Don't Need Them - John Laurens x Reader {DISCONTINUED}

- 58 -

~ the next morning ~

Your POV

I looked in the mirror, smoothing down my dress for what felt like the half-dozenth time. It was never like me to be very concerned with what I was wearing, but the fact we were finally going to court was an exception.

The trio knew they hurt us. Emotionally and physically (in John's case to say the least). But we wouldn't let them see it today, or hopefully any day going forward.

"This look all set, chickadee?"

Turning, I looked over to John, who'd just pulled on his suit jacket. "Yes, mi amor. Although, your tie is a little..."

I walked over to him, laughing a bit as I fixed his tie. When I was done, I pat his chest, making him chuckle. "There. Much better."

"It wasn't that bad." John rolled his eyes playfully.

"Sure, but it coulda looked better. So I fixed it," I responded.

John huffed, kissing my head before walking over to the mirror where I'd been. "We're really finally gettin' this taken care of.." he commented aloud.

"I know. We finally won't have to deal with them anymore." I sighed. "Not for another at least ten years, I hope."

"And they'll prob'ly learn to leave us alone by then," John added.

"Príncipe, it's the trio. God forbid by the time they get out, they'll be right back to their ways," I noted, shaking my head. "Although, maybe we'll get lucky after all."

"Hopefully." John paused. "Princesa?" he asked after a few moments had gone by.

"Yeah, príncipe?" I looked over to him.

"Do you think the trio learned a long time ago?"

"What d'you mean?" I responded.

"I mean, we've said they kept doin' sh*t 'cause they hadn't gotten through their heads that we don't need them," John elaborated. "Maybe they got it through their heads already, but they're still just... desperate; they know the truth but they're in denial."

He paused. "Not that I'm just wonderin' that now, but now that we're finally goin' to court about this sh*t, it just seems even more obvious than before."

"Honestly, baby, it's hard to tell with them. Some of the things they've said make it seem like they've never known. But maybe they have known. How long? I don't know, but I think they seriously could've.

Speaking of court, though, we do have a trial to get going to," I noted. "Don't needa be late for that, do we?"

John chuckled. "No, we don't. Let's get goin' then."

While we were making our way to John's car, I found myself thinking back about what he'd said.

The trio knew now, I knew that much. But... how long have they known for?

~

There was something strange about sitting in front of a judge. Someone in control of how our lives were about to change - good or bad.

Adjacent to John and I: Alexander, Lafayette, and Hercules. For once, we were all in a room together without someone getting hurt or forcefully taken away.

I knew it would end in our favor; we had the evidence for it. Yet, part of me still couldn't help but be nervous. There was still that tiny off-chance the trio would somehow get off. And then what for us? Would they leave us alone? Would they get worse?

The trio's lawyer had actually made a pretty solid defense. I didn't know how he'd be able to defend them and still have it make sense, but he did it. That was why he's a lawyer, of course.

Minutes were slowly ticking by. Although I was mostly tuned into our lawyer questioning the trio, I was also lost in my own thoughts, trying to keep them in order.

I was fairly sure the trio kept occasionally looking over to John and me, sometimes catching them in my peripheral. But I didn't look back at them. I refused to.

-

Time continued to crawl until, suddenly, it almost time for the final verdict. While we waited, I looked at John, feeling him take my hand under the table.

"We'll be alright," he muttered to me.

I nodded, sighing a bit. "Yeah. We'll be alright," I mumbled back.

John gave me a small smile, squeezing my hand.

The quiet chatter in the room is silenced by a bang of the gavel, no judge no longer shuffling through papers. Despite both John and I looking over, our hands stay linked.

"The jury has made a decision. I hereby declare Alexander Hamilton, Hercules Mulligan, and Marquis de Lafayette..."

sorry not sorry lMao. i have a cliffhanger problem but y'know what that's f i n e. i like keeping y'all on your toes what can i say-

hope y'all liked this tho and i'll cya in the next one :)

~ Galaxy