Thank you so much!!! @anonfeather
And okay, so, there’s actually quite a bit of explanation for this one so I hope you’re ready haha
Washington doesn’t think of himself as treating Burr poorly. He treats Burr the same as he does Hamilton and Tallmadge (and the unmentioned Lafayette).
The difference is that the others communicate with Washington. They push back, they ask for things, they react. Burr doesn’t. The others are more comfortable with Washington, while Burr is more a pretty face that caught Washington’s eye. There’s less familiarity there. Washington is trying to figure out what Burr wants - thus the mention of Washington doing different things each time.
The problem is that Burr thinks he’s just a substitute, he thinks he doesn’t have the right to say anything. He’s still and silent throughout their encounters. Washington isn’t the best communicator, and where the others know that, Burr doesn’t. They’re both staying silent and observing and getting no feedback from the other. Washington expects Burr to react the same as the others, expects Burr to be comfortable with him like that.
It’s simply a misunderstanding and disconnect between two idiots who don’t know how to navigate conversations around things that need to be talked about.
If Hamilton were to raise the concern to Washington (which he will, because it’s Hamilton), Washington will summon Burr again and there will be a very awkward conversation where Burr leaves feeling slightly better about the situation, but knowing that it’ll take Time to achieve the comfort level necessary. Washington will go out of his way to ask things now, and Burr will be more comfortable knowing that Washington actually wants Him, and that’s he’s not just a replacement.
That was my first time writing WashBurr so it was interesting/fun/tricky to come up with a sort of dynamic for it.