Stairwell Shots

"Aar—" Alexander Hamilton cut himself off to prevent himself from making the grave mistake of calling his friend by his first name in public. That, of course, did not stop the other male from noticing Alexander hurrying towards him.

Upon reaching his destination, Alexander took a moment to catch his breath, resting a hand on the taller male's shoulder and bending over. He had just run through the entire campus to find the male. Alexander knew he was going to regret it tomorrow, but it would be worth it today. He hoped

"Burr, you got a moment to talk?" Alexander asked once he was able to breathe semi-normally again.

"Actually, Hamilton, I need to—"

"Burr, I did not just spend fifteen minutes running from building to building trying to find you for you to just brush me off. It wasn't really a question." He kept his voice steady and stern after cutting him off.

"Hamilton, I really—"

"No."

"Fine."

"Thank you." He said, maybe a little too enthusiastically, and grabbed the larger male's wrist.

Alexander noticed Aaron's hesitance, but to his relief there was no resistance. Thankful for that, Alexander hurriedly brought him away from the ears of eaves droppers and eyes of gossipers. This wasn't going to be a story for the public. This was going to be a story kept only between the two men, never the stairwell of building S-11.

"Aaron," Alexander began, voice hesitant as he spoke. "I really like you. I like you more than a friend, which is probably more than I should, but I know that you like me, too. Probably more than you should."

It pained Alexander to watch the surprise light up on Aaron's face, even if they both knew it was false. It pained Alexander because he knew what came next.

"Hamilton, I don't know where you heard such rumor, but that is all it is. A rumor." Aaron spoke, knitting his brows together to seem more convincing. Albeit Alexander was pretty sure Aaron was only trying to convince himself.

That didn't stop the switch inside of Alexander from clicking though, voice raising ever so slightly as he took a step forward. "Don't try to deny it, Burr. I don't need any rumors to tell me what's obvious. And the way you feel is obvious."

"Hamilton, I'm sorry that you've gotten the wrong idea, but I really must be honest and say that I don't feel the same." Aaron's voice was an eerie calm.

"Aaron, do not insult my level of observation!" Alexander moved half of a step closer, raising his voice. "I've seen the way you look at me when you think I'm not watching! I've heard the things you mutter under your breath when you think I'm not listening! I've—"

"Alex, there y— oh." Alexander and Aaron both let their gazes snap to the owner of the voice, quieting immediately.

Laurens took note of the situation he had walked in on and corrected himself almost immediately. "Lafayette, Hercules and I are going to the cafe. I guess, we'll, uh, see you there."

Alexander was silent as he waited for his friend to leave. He didn't even bother to nod along or mumble an okay. Albeit, once Laurens had left, Alexander opened his mouth to pick up right where he'd left off. Only Aaron had beat him to it.

"Alexander, yes. I like you. As a friend .and nothing more Now, I don't know where you got the idea it might be more than that, but it's not." He raised his voice ever so slightly, slowly becoming less and less convincing. "It won't be."

Alexander took another step forward. "Aaron, you listen—"

"No, Hamilton, you listen." Aaron put extra emphasis into 'you', taking a step forward to stand his ground. "You've always been a dreamer with unrealistic goals and hopes. You take it upon yourself to get into fights and act like you can do whatever you want. You shove words down people's throats, and you believe only what you want. Even if everybody knows that it's wrong. Just like this. You know it's not true, but you keep insisting that it is."

Alexander took another step closer to Aaron, the words his spoke only fueling him. "It's not like that, and you know it! I believe in what's right whether or not people think it's wrong! I don't shove words down people's throats; I'm just not a good guy to tell secrets to! I don't act like I can do whatever I want; I speak my mind and stand my ground! And what's on my mind now is the fact that you won't admit that you have feelings for me when everybody else knows! Or do you not know?"

His voice bounced off of the walls of the stairwell, proof of the tension that was lingering in the air between them. Then all fell silent. The two men realized, finally, how close they were. How their faces were only a mere few inches apart. The two men both felt as their gazes slowly lowered down to the others' lips. Then Aaron began to turn away.

Alexander stopped him, though, by grabbing hold of his wrist, and Aaron looked back, meeting his eyes as he spoke.

"Burr, do not throw away your shot."