Falling Through Time: Basking in Firelight: Book 2

Voluntold Candidates.

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Warnings: Recounting of a suicide attempt, mentions heavy drinking, a confession, mobs.

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Madison was rudely woken up by a pounding on his door that his head decided to mimic. He may have had a little too much last night. The pounding came again and Madison knew it wasn't going to stop until he answered the door. Achingly slow, he crawled out of bed and answered the door.

Fuck. He went to shut the door but Hamilton's hand stopped it. Madison didn't even try to close him out but left it open and walked back into the house, going to make himself some coffee. Hamilton let himself in and closed the door behind him.

"Madison, I need to talk to you."

"Coffee," was all Madison said.

Hamilton sighed and waited until Madison was drinking his coffee, if anyone understood to need of coffee, it was Hamilton. Madison finally gestured for Hamilton to continue.

"It's afternoon, Madison. Why are you just getting up?"

Madison groaned, he hadn't meant to sleep in that late, he had to go check in on Jefferson. "Why are you here, Hamilton? Couldn't you just have called? You got a new phone, didn't you?" he asked. His head was killing him and now he had to find his phone to text Jefferson.

"I need you to tell me what happened to Jefferson." The sentence in itself was self-explanatory. This wasn't something to be discussed over the phone.

Madison froze. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated. Madison had hesitated. Hamilton was right, something was up and Madison knew about it. "You know what I mean. Something happened to Jefferson and I need to know."

"What's it matter to you? It's not like you hang out with him anymore." Madison looked around for his phone.

"Because I-" Hamilton stopped short. "Because it's obvious and he's my friend."

"It's not for me to tell," Madison said, spotting his phone on the couch.

"Well, Jefferson's not going to share because he doesn't know me so I need you to tell me."

"He doesn't know you because you didn't bother sticking around and helping him with his memory loss. Maybe if you put more of an effort into being there for your friend, he might be more willing to share." Madison walked over and grabbed his phone.

"For fuck's sake, please, I'm just trying to help."

Madison looked at him, "Why should I tell you?"

"Because-" shit. Hamilton couldn't say it.

"Well?"

"Because I love him, okay? Are you happy now?" Madison looked at Hamilton. It was so glaringly obvious. "You knew?" Hamilton asked.

Madison snorted. "Of course I knew. I'm not blind and with you two making love eyes at each other all the time. Why would Thomas leave Monticello to you if he didn't?"

"Okay, I suppose those are some valid points, but no one else realized it."

"I may also still have his journal from our past lives."

"What?"

Madison shrugged. "No idea. I read it when I was a kid. It was in my family's library. I found and kept it. It's still in great condition."

"You have to give it to me."

"No, I don't."

"Madison-"