Only Know You Love Him When You Let Him Go

It's Quiet Uptown (Part 2) [ch. 9]

But I'm not afraid. I know who I married. Just let me stay here by your side. That would be enough.

Lafayette got out of the car in a huff, slamming the door shut. He was in a particularly bad mood after the previous night's events, and didn't want a repeat. He followed Hercules over to the restaurant that had agreed to meet at, waiting outside the entrance.

Not long after, Alexander and Thomas walked up to them, Alexander smiling and Thomas with an arm casually thrown around his shoulder. Lafayette almost laughed at their height difference. Alexander at 5'11" and Thomas at 6'2". They decided to wait for James, Thomas letting go of Alexander to go give his friend a hug when James walked over.

When Thomas walked off, Lafayette watched Hamilton come up close to his side, smiling up at him. "You doing alright mon petit lion?"

Alexander nodded. "Yea. It's kinda odd being here with everyone but John, but it's alright."

Lafayette smiled a little, hoping it covered how much he wanted to cry. "That is true. Do you remember when you first came here? On that first day when we went to this mall, since you literally had 2 pairs of clothing. It was so funny to see you freak out over everything, and the entire time you refused to go very far from John."

Lafayette noted Alexander allowed a tear to fall. "Yea. I was terrified. Do you remember when he pulled me out of the room that morning?"

Before Lafayette got a chance to respond, Thomas came up behind Alexander, wrapping his arms around the smaller figure. Alexander immediately lightened up, smiling and seeming to forget crying only moments ago. As much as Lafayette wanted to mother hen over Alexander, he knew he would be fine.

He knew Alexander was happy.

»»----- -----««

Do you like it uptown it's quiet uptown.

Alexander couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He ended up just walking around absentmindedly with Thomas, who seemed more than content to follow him around. James, who had decided to tag along as well didn't seem as pleased.

Alexander's favorite part of the day was when they had made their way into a Spencer's. It had started with there being a sale on shot glasses, and ended with him doubled over in laughter and James looking like he wanted to throw something at Alexander and Thomas.

They only decided to leave, when James had thrown something at Alexander, who kept bringing up what had happened in the Spencer's. That something had been a peanut butter chocolate milkshake.

Despite the blissful fun of it all, it was all thrown out the window that night when Alexander and Lafayette were alone again. Alexander had noted that Hercules and Thomas seemed to be making sure one of them was with the two of them at all times.

"So what was it you were saying earlier Alexander?" Lafayette sat on one end of the couch, underneath a fluffy blanket and holding a mug of tea. His back was to the arm of the chair, and he leaned against the back.

Alexander was in a similar position, but on the other end of the couch and with a mug of coffee in place of Lafayette's tea. "Oh. About that day we went to the mall?" Lafayette nodded in response. "Oh... It was..." Alexander closed his eyes and took a breath before continuing. "He had looked at some of my paperwork. Unlike you, Martha, and George who didn't pay much mind to my medication, he recognised the two antidepressants I took.

"When I came down that morning insisting I was fine in a sweater despite the weather, he got kinda suspicious. Said he wanted to make sure I was alright, and that I was safe. I kinda denied it, and he..." Alexander stopped to calm himself before he cried again. He refused to cry like this when Lafayette needed him to be strong. "I ended up showing him. I remember him saying he knew how it feels..."