Hope for Our Ass After All

t h i r t y - f i v e

Elizabeth Schuyler went off on her adventures and left four depressed men to sit, silent, in a room. The card game UNO sat on the coffee table, halfway through a game (John was winning, somehow) that wouldn't be finished. 2008 Mario Kart was still in the Wii, and if you turned on the TV, it would open to that game. Monopoly sat on the floor. Alexander was winning that one, his icon the top hat with six hotels and raking in the cash. A deck of cards—the same they'd been playing Go Fish with when Alex first arrived, months ago—rested obliviously on the counter—half-open, like someone had begun to open it but got distracted.

Alexander was at his desk, writing a paper. Lafayette was eating cereal in the kitchen, because Hercules had taken up the table with his sketches and Lafayette didn't want to be anywhere near him. John was not home, out at some coffee place pretending that Alexander was fine.

john
He didn't cheat on you. John shifted, staring into the caramel macchiato on the table by the window. It was drizzling that November morning, making his mood all the more somber. How could you believe a phone call from a stranger? He didn't cheat on you. John stood, finishing off the coffee and tossing it out. He threw on his jacket.

They probably just wanted to start drama. Probably had beef with Alex. Everyone seems to, anyway.

He pushed the door open, shielding himself from the light rain with his hood. But his thoughts turned bad again.

Not enough to do that. How'd they get my number, anyway? Why do they care so much? And what— What was Eliza doing there, anyway? John zipped his jacket. I don't like this. I don't like this one bit. Alex wouldn't lie to me, but I don't know how to fix this.

The rain was getting worse. He's probably talking to Laf right now, talking about me. Stupid me. Thunder. And Maria? Maybe it was a ruse, the cheating thing. An excuse to go over there and talk to her. Maybe Peggy is in on it. Or she still doesn't know. He turned the corner, building in sight.

I'm dumb. Alex was cheating on me. That's the only possible thing. Up the stairs. He— no, he can't— he looked so confused when I dumped him. Down the hall. And Hercules, too. So fucking confused. Why was Herc so fucking confused? Why was he at the mall without a phone? There's the door.

Lafayette is horrified, scared of Herc. What even happened between them? Nobody told me. Unless... Crying? I was the only one who knew. About Lafayette. How did Herc— even if he didn't— maybe he doesn't even know—

The door swung open. Alexander was crying. Crying hard. Thunder rumbled, and John rushed toward him as though nothing had happened. Lafayette was still in the kitchen, staring into a now-stale bowl of cereal. Hercules was stiffly putting away his sketches, as if he was ignoring Alex.

John was worried, eyes wide, as Alex sobbed. "What is happening? Are you okay?" His breath was coming in gasps. John narrowed his eyes. Should he be comforting him now? During their fight?

Alex spoke, the first words to John in a while. His voice was rough and cracked from crying and his sentences were interrupted by sobs, but he spoke. "Back in— the hurricane, I—" he choked out. "I don't—I don't like storms."

John's heart beat faster. How did he not know that? And furthermore, should he even be comforting the guy he dumped for probably cheating on him? "Shh, it's okay. You're safe in here." Thunder cracked. Alex hyperventilated. John swallowed. "You're fine. Deep breaths, okay? Deep breaths."

He could feel eyes on him. Both Lafayette and Hercules watched, silent, like cats, as John comforted his ex. It was awful for all four of them.

"Shh, shh." Alex shivered, and John pulled him into a hug before he could stop himself. He just... it was scary seeing Alex cry, and he didn't want to watch. Alex hiccuped against his chest, and John bit back a choked out sob himself. "You're okay." The rain and thunder didn't subside, and lightning continued to flash through the window, but everything felt softer now.

Lafayette whispered from behind John, a choked out sentence broken by French. "Mon ami," he murmured, speaking to John, calling him a friend for the first time in a while. "Alexander will be okay."

John squeezed him tightly, and then released him. "I know." Alex didn't meet his gaze. "I know." He moved away from him, not prepared to finish a conversation with him. With either of them. Hercules watched silently.

The door opened. Eliza stood in the doorframe, holding a folder. "You might want to hear this."

[the storm chapter is iconic but i like turning it into a terrible time for everyone wow ;) also eliza got her shit together guys be proud]