Black Coffee, Red Lipstick, and Cigarette Smoke

Chapter Twelve

"We never watch anything new, mon ami." Lafayette whined, a look of disinterest lingering on their face.

Hercules dropped the apple remote obnoxiously, staring blankly at the tv. "Then you can pick something, baguette."

Lafayette scooped up the remote, skimming through suggested shows and movies.

They hummed a little as they scrolled, trying to cheer up Hercules. He had said next to nothing, and when he did talk, it was to snap at them.

"If you really want to watch Mean Girls, we can." Laf offered.

Hercules looked up, facing Lafayette. "Just pick something. I don't care what it is." After speaking, he began playing with the strings on his hoodie, pulling them back and forth till they reached the same length.

"No, we're not doing this." Laf announced, dropping the remote and heading to the kitchen. "We're making pancakes and you're going to stop pouting."

Hercules reluctantly followed, a grimace still on his face. He sat down and watched Lafayette get to work.

They methodically measured out flour, doubling the recipe. They had fed Hercules before, and his consumption was insane.

They measured out water and every other ingredient, cracking an egg against the counter, careful not to make a mess.

They didn't speak at all while mixing the concoction, just worked in silence.

Hercules glared at the back of their head, angry at his friend. He didn't know why he was mad, or why he was taking it out on Laf. It just seemed as though they were a perfect target for all of Hercules feelings.

Any other friend would have left Hercules to sort things out on his own. Anyone else would have been fed up and would be done getting yelled at, but not Lafayette.

Finally, they spoke. "Herc, can we talk? I don't know if I did something to upset you. If I did, je suis dèsolè. Can we just talk about it Mon Cher?"

Hercules moved his jaw, scowling even more than before. Lafayette began flipping pancakes, the smell wafting throughout the apartment.

"Why would I talk about it? You get pissy whenever I even mention Angelica." Hercules whined.

Lafayette sighed, continuing playing chef. They were hesitant to further the discussion, knowing it would only serve to agitate Hercules further. Still, they felt a need to discuss the elephant in the room. Also, whenever Herc was upset, it affected Lafayette as well. When their friend was in distress, their heart broke as well. The emotional attachment they had to Hercules Mulligan was rather unhealthy, but the strange bond wasn't something they would change for the world.

"I swear I won't get en colère." Laf pled, pursing their lips. "Can I just ask why you like her so much? I don't mean to start a fight, but I am just, how you say, curious."

Hercules nodded, trying to bottle up all his anger. "Honestly, I don't know."He paused, trying to recollect his thoughts.

"She's super pretty, but I'm not that big of a douche to only care about that." He joked. "Maybe it's just the ideal of her. Isn't that stupid?"

Lafayette finished the pancakes and took a seat next to their friend. "I understand. You feel an emotional bond, oui?"

Hercules nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I just get so happy around her, like I don't have a care in the world. She's accepting, and understanding."

"Sometimes I wonder though," Laf began, knowing they were treading on thin ice. "Perhaps her character is just a reflection of her father. He's a politician, and perhaps his mannerism rubbed off on her.

To Lafayette's surprise, Hercules seemed to agree. "Yeah! I wonder that too. I mean, Philip Schuyler seems like a great guy, but the guy is always on, always ready to project a cheerful attitude."

"And Angelica's the same way."

They sat, both wondering the same thing. How much of Angelica was a front or a facade? What was Angelica really like, when all was down and quiet?

"I do love her though." Hercules spoke again.

Lafayette thought about sighing or cringing at Hercule's feelings, but they felt a new splurge of confidence. They were done hesitating and hiding. "

Yeah, but Hercules, other people love you just like you love Angelica. Not pla.... Plateletly?"

"Plateletly? You mean platonically?"

"Yeah!" Laf exclaimed, excited at the correct word. "Platonic. I don't like you platonically. Je t'aime."

"What?" Hercules exclaimed, shooting out of his chair. His hands moved nervously to his shirt hem, and he brushed his fingers lightly against the material.

Lafayette didn't dawdle or hesitate. They were tired of the same pace everyday. They danced around the sensitive subject everyday, acting as though the way they felt for Hercules was wrong. It couldn't be wrong though, and if it was, Lafayette didn't mind.

"I love you Herc." They replied, shrugging their shoulders as though it were no big deal.

Hercules moved closer, practically inches away from Lafayette. "Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Marquis De Lafayette, you best explain yourself." He scolded like a concerned mother.

Lafayette laughed in response, not even sure why. They laughed at the buildup, how long they had spent agonizing over their feelings. They laughed at how in reality none of it mattered. Hercules could be enamored with whoever he wanted, but Lafayette was done denying their feelings. They were worth more than lies and feeling useless or unwanted. They were the fucking Lafayette, and they slayed.

"I know you don't feel the same way, Mon Cher. I don't care. I'll wait as long as it takes." They explained. "I'll wait until the day I die if I must, but I'm tired of lying. Coming out was easy, admiring loving you was ridiculously more difficult."

Hercules stared into Laf's chocolate eyes, drowning in their warmth and sincerity. It was a lot to take in, an unfathomable something to deal with.

Hercules didn't know what to say or do. How could he respond to that? What was left to say?

"You're a good friend Laf." Hercules began and they scoffed, but allowed him to continue. "I don't feel the same about you though."

"I know. I don't care though. Je t'aime."

A/N Hey, so I've decided there will be a total of twenty-three chapters and I've already created a chapter schedule. So don't worry, we still have more chapters coming.

Also, random request. Could you guys tell me some good puns? They make me warm inside. (Yeah, I know I'm weird.) Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. 😊