It's Quiet Uptown (short Hamilton fic)

It's Quiet Uptown

Nighttime, Uptown New York.

Alexander and Elizabeth Hamilton stand side-by-side in their garden, but they are miles apart; they are so far away from each other that Alexander doesn't know if they'll ever rejoin again. He glances across at his wife, who stares unblinkingly ahead of her. Her gaze appears to be fixed on the sunflower plant standing before them, but Alexander knows she isn't looking at it. He can see in her eyes that she is worlds away.

He doesn't join in her dreaming. Instead, he reaches down and plucks a small bloom growing inconspicuously beneath the towering yellow flower, hiding in the shadow of its petals. Upon inspection, he finds it to be a daisy: small, overlooked, but beautiful when seen clearly. Like Eliza, Hamilton reflects.

He turns to her and brushes the hair from her face. Carefully, he slides the daisy into place behind her ear. She doesn't stiffen at the contact, and Alexander thinks it rather unusual for her not to flinch away from his touch. He watches in quiet surprise as her eyes snap back to the present. Now she really is looking at the sunflower.

Alexander follows her lead, ignoring the pang he feels as he's reminded of why they planted it in the first place.

"Phillip, you outshine the morning sun..."

His hand drops to his side, skimming gently against Eliza's. He quickly moves it away, looking down to avoid seeing the pain on her face. But then something warm and soft and familiar slides through his fingers. His heart quickens and his head snaps up in shock.

Eliza still doesn't meet his eyes, but her grip on his hand tightens. The sensation brings back memories of a happier time, and Alexander feels a lump form in his throat at the recollection.

Eliza blinks and takes a shaky breath.

"It's quiet uptown."

The dam in Hamilton's chest suddenly bursts. The tears start spilling down his cheeks, and before he knows it he's sitting down heavily on the grass, his breathing hampered by harsh sobs. Without another word, his wife takes him in her arms.

Suddenly, she doesn't seem so far away anymore.