Catching Up [Jamilton/Mullete Soulmate!Mark AU]

Chapter II : Sleep, Please?

The ladies left the boys' dorm around 11 pm. Herc and John crashing at midnight.

~6AM~
John woke up to a quiet clicking noises, Herc the same. "What... is that?..." John asked quietly, Hercules shrugging. "I don't know. I know as much as you do" he said, getting up. The clicking noises grew louder as they approached the brothers' room. They heard faint mumbling and clicking. "Did they sleep?..." John asked quietly, concerned. He knocked quietly. "Marquis... Alex? You awake?" He asked. Both hummed in response, loud enough for the two to hear. John peeked in.

There were scattered cups of coffee everywhere, both men's hair up, out of their faces, and both staring at their laptop screens with papers scattered on their desks, scribbled notes on random pieces of paper. John sighed. Herc went to Marquis and slowly pushed his laptop screen down, John doing the same to Alex. Both screeched, Marquis quieter than Alexander.

Herc sighed, "Marquis, Hun, you have to sleep" John hummed in agreement as he looked at Alex. Marquis looked approachable now, possibly too tired to feel anxiety now. "Non" he said quietly. Alex sighed, "Let me finish this paper" he said, John about to agree before he said. "Just 15 more pages"

John took the laptop, saved the doc so he wouldn't lose any work and turned it off. Keeping it away from him. Alex hissed, drinking more coffee before trying to get it. "John give it baaaaaack" he whined.

Herc didn't take it away, more like he didn't move his hand away from Marquis' laptop. He looked at Herc. "Non" he pushed Herc's arm away, or- tried to, as his brother was half-wrestling John for HIS laptop. Marquis saw Herc had a coverband, and slowly tried to take it off just so he'd move to push it back down.

Alex froze when he saw Herc's mark. Marquis hadn't seen it because Herc quickly pulled it away. Alex looked at John slowly, before letting himself fall, letting John win.

Herc sighed, he let Marquis continue. John saw Alex stop trying, even though he had only known him for a day, he could tell he wasn't one to give up easily. John pulled him out, Alex too in shock to realize he was outside the bedroom until he was placed on the couch. "What happened?" John asked. Alex looked up at him, John slightly admiring them, scanning him over realizing he was extremely skinny. "When's the last time you ate, or slept?" Herc came out of the room, nodding at John's question.

"Are you guys homophobic?" Alex asked out of the blue.

John and Herc snickered, "I think we should reintroduce ourselves" John said, Herc smiling. "John Laurens, Gay Guy" "Hercules Mulligan, Pansexual" Alex let out a sigh of relief at this. He didn't know what he himself was. But he knew his brother was going to be part of the LGBTQ+ community if his shoulmate was male. And he'd accept that, he was never homophobic, it just wasn't a topic talked about too much in his household.

"You?" John asked, Alex sighed. "Ally? Bisexual? Kinda figuring it out I was wondering beca-" he stopped himself, he decided he wouldn't tell Marquis and Hercules right off the bat. He looked at John. "John... can we talk alone?" He asked. John concerned, while Marquis had stayed the same level of speech. Alex's had rapidly increased.

John and Alex went to John's room. Alex sighed and slumped against the door once it was close.

"WhenhercwastryingtogetmarquislaptopisawhismarkandIm99%surethatsmarquismarktoo"he said quickly, barely coherent for John. Alex didn't look panicked, just. Confused. "You asked cuz you didn't want us to turn up homophobic because that means they're gonna end up in a gay relationship" John said, Alex quickly nodding.

"I know Marquis is an ally, he's ok with it. Though, he's trying to figure himself out as well, we- haven't talked to people in years honestly. We assumed we were straight." Alex said, John slightly turning red when he realized Alex said he only started questioning when he moved in with himself and Herc. He shook off the feeling, "Wait- why don't you tell them?" He asked. Alex shaking his head. "Marquis would have a HEART ATTACK (a French heart attack)" he said, mumbling the last part, which made John smile.

While John and Alex were talking, after a lot of convincing and a little of force, Herc got Marquis away from the laptop, and onto the bed. They were both sitting on it, no where near each other. Marquis sighed, Herc left for a sec to let Marquis change into more comfortable clothing. When Marquis let him back in, he was in a loose t-shirt and some shorts, hair still tied back. Herc blushed, the shirt was a little too big for him, it slipping off his shoulders. Herc sat on the bed again. Marquis laying against the bed frame, he was shaking, probably cold.

Herc sighed, taking off his jacket and letting Marquis use it as a blanket, over the blanket he was already using. Despite this he was still cold. Marquis subconsciously leaned on Herc. "How long has it been since you've slept" "2 weeks?..." Marquis responded, Herc picking him up and letting him lay in his lap. "You're sleeping"

Marquis shook his head, yawning. Herc rolled him into a burrito and held him. Marquis fell asleep in the position, extremely sleep deprived and food deprived. Herc sighed, quietly playing with his hair, until he realized what he'd done.

Marquis de Lafayette. His crush he'd known for a day. Was laying. In his lap. Cuddled to him. He quietly panicked, causing Marquis to stir. Herc adjusted himself to lay down too, holding Marquis close. Knowing he'd never have the courage to do it when he was awake, he did it now. He smiled and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight Marquis..." he said quietly.

((Word Count: 987))
((Making it up to you guys by having Mullete star a little, and because I can't bring Thomas into the storyline until school starts. So in like 2-book-days))