History Has Its Eyes On You ~ A Hamilton Fanfiction (Book 1, Act 1)

A Forever Friendship

°~2 Weeks Later~°

(Y/N POV)

"711... 283... 2... 25."
"General Washington is an ally." Lafayette decoded.
"Yep." I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Bein, um... 682, 683, 249, 1, 479."
"We... will... something... a... something."
"Come, mon ami. 249, what letter is that?"
"...A H?"
"Good. What word, beginning with a H, fits into that sentence?"
"...Have?"

Lafayette nodded.
"We will have a... paper?"
"Tell me, does that make any sense?"
"...Party? We will have a party?"
"Correct." He slithered down onto his back also.
I cocked my head to the side. "Wait, we will have a party?!" I repeated.
"There is a masquerade ball, involving aristocrats from across the city." -He looked at me- "I wished not to tell you until we arrived, but General Washington has submitted us forward to it."

I sat up. "He- I mean, I don't even know how to act!"
"Remain compliant is all I can suggest. A man asks you to dance? You dance. That way, you can connect with them and expose their schemes."
"But... We're meant to be husband and wife?"
"Men of that status typically believe they have dominance over all women. They insist that, as long as they hold that status, women will be attracted to them."

I swung my feet to the floor thoughtfully. "So I must... appear naïve. Seize at their curiosity."
"And unconcerned of your marriage. They're more likely to take the opportunity." Lafayette stood up. "Just don't let them get too carried away. They can become corrupt beasts." he warned.

I stood with him, peeking through the porthole. I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Blinking rapidly, I checked again: still there. We were nearing tremendously close to land. "Look!" I dragged Lafayette over to inspect. His face suddenly lit up.

He jolted out of our cabin and straight towards the deck. I attempted to follow along, accidentally crashing into Eric on my way out. "Oh my- I am so sorry!!" I apologised, stepping back to allow him some space.
"No, the fault is mine!! Are you alright?!" He came closer to examine me. "I am tremendously sorry, I didn't mean to cause you harm!"
I rubbed my forehead. "No harm done.

Are you alright?" I asked in response.
"Yes, but I am much more concerned of you, not me." Taking notice of how close he was, he staggered back.
"I was just... going to the deck." I admitted. "We can see shore."
"You can? Then I must see for myself, then!" Eric exclaimed. We darted up the steps and to the bow of the ship, where Lafayette stood.

Above me I heard the squawking of seagulls beneath the masts. Taking position beside my 'husband', Eric decided to keep at a suitable distance from him. The buildings looked like ants, but at least were detectable. "That's where we'll be docked." Lafayette confirmed. "A short walk following precise directions, and we'll be staying at our temporary home."

From this view, the land was beautiful. The way the sea glimmered around it reminded me of how things used to be. Of course, the city was far less inhabited and civilised, yet it still bared that sweet atmosphere. The one that Emily and I would ravish in as we played together in the sea.

We had not a single worry in the world.

"I will prepare our luggage." Lafayette concluded. He slipped past Eric, giving him the chance to join me. He sloped his entire torso over the side, beaming down at the waters. For a second, I thought he was going to fall. Alas, he just stood there, smiling.

With these two weeks, Eric and I made daily small talk. The usual "Hello" and "How are you?". He'd grown to the verge of a friend, but still an acquaintance. You could tell that he tried his hardest to act bold and fearless around me, adjusting his jacket between sentences. But he'd earned my respect.

"You never did tell me why you are coming here yourself, Miss Olivia." Eric probed.
"Just some time to get away from the war, I suppose." I lied.
"Oh, so you mock me for my absence?" he teased.
"For your preference, Mr Eric, I am a woman. And my husband is much more a politician than a soldier."
"A damn pretty woman, I'll have you know.

I hope your husband appreciates your charms."
"He does, I assure you." I chuckled. "Are you presently courting anyone?"
"No. Women I encounter play hard to get. I'm certainly not the most handsome man in the world, morealike the least, but-"
"I'd like to disagree! You're surely a personable gentleman! And I don't know, maybe your lover will be waiting for you right off of this ship!"
Eric scoffed. "I have doubts."

People poured in to observe the scenery, though nothing could compare to ours. Crossing his arms, Eric edged closer. "I hope I'll see you again. My family live close to the harbour- half an hour by carriage."
"I hope so too. You have been the only one willing to confront me."
"Then that just presents the impertinence of society nowadays. Can't even wish a lady good morning, what a laugh!"

"In truth, I did fear it. I'm not as materialistic and sociable as the others. I don't blend in well."
"Nor I. A lad travelling on his own with the cramped back cabin? You'd think I was a prisoner."
"Then we share our similarities."
He studied me. "I guess we do."

"Olivia!" Lafayette beckoned.
"Well, this is goodbye for now." I finalised.
"For now." Eric quickly kissed my hand. I returned back to Lafayette, bidding my final farewell.

He took his hands behind his back. "You've made a friend?" Lafayette questioned.
"I... Yes, I have."
"It saddens me to say, mon ami, that it's likely you'll lose that friend forever."

I checked back on Eric, who was still staring at me. I flashed him a smile, as he did back.

...Where are you, Charles?

...I need you...

~~~~~~~~~~

You do not want to know how long it took me to understand how the code works.

If you want to know what on earth is going on with that, type "The Culper Code Book" into Google and scroll to the one that says "George Washington's Mount Vernon" beside it.