♡In Your Dreams♡ (Jamilton)

Chapter 21: Old Habits

Since Charles shared a dorm with the adorable, loving Frenchman known as Lafayette, Thomas and Alex sauntered over to his dorm.

Dorm 1776.

Alex knocked on Laf's door, and the one and only answered. "Bonjour, you two," Laf said with a smile. "Can I help you?"

Thomas nodded, nervousness stinging his chest like an agitated bumblebee. Alex was right. They were gonna get pummeled. "Yeah. We'd like to talk to Charles."

"Charles?" Laf repeated, turning his head to the side. "May I ask why?"

"He just did something that annoyed the both of us, and we wish to talk to him about it," Alex explained eloquently. "Is that all right?"

"Yes. Please, come in," Laf smiled, stepping aside so the two men could enter.

They walked inside, looking around the familiar dorm for any sign of Charles.

"Charles!" Laf called. "You have visitors!"

Charles emerged from his room, and when he saw who was before him, he smirked. "Well, if it isn't the cunt and his slut of a boyfriend."

Laf gasped and opened his mouth to protest, but Thomas cut him off. "Laf, just go to your room."

"Non!" Laf refused. "If this conversation is going to get even uglier than it already is, I want to help!"

"Laf," Thomas said in a warning tone. He nodded towards Laf's room, and Laf defeatedly slumped to his room, flopping onto his bed. He sighed and cuddled his pillow, hoping that the insults wouldn't continue. Especially the ones directed at Thomas. Sure, he cared about Alex, but Thomas was higher up on his priority list.

Once Laf was gone, Thomas turned to Charles, a calm expression on his beaten up face. "Charles, we'd like to talk to you about what happened a few hours ago."

Charles scoffed. "What's there to talk about? I said things that were true, and I gave you what you deserved."

"He didn't deserve any of that!" Alex interjected, his chest exploding with rage.

Thomas hushed Alex, then turned back to Charles. "Tell me what I did to deserve that, and I'll try to make it better."

"You're gay!" Charles said.

Thomas sighed, disappointed that that was the only reason why Charles was bullying him. Thomas was hoping it had something to do with him being a bully and that Charles just wanted to make it even. But nope. He was only making Thomas' life hell because he was gay. "Well," he said, "you know I can't help my gender preferences."

"So? You're still gay, and that's a great reason to bully you!" Charles hissed.

Thomas stole a glance at Alex, who looked absolutely enraged. Thomas gently rested a hand on the young man's shoulder, making Alex look up at him. Thomas nodded with a soft smile on his face, signaling that he would handle the situation.

With a sigh, Alex nodded and relaxed a little.

"I mean," Thomas said, "that's a pretty shallow thing to do. Bully someone for something they can't control. I can help you stop. I used to be a bully too, you know."

"Yeah, and you were a lot better that way," Charles said. "Now you're weak...vulnerable...and...and gay!"

Thomas sighed. "If you could just work with me on this, we could even be friends, Charles."

Charles scoffed, punching Thomas right in the gut. "Why would I ever wanna be friends with you?" he hissed.

Thomas gasped as Charles' fist connected with his stomach. Pain surrounded him, and he felt like he was gonna vomit. But he swallowed it and looked to the side, seeing the sheer stupidity of his idea right then. "Charles...I can help you become a better person..."

"Oh, please. You're the o--"

Charles was cut off by Alex shoving him into a wall. "Don't you ever hurt my boyfriend in front of me!" he yelled, looming over Charles, even though he was the shortest person on the planet.

Laf's ears perked up as he thought he heard a slam come from the living room. "Oh, non," Laf mumbled to himself, standing up and rushing into the living room. He gasped when he saw Alex looming over Charles, who's back was pressrd agaisnt the wall. "Alex!" Laf said, prying Alex away from Charles. "What are you doing?!"

Alex fought in Laf's grip. "He started it! He punched Thomas right in the gut!"

Laf looked over at Thomas to see if it was actually true, and Thomas nodded, looking down at his hands.

Laf turned to face Charles, rage filling him from head to toe. "CHARLES, DID YOU PUNCH MY AMOUR?!" he screamed, pointing to Thomas.

Both Alex and Thomas heard Laf refer to Thomas as his love, and they both looked down at their feet, trying to pretend they didn't.

Charles smirked. "He had it coming." Since Charles didn't understand French, (along with many other things,) he missed Laf's slip-up with his words, which Thomas was thankful for. Laf was his best friend, ans he couldn't bear to see him hurt.

"NO HE DIDN'T!" Laf yelled. "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF SOMEONE PUNCHED YOU?!"

"Well, I'm not the one that stole money from France's govermment!" Charles shot back, a scowl on his face.

Laf froze. "Wha--? How did you..?"

"Okay, enough!" Alex interrupted. "Charles, I'm sorry for shoving you into a wall." He turned to Charles when he said that. "Now, maybe you can apologize to Thomas..?"

Charles scoffed and approached Alex, punching him in the face. "Like hell I will. You're both worthless, and neither of you deserve an apology from me."

Alex winced as pain started to engulf him, but despite how much he wanted to, he didn't fight back.

Thomas was a bit different. Anger exploded inside of his stomach, and he ran to Charles and punched him in the face, much like Charles had done to Alex. "You can tease me and punch me, but I will not tolerate you hurting my Lexi!"

A bit scared, Alex stepped to the side as Thomas continued to beat on Charles mercilessly. Charles was crying out for Thomas to stop and was frantically apologizing, and Laf was frozen, staring wide-eyed at the scene.

After a bit, Charles let out one final whimper as he shut his eyes. And just like that, he was out. Blood trickled from multiple spots on his face, and his breathing was choppy and uneven.

Thomas wordlessly grabbed Alex's hand and dragged him out of the door, not even saying goodbye to Laf.

The two men silently walked back to their own dorm. Alex was nervous, thinking that he would upset Thomas in some way and that the same thing would happen to him.

And Thomas, well...

He didn't wanna admit it, but beating on someone gave him a rush of satisfaction.

As great as the feeling was, Thomas shoved it down, hoping that that feeling wouldn't raise any more incidents.