Requested by: MichaelaTheWordsmith
OC: Rachel

Dresses swayed from side to side as the music hummed throughout the mansion. It was the night of the ball, the one that almost everyone had been waiting for. Hosted by a notable man, lots of rich faces had been invited. But the main attraction was his daughters.

Wearing bright colored gowns, his three lovely daughters entered the ballroom, receiving whistles and cheers. All of them had smiles on their faces, either forced or true. Women envied them, while men swooned over them, hoping to gain their hand for one dance.

However, while everyone intently surveyed the daughters, one man stood off to the side of the room, avoiding any women who might be throwing themselves at him, and downing glasses of alcohol. He didn't want to be there, considering the places he could be.

He was Gilbert Lafayette after all. Recently appointed in the army, he had so much potential. But that didn't include being social at parties and balls.

And the only reason he was there was because his friends insisted he join them. It was true he didn't get out enough, but maybe there was a reason why. It would be best to make something of the night. He looked around.

Just then he noticed the sisters, dancing in the center of the room. Everyone was watching them, each of them wishing for some sort of praise. Lafayette felt his gaze following the oldest one, with a light pink gown. She teased all the men around her, making them faint.

It was time to make a move. Gulping down the last of his fifth or so drink, Lafayette matched his way across the floor. He'd start off by charming her with some saying, then sweep her off her feet into a dance, and probably end up with his lips against hers. Or so he hoped.

He had just managed to touch her arm to grab her attention, when a force slammed into him all of a sudden. Thrown backward into the crowds of people, Lafayette regained his balance in time to see his friend who had invited him, talking to the sister.

Alexander. How low of a blow that had been to his heart. The one time he tried to get the attention of a woman, it was thrown away. He didn't even know why he tried.

Barely a minute later, he found himself at the bar, watching his friend flirt with the sister. He shook his head, ordering his tenth drink. He had no care in the world that he was going to be drunk by the end of the night.

"Not having a great time either?"

Lafayette turned his attention to the woman who had sat down next to him. She was petite, golden brown hair, and a small smile pressed on her lips. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Not at all." He went to take another sip of the beverage, but she snatched the glass from his grip. At first surprised, he gasped and then huffed in defeat.

The woman looked at him with slight disappointment. "You can't just drink your problems away." He muttered something under his breath, but didn't lose her gaze.

"Why not? My friends are going to get tangled up with some women tonight, while I'm over here being a pathetic man who can barely speak properly." He groaned.

Still without a name, she replied, "And you think that's the solution to your problems? Get with a woman? You don't always need a lady on your arm, sir. Even before I was married, there was times I didn't wish to have a man at my side." She nodded.

Lafayette raised his eyebrows. How true she was. "Well, I certainly don't want to be an outcast. I'm already one, traveling across the ocean and all." He hung his head low, rubbing his hands together.

"Maybe tonight can be your night to not be an outcast for once." The woman held her hand out to him, grinning. "Would you like to dance?"

He shook his head furiously. "No, no that would be improper of me to dance with a married woman." It wasn't something he was accustomed to.

She only chuckled and took his hand, which limply held hers back. "Who knows where my dear husband is. He won't mind, as long as you promise to not make a move on me." Her eyes gleamed with color as they walked towards the lit up floor.

"I believe we haven't even made introductions, now have we?" Lafayette twirled her around, trying to still have a conversation. She grabbed his waist, swaying back and forth.

"Rachel. That's all you need to know, sir. Well, I suppose it wouldn't be much to say my distant relatives are indeed those flashy women on the floor behind us," she whispered in his ear. When she pulled back, his eyes were wide.

"Ah, such a pleasure. You can call me Gilbert, miss." He twirled her around again, not caring if it was synchronized with the other couples.

The night went on and became a true success on Lafayette's part. He found himself so consumed in her eyes and words. Rachel seemed interested in him as well, maybe not the level he was on, but somewhat similar.

By the end of the night, after all the alcohol he had drank, Lafayette desperately wanted to continue things with Rachel. But he had forgotten she was married. And he didn't even realize to whom she was wed to.

"Dancing with you was lovely, Gilbert. I'm honored to have met such a privileged man, such as yourself." Rachel curtsied, beaming.

Lafayette cheekily replied, "Oh, the honor was all mine. You're a gorgeous, intelligent woman and meeting you made my evening. Your husband is certainly a lucky man." Both of them buckled over laughing for no apparent reason.

Rachel went to say something, when someone walked up behind her. Lafayette smiled, recognizing his friend, John. He reached out his hand to pat him on the shoulder, only to shrink back as John kissed her on the cheek.

Kissed. He kissed her cheek. Lafayette's head spun in circles. He didn't understand what was going on, it was all too much.

"Oh, Gilbert, this is the lucky man, who you know as my husband." Rachel beamed, clutching his friends's hand. She had no idea what was running through her dance partner's brain at that second.

"Since when were you married?"

Blood rushed through his veins as he practically shouted in John's face. He couldn't believe he didn't know his friend was married, much less to the one woman he ever felt something for. It always seemed like these things happened to only him.

John murmured, "I thought you knew. A while back, it was brought up at the bar. Maybe you didn't hear because you drank too much, like you always do." He placed a protective hand on his wife's shoulder.

Lafayette gulped at the sight of the touch exchanged between them. Clueless, Rachel looked at her husband. A perfect comeback came through his brain, only to not compute correctly.

Tears formed in his eyes and he backed away from the couple. Rachel raised her hand, in a concerned manner. That was the last thing Lafayette remembers before he stumbled backward and down the hallway, away from them.

Just as he had expected, the alcohol had begun to kick in. He stumbled back and forth, trying to grab onto something. But he ended up tripping over his own feet and collapsing on the ground. He scrambled to the side of the hall, wrapping himself up in a ball.

Rocking on his heels, Lafayette began to cry as loudly and truly as possible. Ever since his life had become a war, he had forced himself to feel no emotions at all. God, it felt to get it out of his system.

And as he stuttered and tried to piece his life together, Lafayette thought of only one thing in that moment. Will I ever be loved? He stifled another sob, not caring if one of the sisters kicked him out. After all, he was still in their home.

But it was the only place he felt comfortable, considering he barely had any place to call home for himself.

. . . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Thank you MichaelaTheWordsmith for the request! I know you asked for it for a while ago, my apologies for not having it posted sooner. And the part of Alexander pushing Lafayette out of the way for Angelica, actually happens in the musical if you didn't know.