Tango

Little birdie tells me...

Not wasting any more time. Thomas didn't want to live with the uncertainty any longer. He had called Hosack for an appointment that same week. And before long, the two of them were sitting in an exam room, waiting to be seen. Much like they had done just over two years ago.

"And what if I'm not pregnant?"

Alexander was suddenly not so sure he trusted what his body was telling him.

"That's okay. Then we'll just carry on, as we were. There's no rush, Darling."

"Then we're just wasting her time." Alex argued.

"We're here to find out, Alex. This is part of her job." He grabbed his partner's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Remind me why we couldn't just do this at home?" He rubbed his brows, frustrated.

"You know those sticks can be faulty. At least this way, we'll be certain."

Just then, Dr. Hosack entered the room.

"Good Morning, you two. So... Little birdie tells me you might be having another baby?" She calmly sat at her desk.

"Yes." Thomas answered with a bright smile, while Alex's gaze wandered haphazardly from her desk to his knees.

"Alright." She grabbed their intake form from her desk. "Talk to me. How have you been feeling? Are there any particular symptoms you've been feeling that have brought you to this conclusion?" She waited patiently for Alexander to speak, remembering his unease about the topic.

"Well, the sickness for a start..." He watched her scribble down notes. "I've been consistently sick in the early hours of the morning and afternoon for about two weeks now. I'm lethargic, sleeping more than usual, and there's this uncomfortable, bloated feeling, low in my stomach." He absentmindedly rubbed a hand, low on his belly. Almost as if to soothe the ache.

"Hm-mm, anything else? Any aversions of any kind?" She asked as she finished writing.

"I think the smell of coffee might be making me nauseous again..."

Thomas scratched at his nose, subconsciously.

"Very well." She set the papers aside. "This does veritably sound like the early signs of pregnancy. Please have a seat on the exam table, and lift your shirt up." She instructed as she made her way over to the table.

Alex did as told, Thomas following just behind. Hamilton shifted in the seat, undid the button and zipper on his pants, and lifted his shirt just above his navel. Since this wasn't their first time, they were able to skip the awkward technical jargon and slip into a familiar rhythm. Hosack palpated his stomach with gentle hands, her facial features not betraying a single thought.

"All seems good so far. Now, you know the drill." She sat on a stool by the ultrasound machine.

Alex braced himself for the cool temperature of KY jelly as it hit the hairs of his happy trail. A leftover from his pregnancy with Grace. Or was this pregnancy already making it grow back? He couldn't tell... Hosack pressed the short wand firmly into the lower part of his abdomen. Focusing the scan just above his pubic bone.

Thomas had gotten so used to the clear image of a fetus on the monitor, but this time, he couldn't make sense of what he saw. The grainy image displayed nothing but a blurry shape on a black background. Hosack flipped a switch, and suddenly a fast-paced swish-swish could be heard. It was then that Hamilton and Jefferson shared a look, knowing very well what that sound was. Thomas let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and smiled, making Alex smile in kind.

"Very well." Hosack spoke after a beat. "I'll print out the image, save a recording, and then I'll officially sign this into your chart. Congratulations." She smiled, having grown fond of the eccentric pair.

She left the room for a moment, giving them some time alone to process. Alex had barely had a chance to prop himself up when Thomas's lips crashed hard into his. A strong hand held the back of his head as their kiss deepened before abruptly pulling apart.

"Well, that was... something." Hamilton blinked, unable to find the words in his shock, making Thomas chuckle.

"Sorry." He looked down, bashful. Before reaching for some paper towels and handing them to Alex. "I'm just — happy." He justified, plainly. His unusually nervous energy making Alex giggle as he wiped his stomach.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. D'you know that?" His smile never left his face.

Alexander paused for a moment. Seeing a look in Jefferson's eyes he'd never seen before. They glimmered like a fresh water stream in the sunlight. He swore he could see rainbows in them before Thomas blinked too fast. Hamilton laughed, unsure what this moment they were having was about.

Thomas gently laid a hand where Alex had just cleaned, his pinky accidentally slipping under the elastic of Hamilton's boxers.

"I know how hard this was for you." He looked him right in the eye. "I can't imagine it was an easy decision to do it a second time. Thank you."

Alex's hand briefly joined his on his middle before shifting to caress Jefferson's cheek.

"Don't thank me yet." He supplied. "This might make me so miserable you'll regret being with me." He watched fondly as Thomas let his head fall forward with a chuckle.

"You won't get rid of me that fast." He helped him to his feet.

Once Hosack had come back, they made sure to tie up everything and be ready for their next appointment.

"Since this is very early, about 8-9 weeks. I'll see you next month." She smiled matter-of-factly, hit a stack of papers on her desk to straighten them, and bid them farewell as she left for another appointment.

Jefferson paused, looking at the grey blob in the photo. Hamilton gave him a moment before he couldn't resist one last jab.

"It has your nose, you know?"

He watched Thomas daydream before the sentence registered in his mind, and he laughed dryly.

"Mock all you want." He chastised. "I'll never get used to this." He gave him a half-hug with a forehead kiss.