Chapter Text
The holiday season was coming closer and everyone seemed happy for the break from work they would have.
Everyone but Thomas Jefferson.
"What? But we always spend Christmas together James!" Jefferson said, following Madison down the hall
"I know Thomas but this time i can't. I'll go with Dolley visit her parents. You'll have to figure yourself out this year." Madison said, turning to pat gently Thomas' shoulder
Thomas stood there with his mouth open, seeing Madison walk away.
He huffed, crossing his arms like a kid. "I don't need you anyway..." he said to himself
***
Laurens entered Hamilton's office, being loud enough for the whole building to hear. He was wearing a Santa Claus' hat and beard and had something –probably paper– under his shirt, making him look fat.
"HO HO HO, WHO'S READY TO THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER?"
"Oh my God, Laurens, what the fuck?" Alex asked, not being able to hold back a laugh
"I'm Santa Claus your little bastard, shut up." Lauren's said in a deep voice, raising his hand at Alex's direction to make him stop talking
"I'm sorry, we couldn't hold him." Mulligan showed at the door, together with Lafayette, who was looking kinda of scared
"Ok, Santa Claus, get out of my office i have work to do and Washington is coming here at any second, you won't want him to see you like this." Alexander stated, looking back at the papers in his hand
"Oh really? Maybe Mister Washington wants to sit on Santa's lap and ask for a present." Laurens kept the deep voice, moving his hands all over the place, making fun of the situation
"Laurens!" Washington's voice shouted from the door, making Laurens jump, letting paper fall from his shirt to the ground "What the hell is happening here?"
Hamilton rose his eyes from the papers, looking at Washington and Laurens, trying to hold a laugh.
"Nothing, sir." Lauren's voice now sounded like a little boy who was about to get grounded, making Mulligan laugh loudly while Lafayette just mumbled something like 'Americans...' and walked away from the room
***
Two days away from Christmas and people were getting in the mood. It was easy to see Santa's hats everywhere, some mistletoes hanging everywhere in the cafeteria that the workers had put there as a joke –one of them even hanging out of Washington's office door–, and beautiful Christmas lights hanging from here and there on the offices.
Thomas was just finishing a book in his spare time, while having a cup of coffee in his hand, in the cafeteria, when Hamilton, Laurens and Lafayette busted out of nowhere, screaming like crazy.
He rolled his eyes, knowing what the screaming was about. Their Christmas party that they couldn't stop talking for a second.
As they got closer, Thomas saw he was right. Their happy faces as they planned their party out loud made him groan out of frustration and look back at the book.
"If Lafayette don't drink a whole bottle of wine with a funnel I'm not going." Laurens said as he sat down on the table that stayed right beside Thomas
"Laurens, you are the one wanting to do that, you idiot." Lafayette commented
"No, my dear french friend, i want you to do it so i can finally see your ass drunk."
"But you want to do it too." it was Alexander's time to contest
"Yes, i do. But, you see, that's not the point!"
"Could you three loud pieces of shit go scream somewhere else?" Thomas said, not even looking at them
"Could you dumbass go read somewhere else?" Alexander answered, an angry expression on his face
"I got here first. And I'm talking both about the cafeteria and the country." Jefferson looked up, challenging Hamilton to another one of their fights
As Alexander opened his mouth to talk something, Lafayette sticked a bun that was left on the table on his mouth making him shut up.
"Could you two not fight at least once, pour l'amour de Dieu?"
Thomas just rolled his yes and went back to his book, hearing Alexander curse Lafayette for the bun.
"So, Thomas," Lafayette started, being the only one there that Jefferson accepted calling him by his first name "what are you doing this Chistmas?"
Thomas looked at him, unsure of what to say. He didn't wanted to tell him he was going to spend it alone in his house probably listening to loud music or watching TV.
"Not your business." Jefferson was short and clear, being a little ignorant with his friend, but that was normal when he got defensive over something
"Oh, what a jerk you are, Jefferson! Lafayette was polite while asking you!" Alexander almost shouted
Lafayette facepalmed himself, tired of his two friends fighting like this everytime, while Laurens only watched in silence.
"I'm not talking to you, Hamilton." Thomas mumbled placing his cup of coffee on the table and using both hands to support his head
"Yeah? But I'm talking to you. Why are you like this? You push everyone away from you. I don't even know how Lafayette got to be your friend in the beginning!"
Jefferson slammed his hands open on the table, making some of the coffee spill. His eyes were full of rage against Hamilton and he wanted to punch him in the face.
"Listen here, you bastart..." his voice were threatening. He wasn't in the mood for Hamilton that day "You don't dare to talk about me like you are flawless–"
"Never said i was." Hamilton interrupted
"You talk like you deserve better than me, what makes you so special?" Jefferson got up, standing by Alexander's side
Hamilton got up, keeping his expression controlled. He knew the more calm he showed himself, the more pissed Jefferson would become.
"I'm not an asshole like you."
In the back, Laurens made a confuse expression, wanting to point something out, but keeping it for himself.
Before Jefferson could strangle Hamilton in the cafeteria, Lafayette got up, pushing both of them away from eatch other.
"Stop that, both of you!" he said "I'm not here to watch you two fight like an old couple."
Jefferson got away from Lafayette's hand, taking his book from the table and walking away, not saying anything else.
Lafayette watched as he walked away, feeling worried about his friend, noticing Alexander get rid of his holding too.
"I still don't know how this jackass got Washington's trust to be his Secretary of State!"
"Alex, take it easy on him. Christmas is probably not an easy holiday for Jefferson. He's a lonely man." Lafayette said calmly
"Because he wants to!"
"Alex, come on." Laurens said, suddenly getting a serious tone while looking at his friend "Jefferson can't be that bad. You are being childish with those fights. Why do you hate him so much?"
"I don't hate him i just... Hate him!"
"Give him a break, mon cher."
***
Alexander was just about to leave the building when he noticed a light on the dark hallway of the offices. Who would be there so late working? Usually Alexander was the last one to leave.
He looked a little bit, noticing the light was coming from Jefferson's office and he roled his eyes, ready to leave.
Before he could give his first step away he heard Jefferson's voice, like he was talking to someone. Curious, he approached silently the open door and peeked inside, seeing the man with his head on his hand, the phone in his ear, looking upset.
No, not upset. He seemed more like he was disappointed, Alex noticed.
"Are you sure you can't leave it to next year?" his voice said, lazily, like knew it was meaningless "Ah, sure, you're already there..."
Thomas changed his expression, saddening all of the sudden, making Alex uncomfortable. Those expressions, the basic ones, were the ones he never got to see on Thomas' face. He had seen the other ones –like ambition, sarcasm, rage and focus– quite a lot, but never the basic ones. Happiness and sadness.
Seeing it now made him feel weird.
"Yeah, ok. Merry Christmas, Madison. Tell Dolley i said hi and wished a Merry Christmas for her too."
He hung up the phone, rubbing his face with his hands and falling back on his chair, looking at his own hands, that rested on his lap.
"Alone at Christmas..." Thomas thought out loud to himself, ignorant to the man who were watching through the crack on the door. "You reached rock bottom, Thomas. Congratulations."
***
Alexander spent his last day of work with Lafayette on his office, revising some documents Washington required before holidays. Both of them talked as minimum as possible, wanting to finish work as fast as they could, even though Alexander's mind was loud and full of questions that maybe the Frenchman would be able to answer.
The scene he saw last night wouldn't come out of his head. The sadness in Thomas' face seemed to be engraved on his brain, creeping on his thoughts, showing itself without warning.
Alex raised his head, looking at Lafayette, noticing how focused he was on his work. He opened his mouth a few times, trying to think on the perfect words.
"I found out why Jefferson got so evasive when you asked him about his plans for Christmas." he said, catching Lafayette's attention "He's going to spend it by himself, probably didn't wanted us to know."
Lafayette frowned, letting the papers and the laptop he was using aside, looking at Alexander.
"And how do you know that, Alex?" he asked, raising an eyebrow
"Ah, you know... I was leaving late yesterday and caught him talking in the phone with Madison about it." he said, awkwardly
Lafayette bit the interior of his mouth, looking away like he was thinking.
"We can invite him to the party." he mumbled to himself
"I'm sorry, what?"
"We can't just let Thomas be alone at Christmas! He's mon ami just as you are, Alexander."
"I'm not letting Thomas Jefferson into my house."
"It's my house."
"Still! C'mon Laf, you know that it's a bad idea..."
Lafayette took a deep breath and looked at Hamilton like he was planning something, making Alex get uneasy.
"You're going to invite him." he said, simply
"What?! Have you gone crazy?"
"Alex, please. It's Christmas time. Do that for me. As a Christmas gift!"
The helpless expression on Lafayette's face made Alexander groan. He knew the Frenchman wouldn't stop bothering him until he agreed.
"Fine!" he put his hands in the air, getting pissed for what Lafayette was making him do "But don't you fucking expect a present under the tree then."
***
Hamilton walked to Jefferson's closed door for the fourth time in the space of 5 minutes. He was still trying to figure out what to say and wanting to just ignore what Lafayette asked him.
He was about to go into the office of his political enemy and invite him to a Christmas party that was first meant for only friends. It was a bad idea, and Alex knew that, but he couldn't say no to Lafayette.
That, and the fact that Thomas sad face was still bothering him.
It was worrying, to say the least, the way Alexander seemed to be affected by the memory of that particular expression of that particular person.
With a shake of his head he decided to just go in, invite Thomas, and wait for him to say no. He knocked on the door, hearing Jefferson's voice saying he could come in and he opened the door without ceremony, looking at Jefferson with a closed expression.
Jefferson frowned when he saw who was knocking, rolling his eyes and going back to look at his computer.
"Go away, Hamilton, I'm not in the mood for another of your fights. Whatever it is, i am innocent and it's probably your fault."
"I'm not here to fight."
The words brought Jefferson's attention to him, making him swallow the spit that was forming on his mouth.
"I'm here to invite you to our Christmas party."
Alexander crossed his arms, blinking way too much to be natural, and waited. Thomas was looking at him, not knowing exactly what to say, still chocked with the unexpected words that came out of Alexander's mouth.
"Are you drunk?"
Alexander's arms fell dramatically by his sides, while he looked at Jefferson like he was about to kill him.
"It was not my idea, Lafayette made me do it."
"Why?"
"Because i told him you would spend Christmas alone."
When Alexander noticed what he said he just stopped, his brain entering on a panic state. He had, yet again, talked too much.
"And how exactly you know that?" Jefferson asked, starting to rise from his chair
"I heard you on the phone yesterday..."
"You were spying on me?"
"No! I just–"
"Get out of my office."
"Jefferson, listen, i can't do that without you giving me a response."
"No, Alexander! I'm not going to your stupid party."
"Well, thank you. Have a nice day."
Alex got out of the room faster than he got in, not even bothering in closing the door on his way out.
When he made a turn, he saw Lafayette approaching. The Frenchman made a hopeful expression and Alex shrugged.
"I guess he enjoys being by himself."
"He declined?"
"Yup. Too bad. Now I'm going back to work."
"Alexander..." Lafayette stopped him before he could leave "Did you even try?"
"I did! He doesn't want to go."
Lafayette took a deep breath and looked right into Alexander's eyes, making him nervous.
"Come with me." he said before making his way to Jefferson's office himself
Alexander frowned, following Lafayette and stopping before Jefferson could see him.
"Thomas, s'il vous plaît, come to the party..."
"Gilbert, look–"
"Please, don't 'Gilbert' me."
"I'm not going. First of all, they are your friends, not mine. Second of all, Alexander is not someone who i would spend Christmas with."
Alexander crossed his arms, containing the urge to just go in the room and fight Jefferson.
"Am i not your friend?" Lafayette asked, his voice seeming emotional
He was playing dirty, Alexander knew he was overreacting on purpose, to weaken Jefferson, and Thomas knew that too, but what he could do?
"I am, Laf. But they're not."
"I don't want you alone on Christmas, Thomas. I know you. You'll probably be wasted on Christmas morning because you'll be thinking of all crap that happened to you and will try to forget it by drinking."
Silence.
Alexander felt uneasy hearing the sudden silence in the room. The weight of it was too much.
"Please, mon cher, just this time..."
Jefferson breathed out loud and Alexander could hear the noise his chair made when he rested his back on it.
"Fine. But don't expect me to be smiling all the time."
"Good. I'll tell the others." Lafayette turned to leave the room but stopped suddenly, already out the door, remembering something "Oh, and who's going to ride you over my house tomorrow will be Hamilton."
Alexander almost screamed, but he was occupied looking at Lafayette with his eyes wide open, like his mouth.
And, apparently, Jefferson had the same reaction, just with one difference: he screamed.
"Are you crazy? You must be out of your mind if you think I'm–"
"Thomas, i know your car is broken and you are taking the bus everyday to work. You can use a ride, and it'll be Alexander. I want both of you to talk, because i don't want fights on my Christmas." Lafayette said and waved his hand in the air as goodbye "See you tomorrow."