Jr Rev Squad - ONE SHOTS

After the Toast - PART I

MODERN AU!

Same universe as "Narcissus" and "Just Friends" (read those before pls)

Frances sat beside Georges at the table while the speeches went on. Alexander and Aaron, already lightly drunk, made a duo speech and sang a song together only to embarrass Philip and Theodosia during the ceremony.

"You ok?" Georges whispered at her while she turned her champagne glass and drank half a glass at one single gulp and took another glass as a waiter passed by them.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asked with a smile before she turned her attention to whoever was speaking at the time, but they knew each other well enough to Georges notice it was a fake smile. He was the only person who she openly spoke to about her crush on Philip for long years. She tried to get over it after high school but never truly managed to, always sabotaging her relationships, which ended in the silliest ways, always coming with some excuse about her partners but Georges knew that it was not true.

He glanced at the other side of the round table and saw Angelica, Philip's little sister, snugging closer to Alfred's chest as he kept an arm around her, quickly looking back at some old friend of the Hamilton's speaking up and the public laughed at some story he told. Georges had had a crush on Angelica as far as he can remember, but it wasn't until high school when things changed, when Alfred stepped in. He still remembered of that damn science project they were partnered together and how much he wished he had intervened. But it was too late now to do anything. They have been dating for almost five years now and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he proposed.

"Alright, alright, that's what I am talking about!" Alexander announced, taking the microphone in the center of the salon, "And now! For the last speech of the night! Let's call-" Frances tensed up when noticed him walking towards her table.

She couldn't stop but think, "Please don't call me, please don't call me. Please call Angie, please-"

"The maid of honor! Frances Laurens!"

"Nooooo" Frances embarrassedly murmured and Georges patted her back in support as people clapped and whistled.

"You can do it," He whispered giving her a thumbs-up.

"Shut up" She sharply replied, red in the face, as she stood up and tried to smile as she walked towards her uncle, taking the microphone from him as she heard someone yell.

"YOU ROCK, FRAN!" She turned around to see Georges loudly whistling, receiving a slap from Mary who was standing nearly beside him as she held her ear. Frances suppressed a laughed at the sight of seeing her annoyed, but simply turned to face the groom and the bride.

Her heart skipped a beat when saw Philip in all his handsome glory, his hair pulled back in a bun, some rebel hairs falling on his face from his side bang that was taking a long time to grow. Tears came to her eyes as she thought, "He looks so handsome in that tux". But she looked to the side with a sorrowful expression, hidden by her smile growing wider. Theodosia smiled at her friend and waved. Frances waved back with a quiet chuckle. She looked astonishing. The many sparkles on her white dress only made her dark skin even more radiant than usual, or it was the happiness of such a special day for them. Frances wouldn't choose.

They looked at each other with such tenderness while Philip's hand laid over hers at the table... Frances only wished it was her in Theodosia's place.

She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, simply breathing out with a giggle and making some people laugh, including the bride and groom. Next thing she knew, she was blurting out a speech she had no memory of. She just remembers the strong ill to cry as long as she spoke and in the end, she couldn't control the tears any longer as she grabbed a champagne glass from a waitress and lift it as she shouted, "TO YOUR UNION!" Before she drank it and everyone in the party shouted in glee, repeating her sentence as they also lifted their own glasses and applauded.