Muttering under his breath, Alexander stalked across the tent covered field. He seemed to be on a mission, probably for the General. At least that's what everyone assumed. But they wrong, for this time he was on a personal mission.

His eyes fixated on a specific tent and he picked up his pace. Boots squelching against the muddy ground, he practically leaped at the opening of curtains. Once he regained his posture, inside the tent, the lieutenant looked up to spot a familiar face.

"Ah, Laurens. I received word of-" He was cut off and startled by the sound of his fellow comrade slamming one fist against a desk. As if struck by a bullet, Alexander stayed frozen in his spot, searching for words at the surprise.

From across the tent, John lifted his fist from the desk. Just as much as his friend, he seemed confused by the action. Lips moving quickly, the man firmly said, "I have been waiting for days. Where the hell have you been?!"

He didn't even let the lieutenant respond. "You are expected to put your country first. We are in the middle of war, sir. The threats sent to our camp could have destroyed us. We don't have much time, so our actions are needed now." Picking up a quill, the man shoved it forward, avoiding his gaze.

Alexander crossed his arms. "Not until you take a breath of air." Trying to coax his friend to set down the parchment and ink, he nodded his head. When he arrived back in camp, after receiving word of threats from the redcoats, all he had been concerned about was Laurens.

Often ignited by the sound of war, John would take any chance to throw himself out in the fire like raw meat. If he wasn't careful, one day he would end up dead. Therefore, Alexander tried to be there and make him realize things he couldn't see on his own.

Holding the quills tightly, Laurens shouted across the space between them, "And who are you to tell me when to breathe? We don't have time to take a breath." The quill raised in his hand, pointed in the direction of his friend.

Alexander jumped forward, grunting, pulling the sharp tipped quill from his hand. As he gripped him around the waist, pinning him into a body lock, he reached around and tossed all the papers to the ground. Laurens instinctively thrashed his arms about, but couldn't do anything to fix the mess.

"You're telling me we don't have time, eh?" One hand of the taller man grabbed his friend's jaw, pulling him closer. He was certainly making a point with his methods. Laurens squirmed in his grip, but refused to give up fighting. For once he knew he was right and he was sticking to that fact no matter how much his friend tugged and pulled.

"Our soldiers are preparing for a battle against those damned redcoats. Any threats we receive are only meant to throw us off. We can't waste time on something like that. The place we're needed soon is on the battlefield." He listened to the sound of his friend's grunts and desperate whimpers.

John groaned, "If we're needed somewhere, then get me out of this position." Without hesitation, the taller man dropped him to the ground. Breathlessly gripping the desk, he rose to his feet. Alexander calmly watched him struggle to recover from his tactics.

"Don't just stand there. Why don't you do something useful for our commander?" Mud stained his boots and knees as he stood up from the ground. Alexander rolled his eyes playfully. But the playful gesture made his friend go a step farther.

"Oh, don't act like you don't love the attention he gives you. Washington wouldn't survive a day without you." Dryly laughing, Laurens coughed something under his breath. It was just assumed by the other man it was an insult.

That's it. Alexander opened his mouth, instantly spitting out nonsense. "So you're saying it's wrong for a man to show some authority? You have no right to say anything against the effort I put into creating this nation. Do you even understand how many nights I haven't slept for this country? If you think for one second that-"

John lunged forward on his feet, grabbing the man's face. "You talk too much," he muttered as he feverishly pressed his lips to the other man's. Thrown off by the force of the kiss, Alexander stumbled backwards, but he didn't break it for one second.

Papers tumbled down from a nearby table at the energy they had caused. The tent opening fluttered, making both of them gasp. With their hands still wrapped around each other, the men looked out through the gap of the tent.

The consequences of being caught as they were could end badly. Hiding a secret was difficult for them, especially an attraction to each other, since they crossed paths so frequently.

Realizing they were still attached to each other's bodies, both stepped back in their own directions. Washed over with heat and sensual sensations, Alexander ran a hand over his hair, murmuring, "You're right, it'd be best for me to go assist him." He paused in the opening of the tent, gazing back over at the man he had kissed seconds before.

Laurens raised an eyebrow and shooed him away with one hand. "Dawdling won't be of any assistance to him. Go." He watched the other man vanish silently, just as he came.

And it was that moment that the lieutenant realized that no matter how much he tried to fight back, he would never be able to fend off the loving affections and feelings he had for Alexander.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
A/N: I haven't really written a one shot solely for Alexander and John in a while, so I thought why not write one. And yeah this kind of just came together as I wrote down some things piece by piece, so hope you guys liked it!