Sickness, Freckles, and Magenta (ON HIATUS AND SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter 8

When Philip arrived, he saw his younger sister playing in the front yard. She turned her attention to him as soon as she noticed him stepping out of the carriage.

"Philip!", she cried, running over to hug her older brother. "Where've you been?"

"At a friend's house. I needed some time away from Father. Is he here right now?", he asked. He decided not to tell her which friend, because the news would make it through the family until it reached Alexander, who would most definitely go batshit crazy.

"No, he went out before you came. Well, more like Mother kicked him out for your visit.", she said, turning serious for a moment before reverting back to her bubbly personality. "C'mon, Mother wants to see you."

Philip chuckled and let himself be dragged into the living room only to be met with the gloomy sight of Eliza. She looked so destroyed when she looked up at him, before trying to put on a happy smile for him.

The young man put his things down and ran to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, Ma.", he said. Eliza gladly accepted the much-needed hug from her son.

"You've done nothing wrong, sweetheart. Your father is the one who is in the wrong here. Would you like something to drink?", she said when they pulled apart. Hearing that name from his mother made Philip shiver a bit, due to the context it had been used in a few days ago by one of his lovers.

"Thanks, Ma.", he sent a half-attempted smile at her as Eliza got up to get her son some water, leaving him to his thoughts for a moment.

Thomas's hands and lips roaming his body, him purring as James made him feel good, James moving in him while Thomas nipped at his sensitive spots and touched him in just the right way, his own hands pulling on Thomas's hair and begging James to move faster, both praising him with that Southern charm...

His mother entering the room startled him out of the memories.

"Dear, are you alright? You seem a bit flustered.", Eliza noted her son's red face as she handed him the water.

"Um... Yeah, I'm fine.", he said, taking the water and drinking some immediately, hoping to hide his blush behind the cup and refrain himself from revealing any information about the nature of his relationship of the 'friend' he was staying with.

"Where did you get that suit? It fits you perfectly.", Eliza noted. Philip took a deep breath.

"The friend I'm staying with gave it to me for my birthday. They thought I could do with a new one.", he said, making sure he kept his words gender neutral, and hoped she wouldn't ask who he was with.

"It looks amazing on you.", she said. Philip smiled. "What else has been going on?"

"I'm going to college.", he said. It was true, he'd received a letter from the college he'd applied to, saying that he'd been accepted.

Eliza grinned widely.

"Oh, congratulations!", she said, hugging him. "You're going to make us proud."

Philip smiled.

Back at Monticello, Thomas was currently snuggled up with James, both shirtless, and expressing his concern to James.

"What if Alexander is there? What if he and Philip get into an argument? What if he decides to stay with them? What if-"

"Darlin', you're worryin' too much. He'll come home, trust me, sweetheart.", James said in deep Southern baritone, stroking the Vice President's bare chest. The taller one sighed.

"I just love him so much. I don't want him to leave."

"Thomas, look at me, doll. He won't. We love him and he loves us. Sure, he and his dad may work things out and be comfortable with each other again, but that doesn't have to stop our relationship. Philip is a grown man.", James murmured, trying to put his lover at ease. The older one sighed and nodded and James kissed his forehead.

Thomas moved so he was leaning over James and kissed him deeply. James responded by wrapping one arm around Thomas's neck and tangling the other in his hair to bring him closer and deepen the kiss.