Work Text:
John Laurens and Alexander Hamilton received an order to appear in the General’s tent. They didn’t get a reason why. John squeezed Alex’s shoulder.
”Do you think that…?”
”No. There is no way they know. It must be about something else.”
He pressed a quick kiss on John’s lips, his hand lingering on the other man’s hip.
”I promise, everything will be alright, my dearest John.”
They left their tent and headed to Washington’s tent. The general was scribbling when they entered. He motioned for them to sit down, but he didn’t look up. Once he was finished, he handed the letter to one of his soldiers.
”Bring this letter to General Lee, but don’t bring his answer back right away, it’s enough if you come back tonight.”
He turned to the other soldiers.
”You’re dismissed too.”
He waited patiently until it was only the three of them in the tent. Only then did he turn to them. His face was carefully composed, hiding his emotions away, but Alexander could see it in his eyes that something was wrong.
”General, why…?”
”Silence, Lieutenant.”
He stood up, towering over them.
”You two are accused of sodomy. Two reliable witnesses testified under oath that they saw you engage in inappropriate actions with each other. What do you have to say for yourselves?”
The blood drained from both of their faces. Alexander wanted to reach out for John’s hand, to squeeze it, to comfort him, but he forced himself to remain still.
”Lies, Sir, aimed to destroy our reputation. We would never…”
”Don’t lie to me, Lieutenant. Laurens, what do you have to say for yourself?”
”As Hamilton said, the accusation isn’t true.”
”So who should I believe? The two of you, who has everything to lose if this is the truth, or two honorable men, who swear they saw you commit sodomy?”
”Sir…”
”The truth, Alexander. This is your last chance.”
Alex glanced at John, who was pale as a sheet. In the end, what would he gain from lying? The General had obviously decided who he believed.s. He might as well die as an honorable man, not a lying coward. So he reached out and grabbed John’s hand.
”It’s true, Sir. I love John Laurens, and I refuse to be ashamed because of this.”
Washington nodded and then turned to Laurens.
”Do you have something to add, Lieutenant?”
John just shook his head.
”Well thean you leave me no choice. I have to punish you. I ordered the two witnesses to be quiet until I interrogated the two of you, but I doubt this news can be contained any longer. People will know, and they will expect me to set an example.”
He let out a long sigh and his expression softened.
”Hamilton, Laurens, believe me, I do not wish to do this. I think highly about both of you, and you’re great soldiers. If it weren’t for this mistake you could have achieved so much. But let’s not talk about what could have been. What happened, happened, and no one can change the past. But I want to help the two of you.”
Hamilton’s head snapped up, surprised. The General wanted to help?
”I should order your execution tomorrow. But there is a way to save one of you. One of you has to testify that they forced themselves on the other, this way only they would be guilty, and only one of you would be executed.”
”So you want us to say that rape happened?”
”This is the only way, Alexander. I’m sorry. I’ll leave you to decide. Come back here with your mind made up, tomorrow morning.”
They didn’t know how they got back to their tent. Once they were hidden from the prying eyes, John collapsed in Alex’s embrace.
”We were so careful. We were so very careful” He sobbed.
”It’s alright. Look at me, John. Look at me!”
Laurens looked up with teary eyes.
”I’ll do it.” Said Alexander ”I will swear that I forced you, that I blackmailed you, that it was all my fault.”
”No, Alex, you can’t! What about your plans, your ambitions? You can’t just abandon them like this?”
”And what about your plans? Plus you have a family, who would mourn you. I have no one in this wide world except you, John. I won’t be missed.”
”I would miss you! And Herc, and Lafayette! We would all miss you terribly.”
”One of us has to go, my darling, and I won’t let it be you. You know how stubborn I’m.”
John just shook his head, tears freely flowing down his face.
”I can’t live without you, Alex, I can’t.”
”And I wouldn’t want to live in a world where you don’t exist.”
”Then let’s do this together.”
”You want to die together?”
”I would die anyway without you. I couldn’t look into people’s eyes and lie about our love, to tell them that you were a horrible person who forced himself on me.”
”I couldn’t do that either.”
”So let’s go together.”
”Together.” Alex repeated, and kissed his lover, pulling him close.
They went to bed like that, hugging each other tightly. Once John was sure that Alex was asleep he lit a candle and started writing.
A single gunshot echoed in the silence of the early morning. John Laurens was found dead of a self-inflicted wound, lying in the middle of the campsite. He was clutching a letter in his left hand, a written confession that he forced himself on one of his comrades, and that he couldn’t live with the guilt, so he decided to take his own life.
When Alexander woke up he wasn’t holding his dear Laurens in his arms. Instead, there was a letter on his table. He opened it with shaking hands.
My dearest Alexander,
I know how stubborn you are and that there was no way I could convince you to accept my sacrifice. By the time you are reading this letter, I will be dead. No, don’t rush outside, there is nothing you can do. This letter is my will, my last request from you and I will know if you don’t obey it. Stay in your tent. Don't even go to my funeral, if I even get one. Pretend that you’re not mourning, pretend that you are happy that I died. Herc and Lafayette will help you. Stay alive. That is my last wish: stay alive, Alex. And not just stay alive, but try to be happy. Focus on your plans and make them happen. I know you are able to do it, that you will create a legacy like no one else had. The sun is coming up, my dearest, and I have to go, even though I have so much more to say to you. I just want you to know, that I love you dearly, and I don’t regret anything. I would do this all over again.
With all my love,
Your John