I'm trying to get to 10 and I'm at 6 so c'mon people, ask your questions, they could be anything. (And yes, I have established that y'all want to know if I'm gonna kill the main characters)

—~•~—

John tapped his foot against the wood, nerves creeping up on him only once he couldn't turn back (and also before he started in the first place but that's honestly not the point) telling himself he was doing the right thing was working until he actually got on board with the thing, and now he was stressing.

What if something happened to his siblings while he was gone? What if he couldn't find Alex? What if he died? What if they both died? What if everything went well until he went back home and his house had been destroyed? What if the town evacuated and he never found his family after that?

So many scenarios ran through his head as he tapped his foot anxiously and started drumming his fingers against the window.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he whipped his head around. The fearie was clearly annoyed by the finger-drumming, which was resonating on the glass and being just loud enough to be annoying.

John immediately stopped and looked down guiltily. He also stopped tapping his foot, worried that to was annoying the other passengers of the train.

John would read a book but what if he missed his stop? And he would read the letters instead (which he'd been doing a lot) but what if someone read over his shoulder? And he would go back to staring out the window but he didn't know what exactly his stop looked anything like so what if it just flew past him? And he would lean back against the chair but he was really tired and what if he fell asleep then missed his stop?

John sighed and compromised with himself. He looked out the window but would check what stop was coming next every time he passed one.

Himself decided that the compromise was ok and let John peer out the window.

—~•~—

Turns out the stop was a lot farther then John thought, so at some point the window got boring so he took out his book.

He finished it because, like an idiot, he brought a book he was more than halfway through.

John ended up reading the letters from Alex, because he had no other form of entertainment and they always brought a smile to his face.

A smile that died very quickly once he fell upon the newest message (why'd he even bring it?)

John tucked that one specific paper back in his bag and went on with his ride, reading the others over and over so they were engraved in his brain.

He then read them again because it never got old.

Then he went back to looking out the window.

—~•~—

Finally John hopped off the train and looked around. There was a well-trodden dirt path leading away from the station that he decided to take, just to see.

His main instinct was longer awkwardly until someone asked him where he was going, but he opted against it and started walking down the path.

At some point it became clear he'd taken the right path.

That point was when someone approached him stealthily and suddenly he had a bayonet pressed lightly against his chest.

"Hi." John said uneasily.

"Who are you?"

"John Laurens."

"And why're you here?"

"Why're you here?"

The faerie looked very confused for a moment then decided upon a facial expression and a reply, seeming at the same moment.

"I'm in the army."

"Yeah see that's what I want to be doing here. Now can you please remove the weapon from my chest?" John replied, which made the army dude laugh and remove the gun slightly.

"I'm Aaron Burr, sir." The army dude, Aaron Burr, said.

"Cool, drop the 'sir'. Unless your name is actually Aaron Burr Sir in which case... tough luck."

Aaron Burr laughed again then recomposed himself. "How do I know you're not here to spy?"

John raised an eyebrow and rolled up his sleeve, displaying the marigold mark to Aaron Burr.

"Ok... but why should I let you in?"

"I've got the papers somewhere." John started to open his bag but Aaron Burr put a hand on his shoulder.

"Man, I'm just enjoying having a bayonet to threaten people, you don't have to prove anything. C'mon, let's go." Aaron Burr smiled and John grinned back, closing his bag and walking beside Aaron Burr.

"So, why'd the son of the famous Henry Laurens choose to go get blown up or shot to death?" Aaron Burr asked.

"A friend... a few friends I guess... whatever, I have a friend who was in the army and he just kinda... poof. I want to find him." He tried to keep it reasonably vague but credible.

"You gay?" Aaron Burr asked, bayonet slung over his shoulder carelessly.

"Uhh..."

"I assume that's yes?"

John didn't say anything, heart pounding against his ribs.

"Chill out, its ok. I won't rat you out." Aaron Burr chuckled. "I have these friends... yeah."

John let out a breath.

"Don't get me wrong, it's not ok. At all. But I'm not gonna say anything to any authorities or anything."

"Do you just ask that to everyone you meet?" John questioned, a little less afraid.

"Nah, but birds of a feather flock together, right?" Aaron Burr chuckled.

"You're... gay?" John was not getting a gay vibe from him.

"Nope." Aaron Burr grinned. "Tom is though. I don't think you noticed him, he's pretty sneaky when he wants to be."

"Who—" John felt something press against his back and froze, because it seriously reminded him of a blade.

"Tom." Aaron Burr scolded and the possible blade was removed.

A guy suddenly seemed to appear, as if by magic, in front of John, who took a scared step back.

The gay smiled at John. He had an afro and dark skin. In his hand was a pointy dagger, which proved John right about the blade assumption.

"Thomas Jefferson." The blade-wielder has a very Southern accent (I know I haven't established a location, just roll with it please). "At your service." He held out his hand for John to shake.

John took Thomas's hand and shook it.

"I take it I don't have to introduce myself?" John asked.

"Do it again for politeness's sake." Thomas Jefferson grinned.

John smiled and introduced himself again, for politeness's sake. "John Laurens. Pleasure to meet you."

"Mk cool, I'm calling you Johnny." Thomas said matter-of-factly. "You call me Tom, that's just Burr and you'll meet Jemmy and Herc later."

John chuckled. "I take it I've been adopted into the group."

Tom pattes him on the shoulder. "Birds of a feather flock together."

"Very rainbow-y birds." Burr commented.

"Birds of paradise." John retorted.

"Oh yeah, I'm keeping you." Tom hugged John tighter.

—~•~—

Me? Replacing Alex with new friends because he's not gonna show up for a few chapters and I'm not pulling a Coraline? Never.

I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to come out, I wasn't (and still am not) doing great mentally. I was gonna compensate with a few extra hundred words but I just couldn't do it.
Hope y'all enjoy Thomas and the gang.

Love,
Starii 🌼