#we were in Seattle to see Hamilton live and I could barely even see the stage because the world was spinning too much and I was so nauseous

[mosspapi]

Oh fuck. Today marks 6 whole years since The Bullshit started. I mean. It'd Started well before then but that's when it officially started yknow. And what cosmic irony is it that a whole new bullshit that's basically just a worse version of the original bullshit is starting now too

[nowitsdarkfic]

chapter three (”showtime!”)

“I'd cry enough rain to wash your garden away. But I'm dry as stone, so your trees wash away like veins. But I've been know to take a blow, and I know how fair your garden grows with, fresh deadly roses.” -”Fresh Deadly Roses”, Soundgarden (one of my favorite SG songs no less)

November 19, 1988. Oswego, New York.

I'm waking up to the feeling of a warm body next to me. I open my eyes to recognize Lupe's black hair and her soft skin right next to my face. I have my arms wrapped around her tight, and she has her arms around my waist. I feel her naked thigh rubbing up against my own, and I feel the curvature of her hip right underneath my elbow. She's so shapely and soft that it's only helping me embrace my own softness.

My stomach feels soft and my chest is warm. I don't want to let her go. I want to protect her from the filthy scoundrels around here. Yeah, yeah, she's got her sister but I'll have to protect her, too, if I must.

I bring the crown of her head closer to my nose to drink up the gentle spicy aroma embedded within the roots of her hair. I have my fingers entwined in the tendrils of hair upon her back. She's got her chest pressed firm against mine: her skin is smooth and delicate like velvet.

“Mmm—papi—” she whispers to me with barely parted lips.

“Good morning, my little desert rose,” I whisper back to her.

She lifts her head for a look at me: her dark eyes are gaping back at me from her pallid skin and from the heart of the waning darkness around us. She parts her lips at me.

I feel her moving her hand from my body so as to bring it out from underneath the covers and touch my face. For a second, I think she's going to kiss me but she doesn't. Instead she gazes right into my eyes and runs her tongue along the edge of her teeth. It's like she wants a kiss from me instead.

So I give it to her. A soft one right on the lips. I move my head back from her face for a look into her eyes.

“Do that again,” she whispers. I give her another one, this one with a bit of my tongue along the inside of her front teeth. I look into her face again.

“How's that?” I ask her as she rubs her knees up against mine.

“Softly—” is what I think she says.

“Hm? Come again?”

“Softly—touch my nipples—”

I move my hand from her side to do just that. They're not tight and hard like they were last night at first, but as I'm letting my fingertips touch her in the lightest I possibly can, I can feel them erecting.

“How's that?” I ask her again, and I get a kiss from her right on the side of my neck. The feel of her lips relaxes my muscles and I'm feeling even softer than before. I close my eyes to surrender to the touch of her lips moving down towards my shoulder and my collar bones.

“Joey?” Mrs. Hamilton's voice floats up from downstairs. I open my eyes as Lupe's touching my collar bones with the tip of her tongue.

“Joey? Are you up here?”

“Mrs. Hamilton—” I call out, my voice breaking. I clear my throat and yet Lupe's still licking my bones like they're an ice cream cone. I hear her footsteps emerging up the stairwell before us. I recognize her hairdo in the dim light at the end of the bed. She bursts out laughing as she sees us laying in bed together.

“Oh, boy, we had some fun last night, didn't we?” she declares, pressing her leather clad hands to her hips.

“We sure did!” Lupe calls out from under the covers. She never lifts her hand from me as I sit upright for a better look at Mrs. Hamilton. It's so cold in that loft that chills run over my skin and down my back. I rub my eye with my free hand.

“What's going on?” I clear my throat again.

“There's a couple of guys here to see you,” she says.

“A couple of guys?” The first guys who come to mind are Barney and Billy.

“That Danish boy and some blond fellow.”

Lars and Matt.

“Okay—” I grunt out, clearing my throat once again. “Okay, I'll get dressed.”

I rub my other eye before pushing back the covers. I turn to Lupe once again as I'm putting my bare feet on the freezing cold carpet.

“Party's over, I s'pose,” I tell her, and she fetches up a heavy sigh. Mrs. Hamilton doubles back down the stairs to give me some privacy. I pick up my underwear and my jeans from the floor.

“You have such a cute butt,” she remarks from the bed.

“I try my best,” I admit to her as I'm pulling up my jeans.

“Nice, a little thick, and juicy.”

“Like a couple of hamburger patties,” I flash a playful grin back at her as I'm putting my shirt back on: I left Lars' arrowhead pendant at home. Oh well. Don't really need it right now anyway.

As I'm putting my socks and my boots back on, I hear Lars' voice from down below, followed by one of the girls' voices. Louie? No. That's not Morgan, either.

Once I have my boots laced up, I turn back around to look at Lupe one last time, and her propping her head up with one hand, and brushing some of her dark hair back from her neck.

“I'll catch you later, my fresh deadly desert rose,” I promise her, and she blows me a kiss. I catch it with one hand before I wheel around to head on to the second level to fetch my jacket from the chair. I gaze on back at the stage and Lupe's whole get up from last night. It was like a fusion of the high tech stuff in Seattle and the rustiness pervading New Orleans at the moment. This place does have more class in its stairwells and in Mrs. Hamilton's pussy than Oswego does in its entirety after all.

I give my black curls a toss back from my head as I grab my coat and begin down the next stairwell to the bottom floor. I recognize the tattoos of Jessica Rabbit and Betty Boop inked upon her skin. I also recognize the short slightly chubby guy with the long smooth hair and the light scruff underlining his face standing next to the tall guy with a wave of golden blond hair upon his head.

“There he is,” Lars remarks, and Matt turns around to see me with his thick eyebrows raised.

“Dude!” he greets me.

“Hey!” I declare to the both of them as I'm tugging on my jacket.

“'Mornin', Joe,” Lizzy greets me.

“'Mornin', Liz Master General,” is all I can come up with, and she bursts out laughing. I return to them. “What're you guys doing here? And furthermore, how'd you know I was here?”

“I just had a hunch,” Lars confesses, “and Mr. Cameron here went along with it, like I told Nancy and Dominique to swing by here to pick you up.”

“Pick me up? Where are we going?”

“New York City,” Matt replies.

“What's in New York City? Besides, the obvious—it being the city and everything.”

“We're playing two nights worth of shows there. Us and Mother Love Bone.”

“Oh, cool! The infamous Mother Love Bone.”

“They're touring with Skid Row, too, no less,” Lars adds, adjusting the lapels of his big olive colored overcoat: he's got on a silky looking red scarf with golden paisley embroidered all over and a pair of little thin leather black gloves. Matt, meanwhile, has on a heavy black peacoat with a fiery red scarf and big black boots like what I've got on at the moment. “Anyways, let's get a move on—” Matt advises us. “I guess it's kind of a long drive from here down to New York and Kim's terrified of traffic.”

“It's not that long, only four hours,” I point out. “Kim's afraid of traffic? You guys live in Seattle.”

“Tripped me out, too,” Lars confesses, “but yeah, his—darling chauffeur is awaiting, though.”

“Okay—I'll catch you girls later,” I wave to Lizzy and Mrs. Hamilton before we head out of Black Orchid into the bitter cold of the mid morning. There are two black cars awaiting us at the curb, humming quietly with whatever the hydrogen is bestowing power to. I recognize Chris and Kim in the passenger side in the one up front; and then I spot Dominique and her lush black curls seated behind the wheel of the car behind them. Her face lights up when she recognizes me.

“There he is!” she greets me as I open the back door on the passenger side. “Our morning cup of Joey.”

“Cup of Joey,” I chuckle at that as I climb into the seat. Lars gets into the seat right behind her while Matt takes the front; he leans over to give her a kiss before clicking on his seat belt. I can still taste Lupe on my lips and smell her in my clothes and inside of my nose.

We head off, following the other car, towards the other side of town to board onto the highway to head on down to the City.

“Quite the town you live in, Joey,” Dominique remarks as we pass by Brick's neighborhood. God, I hope he's alright. I hope that whatever is afflicting him goes away because the image of those cybernetic feathers sprouting from his head makes my skin itch. I can only imagine how painful it must be for him.

“It's nowhere special,” I admit, “not much happens and it's kinda boring and lonely if you don't have someone to talk to or hang out with, y'know?”

“Of course.”

“Seattle can be like that, too,” says Matt.

“Really? Seattle?” I'm stunned by that. “It's such a… big, advanced place, though.”

“It's just that. All the high tech stuff can get a little monotone, like Dominique and Nancy both have seen how walking downtown has gotten a little quiet.”

“Yeah, it wasn't long ago,” Dominique adds, “she and I could take the bus from the University District over to West Seattle and then walk down to Pike Place Market, and we could talk to people on the way there. We'd talk to all the vendors and the shop keepers and whomever we wanted. But lately she and I go there and we're lucky to speak to one person. Everyone's in a sour mood and robotics have taken the place of the vendors in the market place.”

That reminds me…

“Have you guys seen Maya?” I ask them.

“The girl you found?” Matt recalls.

“Yeah. How's she doing? Is she alright?”

“I totally forgot she's still up there,” Lars mutters to me.

“I haven't seen her,” Matt confesses, “but Nancy has, though.”

“After what happened at the school,” Dominique adds as she changes lanes, “she morphed back into her human form and then ran out of there before the fire alarms went off. Not even a couple of days later, Nan spotted her while she was headed over to the little art school she goes to. She was all huddled up against a dumpster in the heart of downtown. She didn't want to bother her, though, because she was looking around like an animal on the hunt for something.”

“That was a few weeks ago, too,” I point out as I remember everything Molly told me about her. Dumpster diving in New Orleans with Delphine and that strange man; I guess she's back to her roots, but this time in a different setting.

“I guess she's used to places like that, too,” Dominique continues, “moving around as much as she has, it's going to make her scrounge around like that on the streets and in the gutters. My hope is she's okay, too, because even we are still adjusting to all the advancements up there. Who knows how outsiders like her react to it.”

We fall back into silence for a moment, and then Matt sticks in a copy of Ultramega OK into the disc player to fill in the void of silence. I've got Maya on the mind as the landscape turns from lush forest to barren flatlands to the foothills of the Appalachians. Soon, I recognize the tiny towns marking the outskirts of the City, in particular Monticello. I'm getting flashbacks to when I sang for Anthrax and I had to make the drive down here by myself in my old shabby car, and I had to make my way through the arteries of the city to find the recording studio. I'm still amazed I never got lost along the way.

Soon we're in the heart of Manhattan and mere blocks the place where I used to hang out with Anthrax. And then Dominique speaks again.

“I guess Anthrax is playing about a block away from where Soundgarden and Mother Love Bone are performing later today.”

My stomach does a back flip. Oh, my God.

“Playing with their new singer—John is his name? John Bush. From Armored Saint.”

Lars turns his head to look at me and I look over at him. It's like living inside of a dream. My hope is nothing dramatic happens tonight. All I want is to relax and watch Soundgarden perform again with this other band Mother Love Bone. It's only two in the afternoon and thus, as the car before us takes a parking spot at the curb right outside of the venue. Dominique pulls up right behind them and tugs on the parking lever.

The hydrogen power underneath us drifts and dies down and the four of us climb out to the street. I glance up at the towering buildings around us and the graying sky overhead. I think it's going to rain as I turn around to see Chris and Kim climbing out of the car in front of us, their black hair streaking from behind them against the burgeoning winds. Hiro and Nancy rise up from the other side of the car: she's got on a wide pink and black striped scarf wrapped around her neck which makes her face look a little rounder and more feminine.

“Here, want me to help you guys out?” I offer the four of them.

“Oh, thanks, man!” Chris tells me as he opens the truck so as to take out their guitars and their accompanying amps. We're bone broke musicians in a big world: we need to look out for each other. I help the four of them lug their equipment into the side door on the side of this two story pale brick building; for a split second, I think I spot Charlie down the block before I disappear behind the corner, but I can't say for sure. We head into the cozy corridor with a wooden floor and single iron wrought lights suspended from thick black wires. It reminds me of the French Quarter in here except it smells of burning leaves and jagermeister. Chris and Kim lead the way down to their lush dressing room with a back wall lined with glittery black tapestry and the big black velvet couch; on the other side of the room is the entrance to what I eventually find out to be the stage: a stretch of black shiny wood before another thick black tapestry. This part smells of fresh with lemons, as if they just cleaned this place up for the bands to perform.

I'm still thinking of Maya as Lars and I help them set up their instruments. I'm thinking of her and also Delphine.

That's another question I have is what happened to Delphine after Lars and I blacked out. Did she drink us under the table? Or did she put something in our drinks to knock us out? Who knows and I'm sitting on the stool behind Matt's big drum kit with his drumsticks in one hand.

I peer out to all the empty seats making up the audience area, all of them stretching back into the darkness covering the front entrances. Soon this place will be riddled with moshers and rockers for these three bands playing here. God, I miss it. I miss standing out at the front of a band and singing my heart out for the world to hear. Maybe I can convince Soundgarden to sing a song with them because the whole vibe here has me feeling mournfully nostalgic.

I peer down at the drums and with a lick and a promise, I'm a little boy thinking he's Phil Collins again.

The sound of guitar distortion catches my ear and I turn my head to the sight of Kim tuning his guitar and playing a swirling riff. I tilt my head to the side.

“Never heard that song before,” I remark.

“Huh?” He clamps his fingers to the fret board to silence it.

“Never heard that one. Is that new?”

“Sorta. This is a riff Chris has been kicking around for a while.”

He plays it again and it tinkles and swirls, almost like the lead riff on a Beatles song.

“What's it called?” I ask him.

“Kim!” Matt calls him from behind the curtain.

“'Fresh Deadly Roses'—” He turns his head to face him. “—what's up?”

“Andy and the boys just pulled up. Stone told me Skid Row should be here soon, too, and you know what that means.”

“Showtime!” I call out.

“Showtime!” he echoes, and then he hesitates at the sight of me. “Drums are a good look for you, man.”

“I am a drummer, too, after all.”

“Oh, yeah, that's right! Anyways, c'mon and help us, Joe—” He disappears behind the curtain; Kim sets down his guitar and follows him.

I set down the sticks on top of the snare before I stand to my feet. I examine the drum kit for another few seconds.

Soon. Soon, I'll be behind the old kit of my own once again.

[hamilton-one-shots]

Hamilton High School AU 22

Alexander popped the phone onto a charger and waited for the screen to light up. When it did, he saw that the lock screen was Lafayette and a few old friends in front of the Eiffel Tower. He looked happy. At least, he looked substantially happier than the last time Alexander saw him. He sighed and added Lafayette's new number before texting him. [Laf: hey, its alex. marta gavme ur old phon. can we tak l8r? its imprtnt.] Then he switched to texting John. [John: hey, marta gav me lafs old phon 4 now.]

Both were headed back to class after lunch, though Lafayette was more nervous to respond. [Yes, of course, but it will have to wait a while. I have drama and we're talking to John after that.]

[I'm glad to hear that. I missed you. : )]

Alexander opened his laptop to work on something for the debate society, cringing as Lafayette's text tone rang through. 'Salut! New message, Monsieur! Meow!' Even Lafayette now would be annoyed by it.  [Laf: it ok. I jus wana tak. Hav fun in drama :)] He hoped he sounded friendly enough. The last thing he wanted to do was panic Lafayette. [John: i talked 2 marta a lot. I feel beter 4 it. Oh! Also took my meds] [...do u thnk Tomas gets angry spels?] [no, ignor tat. It's dum. Jus thinkin 2 much. Bored @ hoem.]

Lafayette was the first to respond with a simple [Thank you, I'll see you then.]

[I'm glad you feel better! Can't have my love feeling too bad ❤] [I'm also proud of you for taking your meds 💗] It was mushy, but it was John. He was usually like that. At least he was with Alexander. When the second set of messages came through, he frowned a bit. [Jefferson's just a stupid bully. I've known that for a while now, you know.] [Don't let him get to you.]

Alexander sighed. He couldn't blame John for thinking that way after what he did to him. [sry, just didnt tink ne1 cud b tat much of n ass w/out reson]

[I see where you're coming from, but Jefferson isn't like you. He doesn't care.]

John had a point, but... It was worth a shot. He logged into Facebook and pulled up his messages with Jefferson. [dnt b men to laf in drama]

[Anything for you <3 xx]

[dnt do tat. im tryin to b sivil]

[You just wanted to message me, didn't you? ;) xx]

[no.]

[Why? Besides, I'm meant to be working, boo <3 xx]

[4get it] Alexander dropped back to his pillow with a huff, holding the phone to his chest. This wasn't going anywhere. [jus bored. Go bck 2 studyin]

[Yes sir <3 xx] Thomas chuckled and strode into class with Lafayette and Hercules, where Alexander usually joined them, and sat beside the pair. "Smile, Mulligan. You use less muscle."

"When you drop, I will." He shot back.

"Now, now, I've been given specific instructions to be nice to Laf. I plan on following them." Thomas grinned.

Lafayette shifted to be a bit closer to Herc. He didn't feel like starting a fight with Thomas that day and didn't want Hercules to feel he had to. "If you really wanted to be nice to me, you'd kindly fuck off." He smiled, speaking low enough so that the teacher wouldn't hear, but loud enough for Thomas to hear him clearly.

Thomas nodded. "As you wish." And he... actually left?

"What's up with that?" Hercules asked.

"I don't know.. Maybe we should just enjoy this while it lasts."

[Laf asked me to move and I did. That's being kind, right? 😉 xx]

[i gess... thnx?].

[Don't mention it. See? I can be nice 💗 xx]  [What am I going to get in return? Or do I move back to sitting next to them? xx]

Alexander froze, feeling his heart jump wildly in his chest. [wat do u meen...?]

[I mean xx] [Either we start 'getting along' if you catch my drift, I'll play nice. I'll be nice to Laf, I'll be nice to Herc; hell, I'll even be nice to your Johnny 💗 xx] [We've just got to spend some time together, that's all xx] [Or I can go find John now. He's probably in the library, right? xx]

[nO] [dnt do that] [pls] He panicked, typing back quickly, biting his lip.

[Then let's hang out. Sit with me in lunch tomorrow when you're back. Then come to mine after school. I'll even drive us. OR I'll get John. xx]

Poor Alexander whimpered in panic. This wasn't what he wanted. Not in the least. [ok] He looked back to his conversation with John. [John, u cnt come ovr 2day. im 2 sick.]

John furrowed his eyebrows and took a break from drawing. [What? Are you sure? I asked Martha earlier and she said it'd be fine if I went over and visited you...] [And Lafayette asked me to come over, probably to talk about what they know.]

Crap, that was right. Alexander almost forgot. [sry, just havn an episod. frekd out fr a sec] He curled up and whimpered. He was scared... And he needed John now more than ever, but he wasn't going to let Thomas come near him, not after what he'd done to him. He had to take care of this himself. He switched back to Facebook. [tomas, im not sure about this...]

[So you'd rather me go back to sitting next to him and start something? Ooh, I know, I could tell him how hot he looks in skinnies 😉 xx]

Alexander jumped up. [no dnt] [sorry jus] [pls dnt do nythin] [pls] [tomas?] [thomas] [anser] [o god] [dnt hve dne nything] [pls] [tomas!]

[Chill. Eacker was looking this way so I had to hide my phone xx] This was a lie. Thomas had waited a few minutes before responding purposefully to scare poor Alexander. [Good to hear you screaming my name tho xx]

[stop pls]

[How'd you manage to misspell my name when it's on the screen in front of you? 😜 xx]

[pannic]

[Aww... don't panic 💗 I'm gonna look after you, I promise xx] He looked over at Lafayette and Hercules and smiled.

Lafayette glared back at him. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this..."

"Please be carerful.." Hercules kissed his cheek.

After school, Lafayette took a chance and sat beside Thomas for drama. "Hello, Thomas."

Thomas raised an eyebrow at him. "Since when do you talk to me?"

"I just thought I could ask you for some advice. Do you have any tips for playing Veronica sawyer?"

This sparked his interest. "There's not much to it. She's a high school chick trying to fit in. Sort of a sassy girl next door."

"I see.." He nodded. "And I wanted to apologize for our prank last night. I remember how hard it was for John to have to raise his siblings."

"Forget about it. Lucy's a kid. These things happen." He pulled out his script. "So, are you okay with Dead Girl Walking? Because we're going to have to practice that scene at some point and I don't want it to be awkward when we do." As if he cared. He only had to be nice to Lafayette.

Laf couldn't help but shudder a bit ,though he was able to keep it to himself. "It's just acting. No harm done. I'm sure Herc won't mind."

Thomas nodded. "You're right. He shouldn't."

Before Lafayette could comment on what Jefferson was obviously trying to do, Eacker stumbled in, apologizing for being late once again before announcing their roles. Of course, Lafayette was Veronica Sawyer and Thomas Jefferson was Jason Dean.

"See? You know me. It won't be so bad."

Though, of course, it was the fact that Lafayette knew him that made it bad.

"What scene are you two talking about?" Eacker asked as he passed the pair.

"Dead Girl Walking. Just hoping it won't be too awkward."

Eacker smiled. "Well, nothing like breaking the ice."

Wait, what?

"We're all friends here. We were going to head on stage anyways to practice a few scenes. Why not this one?"

Oh, god, were they really doing this now? Lafayette stood up and took a deep breath before following everyone out to the auditorium. It's just acting.

Thomas was too busy texting to worry.

[i dnt like tis] [im scared] [pls dnt taek it owt on laf] [i jst dnt want 2 go hoem w/ u] [sorry sory sorry] [nything els, u got it] [jus dnt ruin drma 4 laf] [dnt go neer Jhon] [John*] [pls] [pls] [pls]

[No. We've got a deal, babe. I'll behave if you do as I say. Laf's acting now; y'sure you wanna go back on this nooooow? 😉 xx]

[nO] [pls] [leev hm aloen] [il b good] [its fien] [il go w/ yu] [srry]

[Good choice 💗 xx]

Alexander changed the password on the phone to some complicated pattern before putting it down on the bed... then beginning to tremble. He hopped up from the bed before practically sprinting across to Lafayette's room and launching himself at John. Poor Rosie barely had time to leap out of the way. She hissed disapprovingly as she knocked her paw before returning to her basket as Alexander buried his face in John's chest, shaking like a leaf. He kept his arms wrapped around John's waist in the same vice like fashion he had before when he was scared John would leave him.

John didn't ask any questions. He didn't have to ask what happened. He had a good feeling. He texted Jefferson to confirm his beliefs. [What did you do to Alex? Leave him alone. If you're doing this to hurt me, just come after me instead. If you're not, come after me anyways. Leave him out.]

Thomas chuckled. How cute. But he couldn't respond yet. He got on stage with Lafayette and watched him act as the song began.

"The demon queen of high school has decreed it. She says Monday, 8 am I will be deleted. They’ll hunt me down in Study Hall, stuff and mount me on the wall. Thirty hours to live. How shall I spend them? I don’t have to stay and die like cattle. I could change my name and drive up to Seattle. But I don’t own a motorbike. Wait, here’s an option that I like. Spend these thirty hours getting’ freaky! Yeah! I need it hard, I’m a dead girl walking! I’m in your yard, I’m a dead girl walking! Before they punch my clock, I’m snappin’ off your window lock. Got no time to knock, I’m a dead girl walking." As much as Lafayette dreaded the scene, he wasn't about to half ass it.

"V-veronica..? What are you doing in my room...?" It was... unclear if Thomas was acting or not. It was either excellent acting ability... or Lafayette had genuinely caught Thomas off guard and scared him half to death. Either way, it certainly fit the role.

"Shh!" Lafayette looked back at Thomas with a sultry expression, grabbing his shirt collar. "Sorry, but I really had to wake you. See, I’ve decided I must ride you ‘till I break you ‘cause Heather says I gotsta go. You’re my last meal on Death Row. Shut your mouth and lose them tighty whiteys! Come on! Tonight I’m yours! I’m your dead girl walking." He pushed him down to his knees, lost in the role. "Get on all fours, kiss this dead girl walking. Let’s go, you know the drill. I’m hot, and pissed and I'm on the pill. Bow down to the will of a dead girl walking." He kneeled down and held his face. "And you know, you know, you know, it’s cause you’re beautiful. You say you’re numb inside but I can’t agree. So the world’s not fair? Keep it locked out there. In here it’s beautiful! Let’s make this beautiful!"

"Shh!" Lafayette looked back at Thomas with a sultry expression, grabbing his shirt collar. "Sorry, but I really had to wake you. See, I’ve decided I must ride you ‘till I break you ‘cause Heather says I gotsta go. You’re my last meal on Death Row. Shut your mouth and lose them tighty whiteys! Come on! Tonight I’m yours! I’m your dead girl walking." He pushed him down to his knees, lost in the role.

Thomas felt his knees click as he dropped, but it was totally worth it. Lafayette looked an image of perfection and coupled with those lyrics... Thomas felt like he could take him there and then.

"Get on all fours, kiss this dead girl walking. Let’s go, you know the drill. I’m hot, and pissed and on the pill. Bow down to the will of a dead girl walking." He knelt down and held his face.

It took all of Thomas' restraint not to go back on his 'deal' with Alexander. Whether or not getting in Lafayette's pants was his focus, he was undeniably gorgeous.

"And you know, you know, you know, it’s cause you’re beautiful. You say you’re numb inside but I can’t agree. So the world’s not fair? Keep it locked out there. In here it’s beautiful! Let’s make this beautiful!"

"Th-that works for me!" He exasperated before yanking Lafayette into a kiss. It was rough and messy... but at least it fit the scene.

It was going to take the power of every god to wash that taste from Lafayette's mouth. It tasted like.. Like.. Jefferson. And he hated it. But he didn't act like it. He kissed back just as roughly because it wasn't Lafayette kissing Thomas, it was Veronica kissing JD. And it was too late to back out then, so he kissed back and continued the song afterwards. "Yeah! Full steam ahead! Take this dead girl walking!

"How'd you find my address?"

"Let’s break the bed! Rock this dead girl walking!"

"I think we tore my mattress!"

"No sleep tonight for you! Better chug that Mountain Dew!"

"Okay, okay.."

"Get your ass in gear! Make this whole town disappear!"

"Okay, Okay!"

"Slap me, pull my hair! Touch me there, there, and there!" Lafayette didn't know what was worse, the fact that Thomas' hands were all over him or the fact that he was the one guiding them. At least he got to slap him. "No more talking!"

"Woah!"

"Love this dead girl walking!"

"Woah, woah! Hey, hey! Yeah, yeah!"

"Love this dead girl walking!"

"Love this dead girl! Woah, woah! Hey, hey! Wait, wait!"

They finished out the song in sync. "Love this dead girl! Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Ouch!"

"YEAH!”

“YEAH!"

As soon as the song was over, Lafayette got off of Thomas and caught his breath, smiling at the class a bit. He knew they did amazing. And he hated it.

Thomas looked like a mess. His hair was sticking up all directions and his face was glowing crimson. Thomas was no virgin, but he hadn't expected Lafayette to carry out the scene so well, or convincingly. He pulled himself to his feet, joining the applause for Lafayette and himself before offering a hand to help pull Lafayette up from the floor.

"See? You're both fine. Nothing to worry about." Eacker chirped with praise. "It helps when it's a friend there, right?"

"Right." Thomas piped back before returning back to his seat with Lafayette. "...so do I owe you a cigarette or...?" He laughed lightly, attempting to tidy his hair.

Lafayette rolled his eyes, holding his arms that much closer against his chest.

When class drew to a close, Thomas put his script back into his rucksack and swung it over his shoulder. "You're a great actor, Laf. Really. I mean that. I'll catch you tomorrow.," he complimented before waving him off and leaving the room, finally texting John back. [/I've/ done nothing. I haven't seen him today. Besides, he's /your/ boyfriend. You fix him xxx]

As Lafayette followed behind him, surrounded by his classmates, he felt conflicted. He loved acting, but it felt wrong doing that scene with Jefferson.

When Lafayette came out of the classroom, surrounded by various other drama members full of praise and compliments, Hercules bit his lip. This was something Lafayette was 1. Obviously passionate about and 2. Very good at. Hercules's jealousy would have to step aside. Instead, he greeted Lafayette with a supportive smile, pretending he hadn't just seen that scene. "Hey you! Someone's popular!" He hummed. "John headed back to yours early to see Alex. Are you ready to go?"

He nodded and faked a smile. "Yes. Let's go." He kissed his cheek and walked home with him.

When John and Alexander heard the pair arriving, the latter froze up a bit. Not only did they have the talk to do, but he hadn't gotten around to apologizing to Lafayette and he believed him to still be mad.

They entered the room and mumbled a few greetings before sitting down, even Rosie leaving the room as she sensed the tense atmosphere.

John was the first to break the silence.

[schuylersxster]

Welcome to Heathrow Airport, III

PART ONE | PART TWO | masterlist

summary: You meet Lin at the airport during a painfully long layover in London on the way back to New York. You talk and are nerds together. It’s cute.

words: 1922

author’s note: I did the thing! S/O to @fragmentofmymind for liking my other stuff and making me finally want to finish writing this and put it up.

warnings: There’s cursing because it’s me, but that’s it.

In contrast to your everyday life, you woke up in what most people consider to be the morning hours, 8:30 AM to be precise.

Normally, after a deadline, there was an entire week where you barely woke up before noon every day.

Normally, after a deadline, the pit in your stomach had dissolved, but it was still present when you swiped away alarm after alarm after alarm but continued to lay in bed.

Literally, it’s just coffee. Get out of bed, you freak.

“Great encouragement, there.”

Your first instinct after escaping the bundle of sheets was to go and make a cup of coffee, but you had to stop yourself. Coffee with Lin, right. Breakfast, then?

Grabbing your first post-deadline read from the empty space on your bed, you flip it open to your current location and read it while getting some of the quiche you’d made yesterday out of the fridge. For the next half hour, you’re curled up on the couch with a new fantasy novel that you’re supposed to be reviewing and sending in a blurb for. Well, it was really due a week ago, but the author’s a friend of yours who pushed back the date because he knew you were turning in the last edits of your book.

When it gets to a few minutes past nine and you get to the end of the chapter, you close the book, abandon the plate on your coffee table, and go spend the next thirty minutes trying to look cute but not trying to look like you’re trying to look cute because then Lin would think you’re trying to impress him which you’re totally not doing but it also totally is. The coffee shop is only a couple blocks away, but you leave half an hour early anyway, plugging in your earbuds and turning on the audiobook of Neil Gaiman’s newest release as you lock your apartment door and head out.

You had planned to be the early one. And you were still early, but as you pushed the door to the coffee shop open, you saw Lin leaning on the counter, chatting with the barista.

Double checking your phone, you confirmed that you hadn’t entered a parallel world and you both were 15 minutes early for your date. Not date. Coffee . . . meeting? That’s too formal. Fuck it.

You thought about just slowly backing out of the shop and walking around until it was closer to 10, but a familiar face walked out from the back of the store. “[Y/N]! We thought you’d gone missing. It’s been so long since you’ve stopped in!”

Juliette, the owner, was walking toward you with arms wide. You chuckled as the older woman embraced you. Over her shoulder, you saw Lin had turned towards you.

God, I thought he attractive in an airport. This isn’t fair.

You pulled out of the hug and looked at the woman who had single-handedly supplied you with enough caffeine to get through your second book. “I’ve missed this place, believe me. Editing in an airport lacks both good music and good coffee.”

“Are you still drinking the same thing?” Juliette walked her towards the bar with her hand between your shoulders. You nodded. “I’ll get it started for you. And it’s on the house because I’m happy you’re back.”

“You don’t need to do that, Juliette. I can pay for it, really.” But she wasn’t having it, so you slipped a $10 bill into the tip jar as she turned to start the coffee.

“I do think you failed to mention you were a regular here.”

Oh, right, Lin. “This is where I lived and breathed while I was working on the second Labyrinth book. I came here every single day and sat in that seat by the window with my laptop.” You turned to face him properly since the first time you came into the café. “It’s nice to see you again.”

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “You’re early.”

“I’m going to pretend not to be offended that you sounded surprised when you said that.” You shook your head and took the coffee from Juliette over the counter. “Thanks, Jules,” you thanked the woman.

Juliette was hardly behind the counter anymore—she was always either at the register or in the office at the back—but she always seemed to be around whenever you stopped in for a drink, and every time, she insisted on making your drink herself. “You sure you don’t want anything, sweetie?” she was looking at Lin expectantly, “it’s on the house if you’re with her.”

Lin ordered and insisted on paying, but Juliette refused because any friend of [Y/N]’s is a friend of mine.

It was no surprise to you that Lin was a busy man. Honestly, that wouldn’t be a surprise to most people who were at least aware that the internet existed that Lin-Manuel Miranda was a busy man. Being as such, he could only stay for a little over an hour in the little coffee shop before needing to leave.

“We should do this again. Soon,” Lin was checking the time one last time before he stood up to leave.

“Definitely.”

“Could you do the same time next week?”

After a second of running your schedule over in your head, you nodded, “For sure, I’ll see you then,” and you stood to hug him goodbye.

And so it went for the next few months. Every Tuesday at 10 AM, you and Lin would meet at the café a few blocks from your apartment. You’d talk about your lives, your terribly embarrassing pasts, and your aspirations. I mean, I literally wear a bracelet that says What Would Neil Gaiman Do? so if I could someone looks at me the way I look at Neil Gaiman, I’d be content. — I just want to keep making a difference. I don’t want to be just “the Hamilton guy” forever. I want to take that and use it for good.

Jen was sure you were meant for each other. “There’s more than one way to have a soulmate, y’know? You can be soulmates with someone without falling in love and having ten kids.”

“There’s no world in which falling in love means having ten kids, Jen.” You were lying on the couch in your apartment while Jen was sitting on the floor with her laptop. The two of you were supposed to be working, but the idea of work had flitted away from the both of you once she asked if she could schedule a meeting for Tuesday morning.

“You know what I mean,” Jen set her laptop on the coffee table with the screen pointed towards you, calendar open, “you two are, like, kindred nerds.”

Barking out a laugh, you turned towards the screen, looking at the tentative schedule for tour dates. “Wow, thanks for that one day off in the middle of this two-week tour.” It was twelve cities in thirteen days, and Jen had one travel day on day seven so that you could get from Texas to Seattle without losing your goddamn mind.

“Do you wanna whine about it or do you wanna sell books?” Jen grabbed the laptop back to lock in the dates with the bookstores. “What would Neil Gaiman do?”

“Sell books,” you mumbled, grabbing your phone and walking into the kitchen. “Do you want tea?”

“Ooo, yes, peppermint please.”

“Herbal tea freak,” you muttered, pulling the singular box of caffeine-free tea that remained in your kitchen for Jen and only Jen as you turned on the kettle. Upon unlocking your phone, you saw a few messages.

There was one from your mom, a few from your longtime best friend who was coming to New York in a few weeks, old messages from Jen that you’d never opened, and about six from Lin. He was a texter because he was busy. You hated texting and had been notoriously bad about not answering messages since you got your first phone in college.

From Lin: 12:27 PM

Can’t do coffee tomorrow, meeting w Lac

From Lin: 12:27 PM

He’s only in NY for a few days and he only had two hours for me in all of it

From Lin: 12:40 PM

You have to get better at responding by the way

From Lin: 1:58 PM

At least tell me you didn’t have a heart attack at hearing we couldn’t have coffee tomorrow

From Lin: 2:02 PM

[Y/N]???

From Lin: 2:24 PM

Could you do dinner this week? I don’t want to go another week without seeing you

To Lin: 2:45 PM

Shit. Sorry. I was in a meeting with Jen about tour-book stuff. Dinner sounds great! I have meetings pretty much every day but my evenings should be free.  

From Lin: 2:47 PM

SHE LIVES! How about Friday? 7?

“Are you dying in there?” Jen called.

You shook your head, pouring the water into two mugs. “Some of us have big girl tea that doesn’t require the water to cool down before actually making the tea. This is your own fault for drinking shitty tea.”

Your phone buzzed on the kitchen counter while you were walking back to Jen, a mug in each hand. “Someone’s popular today. It kept going off during the meeting. How did you not hear it?” You shrugged nonchalantly and went back to grab it.

From Lin: 2:48 PM

Or I could do another day, but Friday’s probably easiest

You smiled before typing in a response.

To Lin: 2:49 PM

Friday works!

“What are you smiling at?” Jen rested her head in her hand and batted her eyelashes at you. “Is it the Music Man?”

“Why does that look automatically accompany a question about Lin?” She just batted her eyelashes in response, a smile now on her lips. “It is, but it’s not whatever you’re thinking.”

“Oh, please, tell me, [Y/N], what am I thinking?”

“I don’t want to know.”

“You’re going on a date with Lin-Manuel Miranda.”

“It’s not a date.”

“It’s dinner, on a Friday night, at seven o’clock. It’s a date.” You shook your head and turned back to your laptop, where you saw the all-knowing face of your longest friend. Morgan, the girl who you’d met in gymnastics class at five, had been by your side for every big event in your life. You’d both grown in the same shitty suburb of Chicago, had gone to school together, gone to college together, and inevitably separated when you went to New York and she stayed in Illinois.

Now, she was living out her domestic dream. She’d always wanted to be a teacher, a wife, a mom. Now she had all of that, and she was so happy. Her husband was being an angel and letting you steal your friend away from her family for a week so that you could spend time with her for the first time in ages.

“Charlie, get out of that!” Morgan was yelling at her son from the computer, who was off-screen being a messy child, you were sure. “Hey, sorry, [Y/N] but I gotta go. Make sure to send me pictures of what you’re wearing though. I require outfit approval.”

“It’s not a-” but the screen cut off with another shout from Morgan, “date.” You shut your laptop and shook the thought from your head as you grabbed the open book from the coffee table and began reading. “It is not a date.”

[calzona-ga]

Looks like Japril is back on! On Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy, Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April (Sarah Drew) celebrated their successful miracle throat transplant by boning back at their hotel in Montana. Why Montana? Well, they had been sent there, to the Avery Medical Center -- in the Avery Family Jet, no less -- by Catherine (Debbie Allen), who sneakily paired the two together on the mission, perhaps sensing that April could play wingwoman for Jackson and convince him to confront his biological father Robert (guest star Eric Roberts), who just so happens to live in the area. And, wouldn't you know, Catherine was exactly right. (There's a reason she's running things at Grey Sloan, after all.) April, channeling her short-lived stint as chief, took a no-nonsense approach with Jackson and gave him the kick in the pants he needed to have a conversation with his dad, a former surgeon who's now running a small bar in the middle of the woods. At first, the reunion doesn't go so well, with Mr. Avery welcoming Jackson with open arms and Jackson, in turn, barely able to contain his simmering rage at the man who had walked out on him and his mother years earlier. When Jackson heeds April's post-coital advice and goes back to see his father a second time... things are still cool between them, with Jackson indicating that this will probably be the only time they meet and icily rejecting Robert's assertion, upon learning about Harriet, that "I'm a grandfather." But he appears to get the closure that he was seeking, at least. TVGuide.com chatted with Drew about what brought Jackson and April together in this episode, what's next for them when they return to Seattle, and why April's able to brush off her ex-husband's nasty attitude so readily. So, no wonder this episode was dubbed "Japril the Sequel"! Is this the first step towards Jackson and April getting back together, or was this a one-time thing? Drew: I think a lot of different possibilities would make sense. I think it could lead to anxiety about, who are we? What are we doing? Are we together? Are we not? There's all that kind of tension. It could also kind of field a much deeper friendship and comfortability between the two of them, like a return to best friendship. It could also lead to a rekindling of their marriage. I think all three of those options are totally justifiable. What would you say is the catalyst for them sleeping together in this episode? Drew: What happens in Montana is a combination of a few things. I think April really shows up for Jackson in a pretty selfless way this whole episode. She puts up with his attitude, she takes his blows and his smacks emotionally, and she doesn't take it personally, and she gives him exactly what he needs, even before he has a chance to ask for it. And I think that having the opportunity away from the hospital to remember why these two people were each other's person from before they even got together, just allows for a connection. So it made sense that it culminates in falling into bed together, because there's always going to be chemistry between the two of them. There's always going to be love there. They share a child. There's so much that they've been through, and we've just had this kind of beautiful experience of April really showing up in a loving way for Jackson in a really heightened moment. So, it made sense that they would come together in this moment. But as far as where it leads, I don't know. You mention that they have a child together. I imagine having Harriet kind of puts an added pressure on them to figure out what they're doing. Drew: Definitely having a child for sure creates more complication, and the fact that they're living together also creates complication. So, those factors combined will make for some interesting storytelling.

We also got to see their two very different approaches to bedside manner this episode. Why is April more hesitant to make promises and be optimistic, while Jackson just goes for it? Drew: I think she's just a realist. She's lost patients. I mean, so has Jackson, but she got fired from Grey Sloan for missing something on a patient and then the patient dying. That kind of changes you forever as a doctor. I don't think you want to make promises that you can't keep. And I think that all ties into ... promises made when you get married. Now that they're divorced, her promise was kind of different than his promise when they got married, because they look at marriage differently and they look at what that whole thing is differently. Do you think their different worldviews actually make them work well together, as a couple and as professional partners? Drew: One of the things that's so great about them is that they are very different. They see the world very differently, and I think that has made for, really compelling storytelling in a really neat way, where they're able to challenge one another and help each other to grow in pretty profound ways. But it also leads to great conflict and pain. So, it kind of is a double-edged sword there. I feel like Jackson's been kind of a jerk to April lately. Drew: [Laughs] I feel like there's mixed feelings about this. Some people would say that he's totally justified, but I agree. I think he's been a jerk. Why is she able to look past all of his snark so easily? Drew: Once she discovers that all of his erratic, distant, cold behavior is wrapped up in this opportunity to find his father and meet his father, I think all of the animosity on her part just evaporates. Because she realizes that what he's going through is so much bigger, and she's able to empathize. She's able to go, oh, that's where this is coming from. OK. I think she puts all of her feelings completely aside. ... What I love the most about this episode is, really, she doesn't need anything from him in this whole episode. April and Catherine have not always seen eye to eye. Why has Catherine taken such a shine to her now? Drew: I think she sees something in April. She sees an ambition and a work ethic and a passion, not only for medicine but for all of the administrative stuff that Catherine's had to do to kind of build this Avery empire. I think she sees a bit of herself in April and wants to encourage that, wants to help April to kind of spread her wings professionally. And I think April's excited to have an advocate who is so powerful and has taken an interest in her. Do you think the fact that April and Jackson aren't together anymore enables Catherine to admire April for the type of doctor she is? Drew: Yeah, absolutely. I think there's a whole lot of drama that goes away when you're not related to somebody. There's a freedom in just receiving April as a professional colleague. There's all kinds of stuff that a mother-in-law would like for her daughter-in-law to be and behave and all that stuff. But now that that is not present anymore, there's a freedom to connect on a different level. I hope we actually get to see them go to Chicago and see Hamilton. Drew: I know! Me too! April's found herself at odds with some of her colleagues this season after temporarily replacing Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). Is that animosity going to continue? Drew: For April, I think she's good at seeing the big picture and what she wants is for the hospital to be the best possible place it can be and for people to learn the best possible way they can learn. I think she's on the same page with Catherine about the way that that is gonna come across. It's not a personal vendetta against Richard by any means. It's just, oh wow, look, this new technique is going to make these doctors grow up faster and become stronger, and that's gonna be only good for our hospital. And she's catching a lot of flack for it, but I think at the end of the day, she's gonna want to do what's best for the hospital. And some people have different opinions about what that is, for sure. So what's next for her and Jackson when they get back to Seattle, away from the high they experienced in this episode and back to day-to-day life? Drew: I think we're just gonna have to wait and see. I don't think I can tell you anything beyond, it ends on a hopeful note. A really, really hopeful note. And whether that means hopeful in terms of getting back together or whether that means hopeful in terms of, there's something very big that's healed between the two of them, and they can truly kind of embrace the fact that they are each other's person again. Whatever it is, I think it ends on a very hopeful note.