The Fight For Friendship

[Laurens' POV]

In which the mission continues

Black. Black. Black and blue. Bleed me till I'm numb. Tell the Devil I said, "Hey, would you get back to where you're from..."

That's what it felt like. He didn't strike consistently, but he had done so before. It all piled up in my mind and I had to question the morals of Alexander Hamilton, the friend that dwindled away. Why was he like this? Does he not recognise me? Why is he so caught up in the past? That's it. My mind had a revelation that spun inside at a million miles an hour. As if it was too powerful to contain. He doesn't want any reminder of his past! I'll admit, it is traumatic for him, but if anyone dares to harass him about it, then he'll either be sulky, lash out in aggression or resort to violence. His evident fiery mood was the telltale sign. Violence. He beats me, over and over again. It makes him feel... normal. He thinks that such instant friends or caring people shouldn't exist. Not around him, at least. So he hurt me and Maria to get it out of his system. He should really see a counsellor or a psychologist, but we have to find him first.

I had absolutely no clue where I was. I presumed that I ended up in some hospital unit, but I forced myself awake to the sound of blurring sirens and masses of paramedics and policemen. I was lethargic, but I turned my head anyway to view Maria still unconscious. One of the paramedics approached me, full face in view and my body shuddered with shock. I couldn't pinpoint the details of her face, but she was young and had blonde hair.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"John. John Laurens." I closed my eyes. I wished that something would come out of this. Something where I wasn't subjected to emotional spasms and torture anymore. I have so much compassion left in me, but I couldn't spend it on a shopping spree for Hamilton, as I had previously done, only to be ignored, spat on, out-argued and bruised. The paramedic started strapping things to my arms.

"Can you recall anything?"

I hesitated on this one. My mind collated it all. I clenched my fists, unwilling to narrate, relive, even forgive the experience. If I don't though, then the fight still remains. He'll go on an adolescent rampage, starting with his friends, building up to enemies and barrelling over to innocent citizens. He wasn't built to be a murderer or even a bully. My beliefs told me that no one was born to be put in that position. For the purposes of my life, I filled her in. I relived it all, starting from first sight all the way down the winding road to hell.

"And you're...?" I knew this would come. Again, nothing but the truth.

"Yes. Yes, I am. But he's a bit..."

"Of a psychopath?"

"I was going to say delicate, but sure."

"It's so wonderful that you keep him in such high spirits. Bring them back. Show this man that life is worth living!" Briefly, her eyes sparkled, but that faded away, transitioning into sorrowful glances and fidgeting fingers. I only had to get her attention with a small wave, and the paramedic continued, "I came out of a dark hole myself, and I come from experience. You can't do anything until you're done healing..." she trailed off, helping me up from the ground.

I adjusted gradually, holding out my arms for balance. The paramedic watched on with anticipation and my gut flipped out in dread. Being damaged isn't easy, or a sensation that I was accustomed to. Alex, on the other hand...

"You're looking good," she stated, and that was that. Back to the college, I go.

Open arms are what I was embraced with the next late afternoon. I had slept on the couch in the isolated corner where I confronted him. All my energy drained like a battery, I perched there, as there was nowhere else to run. Maria had a few medical scans overnight and it turns out that she was much worse off. ICU is where she was caged.

"John!" Peggy exclaimed when I approached the front gate. I felt a surge of warmth and she encased me in a hug. Quite literally in open arms. Lafayette was next.

"Better?" He said with a slight mispronunciation. It didn't matter. With Alex, it would've...

"Yeah." I kept it short and sweet, as Herc grabbed my hand for a tight handshake. A gesture I would love to appreciate, except he grasped my cast hand in carelessness. Instead of squealing, I gritted my teeth and scrunched my face. That was enough for him to notice.

"Aw, shit!" He cursed. "Are you alright?"

"Not really." I squeaked, bones cracking as he let go. "I think that's my quirk now," My eyes darted from Herc to my hand as I broke the silence.

"Tell us what happened," Peggy implored, guiding us to the courtyard. I nodded in agreement. Peggy called Angelica and Eliza down, to my inconvenience. I forgot that she knew. For the second time in the past forty-eight hours, I took a trip down memory lane. It was more than mere conscience. It was visceral images rolling like a retro-style movie before my eyes. Everyone watched on in silence, faces of shock and concern here and there. Even the kiss set them on edge, and so it should. The whole concept is unnatural and still apprehensive in the mindset of the regular human.

"And here we are!" I breathed a sigh of relief. "If you didn't catch it, I'm gay..." I felt my insides twist as Angelica and Herc absorbed the last piece of information. He was in hysterics.

"You? Gay? Oh, my gawd, John! That's why you give all the ladies a death stare! Ohhhhh!" He was overcome by a childish abundance for the next few minutes and Peggy had to drag him away. Thank God for that, otherwise, he'd never shut up!

"You can't just judge your best friend!" I heard her chide. Hercules mumbled in retaliation, something like, "Sure I can," but it wasn't definite. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and cautiously backed away, turning and sprinting to solitary, aka, the dorm. Angelica chased after me, but I continued to race at an unfathomable pace, dismissing all sources of guidance. I ascended up the mountain of stairs, tripping over several on my way. It didn't concern me, at least, not for now. Not until I was alone.

Heavy breathing and fierce stepping were the only sounds that occupied my surroundings. Lurching towards 047, I opened and slammed in a typical manner, drowning myself in sorrows. Crouching down onto the carpet, thunder stormed in the distance and bucketloads of tears cruised down my cheeks. They stained my face and the floor. How many more times do I have to go through this? I don't know, but it could easily be an eternity at this rate. Beaten. Bruised. Scarred. Judged. Thunder transitioned to rain. My ears started ringing as I heard wood creaking. Oh, God. I curled into a ball like a vulnerable hedgehog without the spikes.

"Oh, Lord, give me spikes." I prayed, "Give me the defence I need."

You'll never guess who it was. Dirty brown hair, drenched, dewy-eyed. My breath lingered between an exhale and an inhale. I stood up, leaning against the wall.

"I--I--" he started, ruffling his hair. "I was just walking... because I realised that I--" For the first time, he was at a loss for words. I took a deep breath and stepped closer. Don't worry, distance was still maintained.

"Apologise." My voice wavered. So too did the rest of me. He was my friend and my danger. My lover. My faded lover. A misunderstood creature. A deer in the headlights.

"What do I have to apologise for?" he asked, "The damage I have caused has snowballed beyond measure. I can't apologise." He was glued to the floor. All of a sudden, gale winds struck the window panes and Alex crashed into the beanbag, whimpering. He was a lost puppy now.

"Shh, shh..." I bent down and comforted him, stroking my hand through his hair.

"The hurricane..." he muttered, over and over again.

"You've survived before, you can do it again. You have a roof over your head, and you have me!"

"But... I don't know you..."

"Yes, you do! I'm John!"

"No, no, no..." He spiralled down a pit of despair. His waterworks poured just as mine had simmered down.

"Look at the rain," I said, shuffling over to the rattling window pane. He followed suit. "When I was younger, I watched the rain fall. I'd pick a raindrop," I pointed to a slow-moving one towards the left, "And I pretended that it was pitted against the other thirty or so in a race, see! Look!" He viewed the race in silence as my candidate came second last.

"Unlucky..." He muttered under his breath.

"Life isn't exactly smooth sailing." I turned to face him, "But life is worth living, Alex. Don't forget that."

"How do I make sure it sticks?" He asked.

I fell into the trap. I fell into the trap. How could I? Then I recall that I did so on purpose. To make sure that he knew there was something he could fall back on. Not so much reliance or dependence, but love. A passion. Someone he could talk to at any time of the day. The embrace was long and slow, but it was perfect nonetheless.

"I'm so damn sorry, John..." He spoke up afterwards.

"It's..." I struggled to find the words. "Fine. From now on, just to preserve your health, I'll take you to a psychologist. That ok with you?"

He nodded, resting his head in my lap. Snoring occupied the building a short while later, and the sky shifted from murky, cloudy gloom into darkened, star-scattered peace.

"All is right in the world..." I thought, slowly falling to sleep myself.