Lafayette
Angelica walks with Sybil and Robert, her face set into a tight frown. She was quiet, glancing at the tapestries in slight wonder every time they pass by one. Lafayette opens his mouth to talk, but then doesnt, falling back to talk to James.
"Do you think Angelica is alright..?" James shrugs, playing with his jacket buttons. "I mean, she's been very... whats the word..?"
"Upset?"
"Non Non... ah, Sad Mad? Non, confused?"
"Worried?" Lafayette snaps his fingers, a small grin on his face.
"Oui! Oui! Thats the one! I just want to make sure she is alright."
"Her husband hasn't responded since he left us, we're about to go through the throne room- not to mention our friends have completly abandonded us-" Lafayettes hand brushes against the crumbled envelope in his pocket. He still hadnt read it, and it was weighing heavily in his mind, and in his pocket. (Atleast thats how it felt) "We just have to be careful, I guess. We have litterally no one on our side, Laf. It's just us, and John. And maybe Abigail?"
"Abigail does not count."
"Abigail does not count." James snorts, and they walk in silence for a little, Theodosia chatting quietly with Sybil.
"Do you think.. Do you think.." Lafayette sees the throne room door get closer and closer, and he shakes his head. "Never mind, Mon amie." He says, and James looks at him, worried.
"Are you good Laf? Is it Fredrick, cause im sure we can find another way around." Laf kinda nods, and the boys slow down to a stop, watching as the girls continue ahead. "It'll be longer, probably, but I saw a door leading to a court yard. If we go that way I'm sure we can find our way there." Lafayette nods again, and James leads him back to the door. They both walk across the large court yard, Laf sighing.
"I want you to read this note. To me. I don't think I can read it." James takes the envelope from him, staring at the name on it. "I just... I really, really want to read it, but it hurts. He broke up with me and all of a sudden, he just turns around and says sorry?? He cant just- I cant-"
"I get it, I get it." James gently opens the envelope, pulling the letter out of it. "Okay, uh.." James scans it over before clearing his throat. "Dear Gilbert..."
"Kinda formal way to start a break up letter." Laf says, and James chuckles.
"Dear Gilbert. I- is this irish?- Ta- uh- Tá brón orm as an bpian a chuir mé ort... Which translates to, I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you." James frowns a bit, The whole letter was written IN Irish. He did have to give props to Hercules, he didnt think the man still knew how to speak the language after they both had stopped speaking it when they grew older. " Tá mé a leithéid de leathch-God, fuck it, I'm just going to read this in english." He huffs. Reading Irish was hard, expecially since he hadn't done it in a while.
"You can read it in english. Nobodies around, I don't mind." Laf says, and James nods.
" I'm such an Idiot. Eliza thinks I am as well, and so does Angelica. I should have told you what was going on when I was looking at you in the hospital, but we were all too scared, too upset. You want an explenation, and I'll give you one." As James explains what Hercules had told him when he was in the storage closet, Lafayettes expression gets darker and darker. "I had to break up with you to-"
"Stop! Just- Just stop!" James looks up at Lafayette in confusion- He was the one who wanted him to read this out- when he realises Lafayette's face was wet with tears. "Stop- stop reading." The man crumples down to the ground, and James stands beside him for a couple of seconds, hearing the man sob. He didn't know what to do, and finally, bends down, holding out his arms. It was something he had learned from Alex when they were in highschool. Whenever James got to fustrated or upset, or even started crying, Alex would hold out his arms, and James would just gravitate twords him. A hug always helped.
"I just- This would be- They wanted me to hit him! And he agreed to be hit!" James had just gotten out of a bad almost fight with a couple of assholes. Alex had stepped in and had gotten hurt instead, reciving treatment from Aaron. James was still a crying mess, he had been terrified, they had pulled a fucking KNIFE on him and Alexander. "I-i should have-I-i-" He chokes, Maria patting him on the back. She had just gotten away from James Reynolds for the night; She didnt know how to calm someone down from crying. Alex let's Aaron wrap up the rest of his midsection before he opens his arms.
"James, cmere." James looks over at him, confused.
"I-i dont wanna hurt you." Alex shrugs.
"It's fine. Cmere you big baby." James stares at him for a couple of seconds, shaking and sniffling before walking over, letting Alexander pull him down onto the couch. He feels Alex kind of pull him into his lap, Alex wrapping his arms around him. "Wanna watch The Lion King? I know it's your favourite." Alex whispers, and James feels his worries eb away. He'd be fine. Alex was right here, alive.
"Not the bullshit new one. I love Beyonce, but the old animation hits harder."
"Cmere Laf." Lafayette sniffles, looking confused.
"Why..?" James makes grabby hands, and Lafayette crawls over to him, hugging him. "Is this what you want..?"
"Yeah." He says, hearing Alexanders voice in his ears. "Just breath. It'll be alright." He hears Laf sniffle again before his body untenses, and he sighs. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Alex may have been a loud mouthed asshole, but he was still James's friend, and somehow, he helped.
"Thanks James." Lafayette says, pulling away to wipe his slightly red eyes. "I just... I really needed this."
"What, the crying? Dude, it's fine. Some times people need to cry. You should have saw me during college. I was freaking the FUCK out then." James gets up, helping him up. "Everyone cries."
"It just feels embarressing." Laf chuckles, and they start off through the rest of the court yard again. "I hope the girls havent missed us too much." James opens the door, spotting Angelica almost instantly. She looked somehow even more upset, and James knew it was most likely because of whatever happened in the throne room. He wouldn't ask, though. He didn't want to die at twenty three.