Coffee and Cigarettes

"What's Going On"?

SLIGHT WARNING AS SOME TOPICS DISCUSSED MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY TRIGGERING TO SOME PEOPLE(?) SORRY!

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It wasn't until James stumbled into the dorm room at half past 1 AM did Thomas Jefferson get angry.
"Where have you been?" He hissed once the shorter student (tried to be sneaky and) slipped into bed. James visibly jumped.
"Oh! Thomas..." he gulped. "I.. Was out... Helping with Lafayette..."
It wasn't a lie (not exactly, at least), yet the room seemed to get a little less roomy as he spoke quietly.
"Helping with Lafayette...." Thomas repeated, not buying the excuse but keeping his mouth shut any further on the subject. He noticed that the other hadn't yet changed from earlier on in the day. "Are you going to get into something a little more.. Comfortable?"
      James shifted and pulled the blankets over himself. "N-No. I'm fine." He took a shaky breath as a tense silence fell over the two.
       "...Liar."
       The hissed word had barely left Thomas' mouth before he lunged at the smaller of the two.
       "Shit!" James cursed as Thomas practically pushed him over, adding pressure to his re-bound chest and making his sides ache even more. "Shit! Thomas! Get off of me..!"
       "Not until you stop lying," Thomas insisted as James tried pushing him off.
       "Thomas, please!" the other rasped, eyes watering. "Get off! Please!"
       At the crack of James' voice, Thomas quickly jumped off the bed.
       The shorter of the two, slightly wheezing from the pressure on his lungs and ribs, scrambled off the mattress and into the bathroom. Once inside, he took off the sweater and binder underneath and took a deep breath, coughing a few times.
    The door squeaked as it opened.
He cursed.
"...you didn't take it off..?" James opened his mouth to explain but Thomas' hands were already grabbing for the binding cloth clutched tightly in his friend's hand. "James you... You know that isn't safe!"
"Tom I know!" James squeaked and moved back as Thomas still tried to grab the item. "Stop it... Stop it! Please-"
"It's damaging!" The taller of the two interrupted, finally grabbing the cloth from the other. "And you were going to go to sleep with it on too, weren't you?"
Shit.
   "Weren't you..?!"
James gulped and nodded silently, glancing up at Thomas, then back down with immediate regret.
A look of concern and guilt and something else he couldn't identify filled Thomas' eyes.
"...goddammit..." Jefferson hissed and suddenly grabbed James' arm, making the shorter student flinch. "James look at me..." he shook his head and Thomas' grip tightened a little. "Dammit, just look at me!"
      Another flinch and James slowly raised his head to meet Thomas' eyes.
      Silence once again filled the room.
      "It's dangerous..." Jefferson mumbled, loosening his hold on the arm. "It's dangerous and it could hurt you badly and— And I can't have that." He paused. "...why...?"
     "I took it off at Lafayette's house," James blurted once the other gave him a chance to speak. "Really I did.. Trust me..."
      "I do..."
      "B-But then I had to walk home and I went outside and.. And I was fine for a bit but... But I passed people and I felt li... Like they were all just.. Judging me and I... Couldn't get it off my mind so I... I put them back on in a bathroom nearby and.. And I came home.. I'm.. Sorry!"
    "I know it's dangerous and.. And I know I should only have it on for at the most eight hours! But... God I can't feel comfortable.. I can't feel safe. I... I feel like..." James was rambling by now and didn't notice Thomas pull him closer by the arm "I feel like I.. I... I... I-I..."
    "Jemmy," Thomas interrupted gently, wrapping his arms around the shorter student in a hug. James only shook his head in response and dropped his voice down to a low murmur.
    "...I feel like I'm not good enough, Thomas..."
    "..."
    "..."
    "...Tommy...?"
     Silence.
     (James hated the sound of it, which seemed ironic in his mind. Hating the sound of silence? It didn't seem like it existed...)
      "...you need some rest..." Thomas mumbled in response after a while. James looked up at him.
"What do you m-"
"You need some rest. Go get some.." Thomas quickly hugged James tighter before letting go.
"But Thomas I-"
A swift kiss on the forehead from the taller student shut him up.
"Go get some sleep, my prince..."
James blushed a bit and turned to leave before pausing, looking back. "What about y-you? It's almost 2 AM..."
"I have some calls to make..."
"Oh..." James walked out but stopped once more. "Good night, Tom..."
Thomas smiled.
"Good night, Jemmy."

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Yep yep yep
I bet you all thought this story would be a mainly Lams one
You were w r o n g
(I'm sorry though Lams will probably get on track in the next few chapters I half-promise)
Anywho!
Feedback feeds Mr. Turtle
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And hey... Thanks™
~Cecil