My Dear Laurens (Lams)

J. Laurens

Alexander smiled.

"I guessed it was you."

Laurens' head perked up.

"Wait, you did? How did you know?"

Alexander raised his eyebrows and with a cock of his head, he uttered three words, succeeded by two, "Like I said," Alexander lowered his tone, "I guessed."

With that smooth, simple, cocky whisper, Laurens was driven wild. His mind was flooded with thoughts of Alexander. Under him, trembling in excitement and anticipation instead of terror. Laurens could no longer focus; he just stared at Alexander's lips and didn't look away.

Alexander, confused, attempted to snap Laurens out of the trance.

"Laurens," he snapped his fingers. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Alexander looked around the room searching for any tool able to bring his friend back to reality. He truly was concerned.

An image popped into his head. A memory of the morning prior. He knew neither satisfaction nor pleasure could be attained through his next actions. He didn't want to, he had to!

Alexander twisted his body to the right. He let the blanket fall off his shoulders increasing needed mobility of his arms for his foolproof plan. A lone white pillow at the head of the bed. Rested and unused. It didn't know Alexander's hands would grab its thin corners and destroy it only to jolt a man back to the real world. It didn't want that, but Alexander didn't care. He grabbed those soft, virtuous corners and forced them to aid and abet his crimes.

A down feather filling burst from Alexander's accomplice severing the connection between Laurens and the dream-state.

Hercules Mulligan would have been proud.

He also did not care for a pillow's feelings.

"Pffthfthfthffft," Laurens said.

Feathers stuck to his drool-dipped lips. Laurens was stuck between dismay and distress. Truly, a rock and a hard place.

He wiped the feathers away from his mouth.

"What was that f-" a revelation occurred, and Laurens covered his face with his hands. "I zoned out, didn't I?"

Alexander nodded.

"Yes, you did. What were you thinking about?"

Laurens was speechless.

Battle, women, you? No, revolutions, slavery, you? NO.

"I was thinking," Laurens said.

Alexander had to stifle a laugh.

"Uh-huh, I caught that, but what were you thinking about?"

Laurens, in disarray, exhaled heavily.

"You."

Alexander would have taken a step back if he were standing.

"Me?"

"You."

"What about me?"

For once, Laurens had a good excuse.

"I was thinking about what it was like listening to you speak. You really have a way with words, you know."

Alexander's smile was smaller than he wished to show. Alexander had no qualm when it came to talking about himself, but he had to sacrifice this opportunity and instead use it for another question he had been harboring since he stood in front of the perplexed, then obsessed audience.