Raise A Glass {Lams}

::One::

this picture has nothing to do with the story, but it's Herc as a flower girl, so I had to post it

Alex walked the near empty apartment, wondering what he should do. Eliza had just left and Herc and Laf had left early that morning at 3 am. Alex should know, he was still up, furiously typing away at his laptop, doing research for an essay. 

John was laying in his room, reading about turtles on his phone. 

"Alex!" He called. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored!"

"So am I!"

"What are we gonna do this whole month?"

A million ideas raced through please Alexander's mind on what he and John could do to keep themselves busy and a hint of a smirk crossed his lips. Then he shook his head. Damnit Alex, he thinks, you're being absurd and stupid. 

"I have no goddamn clue." Alex replied and sunk onto the couch, sighing a little bit. 

"Can we go to the pet shop?" John asked, walking out of his room, holding his turtle. 

"What?" Alex said, facing his best friend. "Why?"

"Because Chompy needs more stuff for his tank."

"Jesus Christ Laurens," Alex said, with fake exasperation. "That turtle has more stuff in his tank than you have bought for yourself. You spoilt that little piece of shit."

John laughed a little. "I love my turtle, so what?"

"You're crazy."

"Maybe." John smiled. 

Alex gave a soft sigh, why did John have to be so adorable? So cute? So happy? So full of kindness and energy? It killed Alex because he just wanted to be with John. But he had a girlfriend. And all his life he was told it was wrong to feel the way he did about boys. It wasn't 'right.' And now, he's caged with a relationship he was only semi-happy with. 

"Fine," Alex said, getting up from his spot on the couch. "Let's go."

"YAY! THANK YOU HAMMY!" John laughed, flinging his arms around Alex's neck. Alex chuckled. 

"I know, I'm great."

Alex couldn't take his eyes of John the entire time. The way he smiled and crouched down to get a better look at the turtles and talked to them. The way he beamed when he found the perfect accessory for his tank. Or just his general outlook on life. How he admitted such energy that people would literally watch him walk by sometimes. 

Occasionally, Alex would mentally slap himself. You're dating Eliza, he would need to remind himself. Also, the fact I need to remind myself that I'm dating Eliza is really sad, Hamilton thought. 

John was swinging the pet shop bag, back and forth as they walked back, humming a soft tune. 

"That's pretty," Alex commented. "What song is that?"

"It's from a new broadway musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda, about the founding father. The guy that was shot by the vice president at the time, Leslie Odom Jr."

"Oh right," Alex chuckled. "That play's getting really popular."

"I heard it's FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TICKETS!" (sorry, writer's rage) John said. 

"Then it must be good. From what you're singing, it is." 

Alex could've sworn he saw John blush. But maybe he was just imagining these things.