Hamilton One Shots

Possibilities

Requested by: mttmatsu
OC: Ich Étang

"Eliza, open up your eyes. The man is obviously interested in you. Write back, do something, instead of throwing away this opportunity for a relationship!"

The woman who had been speaking crossed her arms, in a frustrated manner. After getting an invitation to her lovely friend's home, she tried to console her about the letters she had been receiving from a generous lieutenant in the war. He spoke to her in the most flirtatious way, but with all the respect one could give.

But her friend was ignoring the affection this man had written in his letters. No matter how many reasons she managed to present, it was completely pushed aside.

"You're kind in your intentions for us to be more than friends, but I don't wish to blossom in our relationship. Alexander is a gentleman and has been courteous to me. That doesn't mean there's something I want from that."

Eliza rose from the couch, pacing the room back and forth. Would anyone ever understand her? She wasn't ready for a life outside her father's home yet. Men flung themselves at her almost everyday. And while other women told her how lucky she was, but how selfish she was to ignore their affection.

From the times she'd met Alexander, he had been gentle with her. She did feel something that night they had first met. All she felt now was worry. If she continued their relationship, into something more, things might go downhill. She didn't want to hurt anyone.

"Ich, don't look at me like I've done wrong. The letters he has written have indeed lifted my spirits and let me dream of the possibilities-"

"Let him into your life then!" Ich, who was smaller in size, rose from the couch in confidence. "He's coming over any minute, as stated in his last letter so make a decision." She muttered something under her breath in her native language.

Although she was friends with the woman standing across from her, nothing irritated her more than her friend. After moving to the new country, Ich was delighted to be accepted so quickly into the arms of a lovely woman such as Eliza. But she didn't expect having to deal with such a delicate, blinded woman.

Eliza didn't understand what she was letting go of. She had the opportunity for love. It must have been the sun that shone too bright in her eyes, that blinded her from the handsome man who continued to send letters to her porch.

"If you're so interested in whom should be my next lover, then why don't you go with him?"

Ich pressed her hands to her head. "Qu'avez-vous dit?!" Normally she didn't use her home language as a defense mechanism, but her brain had seemingly shut down at the suggestion. To go with a prestigious lieutenant, one who should be with her friend, was quite out of the ordinary.

"Oh, not for the rest of your life. You could get to know him. And you seem quite invested in reading the letters he wrote to me, maybe it won't be long before he's writing to you." As she poked her friend in the shoulder playfully, Eliza flipped her hair over her shoulder. She had just come up with this scheme and was liking it a lot.

"He wrote to you, not me. Besides, what interest will he have in a woman who barely knows where she is?" Ich shook her head repeatedly. She wouldn't admit that she was interested in the soldier and that she would love to get to know him. It wasn't the time to give up on her friend either.

Eliza chuckled, raising her eyebrows. "But doesn't the idea of being with a handsome, young colonel make you excité?" Ich squirmed away from her friend, hiding a growing blush.

"You need to be the one-"

There was a knock at the front door. Both women froze in their spots. Eliza peered out of the room and down the hall. "Ah, the man himself has arrived." She didn't hesitate to grab her friend's hand and pull her along.

Ich tried to go backwards. "Eliza," she muttered in a warning tone. But her friend didn't listen and kept tugging her along. Once she had something in mind, the woman didn't seem to stop.

And there he was. Standing in the doorway, fully dressed in his uniform, sword placed in his belt, was the man they had just been discussing. Alexander. He was exactly how Eliza had described him.

"Pleasure to see you again, Miss.Schuyler. I assume you received my letter." He winked directly at her. The man was clearly open about his intentions.

Eliza only gave him a halfhearted smile. "Yes, I have. Your letter was filled with words that consumed my feelings for days." She paused before saying, "While your request for something more than a friendship is flattering, I'm afraid not isn't the time. It's nothing about you, trust me."

Ich felt herself moving forward. Eliza had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward yet again. "Since I'm unable to be the one for you, I have someone who will satisfy you more than this face would ever be able to." Alexander opened his mouth, looking her up and down in surprise. He had expected to pick up a Schuyler, not an even more fascinating woman.

"Miss," he murmured, kissing her hand. All the pain he'd felt only seconds prior had washed away the second he had seen her. She brought a certain feeling into his heart.

Ich blushed at the touch of his lips on her hand. "Sir." She could see her friend beaming out of the corner of her eye. If this was what made both of them truly happy, then she would finally be able to rest without worry.

"Don't wait a moment longer," she said from beside the couple. Alexander looked like he wanted to say something, maybe ask why she wasn't the one he was walking away with. After all the affection he'd etched into every line of his letters, he didn't understand where had gone wrong in stealing Eliza's heart.

Ich cleared her throat. "If you don't wish for anything bet-" He only shushed her.

"I'd like to get to know you, miss. You seem to be..." He trailed off, looking her up and down again. When he was finished, he winked at her.

And so the two of them walked off. One of them wandered off with someone he'd never expected to encounter, while the other wondered if this was reality. Neither of them felt disappointed with the outcome at all, knowing the path ahead of them might have endless chances of something wonderful.

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A/N: Thank you mttmatsu for the request! I had a great time writing this, so hope you liked how it turned out!