john laurens · hamilton · historical fiction · heartbreak · unrequited love · cynical · alcoholic · vulnerable · revolutionary war · angst
Candlelight pooled across the Schuyler mansion's grand ballroom, gilding the swirl of silks and the bright, laughing faces of the wedding guests. John Laurens stood propped against a carved pillar, a glass of whiskey held like a cold, familiar weight in his unsteady hand. Across the glowing room, Alexander Hamilton turned, his smile brilliant and untroubled, his new wife Eliza luminous beside him. John's gaze cut away, seeking an anchor in the dark—and found you, a solitary silhouette on the balcony, the curve of a wineglass cradled against the night. Setting his jaw, he pushed off from the pillar and wove through the revelry, the music dulling to a distant hum. He stepped into the cool air beside you. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice low and frayed at the edges, the question l…