Another Scottish Tragedy [LAMS AU]

46

Trigger warning: Emotional abuse/manipulation mention, rape mention, homophobia 

A/N: In this book I've noticed that I often switch between "King's College" and "Columbia University" and I'd just like to clear that up. They're the same school just with two different names. It was originally named King's College but was renamed Columbia University.  

I love writing nice Henry :) 

The rest of the semester passed uneventfully.

Exam season came and went.

Alex had made an agreement with two people in his law class to only have 25 mental breakdowns total, the breakdowns divided evenly along the three students.

In the ends, they had 85 breakdowns.

John Jay stopped caring after 5.

James Madison had 29.

Hamilton had the other 51.

Eventually, it was time for summer break.

John was planning to go up to New York to spend the summer with Alex. After all, there's nothing like summer in the city.

Before he went to New York, he would spend some time at home with his parents.

When John got home, his mother and father hugged them like he'd just returned from a war.

Judging by the amount of stress he'd been under these past few weeks, he might as well have been at war.

"I appreciate the warm welcome but I can't breathe."

"You survived!" His mother said. "You survived your first year of college! We're so proud of you."

John's father wiped away a fake tear. "They grow up so fast."

"To be honest I never thought I'd live past fifteen." John laughed. "Trust me, this is as shocking to me as it is to you."

"We saw your grades. Fantastic as usual."

"Really?"

"You finished the year with a 4.0."

"Holy shit."

"Jacky, how did you not know this? These are your grades."

"I stopped checking my grades." John said. "I got a 32 on a quiz and blocked the grade checking website on my computer."

"Oh Jacky."

John laughed.

"So, Jacky, are we going to talk about your plans for next year?"

John took a deep breath. This was it.

Laurens, do not throw away your shot.

"I'm transferring to Columbia. In New York. Hercules and Lafayette are coming with me." John sighed.

"Are you sure this is the right decision, John?"

John nodded. "I know it is."

"It's going to be difficult." John's father said. "You'll be very far away. If anything were to happen to you we wouldn't be able to come to you."

"I know."

John's mother grabbed him by the shoulders and tilted her head back to look him directly in the eye. John was taller than his mother now. A strange concept.

"John, we're incredibly worried about you being so far away from us. But... it's worth it. Because you're happy. Alex makes you happy. You were so sad when you were in high school, and it broke my heart to see my little boy so unhappy for so long. But now you're happy again, and we want to keep you happy."