Raise a Glass to Freedom

Ouch my heart

Historical Lams for this one.

Hamilton's POV
It was especially dark in out tent that night. One could expect it to be, as it was the middle of winter, but the crushing weight of what I had to tell Laurens seemed to drown out any moonlight coming in through our canvas tent. I couldn't fall asleep that night. The sound of Laurens occasionally rolling over in his bed told me that he had the same problem.

"Laurens?" I said unto the dark after a while. He rolled over to look at me. "Yeah?" I sat up a little. "Can I talk to you about something?" "Sure thing," he said, getting out of bed and sitting next to me. I put one arm around his shoulder. "I love you so much..." He smiled. "I love you too," he said, "Is that what you were going to tell me?"
I frowned. "No..." He moved closer to me. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." I sighed and looked down at my knees. "John... I don't really know how to tell you..." I gulped. "I'm marrying Eliza." There was a silence.

He leaned into my shoulder and I heard a muffled sob. I pulled him into a hug, resting my head on his, my lips touching his hair. "I just thought we could be... I mean I knew we could never be... but I just thought," he whispered into my shoulder. I stroked his hair gently. "I know... but you get why I'm doing this... right?" He nodded his head, not looking up. There was another silence. "I love you more than anything in the world," I continued, "More than writing, more than the revolution, more than Eliza." His sobs seemed to calm slightly. "And I won't let what we have die, you know that too, right?" He nodded again. I could feel his tears soaking through my shirt. "You're all I have," he whispered. And I began to cry then because I knew that was true. I was all that he had. "You won't loose me," I whispered into his ear, "I promise." He nestled his face deeper into my chest.

Laurens POV:
It had been three days since Hamilton told me he was getting married. I sat at the makeshift table in our tent rereading the letters he had written me over the years. Dear Laurens. My dearest, Laurens. My wonderful Laurens. It all seemed like lifetimes ago.

A candle sat on the table beside me, its flickering flames illuminating the tent. I unfolded a letter and, as I read the loving paragraphs Hamilton had so artfully crafted for me, tears began to stream down my face as I thought of what I knew could never be mine but that never stopped me from hoping, from dreaming. Almost unconsciously, I extended my hand and the letter to the open flame, watching as the flame caught and darkened the corner of the paper, the darkness slowly spreading across the page. The words, the love, the memories curled up and withered away in the flames. I watched it all burn. And once the letter was gone I reached for another letter to burn then another. Soon all that was left was a pile of ashes on the table and a mostly melted candle. I closed my eyes, though tears continued to run down my cheeks.

"John? John!" Alex burst into the tent. He ran to me and hugged me. "John..." he whispered, "You scared me so bad. I saw smoke and thought... I thought..." I looked up at him and smiled a fake smile. "I'm okay," I said softly. He looked at the table covered in ash. "What the hell were you doing?" He said. He swept the ashes into his hand. "Are these... are these our letters?" I nodded slowly. "Why would you burn them? I- you- why-" He seemed at a loss for words. I pulled him in for another hug. "I'm sorry," I whispered in his ear, "I don't know what I was thinking, I wasn't thinking." His shoulders shook as he cried.

"I'm sorry ," I said quietly after a while.

"But you're getting married, Alex," I continued, "Is this even ours anymore?"

He looked up at me, staring into my equally tear filled eyes. "Of course it'll still be ours. I love you. I love you and I'll love you until my dying days. And probably after that too."

"But I burned the letters."

"Forget the letters. Well have each other and well have our memories."

"What if I forget the memories."

"Then how about we make some new ones?" He leaned towards me, gently kissing me.

"Alex..."

"John?"

"Why can't we have a happy ending?" I sounded childish.

"We can have a happy ending."

"You're marrying Eliza."

"So? That doesn't mean I'll love you any less."

I sighed. "Why can't we have a fairy tale Prince Charming ending?"

He placed a hand under my chin, tilting my head up for another kiss.

"You are my Prince Charming," he said, smiling. "You're my Prince Charming magical boyfriend."

I giggled. "Then who are you?"

"The frog."

I laughed, lightening the mood a little.

He looked towards the door of the tent. "I should be going soon..."

"One more kiss?"

He smiled and kissed me, running his fingers through my hair.

"You're my Prince Charming," he said as he walked out of the door.

There he goes. We might not have our letters. We might not have the perfect fairy tale ending.

But we have each other.

And we have our memories.

And that's enough.

300 reads?!?! Wow wow wow, I really don't deserve you guys!!

Thank you all so much,

~Cath