Alex sat on John's desk, kicking his feet in the air and flipping through the letters.

"Are you going to give me my mail or...?" John questioned, looking at his friend, who'd regained his normal state after quite a lot of sleep.

"Nah it's mine now Jackie." Alex chuckled.

"Oh come on Mushroom Boy give me the letters." John stuck out his hand, trying to ignore the fact that his heart fluttered when Alex called him 'Jackie', which was a nickname that the shroom has taken a liking to.

"Fine." Alex pouted, tossing the Petalbasket the letters.

John looked through them, not really thinking any of them interesting but reading them anyways because they might be important.

"So? Who'd you get letters from?" Alec questioned, still swinging his legs like a little kid.

"The Schuyler household, the Manning household, the library—"

"Open the one from the library." Alex instructed.

"Whatever you say." John shrugged, looking around his desk for his letter opener.

"Need your mini dagger Mr. Marigold?" Alex asked, standing up.

"It's a letter opener, and yes, I do need it."

Alex looked around the desk for a moment before pulling out the letter opener

"Mini dagger." He hummed, placing it in his friend's hands.

"No it's— whatever. Thanks Mushroom Boy."

"Any time, now shut up and read the letter from the library."

Joh chuckled and tore open the envelope, letting the paper fall out. He unfolded it and cleared his throat, reading the text put loud.

"Dear John Laurens,

It has come to our attention that you rented a book, 'Peppermint Pansies' by Ralph Troye, on August the 27th and have not yet returned it." He read in the fanciest voice he could muster. "We pray that you bring back this novel in one week at the latest or we may have to send a fine.

Signed,
The library of _____ *enter creative place name that slightly references Hamilton here*"

Alex was laughing by the time John finished reading out the letter.

"It seems Mary's renting books with my library card again." John commented, which made his friend laugh harder.

"Ok ok, next letter." Alex instructed, leaning gently over the desk so he could look at the mail, which ended up making his and John's faces really close.

"Do you really want me to read them?" John asked, looking at the correspondence. He'd pieced together that the letters were basically the other big families asking if he wanted to marry their daughters and for some reason the thought of reading them out to Alex made him very uncomfortable. "I can paraphrase them all in one go."

"Ok then, do that." Alex smiled.

Because their faces were so close when Alex spoke John could feel his warm breath and well... he didn't not like it. He didn't not like it at all.

"John?" Alex moves back and snapped his fingers in John's face. "Wake up or I'm making you read each and every word on all of the letters."

John blinked and focused his vision, reminding himself what he was supposed to be doing in that moment. "Oh, right, yeah ok. Paraphrasing."

He cleared his throat dramatically again. "I would like to present to you my daughter(s) who you don't want to marry but kinda have to marry anyways because your father said so.

Signed,
The duke or earl or lord of something or another important."

Alex clapped, but the expression on his face was unreadable. "You're getting married?"

"Unless I want to force it upon my little brothers already I have no choice." John shrugged, pushing the letters into the trash.

"But you don't want to." Alex pointed out.

"Not really, no." John shrugged.

"Can't you say no? Call of the engagement?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But... never mind." Alex looked down, refusing to meet John's eyes.

"What? What's troubling you Mushroom Boy?" John reached out and clasped Alex's face in his hands, gently forcing the shroom to look at him.

"It nothing. Just... where'll I go? When you're married you won't need me and... you're the only friend I've ever had. I-it scares me almost, to think about what I'd do without you."

"Never. I could never not need you Alex. I don't want to get married or engaged or whatever. I think the war might be a valid excuse for me to put all that stuff off until later." John smiled and Alex grinned a little bit.

Once he realized what they'd look like to anyone who could happen to walk in, he drew back and looked at the last two remaining letters.

"This isn't for me, it's for Martha." John pointed out, tossing the one letter aside. "I'll bring it to her later."

"I could do it right now?" Alex offered.

"Oh no no no no no." John protested, pinning his friend down by grabbing his wrists. "You're going nowhere near Martha."

"Ok then." Alex seemed a little relieved by that. "What about the last letter Mr. Marigold? What's that one say?"

John picked up then envelope and examined it. "It's directed to Alexander Hamilton, do we have an Alexander Hamilton present?" He called out, looking around the room.

"Give it to me you idiot." Alex chuckled, and snatched the letter, sitting himself on the desk. As he read his face darkened and he lost the smile that had barely left his lips for the past few minutes.

"Alex? Is everything ok?"

"I... have to go get my stuff. You can read it if you want." Alex tosses the letter then walked out of the room.

"Alex?" John called after him, thoroughly confused.

That was until he read what was written on the page.

Mr. Hamilton,

It has come to our attention that we are lacking in troupes and need some faeries to join the army.

John knee where this was going and wasn't very happy with it.

We have been granted permission by the lord of the house to recruit you for our cause.

You must show up at the riverside camp by tomorrow at 8:30 or you have officially broken the law and will be shot if found.

Signed,
The Woodheart community