ex-strangers || a jeffmads fic

chapter ten

madison.
James hurried forward, pushing through the crowd toward the stranger. Angelica called him back. "James! We're going to play foosball over here, want to come?"

James glanced back, blinking in the darkness. "No, that's okay! Have fun, I'll catch up later!"

He squeezed through the clump of people before the girls could say anything else. There he was, like a god, standing positioned in the middle of the party, drink in his hand.

James approached. "Hey, stranger," he murmured, confidence much better since the first time but never as strong as the stranger's would be.

"Hey, it's you~!" The stranger crowed, grin a mile-wide stretch of white. James felt himself melting and forced himself to stand up straight.

"Haha, yeah. It's me." He hesitated. Did that mean the stranger had been waiting for James to show up? The fluttering in his chest grew strong, and he shoved it away. Why would he be? It was just luck that James was at every single party the stranger went to. "Did you want to—"

The stranger laughed. "Not here. This is Hamilton's house, he said he'd kill me if I did anything in here again. S'not like I'm scared of him, but I'd rather not risk a broken nose."

He hates Hamilton.

That should've rung some bells in James' mind, but he wasn't focused enough on who this guy was anymore.

"C'mon, let's go to mine."

Dizzy and in the moment, James let the stranger grab a hold of his hand and pull him through the crowd just like the first time they'd met.

They passed the girls playing foosball, and as they all glanced up to see James, he pointed hastily toward the stranger; nodded with wide eyes, and disappeared after him.

e. schuyler.
"Oh, my god."

Maria was staring down at the foosball table, as if she hadn't actually seen what she had just seen. Peggy was staring at Maria, because Peggy did that, and Angelica was staring after where James had been dragged through the crowd.

No, where Thomas Jefferson had dragged James through the crowd.

Suddenly, all four of them started speaking at once.

"Did you see that?"
"No fucking way."
"He's going to ruin James!"
"I swear, if he hurts him, I'm going to pound him into mincemeat."
"How did none of us realize it was Thomas?"

The four of them stared at each-other. "We have to warn him," Eliza whispered softly.

"Now, or after?" Peggy chided, blinking.

"Now! Obviously now!" Maria nudged her.

Angelica was still staring after where James and Thomas had slipped away. "...Yeah. Now. Text James, or call him, or something. We have to get him out of there."

!!! THE TEA! why do you think angelica was distracted ;)? also, holy shit, the real drama is about to heat up babeyyy