the night." He lifted a shoulder.

"How do you do this? I'm tired watching you..." Laurens just smiled and kissed his forehead.

"It'll be over soon."

Bodies started to slowly filter out during the early hours of the morning. Lafayette and Mulligan were the last to leave, and they grabbed the last of the pizza that Laurens had ordered, on their way out. "Wow, inconsiderate!" Laurens joked as he shut the door. "They're good guys, though. You'll probably get to know them better soon."

Hamilton nodded, feeling completely drained, for once. "Are you okay, Alexander?"

"Tired." It was only when he said it, that he realised he could hardly stand.

"You? Tired? Really?" Laurens sighed. "We'll watch a movie? I can get you soup or..."

"Coffee?" Hamilton poured slightly, begging Laurens not to question the request.

"It's ..2AM...but okay anything for you.."

Hamilton sighed. He was so tired. This wasn't a good feeling and certainly something he hadn't felt so intensely in so long. He was lacking caffeine, that was surely it. Fatigue was pulling at his eyes as much as gravity was his body. "I think I'll lie down.."

"Are you sure you're okay? Babe..."

"I think so? Be quick I'll miss you." Hamilton shot him a reassuring smile. He may have been the type of person who could live off 2 or ..no hours sleep at times, but he guessed that his body was just retaliating.

Laurens reluctantly let him go.

Laurens' bed was such a welcome embrace. Just letting his thoughts settle for a while cleared his head quite a bit. Jefferson knew about him and Laurens. Laurens knew about the publication. Laurens loved him. What had he done to deserve such a swift change in circumstance over such a short amount of time? His life had just fallen into place before his eyes and sure, there was so much left to be done, but he was getting closer to knowing exactly what he wanted. And succeeding. Once he started getting more work out there, into print, his options would open up even more.

Sleepily smiling into the sheets, Hamilton felt satisfaction wash over him. The man with those oceans of eyes, those constellations of freckles and that lion heart, that man was his. Hamilton listened to the kettle boiling in the other room and imagined Laurens standing by it, imagined how much of a fool he probably thought Alex was for not wanting to sleep. But he hadn't even questioned it, not really. His love showed through so much within how he put up with so many of Hamilton's quirks. Hamilton was dreaming of Laurens' lips when he felt his boyfriend's weight dip the bed slightly.

"Hey."

Hamilton rolled over onto his stomach and propped himself up, blinking the sleep that was already forming in his eyes away. Laurens had let his hair down and slipped into a loose sweater, looking every bit as cute as Hamilton had been dreaming. "Damn you look good," he noted, tiredness quietening his voice down to a husk. Laurens grinned.

"You're fucking ridiculously gorgeous yourself, Hamilton." He sat up, moving closer to Laurens and taking the offered cup of coffee from his hands. "You know, you shouldn't battle sleep like you do." He reached over and pushed some wild stands of Hamilton's hair behind his ears, delicately. Hamilton hadn't noticed how messy it had gotten in the few minutes he'd been passed out. Laurens then traced his thumb over the bags under Hamilton's eyes. "Why do you do this to yourself? I know you work so much, you're basically non-stop...but don't you ever want to just? Take a break from it all? Rest for a while."

He thought about it for a second, taking some tentative sips of the black coffee Laurens had made, just strong enough. When he replied, he surprised himself with how truthful his words were. "You're my rest Laurens. You're the time I give my brain to stop thinking about work. When I focus on you, on this. That's all I need. It's all I can afford...really..I need to do well in my courses. I will have time to rest once everything's out there, every piece of my mind. Thought. Word..."

"I admire you for that," Laurens replied, smiling. "Just make sure you think of your health, too. Ya?"

"Sure." He sat down the cup of coffee, on the beside table. In doing so he had to lean over Lauren's folded legs. When he sat up straight, again, he shifted his weight so that he sat in Laurens' lap, his legs dangling off the bed, at either side of John's waist. "I missed your lips, John Laurens."

"As I missed yours, Alexander." They cracked up every so slightly. Laurens' hands held Hamilton's face as their lips met. "Hey," whispered Laurens after a moment.

"Hey."

"I just thought of something..."

"Yes?" Hamilton, unable to get enough of Laurens, placed a trail of slow kisses along his neck as he spoke, ever so often tickling him and causing the most adorable exasperated giggles.

"Well..I want to spend tomorrow with you but I promised my parents I'd visit them upstate...they have a really nice little estate by the most beautiful lake. When they retired my dad got into real estate as a sort of? Hobby, I guess. But he's been so successful. I'm so proud of both of them. It's really nice up there.. and I'd really like you to meet them. I know it hasn't been long at all, but they're such a big part of my life. And my turtles! You can meet them too! I'll introduce you as my co-worker to my parents, obviously, but it'll be sweet..." Laurens had probably realised he'd begun to babble and abruptly stopped talking, waiting for Hamilton to reply.

Moving away from his neck, he traced his lips up to Laurens' and nodded. "Yes. I'd love that, darling. I can woo your parents, make them love me..." he laughed, but it was such nervous laughter. "I want to thank them for bringing someone as beautiful as you into the world. Do you think that'd be an appropriate way to break the ice?" They smiled at each other and Laurens shot back an equally as joking "that'd be perfect."

"God. I really am tired though. Is this how you live? Every day? It's... so much weight how do people cope?"

"We don't," Laurens shook his head, still smiling. "We don't cope, Hamilton, we sleep."

Well, that explains it.