As he had promised, Thomas went back to work to all his co-worker's surprise. Madison possibly being the most surprised of them all. No one spoke to him directly but, whispers were heard around the breakroom. People were confused. How was he back, where had he disappeared off too for a month, and was his moping around over? They would quickly find the answer to that question as Jefferson went about the office with a much more relaxed attitude, his cane clicking lightly, as he walked the halls. It was a pleasant change to see the man back and merry as he used to be.
***
"Thomas? What are you doing here?"
Madison entered his old friend's previously vacant office.
"Um, working?"
"Yeah, I know. Why?" The other was perplexed.
"Because I'm employed here. James, what is your point?"
"You stopped coming to work for a month and suddenly show up as if nothing happened, and I'm the weird one?"
"Look. I know this isn't the usual but, let's not make this weird, okay? Just act as if I had never left." He tried to reassure his friend.
"I'm supposed to forget your pathetic ass, roaming these halls and then going MIA? All because of one dude, and now it's all good?"
"Yes." The Virginian huffed.
"How did you even manage to get over him?"
Jefferson looked up from his paperwork like a deer in the headlights, didn't dare say anything, and looked back down.
Madison's eyes grew tenfold at the realization.
"You are still with him?!"
"I never said we broke up."
"He ghosted you. What the fuck?"
"Stop being a drama queen, James. We talked it out like grown adults, and we're good now. Maybe you should take some time and grow up too."
Thomas gathered his things and left, offended. The day had been a mess with everyone's lurking and gossiping and to add fuel to the fire, Madison was still acting like a child over his choice of significant other.
***
The following weeks were just about the same, with Thomas's and James's friendship growing tense. The days would draw out long, Jefferson not having anyone to really enjoy his time with aside from
maybe Lafayette, with whom he had begun to spend a lot more time. Their friendship was always strong despite the few weeks when the Frenchman wasn't sure about his intentions towards their mutual friend. But the recent events had really brought them closer together. The Marquis was always protective of his younger friend so to have his two closest friends finally be at peace with each other rather than fight, was the change he had always hoped for.
"How come you're so protective of him?"
Thomas asked as the two were enjoying their coffee break in his office, the younger man practically having replaced Madison.
"Je ne sais pas, he sort of reminded me of myself when I first saw him. He was so scared his first day in college." The Frenchman reminisced.
"You're telling me, the Alexander Hamilton, was scared on his first day in college?"
"Oh yes, I watched him grow into the man you met later on. He had just arrived in America a few days prior and didn't know anyone."
The older man propped his chin up with a fist listening intently.
"I was in my dortoir when he showed up with all his baggage, he looked like he was about to pass out - he was so stressed."
Thomas couldn't believe his ears. His Alex was a terrified little mess on his first day of college.
"I wasn't so sure about him during the first week, he always was a workaholic, even back then. He worked hard from day one - we didn't talk that much."
"So what changed?"
The Marquis smiled fondly at the memory.
"He overheard me speaking French on the phone. I think I might've been talking with you actually."
Thomas's brows shot up at the words. Maybe if he had been in America at the time, they might have met years earlier.
"Oui, I think it was you on the phone. I don't remember what we talked about but he overheard and the next time he asked me something, he spoke in French." The younger man chuckled.
"I totally didn't expect it, but right away it made me like him just a bit more. So from that point on I only spoke to him in French, I wanted to see how good he was."
"And was he?" The Virginian asked, devious.
"Yeah... He spoke as well as he does now. I could broach any topic and he always spoke fluently, never messed up. I grew fond of him after a while and we grew closer."
"Is that when he told you?"
The Marquis was surprised by the question, he almost choked on his coffee.
"Thomas."
"Did he?"
"Non..." The Frenchman sighed heavily.
"He never was a... How do you- Oh, Blabbermouth. He never spoke about anything personal, at least not in his first year. But I think he began to trust me more in his second - we were roommates again, so we spent a lot of nights talking."
Lafayette obviously didn't want to tell the story but Thomas's firm gaze wouldn't let him off the hook.
"He came back a bit... ivre, on Valentine's day. He was out with his girlfriend-"
"Eliza?"
"Comment sais-tu?"
"Il m'a parlé d'elle."
"He looked pretty bad that night, so I asked what was wrong. I don't think he was actually intoxicated that much but he just broke down and told me everything."
"Was that when they broke up?"
"No, they were just beginning to date. But even then he knew it would be an issue. Their whole relationship was very hard on him, it never left his thoughts but somehow they lasted for a couple of years like that. He really did love her."
"Do you think he still does?"
The older men felt threatened at the idea. The Marquis laughed.
"Don't worry, mon frère. She might hold a special place in his heart but, their time together is over, she won't replace you."
The air between them stilled as Thomas thought their conversation over. He thought back to all the moments he spent with Alexander and wondered whether his lover ever compared him to his ex. He thought back to all the goofy times they had.
"I wanted to take him to France before all of this." The words fell out of his mouth without any care.
The Frenchman raised a questioning brow.
"I wanted to take him to meet your family."
"My family? Why?"
"Oh, please, Lafayette. You know my siblings won't accept him. I'm closer to your family than my own at this point..." He spoke, resigned.
The Marquis gave him a knowing, empathetic look.
"Then take him."
"He barely leaves his apartment as is. You think he'll fly, halfway across the world with me?"
"If I talk with him he will."
Just then Thomas's phone pinged.
"Speak of the devil." He checked the message.
Alex:_I told John._
Alex:_He's mad._
Confused by the texts, he chose to call instead. The Caribbean man picked up after the third ring, his breathing erratic.
"What do you mean he's mad?"
"He's angry, at me, at you-"
"At me?! What for?"
"This is your kid too, you're the one that stuck it in me!" Lafayette could hear the muffled answer from where he sat.
"So what now? Adults can't have sex anymore. What is he? A virgin?!"
"It's not that. He said I should've aborted it when I had the chance. He thinks it's dangerous and it could kill me."
The younger man was getting emotional on the other end.
"Hey! None of that. If he can't deal with us being together and having a family, then he can fuck off! You don't need him."
There was silence on the line.
"Alex?"
"...but what if he's right?" Came the nervous question.
"Darling, as long as the doc says you're healthy there's nothing to worry about."
This made Thomas furious- more negativity to have to deal with, now from Alex's friend. It wasn't good, the brunette was struggling with the situation enough, he didn't need one of his dear friends to become a villain. Jefferson had to try hard not to strangle the Carolinian when he'd spot him in the hallways.
***
It had been two weeks now that he had gone back to work and as much as it wasn't that bad to deal with, knowing he'd see Hamilton later in the day, it still annoyed him that he had to drive all the way out to the younger man's apartment to go and see him. After a tiring day's work, he wanted to go back to the comfort of his home and his lover, not one or the other. Nevertheless, he got in his car and drove in the arduous New York City traffic just so they could be in each other's arms. Hours later the taller man found himself alone on the couch as he had fallen asleep and Alex chose to let him rest. He roamed around the apartment and heard the distant sound of running water. He opened the bathroom door to see the shorter man taking a shower, the glass doors only revealing a silhouette, as the room was all fogged up. It was only a shape but it showed enough, with the younger man's stomach having grown in the last few weeks, his condition was more than apparent.
Having noticed the other enter, Alexander popped his head out of the shower.
"Thomas, stop staring."
"Come on, it's not like I've never seen you naked." The older man walked up closer.
"I'm not exactly at my most fabulous right now." He chuckled.
"Who said you had to be?"
"Did you sleep well?" Alex asked as he stepped out and wrapped a large towel around himself.
"I regret to inform you, your couch is not a five-star bedroom."
"Aw, I'm sorry." He pitied him.
"I'd kill for my bed right now." The taller man whined as he wrapped his arms around his lover, helping him dry himself off.
"We can go to my bed..." The younger offered.
"I was thinking of something else."
Thomas pulled the towel off of Alexander's shoulders, letting the cloth drop on the floor, and smothered him to keep him warm. His chin resting on the other's shoulder, and his hands going directly to the brunette's belly, drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.
"Move in with me?" He suggested innocently.
"Thomas-"
The warmth of Thomas's body felt so good on Alex's skin.
"I know you're about to spew this 'we're in this together' bullshit but I don't want to wind up that way."
"What way?" The other was confused.
"With you taking care of me, and doing everything for me just because I can't reach my toes. I don't want to feel like a leech and mooch off of you. I'm not a freeloader."
"You, maybe not but we've got one on the way." The darker man laughed.
"I want to take care of you, Alex. I want to come home from work and land straight in your arms without being stuck in a traffic jam to do it. I want us to live together - just think about it, you'd have all the space you need, you'll be comfortable, you'll be able to go out into the garden in peace and have some fresh air instead of staying cooped up in your apartment all day. And we'd spend more time together."
The idea sounded so nice, Alex was practically melting in his arms.
"You can be as independent as you want."
"You promise?"
"Trust me, I have better things to do than picking everything up after you all day."
The taller man gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out, leaving Alex cold and naked, his towel still on the bathroom floor. The younger man wanted to be mad but he couldn't - he asked for it.