Running Out of Time

Chapter 19 - I'll Take Care Of You (Destory His Reputation?)

Somehow a week and a half had passed and Laurens still hadn't seen Hamilton. He had come close a few times but there was always something to hold him back. It could range from his stomach tying knots in itself to the overwhelming feeling that something was about to go wrong, it held him back. This time was different. This time there hadn't been and time for hesitation, he had just walked in and sat down.

Hamilton was still asleep. Laurens could probably guess that it was best for him and would prove to mess up his schedule a bit. It wasn't anything that couldn't be felt with. He watched as Hamilton began to stir. Laurens noticed that Hamilton seemed small but that may have just been due to the hospital setting.

Laurens couldn't tell if Hamilton was awake or asleep as his arm stretched out over the side of the bed. He watched for a moment as Hamilton patted around. Finally, he found the chair and used that to eventually find Laurens' hand. They just sat like that for long enough to assume Hamilton was still very much asleep.

"Took you long enough," Hamilton joked without opening his eyes.

"I'm not sure you can yell at me for being late," Laurens smiled. He could remember that Hamilton was consistently late for things because of his habit of overworking.

Hamilton opened one eye to look at him, "if you're referring to what I think you are then I really think you should let it go." He was being half sarcastic.

"You mean the time you were late for my funeral?" Laurens recalled that being the first thing he heard about when he came back. That was a few runs ago but he could still remember. It was almost remarkable how clear some memories were.

"That only happened once," Hamilton waved his other hand as if he were literally brushing it away. "It won't happen again."

"It better not," Laurens squeezed his had a little. He meant more than he was saying. He didn't understand why his gut feelings has held him back but now he wished he had gone passed them. Just being around Hamilton made him feel better.

--

"Girls," Hamilton tried to get the attention of the Schuyler sisters. His news had sparked some discussion among them, "it was his idea."

Laurens looked at the finger pointing at him. "We decided it together," he looked at the sisters, "I can take care of him. I have plenty of space." Laurens tried to make it sound less like he and Hamilton made plans to live together.

"I guess," Peggy was the first to say anything, "if you two think it's a good idea, it must be."

"I suppose," Eliza agreed.

"It could work," Angelica nodded.

"Okay," Hamilton's face lit up in a smile, "it's settled then. Laurens will take me home when I'm finally allowed out of this place."

--

"Daisy, I don't need to do this," Philip couldn't have sounded less enthusiastic if he tried.

"It's a great idea, trust me," she smiled as she finished adjusting his hair. "I'm pretty sure it's more for them than it is for us."

"You came up with this thing, I think you should be more than pretty sure," Philip pushed a few stands of hair out of place just to make her fix it again.

"You'll have a great time, I promise," she kisses his cheek. "Just try to have fun, okay?"

"I'm getting mixed messages here. Is it going to be fun or do I have to make it fun?"

Theodosia knew that this was Philip's kind of humour. He was trying to stall for time but she was basically pushing him out the door. "Just go," she half laughed as she finally got him outside.

--

"I think the real question here is why don't I live with you," Maria leaned back in her chair and looked at Eliza from across the table.

"Are you trying to ask me something," Eliza hid her smile with the coffee cup in her hand.

"I just," she paused for a moment of fake deep thought, "I don't know if I'm the kind of person to show up and pull apart the Schuyler sisters."

"Isn't that considerate, Maria, you are really on top of your game today," Eliza set the cup on the table and leaned closer, "so what's the real reason?"

"Isn't it my clear adoration for you," Maria smiled.

"Spit it out," Eliza didn't change her tone and still said it as if it were the sweetest thing in the world.

"You're my girlfriend and my lease is up," Maria did her best to seem hopeful although she already knew the answer.

"Well," Eliza pretended to think very hard, "I'll have to ask Angelica and Peggy but I'll say it's probably a yes."

The two broke out in smiles and sipped their drinks before someone approached them. "I'm sorry," Philip looked at Eliza, "my girlfriend thinks we need to have a lunch date at some point."

--

Hamilton and Laurens had spent most of the day just talking. It was true that Hamilton didn't shut up but Laurens almost loved it. He thought it was cute watching him get off track only to forget what he had originally been talking about. Something about it was just nice.

"So, I guess, if you think about it long enough," Hamilton continued to ramble on until Laurens finally said something that caught them both slightly off guard.

"I love you."

There was the brief moment of silence as they looked at each other. It had been life times of loving each other without properly admitting it that almost prepared them for this moment.

"I love you too," Hamilton continued to ramble on after that. Laurens knew that he had probably thought about it for a while also. This hadn't been how he planned it all but it had worked.

In previous lives they had been together and they had been in love with each other for quite some time but neither had said it. They had collectively gone through every other word until now. Now, it had been said. It felt good to have it out in the open.

--

"That would destroy him," Peggy let out a shocked whisper, "does he know?"

"Of course he knows," Jefferson explained.

"He doesn't exactly understand it," Angelica could still see that Peggy wasn't sure what to feel.

"He's not going to know what to do," Peggy was doing her best to focus on composing herself but it had been some pretty big news. "So, why are you telling me this?"

"Alexander is really," Angelica paused for to think of a good word, "I insecure about it. He doesn't really want anyone to know, especially Laurens. It's just a matter if you usually spend a lot of time with the two of them so you could maybe-"

"You want me to watch him?"

"It's really more observation," Jefferson chimed in. "He won't talk about it but if you see it happening then you can take mental notes or whatever."

"Okay, but what about Lafayette or Mulligan? They'll probably spend more time with them than I will," Peggy leaned on the wall, she was still trying to understand things.

"Lafayette talks a lot when he's drunk and Mulligan likes to tell Lafayette things," Angelica explained. "C,mon Pegs, it's just for a little while."

"I'll think about it," Peggy sighed. She knew that she had basically said yes even though she wasn't sure she agreed.