#❧thread

[our-universeunfolding-blog]

When Nessa Punched Aaron

Everything came to a standstill. Nessa had just... cursed at Laurens? What? All three men knew there was something wrong with this picture.

“Did you just...?” Aaron seemed to forget that using words had just gotten him punched.

Thankfully, Alexander remembered and slapped a hand over his mouth. “You might want to stop before I have to write a pamphlet about letting my historically important roommates kill each other.” Alexander deemed it safe for him to take back his hand. He’d have to grab some hand sanitizer. “Let’s go before you start another duel. I doubt this one would end in your favor.” He nodded to John, knowing his boyfriend had it handled, before dragging Burr away from the war he’d incited.

John waited until Nessa seemed to calm down before asking, “If I put you down, will you hit me?”

[our-universeunfolding-blog]

Raise A Glass With Nessa

John had noticed Nessa’s despondence despite the effort she’d seemed to exert to hide her worry. He could only begin to imagine what she could be feeling.

He put what he hoped to be a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Nessa, Sebastian is a good soldier and a good man. He’ll be raising a glass with us soon enough and then the lot of us will drink and sing until the barkeep kicks us out--or until Hamilton starts a fight. It’s a toss-up as to which would come first.” He hoped throwing in some humor would lighten her mood, if only by the smallest bit.

[our-universeunfolding-blog]

“My head is clear! It’s theirs — and apparently yours — that can’t seem to process what I’m trying to say.” Alexander scowled, knocking over the offered chair to get in Teddy’s face. “Don’t you have any passion at all? Any sense of progression? I think what you’re doing here is great, but it’s not enough and I think you know that. I think you know this place is getting stagnant and you’re scared.”

Alexander stepped back to grit his teeth, mentally counting to ten (backwards, in French…and Spanish…and a couple other languages for good measure). “If something needs to be said, I’ll say it. I won’t hold back and I won’t go unheard. I’d prefer an intelligent discussion to a goddamn screaming match, but I’ll do whatever’s necessary for the greater good. I respect you, and I won’t disrespect you by censoring my opinions to spare your — or their — feelings.”

@tragedyrepeated