"Laurens.." Hamilton's voice came out strained as he repeated Laurens' name, neither of them knowing exactly how to proceed in conversation. "I love you, too..."

Those three words lifted Laurens even further out of the hopelessness, shifted he cloud that had swarmed his brain. He was getting out. He would be back with Hamilton soon. He knew it. "I've missed you. I'm sorry I haven't called I couldn't...How are you, babe, what's happening? I want to come home to you.." His voice cracked and dipped at that last sentence, the reality of the distance between them hitting him once again.

"My dearest," emotion tugged at Hamilton's words, they were steeped in longing and sorrow, his tone itself was enough to draw Laurens to the brink of all out sobbing, "I'm going to come for you... Jefferson is being rather uh..he's being an asshole. As always. Your father is being really heavily influenced by what he has to say, he's reading Jefferson's publications every day and.. your mom understands. She's trying to talk to him. He doesn't have a problem with you being gay but he looks up to Jefferson now for advice and...things have changed quite a bit. Not my heart, of course, my heart will always have you. This month has been..really tough. But I'm going to come to you. I'm going to bring you home. I've been taking care of the apartment, I finished the lease on mine and didn't renew it. We'll live together, for real this time.." Laurens could almost hear Hamilton smile.

"How..how did you get this number. And when, God..it's been so long.." There was nothing in Laurens that didn't feel as though it would fall apart at the slightest touch. Hamilton, coming to rescue him, as though he was a vulnerable puppy. It was true that he was completely lost to his parents' whims, but he didn't care much about what that did to his pride. Hamilton coming to rescue him seemed like the perfect fit, the reasonable solution. It was going to happen all along, he decided. No matter how stupid it sounded, Laurens knew that Hamilton would never have abandoned him. He would've had to intervene. No way would he have just stood still and let the entire world they'd built together disappear. Laurens realised, suddenly, that that's exactly what he had done. He'd let this happen, hadn't fought it.. Maybe it was the pessimist in him, but he'd never been one for letting himself go as he had. Hamilton, the thought of losing him completely, had changed him so much as a person. Love had truly made not only his heart, but his entire being, vulnerable. The only possible way for him to escape both literally and metaphorically- this mindset -was for Hamilton to save him.

"Your mother gave me your Bela's address and phone number. Two weeks ago. It's pained me so much to keep from calling you, but I had to wait for the right time.. I'm getting the first flight out of JFK tomorrow morning. I've already bought your return ticket, but I gave us a day before that flight departs. You can say your goodbyes to Bela and Puerto Rico, but we'll return, of course. I know it's such a big part of you and I don't want your most recent memories to be this month.. How have you been, Laurens?" Hamilton's words came out quickly, and Laurens had forgotten how his voice sounded when he was in work mode, or excited about something. Slowly, his shoulders relaxed and he felt his stomach unclench. The nervousness he'd felt for the longest time began to decompose, and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was true. He would be home, so soon.

"I love you so much. Thank you so much, oh my god, Hamilton. I'm so grateful for you. I...have been so helpless. And hopeless. I don't think I can describe myself over the past month as anything but those two things. I needed this, I've needed you.. I don't know how to put into words how much I've missed you..I don't know how I've coped. I don't know how we've coped. It's hard to articulate a months worth of wanting and ...hurt.."

"You don't need to articulate it. I'll get a taxi to the village early...I'll probably be there for 9AM.. will you be waiting for me? I have the address but that's it. And Laurens? Will you pack tonight? Just in case things go unfavourably and your father somehow figures out what's going on... Jefferson is more powerful than we thought, too. But I've just condensed things I need to be with you to disclose it all. There's a lot. Babe I have to go, I'm meeting with Lafayette to discuss our ride back from the airport. And I need to pack. I've missed you. God, so much."

"Okay... can you call later?"

"I'll try."

"I love you. I'll be waiting."

"Not long and I'll be holding to again."

Tears that seemingly came from no where spilled over Laurens' cheeks when he heard those words, soon to be truth. "Not long," he repeated, bottom lip trembling. Crying with happiness had been something he'd long forgotten the feeling of.

"Get some rest. If I don't get to call later, I'll see you in the morning. Time is tight I may have to go straight to the airport after Laf's."

"I will. I love you, Hamilton."

"Love you, Laurens."

Laurens didn't leave his perch on the seat by the phone for an hour after the line went dead. He'd hung the phone back up and stared at his hands, a small smile spreading across his features and warming him to the core. Jefferson hadn't won. No matter what Hamilton meant about him being "more powerful," he'd lost this one. Their love was stronger than all he'd thrown at them so far, and Laurens was resolute in the knowledge that all he would ever throw at them would be just as futile. Their love would win time and time again. Hamilton was coming to get him. He was going home. He could finally breathe.