Hamilton One Shots

Hopeless (2)

Requested by: andfreakingpeggy
OC: Cleo Mulligan

"You flatter me more than necessary with your words, madam." Gilbert, arm linked to the lovely woman he danced with, gazed at her with fascination. He'd been blessed to meet such a woman that night.

And even more so, escort her home.

It wasn't often he had the honor of being in an actual lady's presence, and when he did, the words came out in his native language, and called for an overall awkward experience.

But this one gave him a different feeling.

"How could one not? Gilbert, you're talented and all the things a woman looks for." She blushed at her own comment, realizing how improper that could have come across as.

He hadn't taken it to heart, for the grin on his lips grew into even more of a ray of sunshine, illuminating the rest of his facial features.

Cleo spent most of the evening gazing at his lips and eyes, how perfect they fit in with his paler complexion and outfit, as well as the way he held himself around people.

At the beginning of that night, Cleo expected to be following her friends home, or alone to her place, all alone. Every other ball one of them ended with a one night stand or something that they would live to regret.

"People act foolish when they are attracted to someone," one of her slightly drunken friends muttered to her after one miserable experience around a man she'd fancied.

Looking up at Lafayette, his gentle eyes and lips, Cleo swore to herself that she wouldn't be one of those women. She was in the presence of a man of importance. And she would treat him with the great deal of respect he deserved.

It wasn't that she wasn't attracted to him. Oh, if anything she was very into him. Not many men captured her heart and attention the way this one did. But she promised to put values before some risky romantic move.

"Not many women have said that of me," he replied, speaking in a fairly clear accent. Cleo felt her lips upturn into a smile, and she covered it with another piece of conversation.

"Well, now you flatter me, Monsieur."

Lafayette's eyes glinted in a pleased way, and straightened his back. If his fellow colleagues had taken notice to the fact that he was walking away with another woman, he would have pictured their applause and approval. It made his heart leap a bit.

For all the years he was young and charming, the handsome French soldier had never experienced what his friends had. He never got to take a girl home, to be able to call her something close to his heart, or to even keep a definite conversation going.

To see each one of the people he'd gotten to know so well head off with woman after woman, Gilbert could only watch with one hand lingering where they stood, and thinking how useless he was romantically.

He automatically sighed out loud, almost forgetting that Cleo was still there.

"I wonder, if it's not too much to pry upon your privacy, have you had any romantic experience in the past? I-I mean any women? Or men, as that's fine by my morals." Cleo felt he mouth clamp shut and the words fade out.

He chuckled. Curious one she is. "No, miss. It often surprises some, but I have not been involved with anyone yet." Lafayette nervously tugged the brim of his curved hat further down over his forehead. For some reason, his heart rate began to accelerate at that question.

Cleo's mouth formed into a circle as she murmured back, "Oh, I see." That simple answer made her very anxious, but equally as pleased. If she did something foolish, by chance, there wouldn't be any other person in the consequences.

But she wasn't going to do anything foolish. At least that's what she told herself.

In the distance, only a four blocks away, Cleo caught sight of her home. She began to count the cobblestones leading up to their destination, and silently nodded her head. Only a couple more strides and they'd be there.

Much to her luck, the cobblestones defied her, and she lost her footing. She recalled crying out something in the name of God, or another outrageous saying, that could have set Lafayette off his own feet too. But he somehow steadily managed to assist her up again.

"Madam," he breathed, heavily sighing as she rose to her feet at his tug. Their bodies were closer now than before. Cleo sensed the heat and color in her cheeks altering right away.

Momentarily, neither dared to say a word. Just seconds ago they had been cheerful and friendly, but it had transformed into what felt to be lingering lust. No, no, Cleo thought, trying to pull herself back.

She needed to have distance between them. Or she really would do something foolish.

People act foolish when they are attracted to someone. The words her friend had spoken slithered down the back of her spine and made a shiver follow behind. Cleo took deep breaths, straightening her back and starting to walk towards her home.

"It's up ahead, Gilbert," she dryly said, hearing his feet hesitate and then pick up behind her. It wasn't until he was only a foot behind her did she realize what he was after. The city in her vision blurred as two hands grabbed her torso and spun her around.

Eyes barely glimpsing the figure, who she already was aware of, Cleo's lips melted against the touch of his. A soft whimper of approval, and relief, escaped her lips. She didn't know whether this was foolish or not.

All she knew was that her feelings for this man had been bottled up too long.

Gilbert's hand clawed at the fabric of her dress, holding her closer to his chest. For someone who'd never been involved romantically, he had an excellent taste in how to kiss.

I don't ever want to leave his arms, she thought to herself, listening to sound of her heart thumping wildly against his chest. The heels of her shoes dug into her feet, hair misbehaving its natural state, and lips doing whatever they could do.

Cleo ignored all those qualities. She had come that night, to that ball, looking for nothing but a pleasurable time. Her goal hadn't been to walk away with a man. And it certainly hadn't been to kiss anyone.

Especially with a person she'd just met. The two knew each other for all of three or so hours, but know they were becoming so well acquainted with one another's mouths.

You've fallen this time, Cleo warned herself, wrapping an arm around his neck. Oh, you've really fallen this time, she insisted again, as one hand of hers pressed to the side of his cheekbone. Whatever lay ahead for the two of them, Cleo couldn't be anything less than prepared for it.

. . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Thank you andfreakingpeggy for the request of a part two for this! Hope you liked how it turned out!