happy belated birthday to our favorite turtle boy

"So...you and John, huh?", Alex smirked.

Y/N and Alex sat in the living room, having some 'catching up time', as Eliza had called it. Y/N almost choked on her tea when Alex finally approached the subject concerning the freckled soldier.

"It was just a mistake, Alex," Y/N spoke after she had recovered "Just a one time thing, okay? John and I are friends, nothing more."

"Are you sure?", Alex drawled and leaned forward, something glimmering in his eyes that told Y/N he wouldn't let go of this.

"Yes, I am pretty sure of that. Now drop it," Y/N sighed and rolled her eyes at him. Alex in return grinned and then leaned back again, saying "John is leaving for South Carolina in a couple of days."

Y/N raised an eyebrow at Alex and knew that he was watching her so he could search for some reaction that would satisfy his suspicions, but Y/N wasn't willing to give her brother said satisfaction. "So?", she asked.

"He's going to recruit thousands of black men for the first all black military regiment. If all goes well, he might end up staying in South Carolina," Alex spoke, but when Y/N still didn't show any kind of reaction he had hoped, he added "Forever."

Before Y/N knew and could prevent it, she paused. Alex grinned devilishly at that. 

Y/N shook it off as quick as it had come and leaned back in her seat "What do you expect me to do, huh?"

Alex shrugged and replied "I don't know, confess your feelings to him?"

Y/N groaned in annoyance "Jesus, Alex, there are no feelings! It was just a one night stand and nothing more. We simply drank too much!" "Would you like me to remind you that you seduced John after only a couple of beers and the two of you headed home long before Mulligan, Laf and I had intended to?", Alex asked and raised his brow at her.

Y/N's eyes widened and she could feel the heat rush to her ears, which got Alex to smirk. "You two were so busy flirting and seducing each other, the guys and I decided we should stay out even longer than planned. Eliza, Angelica and Peggy reported they heard nothing but I bet my ass they're just trying to shut out the nightmares they had because of you."

Alexander should thank the gods that Y/N's teacup was empty, because she hurled it at him to stop him from speaking. 

Alex laughed and ducked away, the teacup hitting the wall behind him and shattering. Y/N glared at him, the blush slowly having spread to her cheeks now. Alex fell out of his seat and now laid on the ground, laughing his ass off.

"Alex, is everything okay?", they heard Eliza yell, but since Alex was still laughing, Y/N called back "Alex shattered a teacup."

Immediately Alex stopped laughing and looked at Y/N with wide, horror filled eyes. Now it was Y/N's turn to smirk at him, as she then got up and mouthed "Good luck," before she left the living room, just as Eliza came storming in.

Y/N snickered to herself as she left the house and decided to take a small tour around the city.

She wasn't alone for long, as someone slung their arm around her shoulders and said "Why hello there, what are you doing out here all alone, princess?"

Y/N blushed ever so slightly as she recognized the hand. It was covered in freckles, so it was hard to be wrong with her guess.

"Alex talked shit and I got him in trouble with Eliza," Y/N said and looked up at John, who grinned, something glittered in his eyes - excitement maybe?

"What did you do?", John asked and indeed, it was excitement. Y/N grinned back at him and said "He talked shit and I threw my teacup at him. He ducked, it hit the wall and shattered and Alex started laughing his ass off. When Eliza called him and asked if everything was okay, I called back that he shattered a cup. Alex looked like he'd seen a ghost."

John started laughing and dropped his arm from her shoulders, the two of them continuing in the direction Y/N had headed.

"I have to tell you, Alex is always scared shitless when Eliza is mad at him," John said, the two of them falling into laughter once more even though they've just calmed down. Y/N giggled as she replied "I can imagine."

The two of them continued walking, laughing until they were totally out of breath. From then on they continued their way in silence for a little, until John carefully broke it, by quietly saying "I'm heading to South Carolina in a few days."

Y/N nodded and replied "I know. Alex told me. He also told me why." She paused for a few seconds, thinking of what to say next, then spoke up again "I think it's very brave, what you're planning to do. Not many who fight against slavery would go to such measures as you plan to. And I admire you for that."

John smiled softly "Thank you. I must say, I can only admire you for your strength as well. I doubt many women would've acted like you have to get out of that family. They probably would've ended up killing themselves." "Or they would've been too blindly in love with either of those bastards I've been with to care," Y/N added and both of them chuckled.

"I really admire your strength, Y/N. I know that life with them has been anything but easy, especially now, after what happened at Yorktown...you are really, an amazing woman. You never cease to surprise me."

A small blush crept up her neck to her ears, but she managed a small smile, mumbling "Thank you."

The duo continued to walk in silence from then on, John occasionally pointing out some random things that are of importance to the people living here, and other than that, silence.

Not for long though, when John decided to approach a certain subject again.

"Look...about last night, I...", John began, but Y/N cut him off by saying "I'm sorry for just, you know...I made a mistake by misleading you." "You didn't mislead me, I mislead you too, we're kinda both at fault...that does not make anything better," John sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"We're still friends, right?", Y/N then carefully asked and watched John "I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine by me. It was a one time thing but I don't want our friendship ruined by this."

John looked at Y/N and flashed her a bright smile "Although another of Alex's kind will be kinda hard to manage, I think I'm able to handle it."

Y/N frowned and hit his arm, making John laugh and raise his hands in defense.

"I'm not like my brother," Y/N said and pouted a little, to which John retorted with a laugh"No, you're not, you're worse."

Y/N glared at him, before she joined his laughter.