*brownie points for those who spot the cameo (this is why you don't listen to in the Heights while you write guys)

massive thanks to my beautiful betas avasdandelions and kittenkuni you are amazing i love you god bless

#noproofread #again #imadisgrace

enjoy!*

The walk down to the ice-cream parlour was bitingly cold, and Alex allowed himself the feeble excuse to walk as close to John as possible, one arm around his waist and the other shoved deep into his pocket to try and counter the numbness that was creeping into his fingers. John had his arms around his shoulders, and was talking quietly about... something, he was sure, something about how pretty the trees looked in the frost, and he let the low, comforting sound of his voice wash over him as they walked. The trees really did look beautiful, with only a few deep orange leaves clinging to their branches- stark against the sky, which was turning grey as the dusk began to set in.

He couldn't help feeling a little embarassed at the previous events of the day- was he really so hopeless that John had had to drag him to his apartment and make him sleep there- and he'd asked John to sing him to sleep? His stomach flipped over at the thought- how needy could you get? Surely, John had figured out his feelings by now- he would have to be the most oblivious person in the world not to realise. But the man seemed content to walk half wrapped around him, and he had said... he'd said Alex was cute. Could that mean...? He stopped that train of thought abruptly, shaking himself back into the present and trying to focus on what John was saying.

"... and I really think Donald Trump is a brilliant candidate for the presidency and he'd do a great job, honestly, all those immigrants should get back where they came from- they're taking all our jobs and destroying the economy, blah blah blah I'm secretly in love with Jefferson he's just such a nice guy- ah, you're listening." John looked down and grinned at his expression. "I wanted to see how long it'd take for you to notice. You looked pretty lost in thought- anything interesting going on up there?" He tapped the top of Alex's head lightly with his index finger, making him blush. Hopefully, he'd just blame it on the cold.

"I- uh- nothing, I was just... thinking." John chuckled, and Alex found himself transfixed by the way his freckles shifted with the movement- cut it out Alex, you should be over this by now.

"When are you not?" John asked, quirking one eyebrow. Alex flushed a little at the comment, and turned his eyes back to the street, concentrating on not tripping over himself.

They reached the ice-cream parlour soon after, and found it understandably empty. It did have heating, though, and they ducked inside quickly, Alex looking around the space with a grin. It was small, neat, and spotless, with gleaming white walls and lights that made his head ache, and the warm air from the radiators had made the windows fog up completely. A collection of bobble-headed cats sat in a line on top of the freezer.

John approached the counter, smiling.

"Two single scoop cones please." he said. The curly-haired kid behind the counter gave him an incredulous look.

"You sure? We doin' hot chocolate and stuff round now 'cause of the cold."

"Nope, positive."

"A'ight." the boy shrugged and opened the freezer. "What you want? We ain't got all that much- y'know, business is pretty slow right now."

"Have you got honey?" John asked.

"Lemme see." The kid thrust his head into the back of the freezer, and came out with his hair a little damp. "Yeah, we got honey. You want it?"

"Yeah, thanks. What about you, Alex?" Alexander, who had only half been paying attention, staring instead at the little cat figurines, looked up at him.

"Uh... coffee?"

"Like, coffee ice-cream or an actual coffee?" the boy asked. "Cause we got the best café outside D.R, I swear it." Alex felt his interest spark at the little comment- the boy's accent was familiar."

"You're from D.R?" he asked. He shook his head.

"Nah- my family is, though. Just me and mi primo now, an' he keeps sayin' we gon' go back, but I dunno. Hey- I keep a little bit with me, y'know." He tapped the coffee machine with his knuckles, smiling a little sadly. Alex pulled a fifty from his pocket.

"I'll take both. You want coffee too, John?"

"Yeah, why not. It'll make a change from my own."

"Great. So- dos cafés por favor- y guardar el cambio." The boy's face lit up- whether at the comment or the language he couldn't be sure.

"Gracias- se lo agradezco, hermano."

He went over to make the coffee, shoving the note into the till as he passed and humming something under his breath. After a few moments, he looked up at Alex again.

"Where you from, man? You talk like my tía abuela." Alex grinned.

"I'm from Nevis. It's a bit of a mix there- I learned inglés, francés and español at pretty much the same time. Gets confusing, especially here. I forget not everybody speaks all three." The boy chuckled.

"I hear you, man. Tried to answer a phonecall from some poor tele guy in Spanish a few days ago. He hung up- think I scared him off." With a smile, he handed them the two cups. "Right, there's two of my best café- Abuela's secret recipe."

"Thanks." Alex held the cup up to his face and felt a grin split across it- it smelled just how he remembered, how his uncle had made it back home. He exhaled slowly, letting the steam warm his face. "That's good café- John, take notes." Both John and the kid laughed a little, and the boy set about getting their ice-creams.

"That was coffee and honey, right?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He scooped out the ice cream and handed it to them with a smile.

"There you go." John took them, as Alex had both hands firmly on his coffee- hey, it was warming him up- saying "Thanks."

"No problem." Alex shifted his grip on his coffee and took the ice cream from John's hand with a nodd of thanks, and gave it a try. Perhaps hot coffee and cold coffee together wasn't the greatest idea- the slight difference in taste was screwing his mind a little bit- but he couldn't deny that it was good. John looked at his expression quizzically.

"Good?"

"Mmm. Weird- coffee and coffee."

"I never thought you'd be one to turn down coffee." Alex did his best to look scandalised.

"I'm not turning it down, John, I'm simply... commenting on the unique experience." John chuckled.

"Sure, sure. Can I try some?"

"Of course." Alex held out the ice cream to John, who, hands now full of both coffee and his own ice-cream, simply bent down to lick it from Alex's cone. He frowned, aparently considering the taste.

"Yeah, you're right, that's kinda weird. I like it, though- you want to try mine?"

"Okay." Alex put down his coffee so he could hold the cone still (hey, his coordination wasn't great) and tasted it. It was odd- not at all what he'd expected, but really good. "Hey, this is great. How have I never tried honey ice-cream before?"

"Beats me." John chuckled. "We can swap if you like, cause I'm digging the coffee/coffee combo."

"Alright, why not." Alex grinned and took John's cone, exchanging it with his own and picking up his coffee. "Thanks." he said to the kid behind the counter, who looked up at him and grinned.

"Anytime. Hey- stop by again, will you? I'm getting sick of these Americans." He winked at John to show that he was joking, and waved as they started to leave. Just before they were through the door, he called out again. "Hey! Y'all are real cute, by the way. Have a great evening."

Alex felt himself blush at the comment, and was about to correct him, but John was already waving goodbye and steering him out with a smile, and before he knew it they were twenty paces down the street in the suddenly-freezing air. It was almost properly dark now, and the clouds were receding to show the stars- the trees a deeper black against the sky. His breath was sharp in his chest.

That kid had thought they were dating? Why?

Okay, so maybe sharing their food like that was kind of... coupley- as was going to a cute little ice-cream parlour at six in the evening in November- that could probably be seen as a date, in a certain light, but did they really act like boyfriends? He ran back through the events in the parlour in his head, trying to figure out just what had convinced the boy that he and John were a couple. It wasn't like they'd been holding hands, or- or using pet names, or anything at all that might have clued him in- sure, he'd payed the bill, but that didn't make it a date- and they were pretty touchy, but it wasn't like that meant anything, and-

"Hey, dreamer boy- your ice-cream's slipping." Alex started at the voice and hastened to hold his cone upright- the ice-cream had indeed been about to slide off. John was grinning down at him, one eyebrow raised. "Doing a lot of thinking today, aren't you?" he said. "Anything interesting that time?"

"No!" Alex answered, far too quickly, and stuffed some of the ice cream into his mouth for something to do- regretting it instantly as his head throbbed. "Aah!"

"Brain freeze?" Alex looked up at him, half-glaring, half-squinting- trying to put 'You think?' into a facial expression. John fought back a laugh. "Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth- that should help. He did, found that it helped a little, and was able to gulp down some coffee after a few seconds. John was still laughing at him, and, for now, thoughts of the kid's comment were put out of mind.

They finished their ice-creams by the river, staring out over the black water with their shoulders knocking, but then Alex began to get properly cold. They had started to walk back in the direction of John's apartment when a thought suddenly struck him.

"Hey- " he said, and John stopped walking to look around at him.

"What?"

"Abuela's is only a couple of streets away, we should go check it out- maybe Theodosia'll be there." John took his hand- his heart lurched- a teasing smile on his face.

"Sure you're not too cold?" He huffed at him, pouting.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm from DR, John, not a bloody volcano- I'm fine." John shrugged.

"Sure, sure. Alright, let's head down."

The walk was longer than he expected, and his teeth were chattering by the time the bakery's wooden sign came into view- his fingers going slightly numb in John's grip. They approached the shop at almost a run, relieved to find that the lights were still on, and Alex couldn't stop his short gasp as they stepped inside. The place was adorable. Its scruffiness reminded him immediately of the Grind-Stone, but it was still more warm and cozy-seeming, perhaps due to the smaller size. The chalkboard that hung above the counter had been written on in neat, looping writing- Theodosia's, he'd have bet his life on it- and was filled with honestly terrible puns. But it was what was under the chalkboard that brought him up short.

"Burr?"

Aaron was standing behind the counter, wearing a dark blue apron and the long scarf Hercules had knitted him, writing something down on a notepad. At John's voice, he looked up- smiling as he caught sight of them- and raised his hand in a small welcome.

"John, Alexander. It's good to see you."

"You too, man." John grinned, closing the distance between them and clapping Burr on the shoulder, pulling back quickly when he winced. "Oh shit, sorry- I didn't- " Aaron waved the words away.

"It's fine." He hesitated, running a hand across his scalp. "I'm not- I'm... I'm better than I was." he concluded. He did seem better, Alex noticed, looking him over. There was a little more colour in his cheeks, a little more light in his eyes. He still looked exhausted and undeniably sick, but he seemed, at least, to have had a few decent meals since they'd seen him last.

"That's good." he said. "That's great, Aaron. When- when did you start working here?" He gestured to the rows of pastries between them.

"Sunday." Burr replied. "I came down here to see Theodosia, and they had a sign in the window- so I applied. Luckily, I can bake pretty well, so they didn't have too much to teach me." John had raised his eyebrows with a smirk, leaning on the counter.

"Ah, Theodosia... I see... She's quite something, isn't she?" Aaron looked at him levelly. Alex had to give the guy credit- he hardly blushed at all.

"Yes." he said, ripping a page out of his notebook and folding it into his pocket. "Oh- and they're using 'they/them' today, if you don't mind. Actually- ignore that last part." he added. "It's 'they' for now" Alex nodded quickly.

"Yeah, of course." he said. John nodded too, and looked over his shoulder towards the door on the left of the counter.

"Are they around?" he asked. Burr nodded, looking relieved that they hadn't had a problem with the pronoun change.

"Yes, they're in the kitchen. Want to talk to them?"

"That'd be nice, yeah." Aaron smiled and went to the door, leaning part of the way to call out to them.

"Theo, you've got visitors!"

"Just a second!" came the faint reply. Grinning, Burr shook his head with something like fondness in his eyes.

"They'll be out- don't want to interrupt the flow when they're kneading. Can I get you two anything, or were you just here to see Theo?"

"You know what, these do look really great." John said, leaning down to look at the pastries more closely. "You make them all here?" Burr nodded.

"Yeah- all from scratch. Theo's great-aunt owns the place- and neither of us can live up to her talent, but we're working on it. They're a lot better than me, that's for sure."

"Aww, come on." John chided him. "You're a great cook! Remember that time Herc punched Jefferson in the face for the last slice of your key-lime pie?" Aaron chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure Herc would've punched Jefferson in the face for pretty much anything at that point in the evening, but thanks. Are you lot going to his party this year?"

"Course. Alexander too, this time- and we're going to invite Eliza and Maria."

"Great- the percentage of people I can stand to talk to is increasing. Though, Alex?" Alexander looked around at him, drawing his eyes away from the rows of croissants.

"Hmm?"

"Please don't start anything. Jefferson's got friends rich and dumb enough to sue us for all we're worth." Alex grinned.

"I'll bear that in mind."

At that moment, Theodosia walked in through the back door- smiling and positively covered with flour. They were wearing baggy dungarees today, with their hair piled up into a lopsided bun, making their face thinner, more angular, and their glasses look huge by comparison. Their eyes were sparkling. As they had been at the coffee shop, both John and Alex were left a little dumbstruck by their presence.

"Hey- Alexander, John, it's great to see you." they said, smiling warmly as they aproached.

"Great to see you too." Alex managed. "How- uh- how are you?"

"I'm doing great- thank you for asking. Having Aaron around's made this whole place a lot less hectic- now we've got two master bakers instead of just one." Aaron grinned, knocking their shoulder lightly as he blushed.

"You'd better be including yourself in those two, Theo." he chided, and they rolled their eyes.

"Okay, okay, three. Happy?"

"Eh- I'm getting closer." Theo snorted as he flipped through his notebook again, and then leaned closer to see over his shoulder- not exactly a difficult feat.

"How are we doing?" they asked. Burr scanned the page with a smile.

"We actually made a profit this week." Beaming, Theo fist-pumped and whooped before grabbing a cinnabon from the plate on top of the counter and taking a large bite. When Burr raised an eyebrow at them, they put a hand on their hip and wrinkled their nose at him.

"What?" Their voice was singnificantly muffled by the bun stuffing their cheeks, and there was frosting smeared over their lips like gloss. "I'm celebrating, Aaron. Here-" they pulled a chunk off the remainder of the bun and held it up to Burr's mouth, clearly intending him to eat it. Surprisingly unruffled, he took it between his teeth with a muffled "Thanks." and then used his own hand to eat it properly.

Alex stared, a little taken aback. From Aaron's awe-stuck staring back at the Grind-Stone, he would have expected a good deal more blushing and stuttering from him in Theo's presence, but he seemed completely relaxed around them- hell- he'd just let them hand-feed him a cinnabon like it was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe Theodosia just had that effect on people.

Currently, they were flipping through his notebook themselves, distractedly running a hand over their hair and smearing frosting across their braids, still stuffing their face with the sticky bun- carelessly beautiful. Burr grinned at him when he looked his way.

"I know." he mouthed. "You get used to it."

"Right!" Theo said suddenly, looking up at them with a warm smile. "Can I get you guys anything? Just take your pick- everything's for sale." Aaron rolled his eyes.

"And you wonder why you didn't make a profit without me. You're as bad as John- I'm pretty sure he's given me half the Grind-Stone's coffee supply for free by now." John folded his arms indignantly.

"Excuse me- those were limited-time-only offers for a very special case." he said. "I have never given anything away for free in my life." Aaron laughed.

"Okay, okay." He then turned to Theo and gave a small wave, backing towards the kitchen. "I'm going to finish up those beignets, alright? It's getting late." Theo nodded.

"You got it. Don't put them in too quickly or the oil will spit!" The last sentence was called out as Burr disappeared through the door.

"I won't!" he replied. Alex caught the fond smile on Theo's face as they gazed after him, and exchanged a gleeful, knowing look with John. They had definitely been right to decide to play matchmaker with those two.

"So..." John said, "You two seem pretty... close." They turned to him with an appraising look.

"I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work." John scowled.

"Damnit." Laughing, Theo leaned on the counter next to him.

"So, are you actually going to buy anything?" they asked.

"Hmm... We really just came down here to say hi, actually." Alex admitted, apologetically. "We just had ice creams. These all look amazing, though- we'll be sure to stop by another time." They chuckled.

"Alright, that's fair. It is nice to see you two- and I'm guessing you weren't expecting Aaron to be down here?"

"No, that was a nice surprise. He's a good cook, I hear." They nodded.

"Amazing. I don't know why he wasn't in the business before."

"I mean, he kind of was..." John said, and Theo frowned at him curiously.

"He was?"

"I mean, me, Laf and Herc used to buy his leftovers instead of getting take out." Theo snorted into their hand, just as Burr emerged of the kitchen with a table held over his head, carrying it, with some difficulty, towards the door. He sent them a hopeless look as it started to slip from his grasp, and muttered "A little help?"

Theo chuckled and went over to him.

"Sure. But- " They stopped, arms up, with a mischievous grin. "What does 'esquina' mean?" Burr groaned, pouting at them, but they shook their head, still smirking. "Come on, you know it." Screwing his eyes shut, Aaron seemed to think hard for a second- still struggling to support the table.

"Uh... It means..." Theo tapped their foot.

"I'm waiting..."

"Corner! Corner- it's corner." he said suddenly, and grinning, Theodosia took the other end of the table.

"You got it." As they carried it out into the street, he heard them continue- "Now, what about 'tienda'" This time, Burr answered without hesitation- "Store."- and Theo beamed at him.

"You're getting better."

As Aaron brought the tray of beignets through the store and out into the street, Theo went back behind the counter, explaining to John and Alex.

"We're selling them out on the street to try and raise sales- it's freezing out there." they said. "And Aaron's a human radiator, so he doesn't mind much." Burr himself scowled at them as he passed again, grabbing a small basket of change and paper sign from on top of the counter.

"Speak for yourself." Theo laughed.

"Bombilla?"

"Lightbulb!" he called over his shoulder as he left, the door swinging shut behind him. Alex turned back to Theodosia, curious.

"Burr's learning Spanish?" he asked. They nodded.

"Yeah, I'm trying to teach him- maybe not the best idea, since I hardly know any myself."

"Hey, the kid down at the ice-cream parlour speaks Spanish." John pointed out, and Alex grinned.

"Oh, yeah, he does. You should chat to him sometime, Theo."

"Really? Cool! I've never been down there, actually, maybe I'll check it out."

"You should, the ice-cream's great- proper coffee, too. I think that kid'd be glad of the company, too- sounds like he's pretty much on his own."

"Aw, that's a shame. Not much family?"

"No. Second gen immigrant from what he told us- family comes from DR. He was real sweet."

"Hey-" John cut in. "Has Burr invited you to Jefferson's party yet?" Alex elbowed him- Theo had already said his tactics weren't going to work, and he was inclined to trust them- but they smiled and said "Yes, actually. He asked me this morning. I understand there'll be a lot of stuck-up snobs there to reprimand?" Alex and John nodded, and Theo's grin broadened. "Excellent. It should be fun, then."

Alex wasn't entirely sure he shared the sentimet.

Far sooner than he expected, the day of the party arrived, and he couldn't say exactly how he felt about it. He wasn't... scared- or nervous, really, at all. But he wouldn't have said he was looking forward to it.

He, John, Herc, and Lafayette met up at the apartment beforehand- Alex got there last, and found an unfairly handsome looking John in a dusky pink suit, his hair pulled back and his eyes shining, waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Alex, hey!"

"Hi John." He crossed to the table and hugged him- pulling away quickly in case he forgot to do it at all. "You look... you look great." John chuckled.

"Thanks. But thank Hercules, man, he's the mastermind. He's in the living room- go say hi. Lafayette's still upstairs, 'getting ready'" He rolled his eyes, and Alex grinned and slipped through to the living room, surprised when he stepped through the door. Hercules was standing there as if he'd been waiting for him, with a simple paper bag in one hand, the other fiddling with the collar of his shirt. He looked up abruptly at Alexander's appearence, and smiled broadly.

"Alex, hi- I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Sorry, lost track of time." Herc shrugged.

"It's no big deal. Now..."

He held out the bag to Alex.

"Okay, so I know you said I didn't need to make you a suit, but..." He trailed off innocently, and Alexander felt his insides go cold. Herc had made him a suit?

"It's fine, Herc, I have a suit of my own in my bag."

"Alex, it's no big deal- I wanted to do it."

"Herc, I don't want it."

"Come on, Alex, just try it on. It'll look fine, I swear- I've tailored it for you so it'll fit properly- you're always wearing such baggy clothes!"

"Herc, this really isn't necessary-"

"Ok, I'll make you a deal." Hercules cut him off. "If you go back into the kitchen, right now, and ask John out- and he says 'no'- you don't have to take the suit."

Alex took the suit.

He stood in Herc's bedroom with it held out in front of him- a simple, navy blue set of pants and a jacket, with a lighter blue shirt and muted, striped tie- trying to convince himself to put it on. How bad could it be? It was a suit for Christ's sake, not a set of lingerie- why on earth was he so worried? Perhaps it was the implications of having it tailored for him. While that should probably have made him less anxious, knowing it would fit him properly, he couldn't stop the creeping feeling in his gut as he held the fabric between his fingers. Herc would have tailored it to 'show off' his body- something that he was sure meant revealing the wide span of his stomach and hips rather than hiding it in bulky sweaters like he usually did- he wouldn't be able to go out in this. He didn't want to show off his body, no matter how much Hercules insisted that it could look good in the right style of clothes.

A voice in the back of his mind made his stomach crawl.

Hercules was waiting for him. He expected him to wear it. Herc had put time and effort and money into making this, because he had thought Alexander would like it. If he didn't wear it, Herc would be hurt. He'd think Alex didn't appreciate his work- he'd be disappointed.

Accutely aware of the way his breath was picking up, he pulled it on.

There were no mirrors in Herc's room. Good. He didn't want to see himself.

John POV

Okay, John hated Hercules. He hated him- utterely, unreservedly hated him.

He had known that he was good at his job- known none of them would look less that great in the clothes that he'd made for them, but absolutely nothing could have prepared him for this. He felt the breath knocked out of him as Alexander entered the room, eyes glued as if magnetised to the way the close-cut suit showed off the broad curve of his hips, the way it tapered at the waist and lay sharp across his shoulders- why on earth did Alex hide himself in hoodies all the time?

He looked gorgeous.

He looked uncomfortable, too, though, he realised- he was blushing and looking at the ground, fiddling with the hem of his shirt with shaking fingers, chewing on his lip. He remembered how uncomfortable Alex had seemed when Herc had mentioned measuring him. He'd suspected at the time that it might be because he had issues with his body, but looking at him now, he couldn't think why that would be. Alexander looked amazing- couldn't he see that?

"Alex." he said, quietly, and the man looked up at him with a startled, scared expression- as if he was frightened of what John would say. John felt his mouth go dry as he continued to stare. "Alex- " he tried again. "You look amazing." Alexander only coloured more deeply, and returned his gaze to his shoes.

"No I don't." he muttered.

"Alex- "

"You don't have to lie to me, John." Alex cut him off, his voice flat. "I know I'm... I know I don't look..." He trailed off with a grimace. John took a step closer to him and held out a hand, starting to say something, but he was cut off by the arrival of Lafayette and Herc.

Their jaws dropped as the pair walked in. Herculces, of course, was as handsome as ever- the simple black suit very elegant on his form- but it was Lafayette that drew their eyes. Instead of the suit they had been expecting, they were dressed in a flowing purple gown that fell to the floor- an even greater distance than usual because of the heels they were wearing- and showed off the smooth, clear expance of their shoulders beautifully, glittering cloth peeking through a slash in the skirt and a cinched waist clearly displaying their incredible figure. They were wearing more make-up than usual, too, and their hair was pulled up neatly for once into a tight, dark bun at the back of their head. They looked nothing short of incredible.

"Holy shit, Laf." he heard himself mutter, and Laf grinned at him mischievously.

"Like what you see, mon amour?" The playful tone made him chuckle, and Herc put a protective arm around their waist, making an exaggerated 'I'm watching you' motion with his hand.

"Absolutely."

"And look at you two!" Laf cooed, beaming as they looked from him to Alexander. "All neat and tidy- I must say I'm impressed. Although- your shoes let you down a little, John." John looked down- he was still wearing his battered sneakers.

"Oh. Right." he grinned. "I'll go change them." He ducked out into the hall, though not without shooting another worried look in Alexander's direction. He looked like he wanted to disappear.

The journey to the party was... strained. They laughed and talked- or, at least, Laf and Herc did- but there was a tension underneath it, and it worried him. Alexander was far too quiet. He had curled in on himself, as if he was trying to hide, and John didn't have a clue how to help him. What could he say? The almost silent car ride was over far too soon, and, before he knew it, they were standing with foggy breath on the corner of Diggs Ave.

"Well, into the lion's pit, I suppose." Lafayette muttered, and they all started forward.

As they approached the steps to Jefferson's (father's) manor, he saw Alex's mouth drop open. The building was huge, he supposed, and with the new information about Alex's background, he guessed he must feel pretty out of place just being there. An immigrant from Nevis wouldn't have been in many homes like these. He made sure to stay close to him as they climbed the steps, watching the wonder-struck look on his face with some regret. How far outside his comfort zone was Alexander going to be pushed tonight?

As soon as they were through the doors, James Madison was upon them with a tray of ridiculously fancy-looking sandwiches- barely thicker than his own finger- looking exhaustedly grateful.

"Thank god." he muttered. "I thought you were never coming. I've been pretending to be interested in William Clark's thesis on the psycological implications of hypnosis for almost an hour now- and Phillip Freneu is hopeless at smalltalk. Wanted to know my stance on the witch-doctor crisis in Montanna." He gave them a hopeless look. "Don't ask- hey, nice dress, Lafayette." His eyes widened as Laf slipped off their coat to reveal the gown. They smiled at him brightly.

"Thank you, James. I thought it would add an extra something to the affair, perhaps." Madison grinned and nodded.

"It certainly does- you look stunning. Though I'd- uh- I'd be prepared for some... disapproval- from the guests- they're not exactly- "

"I am well aware of the reactions I am likely to get, Monsiuer, don't worry." Laf cut him off, waving a hand. They grinned slyly. "I did check the dress-code, and there's absolutely nothing Jefferson can use against me. I cannot wait to see his face."

As they all made their way further into the house, John caught Madison putting a light hand on Alex's shoulder, and saying "You look great, Alexander.", and felt a surge of gratitude to the man; of course, James, quiet, observant James, had noticed that Alex was uncomfortable. Alex didn't quite smile at him, but it was close.

He led them through the hall and into the main room of the house- a space John had only ever been able to describe as a ballroom. It was lit with decidedly stylish christmas lights- all white and gold, making the whole place gleam, and a soft, slow orchestral piece was drifting out through the speakers. Various guests were dotted around, talking and eating the frivolous little bites laid out on a long table along one wall, all of them rich and ridiculous, and all looked down their noses as the little party entered. He felt their gazes linger disgustedly on Lafayette, but it only seemed to spur them on as they strode purposefully into the space, saying "I have never been one for such silly little parties myself- no offence to the host of course-" in a very loud voice. He could see Hercules attempting to hide his snigger.

After a few moments, he realised that Alexander was hanging back. He walked slower to fall level with him, taking his hand, ignoring the way his face heated up with the contact.

"You alright?" he asked. Alex gave a non-comittal shrug, looking away from him. "What do you say we go check out the snacks table- he always gives them really dumb names." A slightly pained smile was his only response, so John towed him over- hating Hercules all over again, but for a slightly different reason. As attractive as Alex looked, he was clearly not happy in what he was wearing. John gripped his hand tighter and resolved to chew the man out as soon as possible. For now, he would make sure Alexander had as much fun as possible.

The Schuylers and Maria arrived around half an hour later, just in time to rescue John from a rather uncomfortable conversation about gay rights with a well dressed man he'd forgotten the name of, and who he was seriously considering throwing into the rasperry curd. It would have gone well with the complexion of his face. Ever the saviour, Angelica called him over and hugged him tightly, the glittering studs on her neckline digging into his chest a little. All three of the girls looked stunning- Angie in a long cardinal evening gown and with her hair somewhat tamed into graceful ringlets, Maria in a wider, deep red dress, and Eliza looking very dapper indeed in her baby-blue two-piece suit. She had changed the colour of her hair for the occasion- the inky black of her roots starting to show through, while the rest was silver-white. Seeming concerned, she immediately asked where Alex was, and John pointed her over to where the man was sitting. Alexander hadn't spoken much so far- but had insisted time and time again that John didn't stay with him, and in the end, he'd opted to leave him be. He was practically curled in a corner, so clearly outside his comfort zone that it broke John's heart a little to leave him. He watched as Eliza made her way over, feeling hopeful. Eliza was Alex's best friend. If anyone could cheer him up, it was her.

Theodosia and Burr made their entrance around twenty minutes after that- Burr looking a lot less disshevelled than usual in his muted grey suit- and he looked like he'd slept well, too. Theodosia turned more than a few heads with their jeans and mulberry dress shirt, and John couldn't stop the grin that split across his face as the pair approached.

"Burr, Theo- good to see you!" he smiled.

"You too." Burr shook his hand warmly and he accepted Theo's hug with some elation. As they pulled away, he remembered his manners. "Oh- pronouns?"

"She/Her. Thanks for asking."

"No problem. How are you both?"

"Very well, thank you. Yourself?"

"Great. Although- " He leaned a little closer to them, lowering his voice. "Alexander's not great this evening- so if you see him, try to make him feel comfortable?" They looked surprised, but nodded, and John thanked them sincerely before he was dragged off into a new conversation- Frances Key wanted him to seem impressed with the lyrics for a song he was writing.

Later, the music picked up and a few couples made their way to the dance floor- Lafayette and Hercules included- and John watched with a smile as Maria dragged a blushing Eliza into the middle of the room and took her by the waist, spinning her expertly and making her let slip a laugh. The pair were undeniably adorable. Theodosia and Burr left every one of Jefferson's friends in the dust with their elegance, seemingly gliding across the floor, and Angelica danced with Eliza for a time as well while Maria watched, beaming. Alexander, understandably, steered well clear.

John managed to find him after only a brief search, standing stiffly by the wall with a vacant sort of expression, aparently lost in thought. He walked over quickly and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, dreamer boy." he said, softly, and Alex looked up with a start.

"Oh- hey, John." Without smiling, he then returned his gaze to whatever spot on the far wall was holding his focus, twirling a pencil- where did he get a pencil- between his fingers furiously.

"Alexander." John tried again. "Are you alright?"

"Of course."

"Alex-"

"I'm fine, John. These sorts of parties just... aren't my thing, alright?" His whole form was tense, his jaw locked. It made John feel a little sick.

"We can leave, if- "

"No, I'm not going to drag you three away. It's fine- look how much fun they're having." He gestured to the dance floor, where Laf and Hercules were waltzing in surprisingly graceful circles, laughing as Maria wolfwhistled every time they passed. John bit his lip- Okay, Alex definitely wouldn't be comfortable feeling that he'd dragged his friends away from having fun- but he clearly wasn't at all comfortable where he was. After a few moments, an idea came to him.

"Hey, you want to go explore the house?" Alex looked up again in surprise, and his expression softened instantly.

"We can do that?"

"I mean, it doesn't say anywhere that we can't... I bet Jefferson has rooms for totally ridiculous things- and way too much furniature... what do you say we go check it out? Just for a little bit..." Alex looked up at him, deliberating, and he put on his best impression of Alexander's own pout- aparently to good effect, because Alex rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Alright." he said.

John was right- Jefferson had far too much furniature. They traipsed through countless guilded rooms, huge portraits and ridiculous chandeliers in every one, laughing at the great ghostly sheets that covered the couches and chairs ("Why have them if you're not going to use them?"). Alexander stared in wonder at the great ceiling-high bookshelves in one room, and John saw his fingers twitch as if he was holding himself back from grabbing a handful and taking them home. He had half a mind to tell him not to hold back- but Jefferson would probably have had them both arrested for burglary and disrespect for historical artifacts or something, so the tomes remained untouched.

Eventually, they exhausted most of the rooms on the first floor, and John managed to pry open a door that lead to the second- a dark, dusty set of stairs stretching up and away from them. They had to feel their way up the last few blind, and, fumbling around for some kind of light, John was sure he knocked over something heavy and valuable. It made an expensive sort of noise as it hit the floor. In the end, he found a light switch at almost the other end of the hall, and the space was cast into dim, flickering light. Alexander, who had been hanging onto the tails of John's jacket, let out a low breath that he'd aparently been holding, and shook himself off.

"You alright?" John asked. Alex nodded and gripped his hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." This time, he sounded like he meant it.

The second floor of the house was even less interesting than the first- every room seemed to be exactly the same. It was a little eerie- as though they were going around in circles.

Every time Alex looked like he was drifting again, John would take his hand and drag him down some hall or into yet another room and make up something to take his mind off... whatever it was- pulling the light back into his eyes as best he could with his words. He was no poet like Alexander, but he did his best.

"Did you know an old woman was brutally murdered in this very room?"

"No she wasn't."

"She was. She was the cleaning lady for the rich family that lived here 5000 years ago-"

"John, this house was definitely not here 5000 years ago."

"Will you just let me tell the story?"

And Alex would huff and roll his eyes and smile in a way that made his stomach lurch, and pretend to scream when he told him that the elderly janitor's ghost still haunted these very halls...

Halfway down another identical corridor, John was cut off in his explanaition of the migrating habits of the pixies that inhabited the floorboards when a vase fell to the ground and smashed just behind them. In an instant, Alex was clinging to him, breathing hard, fingers tight around the lapels of his jacket and so damn close that John could feel his heart beating hard against his ribs. There was a moment's silence, before they both broke out into laughter- a little giddy with the sudden fear that had shot through them.

Once they'd managed to regain a little composure, and John had swept the broken ornament (both literaly and figuratively) under the rug, Alexander quickly pulled away from him, looking a little embarrassed. John cuffed his shoulder lightly, ducking down to catch his eye.

"You want to go back down?" Alex grinned a little sheepishly and nodded.

"Yeah, alright. I'm feeling... a lot better. Thanks, John." Smiling back at him, John squeezed his hand.

"No problem." He turned to head back down in the direction of the stairs, but Alexander grabbed his arm before he'd gone two paces and pulled him into a rib-cracking hug. John felt the whole world lurch sideways for a second as Alex's arms wrapped painfully tight around him, trapping his own by his sides, and he buried his face into his chest with a sound that was almost a sob. He stayed like that for a good while, both of them unmoving, both a little startled by Alex's boldness, but neither willing to pull away. When Alexander finally did, his face was flushed and he avoided John's eyes.

"Really." he mumbled. "Thank you. I don't know if I- I was so... Thanks. I think you were the only one that noticed." The last words made John's chest seize up again- he would be having a serious word with Hercules- but before he could respond, Alex was leading him back down the hall with a new strength to his stride, their hands still joined.

When they reached the ballroom again, a slightly tipsy Eliza rushed up to them as soon as they entered and threw her arms around Alex's neck.

"Don't just disapear like that, Alex!" she chided. "We were worried!" Alex laughed a little into her shoulder.

"Relax, Liza, we were just checking out the house. It's crazy- I didn't know that much useless furniature existed."

Leaving them both in Maria's capable hands, John headed over to where Lafayette and Herc were standing, laughing over tall glasses of something they'd definitely brought from home. He pulled Hercules aside, ignoring the shocked, slightly annoyed look he got from both of them.

"You shouldn't have made him wear that." he muttered. The affronted look on Herc's face turned abruptly into one of guilt.

"I know." he said. "I'm sorry. I thought... I thought it'd be good for him to go outside his comfort zone, you know? Thought it might give him more confidence."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong."

"John, I know, I- "

"Don't tell me." John cut him off. "Tell Alex. As soon as we get home, you are going to appologise, and... I don't know, get him some sort of compensation present. He's been so uncomfortable- all evening- and he didn't want to leave 'cause he could see you two were having fun. Just... make it up to him, alright?" Herc nodded, mutely, staring at the contents of his glass. "And give me some of that." John added, taking the glass and downing half of it without the man objecting. Even after drinking it, he wasn't entirely sure what it was.

He leaned against the table with a groan, rubbing his eyes, and swallowed the rest in one.

"I don't think I've seen out humble host yet tonight." he mused after a few moments. "Any idea where he is?"

"Last time I saw him, he was being an asshole over by the speakers." Lafayette shrugged. "But you should be able to spot him- he is luminous enough, that is for sure. And sure enough, after a quick scan of the crowd, John's eyes lighted on Jefferson. He was wearing a bright purple ruffled tailcoat, not exactly easy on the eyes, and appeared to be talking condescendingly to- his stomach lurched- Alexander.

"Shit." The last thing Alexander needed right now was a verbal beating from an asshole like that- and John shoved Hercules' glass back into his hands without another word and made his way over. To his surprise, however, Alex didn't appear to be at all nervous. In fact, he was smiling. Yes- standing at his full (if not terribly impressive) height, every trace of his anxious demeanour gone, Alex was actually smiling as Thomas Jefferson spoke to him- and, he noticed with a surprised satisfaction- Jefferson himself did not look happy at all.

It wasn't exactly hard to work out what they were discussing.

"It's not fair on those children." Jefferson was protesting. "Statistics have shown that the effect on their mental health is very severe- hardly worth indulging in some fantasy that two men would- "

"Don't use that word if you can't back it up, Jefferson." Alex cut him off scathingly. "I'd like to see these 'statistics' you keep talking about, if it's all the same to you."

"I- I- Well it's not like I have them now, is it? What, you think I walk around with these things in my pocket? Listen- it's just common sense, kids need a father and a mother to grow up healthily, and- "

"So we abolish divorce?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea." Jefferson shot, scowling.

"And then, what- ban people from dying? Or at least remove custody of any children from one parent when the other passes away, surely?" Jefferson turned redder and struggled for words.

"I- well, when I- "

"On the subject- " Alexander continued, undeterred. "- exactly why does a child need both a male and female parent to grow up happily? Go ahead and try to answer that question without being blatantly sexist, Jefferson- I dare you. Come on, it'll be funny." Jefferson was scarlet.

"It's- I- Come on, surely you can't be serious!" he yelled. "The purpose of romantic relationships in the first place is to have children- to carry on the species and contribute to natural selection- it's just not evolutionarily beneficial- and therefore not natural- for same-sex couples to be unified!"

"Oh, so would you prefer that we prohibit the marriage of heterosexual couples who are biologically unable to have children? Or who simply don't want to? What, do they have to do a survey before the ceremony? Oh- and does adoption count? Would you agree that giving an orphaned or unwanted child a loving, caring home is a worthwhile action? Actually, I think you'll find that same-sex couples are statistically more likely to adopt children that come from difficult backgrounds- who are second generation immigrants, or have mental disabilities, and older children or teenagers, while heterosexual couples tend towards the less challenging option of taking in a nice, healthy baby and raising it as their own- "

"'Statistically'? There you go, eating your own words, Hamilton." Jefferson's sneer was back, but there was a falter in his voice. "Don't use that word if you can't back it up- "

"Oh, I have statistics." Alex replied calmly, pulling out his phone and flipping- John could see- to Google. It was at that point that he decided to intervene. They didn't need confrontation, not when the evening had finally been going right- and Jefferson looked more than ready to blow things out of proportion. Alexander had only ever dealt with the man in debate, where there were guidlines and limits on what you could do- he certainly wouldn't expect him to turn the situation physical, but he would do it, John knew, if he didn't step in soon. A full-on fight was the last thing they wanted.

"Alex, I'm sure Jefferson has got your point- we need to be going." he said, putting a hand on his arm. Alex looked around at him with a pout, eyes sparkling.

"But John, I'm just getting started!"

"Save it for debate, Alex." John reprimanded, steering him away and waving to Laf and Hercules that they should follow as he lead a half-heartedly protesting Alexander to the door. All three waved to the Schuylers and Maria as they passed- Burr and Theo, John later learned, had turned in early- and grabbed their coats from an exhausted James Madison before stepping out into the frosty evening. John grabbed the keys quickly from Herc and pressed them into Alex's hands- he was the only one who hadn't been drinking- and they all piled gratefully into the car- the cold was biting.

"Well." Laf commented, once they were on their way. "That could have turned out better, I think."

"You think?" Herc grunted. Alex, on the other hand, was still grinning.

"Actually, " he said. "That was probably the most fun I've had in a while." Stunned, neither of their friends replied to the statement- but, in the rearview mirror, Alexander was looking straight at John. He felt his stomach warm. Alex was alright.

And if, in the morning, his floor was strewn with a dozen different sketches of Alexander in a cinched navy suit- hey, you could hardly blame him. It was entirely Hercules' fault.

Thanks for reading! update will be as soon as I can make it