Freckle Stars [MODERN LAMS Oneshots/Shorts]

Hadestown

Alex looked up lovingly at John, his eyes shimmering as he strums his guitar gently.

John smiled back at Alex with just as much love before moving to sit beside him on the fallen log that had been providing them shelter for the past month.

Alex began to sing, "Love will follow, and follow it will, follow into my arms and the love it will spill, travel into my heart and the feeling it starts because John, you're the one I adore." Alex gave a final strum before kissing John on the head.

John's face dusted with pink before he grinned up at Alex, "Alex..."

"John?" Alex chuckled.

John shook his head, "All the love songs are getting me trapped in a daze." He sighed fondly before a noise disturbed the forest atmosphere around them.

"...Your stomach growling will scare away the birds." Alex half teased.

John's smile faltered, "Alex...what are we going to do?"

Alex frowned, "What do you mean?" He moved his guitar to rest on his back,  its strap across his chest.

"I love you with all my heart, you know that, but we can't go on living like this..." John looked at his feet.

"My music will provide for us, my love love." Alex encouraged.

"...But, you said that months ago, Lex...nothing's...changed." John shrugged.

Alex felt his heart ache at John's disappointed look, "There just- it's a tough crowd, I suppose?"

"Yeah...the birds don't really repay us." John gave a half smile.

"To be fair, we don't repay birds for their songs either." Alex also gave a small smile.

"But the birds have nests and food and-" John shook his head with a sigh.

Alex bit his lip as he thought before nodding and putting his hand on John's shoulder, "I'll find the nearest town tomorrow, I'll sing there, I'll sing for them and I'll provide for us, how does that sound?"

John's eyes shone with doubt for a moment before he nodded, "Alright...let's get some sleep until then, huh?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah." He took his guitar off of his shoulders and placed it on the grass by their feet, standing up before turning around to stick his hand into a hollow in the fallen tree to retrieve a tattered blanket; he lay down the blanket on the grass before beckoning John forward.

John dipped his head and lay down on the blanket with another sigh.

Alex soon lay down next to John and propped himself up on his elbow, "Things will get better for us, Johnny Boy, just you wait."

John nodded slowly, "Yeah...Yeah Okay."

"May the gods light our way." Alex lay on his back, putting an arm around John.

John trembled in the cold before pressing close to Alex and closing his eyes, "May the gods light our path..."

***

When John awoke, Alex was already up and ready, not that there was much to get ready, they only had one set of clothes and all Alex could do is brush his hair and douse the fire, but he was still ready.

"I was waiting to say goodbye." Alex smiled at John warmly.

"Goodbye sounds like you're leaving me?" John cocked an eyebrow teasingly.

"Well then," Alex proceeded in a highbrow British accent, "Good Day, M'lady."

John chuckled at the same time Alex began to laugh.

Alex thought for a moment about that sound, and for once he was sure it best the melody of his music. He paused before waving goodbye, "I'll follow the railroad tracks to the city, I'll be back before you know I'm gone."

John nodded, "Well, I'm going back to sleep."

"Hey," Alex took a step towards John and bent down to hold his hand for a moment, "Best of guys and best of husbands."

John kissed Alex's hand before holding up his own to draw Alex's hair behind his ear.

Alex stood up before turning around and heading through the trees and onto the railroad track.

***

It had been hours since Alex left, but with John sleeping, it had felt like merely minutes when he heard the whistle of a train just beyond the stretch of trees behind his head. John groaned as the train's breaks made a loud squealing noise and he went to cover his ears before realizing something the next train stop isn't for the next ten miles...what the actual-

"John Laurens!" An unfamiliar voice called through the trees after the train had stopped.

-Fuck.

John scrambled to his feet and leapt behind the fallen log, as if that would help. He hid there, shaking, as he looked out at the camp sight, all was quiet until- John felt a hand grab his shoulder and he let out a feminine scream.

"Easy!" A voice behind John called.

John fought the urge to shut his eyes tight, he instead slowly turned around to look up and meet shining amber eyes.

"John Laurens, am I correct?" The man who owned the amber eyes held out a hand.

"Y-yes-" John figured there was no use in lying if this guy owned a train and knew exactly where to find him.

"Aaron Burr," The man, Aaron Burr, shook John's hand gruffly.

"Oh, sure, sir." John nodded, standing up before pausing, "W-Wait, aren't you that- famous construction manager who built the- well, helped build- the city?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" Burr grinned.

"Sure have!" John beamed, "You're like- a multi-millionaire sir!"

Burr let out a hearty chuckle, "That's me."

"What are you- what are you doing here?"

"Well, a little song bird told me you were looking for a stable life, huh?"

"Y-yes, sir." John nodded.

"Well, I've come to offer you a job, my boy!"

John's eyes widened, "M-me? Really!?"

"Yes, you! Now, come along." Burr nodded towards the train tracks.

"B-but I have to wait for-"

"For Alex?" A female voice came from behind Burr who seemed to flinch at this before turning around as his gaze softened, "Ah, John, this is my wife, Theodosia."

Theodosia made her way next to Burr and dipped her head.

"Please to meet you." John did a small bow.

"This job provides a roof over your head and all necessities for survival- which, you seem to be lacking of at the moment, Love." Theo frowned.

John nodded sheepishly.

Theo grabbed at her satchel around her waist and grabbed a paper and pen, "All you have to do is sign here, lovely, and we can get to work! I promise this will do you some good."

John grabbed the paper, "What about-"

"All in good time." Theo nodded, pointing where to sign before John signed his name.

Burr snatched the paper back as a grin spread across his face, his eyes started to glow an eery red as Theo looked at her feet guiltily.

John felt his heart-rate pick up as he was pushed towards the train, guided by Theodosia as they paused in front of an open train cart, opening it to see multiple people, John took one thing into account— all of these people's eyes were black- pure black- just pupils, no whites, no irises, John turned around quickly to face Burr, "Wh-who did you say you were again?" John was having doubts that he had gotten the right man with who he thought he was.

"Aaron Burr, of course- though, more widely known as Hades, god of the underworld of Hadestown."

To be continued...