#hamwriters

Learn to write, she wrote, her letters looping elegantly along her arm. You write like a child.

Sorry if not all of us can write calligraphy.

Well, at least his writing was more legible when he tried.

Theo looked at her arm. Why was his writing so messy-was he a child? Was he even a he or was her soulmate a girl?

Piano lesson 5:45

Ooh, changing things up a bit.

Why not 7:00?

They didn't answer. She took the hand sanitizer from her bag and rubbed the pen off, the blue smearing down her arm.

What's your name?

Still nothing.

Your hand writing looks really good today.

Thanks. I've been working on it for you.

Wouldn't want your arms to be littered with my ugly handwriting.

Theodosia looked down at her arm in shame.

I didn't mean to be mean 

But it was.

I'm sorry.

Yeah I bet…

 I am! I'm just a perfectionist.

I didn't mean to hurt you.

There was no reply for a time. Theodosia sighed and set her pen down on the desk. She rubbed the hand sanitizer over her arm and wiped off the blue once more, along with the black lines from his pen.

French page 283 1-16 even  

Theo smiled at his forgetfulness. She looked down at the homework planner in front of her. French homework. Page 283, numbers 1-16, even. Due Monday. It was due today, next class, and he had yet to do it.

He was in her French class.

Which narrowed it down to about fifteen boys. She hastily began scribbling the answers on her arm. Good thing it was multiple choice.

Answers to French homework, she scribbled. Hurry up. It's almost time for class.

She hid her arm under the desk and prayed that no one would see her. She was a good kid; she had never cheated before. Or helped someone else cheat. It was just homework, right? It wasn't that bad. She grew anxious the more time that went by. The bell was going to ring soon. She couldn't risk being caught cheating. She was a shoo in for valedictorian. Getting caught would ruin everything.

I'm done. Thank you.

Oh thank god. She took her hand sanitizer out and cleaned her hands, her arms, everything. Almost obsessively. ‘I gotta get rid of it all. All the evidence.’

 The bell rang and everyone around her was picking up their books. She kept her movements as calm as she could, wondering if anyone knew that she just helped someone cheat. She pushed her books in her bag and walked to her next class; French.

Theo couldn't concentrate during class; not knowing that her soulmate was in the room. He was here. He had a much easier job than she did; there were only three girls in the class. Should she wait for him to find her, or should she try to figure it out?

She fidgeted in her seat, clicking her pen before she finally wrote on her arm. She had to know. She drew a small flower on her arm and watched around the room. She had the perfect seat in the back corner of the room where she could watch every one of her classmates.

You draw like a child.   

She looked down at the writing and smirked.

I guess we both have our faults, then. Huh?   

She looked around the room and watched the curly head boy in the opposite corner looking down and smiling.

I've been working on my writing, you can learn to draw.    

Theo smiled down once more. She had to be careful not to get caught by the teacher. She scribbled another terribly drawn flower on her arm and returned to her classwork.

Wanna meet up after class? Locker 729

 I'll see you there. I like your hair by the way.   

She watched as his ears turned red and his head whipped around the room.

Theo?   

You smiled at him and waved across the room, laughing quietly to yourself as you watched his eyes grow wide, his cheeks flushing, his head whip back to his classwork.

Class couldn't finish fast enough. They walked out of class together, walking side by side, silently, but not uncomfortably. Theo couldn't help but smile at the tinge of pink that moved up to the tips of Philip's ears. His hands were shaking as he reached for the combination lock on his locker. He tugged on the lock, expecting it to open and flushing a deeper red when it did not. His hands spun the lock fast, speeding past the right numbers, flushing when it wouldn't open again.

“Philip, calm down,” she whispered soothingly.

“Do you want to go on a date sometime?” He blurted out.

Theo smiled at him. “Of course. Just promise you'll stop freaking out and calm down.”

“Wait, you'll- You wanna go on a date with me?”

Theo laughed. “Of course I will. You are my soulmate after all.” She kissed his cheek gently before walking away to her own locker. She could feel the words appearing on her skin as she walked away.

Date with Theo- 7:00?

Date with Philip- 7:00.   

Philip showed up at Theo’s house wearing a light green polo shirt and dark jeans, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. Theo loved the flowers- black eyed susans had always been her favorite. Rudbeckia hirta. Plants, and flowers in general, were her main hobby.

“These are my favorite,” she smiled. “How did you know?”

Philip blushed as Theo beamed, holding the flowers gently in her hands. “They just looked like something you would like. I got them from my mom’s flower bed.”

“They're beautiful,” she said, the smile still lighting up her face. “Let me go put them in water and I'll be right back.”

She walked to the kitchen to grab a mason jar for the flowers, Aaron taking her place in the doorway. “What do you plan on doing tonight?”

“Well, sir, I planned on bringing her on a walk and then, time permitting, I'd like to teach her how to play a little bit of piano… sir.”

“And that's all?”

“That's all, Mr Burr. Maybe we could stop for food somewhere. I have money to pay with.”

They could hear Theo walking closer and Aaron stepped back smiling. “I'll see you two no later than 9:30.” He gave Theo a kiss on the cheek as she moved in to hug him. “You look beautiful, Theo. Have fun, you two.” He shook Philip's hand. “No later than 9:30. And be sure you stick to your plans, Philip.”

“Yes, sir. She'll be back before 9:30, promise.”  He grabbed Theo's hand and they walked to the car, Philip leading her to the passenger seat before jumping in the driver’s seat. “You ready to go?”

“Of course. I'm excited,” she said. She was bouncing in her seat. She had been writing to the gorgeous boy next to her for months, and they had both taken so long to figure it out. Their soulmate had been their childhood best friend. “Pip?”

He smiled at the old nickname. “Hmm?”

“Why did we ever grow apart?”

He grabbed her hand and held it in his, their hands resting gently on the center console. “I don't know Thee. It might have something to do with the fact that girls have cooties.” He smirked. “But I think we just grew apart. We got other friends, started hanging out with them more and just didn't hang out as much. But just like we grew apart, we’ll grow together. I'm not losing you again Thee.”

“I don't want you to lose me.”

Philip pulled into a hidden alcove and put the car in park. He pushed the center console out of the way and leaned over, his face closing in on Theo’s. “ I dare you to kiss me,” he whispered against her cheek.

“I dare you to get in the backseat with me,” she shot back, a smirk shining on her face. Philip’s eyes widened and his hands fumbled with the seat belt while Theo got out of the car and climbed in back. His fingers finally figured out the latch and he stumbled out of the car, tripping over his own feet. He threw the back door open and jumped inside, where Theo pushed her body at his.

Philip squeaked as her legs straddled his lap, her lips pressing against his. Her hands came up to frame his face, pulling him closer. The skirt of her dress rode up ever so slightly and Philip couldn't control his body.  

Their chests pushed against one another, their breathing synchronizing as they pulled away from the kissing to breathe. Their lips brushed against one another as their bodies shook with each breath. “God I've wanted to kiss you again for so long,” Philip whispered against Theo's lips. “It's been- what?- seven years?”

“Yeah,” Theo murmured, her cheeks tinged pink. “Almost eight. It was my tenth birthday. You were my first kiss. And now you're my first real kiss.” She leaned down, her head resting on the beating in Philip's chest. The soft heartbeats pounded against her cheek. The silence was familiar, comfortable. They sat, tangled in each other's arms, just enjoying the feeling of being held.

“We should probably go do what I told your father we were going to do,” Philip said, breaking the silence. “I think you'll enjoy it.” He leaned over and pushed the car door back open, his lips still pulsing from the fervency of their kisses. He maneuvered her easily, shuffling their bodies from the car.

“What did you tell my dad we were doing?” She questioned, receiving a smirk in return as he set her down on the uneven ground.

“I told him we were going for a walk, which we're doing now, and then, time permitting, I wanna teach you something. Or show you something. I don't know yet. Maybe stop somewhere for food. Or we can go back to my place and eat leftover pizza,” he said, wagging his eyebrows. “I know how much you love cold pepperoni pizza.”

Theo blushed slightly. “I do love cold pizza.”

Philip laughed. “I know you do. So between stop a- which is now- and stop b, we’ll make a pit stop at my house and get some pizza.”

They didn't have to walk far before they walked into a clearing. A glistening pond sat in the middle, the sun’s rays shining off the clear water. Green grasses and reeds surrounded the pond, and Philip pulled Theo right to the edge water’s edge.

“A pond?”

“Not just any pond,” he said. “Our pond.”  Philip stood behind Theo and wrapped his arms around her. Finding out they were soulmates made everything perfect. They fell into step with each other, as if they had never grown apart. “Remember when I released my goldfish here because I didn't want to take care of them anymore?” Theo bobbed her head softly before leaning back on his shoulder. “Apparently they found some sort of food source. Look at them.”

Theo's gaze followed his finger. Swirls of orange, white, and black dance just beneath the surface of the water. Little mouths bobbed up from the water to catch an insect or two in them. They had definitely grow from those little fish that swam in a tank. A big mouth emerged from the water, swallowing larger bugs. “That wasn't a goldfish,” she said surprised.

Philip chuckled. “No, I had a neighbor give me a couple of koi fish. I think they had some babies  in there somewhere.”

“How do they survive the winter, Pip?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “Fishy magic.”

“Yeah,” Theo breathed. “Magic.” She turned around and pressed her lips to Philip's cheek. “It's so peaceful here. I love it. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered, leaning into her lips.

Theo pushed him back against one of the trees surrounding them, her hands reaching for his shirt. “Stop me if you don't want this,” she said, yanking the shirt from where it laid against his jeans. Her hands roamed his body, her fingers tracing up and down the lines of his body. Her fingers fell to his waistband, her fingers confidently unbuttoning his jeans and tugging at the zipper. She smiled as she felt his erection straining at his boxers. “Do you want this?”

“Theo, I've dreamed of this,” he panted. “But are you sure you want this now? Here?”

“I just want you,” she said. “It doesn't matter when or where, just as long as it's you.”

“Let’s go back to my house,” Philip said, his voice cracking. “Or to the car, whichever.”

“Aren't your parents home?”

He shook his head, his curls bouncing around his head. “They brought the kids out for dinner. They won't be back for a while.”

Theo smiled softly as she buttoned up Philip’s jeans and fixed his shirt. No sooner had her hands left his shirt than she took off running for the car. Philip took off after her, catching up just before she made it to the car, pinning her to the hood. It was still warm from the short drive, warming up their bodies as the sun set.

“You're a tease,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck. Her spine bowed towards him as his kisses trailed to the cleavage spilling from her dress. “I think we should wait to have sex,” he murmured, still trailing kisses down her naked skin. “I love you, so much. I do, but I still think we should wait.”

“Okay,” she said. “I understand. I'll wait for you.” Her chest was heaving and Philip laid down gently, resting his head against the dip of her sternum.

“Oh thank god,” he whispered, barely audible. “I love you with all my heart. But I really want to wait.”

Theo’s fingers danced across Philip's back. “It's okay. I'm glad you told me.” She paused. “We can still go back to your house and make out though, right?”

Philip rolled off the hood, the heat starting to be too much, and laughed. “Of course,” he said, reaching out a hand to pull her up with him. “Let's go get some cold pizza.”

The ride to the Hamilton mansion was short and silent, but not uncomfortable. Nothing more than an ‘I love you’ was uttered between the two, but they didn't need any more. They were in love with each other (they always had been). Philip pulled into the driveway and turned the car off.

“We can just finish the date here if you want. I have all the supplies I need for part two.”

“I thought part two was the pizza.”

“No,” he said, walking to the trunk of his car. “Pizza is part one and a half.” He reached inside and grabbed his book bag, heaving it over his shoulder before entwining their fingers, walking her to the house. He set his bag down in the main hallway before leading her to the kitchen and pulling the pizza box off the counter.

Theo jumped up on the counter, the back of her head pressing against the cupboards and pressed her hand down on the pizza box as Philip moved to open it. “Kiss me.”

Philip smiled and moved in closer to Theo. His hazel eyes shone bright and his wild curls danced around his face. “I love you,” he whispered, his lips molding perfectly against hers. His hands pressed on top of hers before pulling them to his chest. Their teeth scraped together and Theo pulled back and laughed.

“God, it’s just like my tenth birthday!” She teased. “So what's the next part of our date?” She took her arms and wrapped them around Philip's neck, her hands clasping in the back.

“Do you want part two now? Or do you want cold pizza?”

Theo laughed again. “Jeez, Pip, do you have to point out that it's cold pizza every time you say pizza?”

He pressed a kiss to her lips. “I do. I really do.” Theo watched as his cheeks stretched into a beautiful smile. “So, piano or cold pizza?”

Theo’s body perked up. “Piano?”

Philip nodded. “Piano.”

“I'm intrigued,” she said, sliding off the counter. “Piano.”

Philip grabbed her hands and pulled her through the front hallway, stopping to swipe his book bag from the floor. The music room was beautiful, the walls a calming light blue, music notes dotting the walls. A gorgeous Steinway stood glistening in the middle of the room. Philip reached into his book bag, releasing Theo’s hand.

Theo walked around the room mesmerized. “How come you've never showed me this room before?”

“I spent so much time in here as a kid, it wasn't the place I wanted to spend play time with my best friend.” Philip moved to the piano, a small folder in his hands. Theo danced around the room as Philip set himself up at the piano, laying his music out on the piano’s music stand. He took his place on the piano bench, sitting down and pulling the seat closer to the keys. He pulled the foot pedals a few times as Theo walked around the room before pulling a pen from the depths of his folder.

I love you with all my heart, Theodosia Bartow Burr

(Yes, I still remember your middle name)  

The piano’s gentle tones filled the room and Theo stopped her movements around the room, pausing as the first chord struck. “Philip?”

Every time our eyes meet

This feeling inside me

Is almost more than I can take.  

Tears filled Theo’s eyes as she listened to the song. It had always been her dream to have her soulmate sing it to her. Philip had not only learned to sing it for her, but play the piano for her as well.

Every little thing that you do,

Baby I'm amazed by you.

His fingers danced across the keys and the final chord of the song resounded through the room. The final few notes were still sounding in Theo’s ears when Philip grabbed the pen.

I'm amazed by you, Theodosia.

Theo lunged into Philip's lap, her weight pushing him to the ground, legs tangling up in the piano bench. “You remembered!” She sobbed into his arms, pressing sloppy wet kisses all over his face as she straddled his stomach. “I told you that when I was six and you remembered.”

“I remember everything about you Thee. Even your middle name.” He snickered. “Bartow.”

Theo laughed, wiping at the tears on her face. “Shut up! You know I hate it-”

“-because it's not a real middle name,” they finished together.

“I know. But it was your mother’s maiden name. I know that too. I'm telling you, Thee, I know everything about you. And I love everything about you.”

“Oh god, Pip. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Theo,” he said, laughing as Theo covered his face in kisses. “So how about that cold pizza now?”

Theo laughed and shoved his head back down on the floor. “Let's go get some cold pizza,” she said, bolting to the kitchen, her flats sliding across the hardwood floors.

“yeah,” anthony says. “but she’s different from the others.”

anthony always seems to do a much better job convincing himself than you.

“every girl is different,” you assure him, giving a slight eye roll. “trust me. i know girls. i am one.”

anthony shakes his head. insistent. “she really is different.”

he’s got this hopeful look in his eyes. and you don’t want to be the one to extinguish that fire. so you give a sigh and let him unspool that thread, despite the knowledge that he’ll be met with no ends. that you’ll be met with none either.

because you know these conversations. you know them well. you know the slowly drawn out voices, you know the endless glasses of wine, you know the words spun carefully with delicate thread. and you know that these conversations never end well for you. because, as you said, there is always a girl, and that girl is never you. no matter how much you want it to be.

“what makes her different?” you ask. knowing that ant has already drawn his own conclusion in the sand. there’s hardly anything you can do to change that.

anthony looks away. bites down on his lip. and sighs. “she just… is. different. she just is.”

you scoff.

“gut feeling,” he adds, as if that might help to rationalize his thoughts. a smirk’s nestles itself around his lips, and anthony can’t help but carry with him a note of arrogance. he’s the type of boy who couldn’t help but feel that he has the world figured out. even at eighteen.

you force a laugh out into the dimly lit room. “maybe you should think with your brain instead of your gut. how about that?”

anthony doesn’t laugh. doesn’t even smile. just stares and stares and stares. and the two of you sit in silence for a minute, painfully aware of the words unspoken and the thrashing waves of the hurricanes up in both of your heads. but there’s not enough wine left in the bottle to touch on even a fraction of that. not tonight.

anthony rolls his eyes and sets his empty wineglass down on the table with a satisfying clink. and tries again. “so,” he says. “there’s this girl.”

you raise an eyebrow. watch as he pours himself yet another glass of wine and downs it in one go. “ant…”

“she’s beautiful, she’s funny, she’s easy to talk to.” he’s throwing out words, shooting them from his lips as if they’re bullets. “and yeah, she’s different. really different. she’s not like every other girl. she has her own personality, her own sense of humor, her own signature laugh. so yeah, there’s this girl.”

anthony reaches for the bottle of wine, but you snatch it away. “and are you planning on doing anything about that?” you ask. “are you going to ask her out? tell her how you feel? or are you just going to wait for it all to pass you by?”

“she’s hot,” he says as if he’s not heard you. “not even… not even hot, she’s just so beautiful. she’s got this amazing hair, and her eyes are like… like stars.”

anthony casts his gaze back and forth, sweeping it across the room. back. forth. back. forth. back. finally letting his gaze rest on you. “her eyes are like stars,” he repeats. “and she puts up with all my bullshit, and i suppose i’d… well, i’d like to think that she has more of a reason for doing that than the fact that she’s my friend.”

he shakes his head and forces out a laugh at how ridiculous he sounds.

“it’s probably bullshit,” he finally says. softly, like a gentle breeze sweeping over you. “but i really love her.”

“then tell her,” you offer up. “the worst she can do is not feel the same.”

anthony casts his gaze down towards his lap and tugs out a sad smile. “you say that as if it’s not the end of the world.”

“anthony…” you twirl his name around your lips. wary. because you know he’s had too much to drink. he wouldn’t have even opened the conversation if he’d been sober.

“i know. i’m being stupid.” anthony doesn’t look at you. doesn’t look at anything, really. “but… there’s this-”

you cut him off. “i know.” you force words out so quickly that you’re surprised they don’t sever the inside of your mouth. “there’s a girl. and she’s different. so why don’t you ask her out?”

anthony heaves a sigh. “no.” you can almost hear his voice dying in his throat. “what- what would i say to her?”

“i don’t know. ‘hi, i’m anthony, and i’m stupidly in love with you, wanna go out with me’?” you supply, cracking a smile.

“no.” anthony is firm. insistent. “i can’t do that.”

“you can do that. just go up to her next time you see her and say that. well maybe not that, but… say something along those lines.”

anthony runs his fingers along the window sill and you can tell he’s nervous. “but what if she says no?”

“then, nothing,” you tell him. “then that’ll be the end of it and you can move on to some other girl who you’ll never talk to either.”

“what makes you think i’m not going to talk to this girl?” anthony dares to ask.

you quirk an eyebrow. “are you going to?”

anthony nods. but it’s hesitant. like he hasn’t quite decided whether he’s telling the truth or not. “i will, but… but i can’t say that. i can’t say ‘hi, i’m anthony, and i’m stupidly in love with you, wanna go out with me’.”

you give a shrug. “you could say that. next time you see her. you can say that.”

“i could…” anthony trails off into silence. words falling over each other as the darkness swallows them up.

he looks up at you,

then looks down at his lap,

fiddles with his hands,

looks back at you,

lets his arms fall to his side,

clenches his fists,

unclenches them,

takes a deep breath.

“hi, i’m anthony, and i’m stupidly in love with you, wanna go out with me?” he says. like a bomb dropping. but it doesn’t feel that way. not at all. it feels like a puzzle clicking into place. like the universe shifting into its proper position.

you stare at him through eyes blown wide. and remind yourself to breathe. and your voice is trapped in your throat, unspoken words fading against your lips. and all you can say is “okay”.

anthony stares at you like it’s all he knows how to do. “‘okay’ as in… you’ll go out with me?”

“‘okay’ as in…” you trail off. your heart pounds in your chest. hardly daring to believe it. but he wouldn’t joke about this. he wouldn’t, would he? “‘okay’ as in…” you repeat, but yet again, the end of the sentence is lost.

anthony’s silent. as still and strong as a stone. features painted in grace, bathed in the moonlight pouring in through the open window.

“‘okay’ as in… yeah. ‘okay’ as in yes, i’ll go out with you.” it finally comes, words tumbling over each other as they slip out from your lips.

anthony tugs at a smile. trying it on for size. you like the way it fits him.

“you’ll go out with me?”

Groaning under his breath and tearing his eyes from you, he pulled his phone from his back pocket and read the notification. He smiled softly upon seeing the text from contact name Lac, hiding the chuckle that made its way to his lips.

He texted him back half-heartedly and lifted his gaze upwards to try to find you once again in the maze of faces and bodies. He was pleasantly surprised to find you exiting the shop, glancing around and making your way to a fairly quiet spot to sit down. Lin had been standing still in the corner across the aisle and kitty-corner to yours. It was almost easy to pretend his stare was a mistake, that his line of sight was just wandering when it found yours. Except his silent pondering was interrupted once again by his phone, this time ringing with a call. He rolled his eyes as he pulled it from his pocket, answering it in the same swift movement.

It was Alex on the other end, speaking before Lin had the chance to greet him. His voice boomed into Lin’s ear and Lin winced, regretting the volume setting on his phone.

“What’s up with you, Miranda?” Alex’s tone was questioning, but Lin knew humor laced the lower edges of it.

Lin shook his head before remembering Lac couldn’t see him, “Uh, nothing… I’m just… at the airport…”

Lin silently cursed himself for the silences between his vaguely intelligible words. He hoped Lac would believe him, but understood that he wouldn’t.

“Nope. Something’s up.”

Lin rolled his eyes, his gaze still trapped on you. He watched you dig again through your bag, pulling out a worn notebook. He watched with inherent fascination as you pulled the pen from your bun and your hair cascaded down, waves falling every which way. Lac was blabbering on in his ear, but Lin had no response. He couldn’t string words together to force his way out of this one. And, Lac being Lac, would know in an instant that Lin had seen a girl.

Though, Lin knew he’d already guessed it when he tuned back into the voice in his ear. Realization found its way into Alex’s voice and into the next sentence he spoke.

“Lin… who is it?”

Lin shrugged and frowned before answering, “I’m not sure.”

“What?” Alex’s laughter traced the word and continued afterwards and Lin sighed, shifting his weight. He distractedly watched you run a hand through your hair, musing it, before blowing an exasperated sigh from your lips. Lin smiled when he felt his hand fluff his own hair on its own accord, his body seemingly in sync with yours.

“I don’t know her, Lac. I just saw her.” Lin said back into the phone, having returned to consciously finish the conversation.

Lin could hear the grin on Alex’s lips, the gloating in his voice as he answered. “It’s a her? Go Lin.”

Lin smirked, leaning back against a wall, his gaze finally falling from you to the floor his shoes occupied.

“Shut up, I haven’t even talked to her. Or gotten her name, or anything, really.”

“Dear god, please tell me you’re not just standing there staring at her like some poor creep.”

To this day, it amazed Lin how well Alex knew him.

“Of course I’m not,” Lin huffed out in reply, trying to busy himself with something else as if Alex could see him.

Alex chuckled, “Well, as long as you’re not staring at her, why don’t you take a picture of the mystery girl?”

“What? Why?” Lin’s confusion was audible in his voice as he tried to hunt for any reason why Alex would want a picture of her.

“So I can identify her at your wedding, why else?” Alex countered and Lin rolled his eyes.

“That’s even more creepy than staring at her.” Lin’s gaze lifted back up to see you scribbling one second, chewing on your pen cap the next as you considered words on the page. It hurt him how much he wished he could just walk over and be suave and help you out.

“Well you said you weren’t staring at her so this couldn’t possibly hurt you!”

“Fine. But only because I’m bored and not staring at her.” Lin conceded.

“I’ll be waiting for that photo, loverboy,” were the last words Lin heard before Alex hung up. Lin took the phone away from his ear, taking a breath of relief and to muster his courage. It was just one photo, after all. Who would ever know?

Quickly swiping around on his phone and opening his camera, he managed to set its focus on you. Taking his eyes from the screen, Lin looked around for anyone who may have been paying attention to him, ready to call him on his actions. He found no one and, checking the camera’s aim once more, took a deep breath and hit the photo button.

He knew in a second that he regretted it. He had forgotten that his ringer was on, the camera click noise echoing in his ears. He was just lucky the airport buzz covered it. What couldn’t be hidden however, was the flash of white light that he’d seen reflect in your eyes. Lin moved in slow motion, for once not succumbing to his hyperactivity. The camera hadn’t moved, still poised in the air, when your sharp gaze turned on it. He saw the flickers of confusion and then annoyance on your face and in those beautiful soft eyes. He inwardly slapped himself for being so stupid as to have the flash on. He was too busy being angered with himself that he missed your strong, lengthy gait bringing you towards him, your writing forgotten and shoved haphazardly into your bag. Your look was ablaze with a heat, your cheeks holding a rising blush as you fought to contain yourself. You stopped short in front of him, your chin and neck now in the screen of his phone. Sheepishly, Lin now lowered the device, meeting your hungry irritation with his deep apology.

He opened his mouth to speak, but you beat him to it.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” You demanded of him, your voice on edge, but he couldn’t miss the notes of longing, hope, and kindness that lingered, even when dampened by passion and rage.

At this point, Lin knew he could try to come up with a smooth lie (which he knew instantly would backfire for him) or just admit to you what had happened.

“I- uh, you see…well.” Lin swallowed the lump rising in his throat, but it did little to calm his nerves.

“Yes?” You prompted him, raising your eyebrows towards him.

“This is kind of an awkward situation.” He admitted and your resolve softened a bit.

“I’ll say.” You told him, throwing in a short giggle that eased his anxiety.

Lin sighed, “Can I just tell you the honest-to-god, awkward, weird truth?”

You smiled softly, “I’d prefer that kind of truth than the others.”

Lin, not able to help himself, chuckled. “I, um, I saw you. Like I just caught sight of you earlier and just…”

He stopped, running a hand through his hair. He looked at you seriously, seeing you had softened your stance, your tone, and your look. You looked much like a child, young innocence masking your features, guarding some story that Lin ached to uncover.

“Look, you’re really pretty. Captivating, really. That’s what happened to me. I was just… so struck by your beauty. I’m sorry, that must sound really… creepy. I don’t mean it that way, um.”

Lin covered his stammer by looking into your eyes, watching the sunlight from the windows dance through the colors in your irises. He was sure an entire world was held within the depths of your eyes.

“It’s just a bit creepy.” You said to him, laughing. He watched the way your smile began with the edges of your mouth curving upwards and ended with a dazzling display of white teeth that made Lin want to return the grin.

“Anyway, my friend called and he’s known me for years and he knew just something was wrong with me.”

Your relaxed smile put him at ease when you finished for him, “He got it out of you, I suppose? Asked for a photo of this girl who had captured every fiber of your being?”

Lin laughed fully now, the sound taking up lots of space and filling you with pride at making him that gleeful. You smiled in his direction before he finished his laugh to respond.

“Right on. You finished that plot like a seasoned writer would have.”

You stayed quiet for a minute, considering your next words. “I wouldn’t say seasoned, but I’ve been known to dabble.”

Lin smiled, tucking his hands into his pockets, his eyes analyzing you. The strength of his gaze made you want to stand a little straighter, walk a little prouder, smile a little bigger. You felt an unexplainable, unexpected attraction to him. The circumstances were weird, sure, but they’d fit right into one of your television scripts.

You smiled easily and Lin followed suit. “I could tell. You had that notebook.”

You were surprised for a moment, before reaching around to take it out of your bag’s pocket. You flipped the cover open, thumbing through the dozens of pages that had scribbles in the top, margins, and bottoms. Your eyes scanned the various pen colors before landing on the one you’d done today. You held it out for the man that stood in front of you. You couldn’t name why you felt like you could trust him, but it was something about the nuance of his smile, the tone of his voice, and the brightness of his personality that you trusted, whether you should have or not.

“These are just some poems… I, um, get ideas sometimes. And I jot them down.” Your nerves crept into your voice and Lin glanced up at you, meeting your eyes, before he reached out to take the book from you. You watched his expressions as he flipped through a few pages, his eyes scanning your words.

You cleared your throat, “Uh, sorry about the handwriting. I get a little rushed or hit with inspiration and it turns to illegible chicken-scratch.”

Lin chuckled, shaking his head softly as he continued to read, “Don’t worry, mine gets even worse.”

This piqued your interest.

“You’re a writer, too?” You asked curiously.

He nodded, “It’s kind of my job.”

You giggled, “Mine too.”

Now he looked back up at you, his eyebrows raised in questioning. You filled in the blank.

“I, uh, I work for NBC. I’m a writer. I’m actually working on a sitcom pitch right now, but the inspiration for that doesn’t come as easily.”

“That’s a very respectable job. And, uh, if you don’t mind, I’d be happy to help you out with that sitcom project. I don’t really have a project right now to work on, so I’m looking for something.”

You nodded, a dazzling smile coming to your features, one that lit up the airport and Lin’s world. You rocked him to his core, a tornado smashing against his calm beach, but he liked it. He wanted to be around it more, as much as he could. He didn’t care if it buried him alive, he needed your energy.

Of course, Lin was worrying enough for two. Daveed could only imagine what he had been like at his own wedding. The man just could not sit still.  He was pacing, talking through all the plans with Groff, as if everything hadn’t already been set in motion.

When you had announced your engagement a week ago, you hadn’t imagined Lin would’ve been able to talk you into any sort of wedding.  You honestly thought you would head down to a courthouse and sign a paper- maybe have a small party. But here you were, in a dress (not a white one, you had insisted,) waiting to exchange vows (that you had written, but still,) and to be formally married in front of a bunch of people (in a field.) Lin was the minister- he had practically begged.

It was all very unconventional, but you liked it that way.

“…so I checked with Y/N, and she’s all set.” Lin put his hand on Daveed’s shoulder. “Are you ready to go?”

He froze.

“I’m getting married.”

Groff grinned. “Yes! He’s finally on your level, Lin!” His face fell when he realized Daveed wasn’t moving towards the door, “Oh, no, he’s actually on your level. Tell us- what’s going on in your head?”

You smoothed out your dress one last time. “How do I look?”

Y/B/F grinned. “That dress is amazing. It’s perfect for you, and for this wedding. I’m glad you went with your gut.”

You looked down at your hand. It was ringless, but not for long.

Y/B/F cleared her throat. “Um, we need to wait a few minutes. Apparently Daveed is a little stressed.” You opened your mouth to speak, but she cut you off. “Lin says he’s fine, but he just need a few minutes to sort himself out.”

You nodded. You had no doubts that he would be there for you. He was a hopeless romantic, and you knew that once he got over his nerves he would be even more excited than you were.

He always knew exactly how to treat you. Even his proposal was perfect.

"D, you're staring."

"Am I?"

"Yes. You have been for the past five minutes."

He hummed, rubbing his hand up your thigh. "Guess I just like you."

You could feel yourself blushing. Three years you had been together and his compliments still hit you like it was the first time. You tried to go back to your book, but it was no use. Daveed was scooting closer, and you could almost feel his breath on your neck.

"I'm actually trying to read, do you need something?" you asked coyly. He shook his head.

You carefully marked your spot and set your book on the coffee table. Then you launched yourself at Daveed, hoping to catch him by surprise.

It worked. You almost never had the upper hand when it came to wrestling him, but somehow you ended up on top of him on the couch, straddling his waist and holding both his hands in your own.

You let out a noise of triumph. "I win!" Leaning in close, you whispered, "Say it, Diggs."

"Will you marry me?"

You dropped his hands.

"What?"

He smiled wider than you had ever thought possible. Not making a move to get out from under you, he repeated, "Will you marry me?"

"I- oh my god! Yes! Of course!" He sat up and wrapped you in a tight hug.

The kiss you shared was full of something you couldn't place. You tried to pour all your love and hope for the future into it, holding back happy tears.

You searched his face. "Why now?"

He stroked your cheek, looking at you in wonder. "Last week, at that party? Lin was teaching you to tango. You picked it up so effortlessly. You were wearing that sundress I love- whenever he would spin you it would flip out at the edges. I couldn't stop watching, thinking how beautiful you were even when you weren't trying. Vanessa came by to get a drink, and out of nowhere she asked me if you were my person." He cocked his head a little. "My person. What a way to say it." His hands tightened around your waist, his thumbs rubbing gently against the small of your back. "I realized that you were. You are. You're so many things to me, and I decided I couldn't wait to be with you forever."

“We’re already together, why do we need to get married?” Daveed’s mind was racing, and he barely heard Lin and Groff chorus, “What?”

“I mean, I’m never going to leave her. Is she afraid that if we don’t get married I’ll just walk away? What if she wants to end it one day and this makes everything harder? And there are so many people out there, watching! This is like…” you searched for words, “this is like stagefright, but worse. Why am I doing this?”

“Woah, woah,” Lin started, “if you’re looking to conquer stagefright, you’re talking to the right people.”

Groff nodded. “Everyone here wants things to go well. They’re rooting for you. We all love you and Y/N.”

Lin sighed empathetically. “I remember this feeling. It will pass, okay? When you actually get out there and see her- all of this panic goes… poof!” he made an exploding gesture with his fingers. “Trust me.”

Daveed couldn’t make his feet move just yet, so he wordlessly held out his arms.  Lin and Groff hugged him tightly, waiting until he was ready to go.

“Okay.” He shook his limbs out. “Let’s go.”

The ceremony was short. Daveed was glad you had chosen to walk out at the same time, because Lin was right- seeing you banished all his fears.  The crowd was close friends and family- He had chosen a Monday afternoon so the Hamilton cast could attend. A simple exchange of vows and rings, a few poorly suppressed tears from Lin, and a kiss that was far too short for his liking, and he had married his best friend.

“Thank god we planned to have a big dance floor.” You leaned into Daveed, taking a sip of your drink. People had been dancing for hours, and they showed no signs of stopping. Daveed had his arm around your shoulders, tapping his fingers to the beat.

You stood on your tiptoes to kiss him. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Today has been amazing.”

The song changed, and Lin appeared by your side. You looked at Daveed. “It’s a tango! Do you want to come?”

He took your left hand, kissing the ring that now resided there.

There was one thing all of your friends could agree on: brunch was the best tradition you all had started.

“Jesus, Laf, did you get any batter in the waffle maker?” you asked half jokingly, as tan goo settled all over the John’s counter. John just sighed as Lafayette became indignant.

“I just put a little too much in!” he protested as batter continued to pour from the sides. You rolled your eyes and turned back to placing your cinnamon rolls in a pan to be baked.

John looked up worriedly from his pan full of julienned potatoes holding a bottle of vegetable oil. “Guys, how much oil do I put in? I’ve never done the hash browns before,” he disclosed, waiting for someone to take over for him. But rules were rules at brunch: once you claim a food, you finish it.

Mostly because then there was only one person to blame when that food got inevitably destroyed.

“A lot if you want them to become crispy,” Angelica replied, sitting on the counter from the other side of the kitchen. Hercule’s little brother Hugh watched your dysfunctional group try to make food with amusement from behind the counter Angelica was sitting on.

“You guys could help, you know!” you called back, grabbing the tube the cinnamon rolls came from and checking how long they needed to be put in the oven.

Angelica merely laughed. “I think you’re fine right now,” she commented, and you grumbled as you shoved your panned up rolls in the oven.

“Angelica and Hugh on dishes duty?” Herc asked you quietly as you stood up from the oven.

You smirked. “Works for me,” you murmured back. Herc smiled at you as he continued mixing his eggs in the skillet for the scrambled eggs, and you did your best to hide your blush. Then you looked past Hercules at Lafayette. The batter on the table was growing. You sighed.

“Laf, if it keeps overflowing, put less batter in,” you instructed. He shot you an annoyed glare.

“You think I’m trying this?” he asked frustrated, waving his batter ladle around, and subsequently splattering himself with the goo. You giggled as he stared defeated at the raw waffle on his chest.

“Um, guys?” John asked concerned as he furrowed his eyebrows and stared at his hash browns. “How long are these supposed to take?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know, like 5-10 minutes?”

He glanced up at you distressed. “Why aren’t they getting crispy?” At hearing this, Angelica–the usual maker of hash browns–hopped off the counter and peered over John’s shoulder at his pan.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, her voice half-amused, half-annoyed. “I said put a lot in, not drown them in oil to the point the animals in the gulf feel bad for them. How much did you put in here?” she asked in disbelief. John slowly held up the once one-fourth filled but now empty vegetable oil bottle.

Angelica’s eyes widen and jaw dropped. She was about to say something when John cut her off. “Can we fix it?” he asked sincerely. She sighed.

“Put another bag of hash browns in this pan. Maybe it’ll all even out,” she suggested.

Herc was shaking to your side, and you looked up and noticed him trying not to laugh at John out loud. You playfully slapped him and pointed a finger. “Be nice,” you mouthed, right before you both went into a fit of giggles. John glared at you, but Herc calmed himself down enough to ask him a question.

“Hey John, do you guys have Tobasco here?”

Still with a bitter face, John pointed up to a cabinet, to which Herc eagerly grabbed the Tobasco from. “A little Tobasco makes every scrambled egg better,” he explained to you pointedly and you laughed.

The alarm on the stove went off for your rolls and you took them out, just as everyone else’s food was finishing up. You added the icing and set them on the table as Hugh set out places for everyone. Then everyone else followed suit with their food. The six of you sat around and surveyed the food, considering what would be the worst to choke down. Everyone figured the hash browns and shrugged. You would have to eat them anyways. All food must be finished at brunch.

Everyone grabbed their helping of everything as the back door opened and closed.

“I’m here!” you heard Alexander’s voice come from the back room. You all groaned.

Laf glared at Alex as he walked in. “You’re late, as usual. So you’re on dishes with Angelica,” he ordered.

Alex rolled his eyes. “I figured. But you guys are at least glad I’m here, right?” he asked with a smirk. All of you rolled your eyes as he sat down and began scooping up the food.

Your eyes all met and then nodded. It was time.

Laf was the first to complain.

“I knew these hash browns would be bad, but what the hell, Laurens?” Laf asked, glaring at John as he coughed. John looked innocently up at him. Laf pointed angrily down at the potatoes on his plate. “All I can taste is oil and salt.”

John shrugged. “I tried to balance out the oil taste with a lot of salt.” Everyone groaned at the thought of having to eat the hash browns in the near future.

You took a bite of Herc’s scrambled eggs, and coughed. “Herc, when you say ‘a little Tobasco’, how much are you talking?”

He furrowed his eyebrows at you. “The bottle isn’t that big. I just poured it all in.”

Angelica sighed looking at the scrambled eggs she was about to put in her mouth. She then scraped the eggs off, deciding to deal with them later, and instead focused on the waffles.

She stuck her fork in them, and look up exasperatedly at Lafayette. “Why is this waffle rock hard?”

Laf held up his hands in defense. “Why is everyone attacking me and my waffles? Focus on John and his oil salt.”

You observed everyone and faked a superior tone. “Well, well, well, my cinnamon rolls seem to be the highlight of this breakfast,” you commented smugly, and everyone glared at you as you laughed.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and Herc to your side began laughing slightly. You looked at him concerned and he pointed down at the cinnamon roll he just cut into on his plate.

It was basically just melted dough.

You sighed as everyone began laughing. You would never hear the end of this, but you smirked. Another Sunday, another brunch with completely inedible food.

But you all kept eating and complaining and defending yourselves throughout the meal. And when all the food was gone, you all agreed it was the worst brunch yet, and you couldn’t wait to see what happened next week.

As Alexander began starting on dishes, Angelica walked up to you. You shook your head and pointed at the kitchen. “Nope, you’re not getting out of dishes again Angelica. Go,” you commanded. She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah yeah, I’m going. I just came over to ask if you could bring Herc home. We carpooled, but I have a headache,” she asked solemnly. Herc’s house was slightly out of the way for you, but you acquiesced, narrowing your eyes slightly at Angelica who feigned innocence.

When dishes were over, Hugh made his way over to you. “Goodbye, Y/N,” he hugged you quickly. You stopped him and furrowed your eyebrows.

“Hugh, you’re going home with me. Angelica’s not feeling well and is going straight home,” you explained. Hugh gave an uncomfortable glance between you and Angelica who was behind you.

“Uh, well,” he struggled to find the words. “She didn’t mention that, so, um… Bye!” Before you could process what was happening, Angelica and Hugh bolted out the door. You stood in disbelief. You’d been played.

Awkwardly, you turned back around and faced Herc, who also had a faint blush on his cheeks. You sighed.

“Guess it’s just us then,” you stated, trying to break the tension. Herc shot you a soft smile, and you both made your way out the door to your car.

The car ride was a strange mixture of feeling content, and feeling slightly on edge. You both tried to keep a casual conversation going, but you both noticed the elephant in the car: you both knew why you were in here. Herc was supposed to ask you out.

But you knew it wouldn’t happen. Even though the two of you knew that you mutually liked each other, Herc just wasn’t prepared to ask you out yet. And honestly, you weren’t prepared for him to ask you out either. You were willing to be patient. Your friends were not. As you drove, Hercules mentioned the movie him, Angelica, and John were planning on seeing that night. Not even thinking of the implications of it, you offhandedly mentioned wanting to see the movie.

Hercules became very quiet and you silently cursed yourself. Eventually however, he responded.

“I mean, you could come with us,” he offered uncomfortably. Your heart tightened.

“Are you sure?” You didn’t want to force him into offering if he really didn’t want to take you.

“Yeah,” he stated in a slightly higher voice. “I’ll- I’ll pick you up tonight, since you’re driving me home now. I mean, only if you want me to,” he offered, and your palms began becoming sweaty. You took a deep breath.

“Yeah, sure,” you answered, the words sticking in your throat. He gave you a tight smile as you pulled into his driveway and exited the car, to which you returned with your forced smile of your own.

On the drive back to your house, Angelica called you.

“So?” she asked excitedly. “Did he take his chance?” You rolled your eyes.

“I honestly hate you right now, Ang,” you commented, to which she responded with a laugh. “No, he did not ask me out.”

“What the hell?” she screeched from the other end of the phone. “Nothing? I set him up for it and he doesn’t take it?”

You gritted your teeth. “Ang, he doesn’t need set up. And besides me inviting myself along to your movie tonight and him offering to pick me up, nothing happened.”

Angelica paused. “He invited you to the movie tonight?”

“Were you not listening? I invited myself. Don’t make this into what it’s not… Ang? Angelica?” You glanced down at your phone. Lost call. You sighed as you pulled into your driveway.

You spent the rest on the day aimlessly wandering your house. Your parents had a fundraising benefit they would be out for all day, which left you and your sister alone for the afternoon. Just from passing by her room the few times you had made your way down that end of the house, you could tell she was re-binging The Last Airbender and wouldn’t be out of her room for awhile.

And that left you alone with your thoughts.

Why had you been so dumb and made Herc so uncomfortable by forcing his hand in inviting you to the movie? It wasn’t like you two hadn’t gone to the movies with other people before, but it was always a mutual decision. Herc never had to invite you. And you never had to think of the larger implications of it. This was exactly why the two of you weren’t ready to date. Neither of you knew how to handle this.

You sighed and slumped down at the kitchen table. Glumly, you checked the time and noticed it was getting close to the time Hercules would pick you up. Time to get ready you supposed.

As you ran to your room, you stopped outside your sister’s door. “Shan, free for all for dinner, okay?” You heard a mumbled “whatever” and an intense explosion come from her laptop. A smirk crossed your face as you walked away.

You quickly changed into comfy jeans and a simple sweater, knowing even though it was warm outside, it would be cool enough to house rescued penguins in the theater. Absentmindedly, you ate the sandwich you made at your dinner table and watched out the front window for headlights. As you were finishing, they pulled into the driveway and your heart gave a little extra ‘thump’.

Grabbing your purse, you yelled, “I’m going out, Shan! Be back later!”

To which you received a “Katara no!” and you counted it as an “Okay!”

The first thing that hit you when you opened the passenger side door was the smell of Hercules’ cologne. It was familiar and comforting. You felt your stomach calm and your body relax. It was just Herc. It was just a movie with friends. It was nothing to be anxious about.

Herc started in on a story about Hugh trying to finally get their stuck basketball down from the ceiling. (The story of how it got there so infamous among the friend group, they’ve often argued it should never get rescued, but remain intact for monument purposes.) You giggled at the conclusion of the story of Hugh’s once again failed attempt and countered the story with how Shannon stayed in her room all day binge watching The Last Airbender. To which Hercules half-joked about turning around and joining her.

When you noticed you were getting close to the theater, you announced you were going to call Angelica to see where her and John wanted to meet you. Herc nodded in a agreement, and you quickly pulled out the phone and dialed the last person who had called you.

“Hey Ang, we’re almost here. Wanna meet in the lobby?” you asked, as soon as she picked up.

There was a slight pause, and you grew suspicious. “Uh, Y/N, I’m so sorry, but something came up, and John and I can’t make it anymore.” You slowly felt heat creep into your cheeks as you realized what she was doing.

“Angelica,” you growled warningly, but it didn’t deter her a bit.

“I’m so sorry. I wish we could get out of it, but we can’t. Let us know how the movie is!” she said as she made her move to hang up. You sat stunned as you heard a little rustling.

“Um, hey, Y/N?” John voice came over the phone. “I really wanted to see this movie, but Angelica’s holding me captive right now, so you and Herc better not make this all in vain.”

Angelica and you both screeched “John!” at the same time as he chuckled and hung up. Herc looked over at your exasperated look with one eyebrow raised and an amused expression. You tried to shoot him a little smile but dreaded saying the words that were about to come from your mouth.

“Uh, they, uh,” you stuttered, and his eyes met yours concerned. “They ditched us,” you finally admitted, averting your eyes and hoping the dark night would cover a little bit of the blush on your face as your fingers fidgeted with the edge of your sweater.

Herc parked outside the theater and remained silent for a few moments. “Well,” he finally started slowly. “We’re here. Might as well see the movie,” he offered, with an unsure expression on his face as you peeked up at him.

With a sigh, you offered him a comforting smile. “Yeah, might as well,” you repeated lamely. Herc made his way out of the car and you used the time his back was turned to you to curse your friends. You were not going to be tricked into your first date with Hercules, the assholes.

After steadying your breathing, you exited the car and met Hercules at the back end of it. The two of you tried to keep light expressions as you made your way into the theater. But with every step, your heart pounded a little louder. Why couldn’t Angelica just have let this be a nice casual night out with friends?

As you approached the ticket window, you swiftly stepped ahead of Hercules and requested a ticket to avoid any potentially awkward scenarios in which the man at the window assumed Hercules was also buying your ticket. If you both bought your own tickets, it definitely was less of a date, you reasoned with yourself.

The threshold of the theater greeted you with a blast of unnecessarily cold air, and you let out an involuntary shiver. All of your senses gravitated you towards the heat source walking right behind you; nevertheless, you set your head straight and walked down the aisle. Stopping at a row about halfway down the theater, you glanced up at Hercules who gave you a wordless approval at your row of choice. Quietly, you plopped down in the seat and remain stoic as Hercules took his seat beside you.

Eventually, Hercules started up small talk about brunch earlier that morning and compared it to the group’s other food fiascos. And like always, it was so easy to talk to Herc that you slowly melted back into comfort with the conversation, glad neither of you were making this weird as it obviously was supposed to be.

Or maybe it was weird and you were in severe denial.

Either way, you enjoyed spending time with Herc, even though you didn’t know what you wanted this to be classified. Not a date, per se. But you didn’t want it to be nothing either. Which left you in a bit of a dilemma you could ignore while talking lightheartedly with Herc. But when the movie started, you knew you were doomed to your thoughts.

You couldn’t focus on the movie. You couldn’t move. And you most definitely couldn’t stop being painfully aware of the person sitting next to you.

At one point in the movie, his hand accidentally brushed yours; you stiffened so visibly, it took all your willpower not to slap yourself right then and there. Hercules gave you a side glance you couldn’t read, but you stared straight ahead, intently focusing on the movie you no longer had an interest in while you cheeks blazed. You prayed you couldn’t see how much you were blushing. How much of an effect he had on you.

You almost let out a sigh of relief as the credits began rolling. You had made it. Hercules shot you a strained smile, and tried to nonchalantly ask what you thought of the movie. “It was good” was your response, and the subject was dropped as you made your way back out to his car.

The two of you remained silently most of the way home. Your eyes stared blankly out the window as you tried to think of anything to say. But you were never good at the small talk, or easing over an awkward situation. That was always Herc’s role. And even he couldn’t soothe this.

When you neared your house, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. You knew who it was before the message was even read.

“The movie’s over now right? So??” Angelica asked, and the tone of excitement got through the text. Unsure of how to respond, however, you ignored it.

“Hey I can see you read my text. What happened?”

You continued to stare out the window, blatantly ignoring the texts and just wishing to be out of the car. Because you didn’t know what you were feeling. You had thought you didn’t want this to be your date, but the way Herc was being so quiet scared you.

Maybe he didn’t want this to be a date because he never wanted anything to be a date between the two of you.

Your heart squeeze painfully at the thought as your phone buzzed, notifying of yet another text of Angelica’s.

“Y/N, please stop ignoring me. Just tell me what happened.”

You gritted your teeth as you read the words. Then with a deep breath as Herc turned into your driveway, you typed a response.

“Nothing.”

A typing bubble popped up immediately, but you shut your phone off, feeling a bit of pressure build up behind your eyes. You couldn’t do this right now. Your phone buzzed and you didn’t even bother to look down at it.

Though parked in your driveway, you remained in Herc’s car still for a moment. Then you took a deep breath, and forced a smile. “Thank you,” you mumbled, unbuckling your seatbelt.

As your hand reached for the door handle, Herc announced a quick “Hey!” and you turned back confused. With eyebrows furrowed, you inquired what he wanted.

“I- um- I…” He trailed off and let out a large gust of air. “Nevermind,” he finally concluded lamely. You bit your lip and grimaced, turning to make your way out of the car.”

“Wait, okay. I can- um-” He cringed as he tried the form the words, and then his eyes met yours; he sighed. “Do you want to get dinner this Friday?”

You felt frozen. Not a muscle in your body moved as you tried to comprehend the words.

You bit your lip and looked up at him unsurely. “With everyone else?” you squeaked.

He let out a small chuckle. “No. Just the two of us. Like a date. I’m- I’m asking you on a date, Y/N.”

“Oh,” you responded lamely, still trying to process his words. A date. He actually asked you out on a date. And you realized your insides were getting warm and a smile was crossing your face. A date. You’d like that. “I’d like that,” you finally responded sincerely, and he gave you a relieved smile.

Your heart was pounding in your chest as your eyes met his, and in that moment, everything suddenly felt right. It wasn’t awkward or unknown anymore. Your Hercules was right here. And you were going on a date with him.

He leaned toward you, and you almost met him in the middle, but you pulled back as his lips ghosted yours. His hurt expression wounded you a bit, but you explained shakily.

“If we kiss now, that’ll make this our first date, and this can’t be our first date, because we were dumb the whole night,” you detailed self-consciously. It sounded stupider out loud than it did in your head.

But he just smirked. “I wouldn’t want our first date to be any other way. Makes for a good story someday,” he commented, as he leaned forward closing the distance between the two of you.

As his lips softly pressed yours, you felt lighter than you ever had before. Your hands clung desperately to his shirt as his pulled away; your demeanor was now slightly intoxicated as you beamed shyly at Hercules, unsure if that just really happened. Mumbling your hand searching blindly for the door handle behind you, and you stumbled out of his car with a soft “Goodbye, Herc”.

You turned to walk to you front door, finally paying attention to the wildly buzzing phone in your hand. Without even reading the messages Angelica sent you, you quickly typed one in response.

“We have a dinner date set for Friday.”

It took mere seconds for a response.

“WHAT.”

“And we kissed.”

“YOU CALL THAT NOTHING?” she responded a few seconds later, and you giggled as you saw her name pop up as an incoming call.

As you hit accept and opened up the front door to your house, you smirked, thinking it definitely wasn’t nothing.