Liberté et l'Amour

The Accidental Patriot // Lafayette x Reader

"As do I, mademoiselle. Catch your breath, let me help you," the young man says, his French accent now evident. You allow him to help you to your feet, and you look at his face --

Oh, his face.

He's the most handsome man you've ever seen. Dark, expressive eyes, full of concern, those are the first thing you notice. Regal cheekbones, the kind of pointy nose that you'd never think was attractive on anyone else. And hearing English in that accent...English. English. The English!

"The redcoats are storming Lexington!" you cry out. "Mr. Hancock must know immediately!"

You bolt for the door of the house, and he runs after you. Standing beside him on the stoop, you pound hard on the door. "Mr. Hancock! Mr. Hancock, wake up, sir! It's urgent!"

The door flies open. A tall man, dressed in a nightshirt and brandishing a rifle, glares out at you with piercing eyes. "Who goes there? What do you-" He pauses as he sees you, a startled look on his face.

"I bring news of the British army, sir," you say. "They are on their way to storm Lexington!"

"I am here to bring you the same news, sir," the handsome French gentleman interjects. "I am Marquis de Lafayette, and I was sent by William Dawes, who would have come himself, but he is ill and-"

"Say no more, boy," John Hancock says, glancing past you into the moonlit night. "Come in, both of you."

//

"Thank you for your haste, my young friends," Hancock says as he leads you to a comfortable sitting room, leaning his rifle against a settee. "Lafayette I know, but what is your name, miss?"

"Y/N L/N, sir."

"And are you a member of our noble cause?"

"No, but...well, my family and I support you fully, and my father and brothers are soldiers in your army, so...yes, I suppose I am."

"I am quite impressed with your courage this night, Miss L/N. Perhaps you will be interested in future messenger duties?"

Stunned, you open your mouth, but no sound comes out, so you quickly shut it again.

Hancock smiles. "No need to make a decision now, miss. Well, I will send word to the town with one of my men immediately. And then, I'm afraid I must leave you. The British will be looking for me, and I-"

He is cut off by violent pounding on the front door. You and Lafayette glance at each other, eyes wide. The silence is deafening.

"Hancock! Open the door! Open- dammit, HANCOCK!"

"It's all right, my friends," Hancock says. "It's Revere." He opens the door and in bursts another man.

"Hancock, what took you so damn long? You need to-"

"Go into hiding, yes. You're a little late with the message, Revere," Hancock gestures to you and Lafayette. "These young folk were able to warn me."

Paul Revere's gaze shifts to you for a quick moment. His confusion is evident. "You are a patriot messenger?" he asks, his intensity making you feel like a butterfly pinned in a naturalist's shadowbox.

"No, not exactly, I just...I saw the army and I knew I had to warn someone," you manage.

"She's as good if not better than most of our messengers," Lafayette tells Revere. "She's braver than many a man you'll meet, Revere. Do not doubt someone who rode through the night with a warning." Lafayette glances at you, a reassuring smile on his lips.

You smile back.

"Then perhaps the two of you will accompany me to Concord. Our friends there must be warned as well," Revere says. "It's an hour's ride, perhaps more if we need to go through the forest. The more of us, the better, in case we are accosted."

You? On a Patriot mission?

Though your family stands with the Patriots through and through, you can hardly imagine yourself taking such a bold risk against the British. You were just a girl, and all you knew was the farm, and you could never stand on the front line of the conflict. Yet here you were, and here was the opportunity...

Oh, what would Mother say if you died?

"I cannot go," you hear yourself say. "My mother needs me, and I'm not...I'm not a soldier anyway. I should just go home. I am sorry."

You stand to leave, but Lafayette's hand is on your shoulder. He turns you towards him, looks you in the eye, his expression earnest and encouraging. "Look, Y/N -- Miss Y/N. What you did tonight -- the speed and ferocity with which you rode, your utter determination to reach your goal despite your injury -- all of this is evidence of your great courage and ability." He takes your hands, turns them to look at the cuts from the gravel. Your breath hitches. "You are unafraid to shed blood for this cause, Y/N. That is courage. That is determination." His eyes are on yours again, intense and...admiring?

"You ought to go, Lafayette. War waits for no man," you whisper.

"Perhaps it has waited for a woman such as you."