Title: Complacent
Series: Hamilton: An American Musical
-An Angelica Schuyler fic, FT. John Church, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson
Written by: Rikareena/FoxieSango
Genre: Angst/Romance
1780.
A Winter's Ball.
A dream that she couldn't quite place.
Intelligent eyes in a hunger pang frame echoed against the walls of her mind.
Everything in total agreement.
Intellectual soul mates.
Until she saw her sister's face.
Thus, she put on a mask of support, drowning her sorrows in shot after shot after shot of the finest wine after leaving her sister and the object of her affection's auras to intertwine.
That's when… she met him, and he gave her solace she'd never known. Worshipped her like a queen. Treated her like a precious gem. Left her craving for more, and blessing her with a gift she never wanted.
—–
Keeping it a secret was the hard part. She couldn't tell Eliza, for she knew her younger sister would scold her. Peggy wouldn't judge, but she was a gossip.
Sure enough, several months later at a political gala, Hamilton took her to the side and offered his and Eliza's home as a place of refuge for her should she need it. ….And if he knew, she knew it was because of Peggy. But she declined; if nothing else, she still had her pride, dammit. And this was all his fault besides, she'd tried to drown herself that night to forget him, after all.
At that same gala, was where she met the US Ambassador to France, a reluctant comrade of Hamilton, and rumored to become the new Secretary of State. He'd heard of the prominent Schuyler family and made their acquaintance during the occasion, but she couldn't stop the pattering in her heart as his warm, brown eyes met her anxious ones, and his lips pressed the softest of moist kisses to the back of her hand.
A tingling sensation the base of her spine, her eyes cast about frantically for her current suitor (for John had taken to courting her out of wedlock from the ball in an attempt to preserve some dignity), but he was nowhere to be found and she was left defenseless to the charms of one Thomas Jefferson.
….she was helpless.
Helpless as she passionately defended her stance for why the country owed women so much more than the shit they received on the daily.
Helpless as he indulged her, but met her jab for jab at every point.
Helpless when he insisted on dancing with her while continuing their debate, and asking her insights how to rectify the political and economic turmoil of their newly born nation.
Helpless as he escorted her away from the guests to a spare room, and introduced her to his age of enlightenment…over…and over…and over again.
Helpless as the morning after, he requested her presence once more, at a date not too far in the future.
And she said yes.
….but it was in vain.
—
She kept up the charade for as long as she could until John finally proposed to her during a family dinner–as had been part of the original plan when they first discovered she was with child all those months ago.
She was boldly showing now.
She had to say yes. Had to say it before him who broke her heart, and him who saved it, neither of whom she was free to claim. Hamilton looked shocked and concerned, Jefferson looked nonchalant, but she didn't miss the way he tightened his fist atop the table.
—
Three months later found her walking down the aisle.
Hamilton and his friends as groomsmen, and she tried to ignore his piercing gaze as she approached her husband to be.
John was a good man.
He was smart, dignified, wealthy, loyal, gallant, a true gentleman, and he loved her with all his heart.
She felt sick.
For the one she truly wanted stood in the shadows to the back of the church, near the other VIP guests and business associates of the family.
He was the one that made her life rivoting, made her feel like she could breathe again after sacrificing her lungs for her sister all that time ago. He challenged her. He respected her. He made her life invigorating.
….if only she'd met him first that Winter's night, instead of the one now placing the ring on her finger.
Reviews are welcome!