Tango

What do you want, Jefferson?

After Alex's outburst, no one really dared say anything and the meeting was promptly adjourned. Thomas himself didn't feel too good about it either. It wasn't that he said something he regretted, he had meant every word, it was what Hamilton had said that bothered him. Did he really think about him that way? I mean, he knew they hated each other but was it that bad? Sometimes when Thomas would notice Hamilton staring, he would fall into a daydream of his own, he'd think about what it would have been like had they hadn't started out on the wrong foot - Thomas knew it was his fault. But what if it had been different? Maybe they would've been friends, maybe they could've been more. Or maybe they were always destined to be rivals, and only the universe knew for sure.

Regardless of what may have been, what they were now was not on good terms, and Thomas didn't particularly like that thought. Could it be that after so many years, Thomas Jefferson was finally tired of fighting, that he was finally tired of going at each others' throats? Could anything even be done to turn the tide after so many ardent fights?

There was only one way to find out, and you could be sure that Thomas was going to try his best.

"Hey, Hamilton. Going to the office party on Saturday?" Jefferson strut into Alex's office, unannounced.

He didn't particularly care, but it was some sort of conversation starter that potentially wouldn't end in a fight.

"What do you want, Jefferson?"

"Nothing, I'm just curious."

"Well, Washington is going to be there, so what do you think?" Alexander asked, resigned.

"Oh, is that so? Daddy's coming so, you have to show up, huh? Wouldn't want to disappoint." He teased, a lazy grin stretching across his lips.

At that moment, Thomas realized that if he wanted to somehow be on good terms with Hamilton, he had to restrain himself from such remarks. Alex only glared, unamused. The two of them now sat there, not knowing where this was going, Hamilton in his chair and Thomas on the edge of the younger man's mahogany desk.

"What about you? Coming? You'll put one of your worst suits on for the occasion?" Alex asked - indifferent.

Jefferson scoffed.

"Of course not; Why would I ever waste my time on that?"

The words left Thomas' lips without a second thought, and even if just for a split second, he could swear he saw the glint in Hamilton's eyes die down at his words, a small string tugging at his heart when he saw it.

"Well, it was good talking to you Hamilton, I gotta go."

Jefferson had finally decided their little interaction was enough for the day and proceeded to leave the Caribbean mans' office, this time closing the door behind him and in turn, leaving a baffled and equally stupefied Alex on the other side of it.

                                                           ***

On Thursday morning, Thomas decided he'd change things up, and instead of staying home and having breakfast at his leisure, he packed a sandwich and drove to work. He'd never been to work so early so, it felt somewhat eerie when he walked in, and no-one was there yet. That's what Hamilton does every day? Come to work to an empty office building, just to be the first person to make a pot of coffee. Sounds a bit depressing, no?

Nevertheless, Thomas sat at the table in the break room, set his cane aside, and unpacked his grape jelly and peanut butter sandwich. He had only taken a couple of bites when a familiar set of footsteps echoed closer and closer in his direction, unceremoniously revealing an exhausted Hamilton who was certainly going off of muscle memory as he hadn't noticed Thomas at the table. The darker man observed as his co-worker walked right past him over to the kitchen counter, pulled out a mug from a top cupboard, and prepared the Keurig machine to make a pot of his favorite bitter, black liquid. He pressed the button and watched as the coffee poured down into the pot, giving it would take a while he decided to turn around and lean against the counter, he wiped a hand across his face, fatigued, and then crossed his arms over his chest. Finally, he looked up, his gazed shifting to the person at the table. He jumped slightly in surprise, never in a million years ever expecting to see Jefferson that early in the morning.