And Peggy [Modern Hamilton AU : Complete]

Nineteen hours later

I woke up in a unfamiliar room and a bed that wasn't my own. Someone had their arms around me. I jolted upright and looked around wildly.

Maria's room.

I reached for my phone and checked the time. 6:00 am. I'd spent the whole night here.

On the other side of the double mattress lay Maria. She looked innocent in sleep, and calmer. A smile was playing on her red lips. I smiled myself at the picture, and stood up to turn on the light. The brightness flooded the room, and Maria stirred, her eyes half open.

"You awake?" I asked softly, and she mumbled something intelligible in response. I settled down next to her and closed my eyes again.

An hour or so later...

I came out of the bathroom fully dressed, and knocked on Maria's bedroom door. No answer. I slowly opened the door a crack. What I saw made my cheeks redden and I slammed the door, hoping she wouldn't notice.

Of course, she did.

"Peggy? We're both girls, it doesn't really matter," she said in amusement. She flung open the door and grinned at me wearing nothing but her underwear. I spun around to look the other way.

"You have a boyfriend, Maria!" I muttered.

"Not anymore I don't."

"What do you mean?" I started to turn around and look at her, but the amount of exposed skin stopped me in my tracks.

"He's moved away, not meant to be coming back." I heard her footsteps retreating back to her room, but it was another ten minutes before I went in. Just in case.

Maria might have been dressed when I came in this time, but her hair was a mess. Usually, it was dark and shining and wavy and perfect, but her bed hair was nothing short of hilarious. I sat her down on the mattress, then picked up her hairbrush and carefully started brushing. I couldn't see her expression, but she was probably smiling. She didn't complain once as I brushed, even when there was a huge knot and I had to pull really hard.

"Are you sure that didn't hurt?"

She flicked a strand of hair over her shoulder. "I've dealt with aggressive brushing before, but yours is just cute."

I felt my face heat again, and busied myself with my own hair. The stupid stuff wouldn't de-knot and I growled in frustration.

"Need help?" Maria took my hairbrush from me and started to brush my hair. I braces myself, but she was surprisingly gentle, and when she was done, I found myself leaning backwards into her. Then the doorbell rang.

"Your doorbell is so loud!" I complained, covering an ear with one hand, and picking up my things with the other. Maria gave a light laugh, and we stumbled downstairs to see who it was. We opened the door and standing there was my stepmom. She gave Maria a dirty look before grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the house.

Maria stood in the doorway, all signs of her laughter gone, and I stared desperately back at her from inside the car. Eliza was waiting in the car, and she glared at me as we drove off.

I wasn't going home, though. Home wasn't a place. It was becoming a person.

Maria was my home.