Fandoms of the Past (Random One-shots)

Tutoring for Politics (Thomas Jefferson x reader)

(This is a Modern/Highschool AU that can be read as either platonic or romantic)

You could feel the frown making its way to your face before you had even fully registered what you'd been asked to do. You weren't exactly the biggest fan of Thomas Jefferson. You wouldn't say you hated him, you just didn't care for him. You ran in different circles. He was on the football team, student government, and the debate team. He was also pretty smart. So were you, but you were far less social and you thought that he looked down on you (or people like you) for that. So why did he need a tutor?

"Mr. Washington...I really don't think I have the time to tutor Jefferson," you tried to tell him softly, but he leveled the "disappointed dad" look at you. Thomas was standing next to him trying to appear aloof but looking at you with interest. You hated the look Washington was giving you, so you sighed and nodded. "Alright," you relented, "Meet me in the library after school." You didn't give him a chance to respond as you darted out as quickly as you could.

You were surprised to find Thomas already waiting for you when you entered the library. You'd half expected him to bail or, at the very least, be late. Not that he wasn't a good student! He was. He also had a packed social life that seemed to be his priority.

"Hey there, Darlin'," he greeted with a charming smile. You rolled your eyes, but sat down anyway. "What is it exactly that you need help with?" you asked, cutting right to the chase. You didn't have time to waste with small talk. You had your own work to get done and you were certain Thomas had some club/social activity to get to. However, instead of giving you an answer, the athlete merely shrugged.

"Jefferson, if you can't tell me what you need, then I can't help you," you told him. You were already exhausted and you hadn't even been there for five minutes. "That's just it, Darlin'. I know the material. I do. But it just doesn't...stick." You ran your hand over your face. "Alright, show me what you mean."

As it turned out, Thomas was right. He really did know the material when he was asked or when it was in front of him. He could spout off facts likes no one's business. He would honestly make a good historian if he chose to go that route. The problem came when it was time for him to sit quietly to take tests. Then, his mind went in all sorts of directions. Football, school, student government. His mind simply would not stop. You knew you had to find a way to help him focus better.

*time skip*

Experimenting with Thomas' learning style was actually rather fun. Thomas was fun. You could see why people flocked to him. He was so charming he could sell oranges to a lemonade stand. That didn't help him take tests though. So you went through every learning and test taking style you could think of. You spent time in the library almost every afternoon since Thomas wasn't allowed to participate in his extracurriculars until he got his grades up.

He wasn't kicked out of anything yet, but he had to work. After the first few days, you didn't mind working with him. It was great seeing his confidence grow when it came to taking tests. However, there was one little problem. A problem by the name of Alexander Hamilton.

Any time either of you were around Alexander, he felt the need to voice his thoughts about Thomas' predicament. While the two young men were similar in many ways, Alexander had a mean streak a mile wide when he came to anyone that could even potentially be better than he was. And Thomas fit that bill to a T which made him the brunt of Alexander's insults. That only ramped up when it was discovered that Thomas was in tutoring. It went on for weeks until you finally had enough.

Thomas had come to you as you were leaving your class with a bright grin on his face. Before you could ask what was happening, Thomas practically shoved a piece of paper at you. You laughed a little before glancing down. "A 90%?! Thomas, that's great!" It was the highest grade he'd earned on a test since your tutoring began.

"Finally. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever rise through the ranks from stupid politician," Alexander's voice cut through your happy bubble. Thomas frowned and you rounded on Alexander. You balled your fists at your sides, Thomas' test still in your hand, as rage began bubbling in you. Alexander just kept going despite the clear anger and frustration on your face. To his credit, Thomas stayed silent even though he was angry and a bit embarrassed.

"Hamilton?" you finally spoke up when it was clear he wasn't going to quit. He closed his mouth and smile at you. "Yes?"

"Shut up." He blinked in surprise. You were typically pretty quiet and kind. It was why Washington had chosen you to ask to tutor Thomas. "What?" You repeated your demand. "Shut up. So what if Thomas struggled? A lot of people do. The difference is that Thomas got help to try and better himself because, unlike you, he knows that no one is perfect and that in order to keep doing what he loves, he needed to have help. This is why people prefer him to you. That's why Thomas has friends and people that look up to him. He is a real person and doesn't act like a wanna be 'king' with a stick up his ass." You didn't give him a chance to reply. Instead, you walked off with Thomas' test still in your hand. You missed Thomas' gaze following after you.

Thomas was completely confused. No one really stood up for him like that. It wasn't that they didn't like him. At least he didn't think so. He knew people looked up to him, like you'd said. Maybe they just weren't sure if he needed defending. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now. Now he needed to follow after you and calm you.

Given the time of day it was, Thomas knew where you'd be. He didn't say anything to Alexander. He pushed passed his "nemesis" and nearly ran to you. "Y/N!" he called when he saw you about to enter a classroom. You paused and glanced at him. He saw the angry tears running down your face. By now he understood that sometimes you cried when you were overly frustrated.

"Oh, Darlin'. You okay?" You nodded and handed him his now crumpled test. "Sorry," you told him through a sniffle. He laughed lightly. "It's alright." The air between you grew silent for a minute. The bell was about to ring and Thomas knew he needed to say something. So he said the first thing he could think of. "Thank you." Your brows furrowed and he continued, "You stood up for me. I can normally handle Hamilton, but it was nice not to have to." You smiled a bit. "No problem. He pisses me off. Anyway...I should get to class."

"Or...you could play hooky, just this once. I can take you out for a late lunch?" You let out a little laugh. "Considering it was Washington who asked me to tutor you, I don't think he'd appreciate it if I skipped his class." Thomas shrugged a bit, but he was a little disappointed. "But...maybe I could skip my study hall tomorrow morning and we can get coffee?" Thomas beamed and nodded, his curls lightly smacking his cheeks. He opened his arms, silently asking for a hug. You instantly entered his embrace.