Broken- And Fixed Again- (A Jamilton Fanfic)

Chapter 4: A Shred of Hope

//TW: mentions of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, mentions of self harm, domestic violence, swearing\\

Alexander

"Come on!" I urged him, my hand wrapped around his as I pulled him along through the crowded city streets. The air was blessedly cool, a light breeze whipping at my face. There was a certain calmness to the afternoon overshadowed by the looming blanket of clouds, a calmness that didn't feel quite right, all things considered. "It'll be fine, I promise." It took a lot to convince him, but everything would be worth it.

"I don't know," Thomas murmured, a thousand things left unsaid with those three words. "Your friends don't like me that much."

I stopped walking and turned to face him, a slight flash of guilt biting through me as he flinched away at the sudden movement. It would be hard to remember to stay gentle and calm around him, but it was an effort I was willing to make. "Hey, it's alright," I soothed, forcing myself to stay even as I brushed my hand against his shoulder. "They won't mind."

"If you're so sure," Thomas responded.

The truth was, I wasn't sure. I had no idea how everyone else would react to seeing him, the boy who was hardly more than a shadow of the proud figure he had once been. Would they see what I had seen, or would their judgement be clouded?

But we got to talking about more mundane, random things, and I truly got to see him just...relax and become himself when there was no pressure to act a certain way. It was only for a moment, but it was enough. I pulled him across the crosswalk and through the narrow streets until we found ourselves amidst the old oak trees and gravel pathways of the park my friends and I visited constantly.

We found them by the base of the water fountain, a traditional meeting place untouched by the world outside. The park was pure, a haven that no fear or anger could taint. Perhaps bringing him here was just as much for myself as it was for him. Thomas stopped in his tracks the second they came into view, watching silently. I halted next to him, letting go of his hand, but staying close. Just in case he needed me to.

"Listen," Maria said, in the middle of proving something to an unimpressed Eliza who was leaning against her arm. "I'm not saying that murder is the answer. But I'm also not saying that it isn't the answer, you know? I feel like it can be considered acceptable in a few certain situations."

"We can't just go around murdering the people we don't like," Eliza said, shaking her head. "The world would literally be uninhabited at that point." But she placed a soft hand on Maria's shoulder, and it was obvious she was doing everything she could to bite back a smile.

I grinned, glancing up at Thomas, who only looked confused. There was also a slight coating of fear painted across his face, and it took me a second to realize who exactly it was he was watching.

"I feel like, if murder was legal, Eliza would have killed at least three people by now," said Hercules. "You've earned that right, I think."

Maria nodded in agreement, poking Eliza in the ribs. "She looks like a cinnamon roll, but she can and will kill you."

"No!" she protested. "I would never murder anybody!"

"Why not?" Aaron threw in. Thomas swallowed hard at his voice. "Murder's fun." A long pause, and all eyes fell to him. "But I wouldn't know from, like, personal experience or anything."

"Aaron's definitely murdered someone, confirmed," said Angelica, turning to Lafayette. "And I believe you owe me at least twenty bucks."

"I do have a long list of people I would kill, given the opportunity."