(Y/N POV)

We strolled to the door, and, not to be rude, Alexander knocked instead of barging straight in. On opening it, a pale boy with scruffy, dark hair blocked the way. A painful scar was engraved down the back of his neck. "Good morning, we are here to see Mrs Taylor." Alexander started. He nodded, guiding us through the household.

It wasn't much more elegant than Alexander's house, just stuffed with more furniture and accessories. Dust was coated along the stairway railings and on top of cabinets, as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Months, perhaps. The boy turned the doorknob, allowing us to pass through. "Thank you." Alexander expressed. I grinned at him, backing Alexander. He'd appeared around my age, though I could've been completely wrong.

~

A fragile hand slowly peeked around the corner. The tender boy who had escorted us here before appeared, fear consuming his eyes. He must be Charles.

~

A black cover, with a golden font at the top reading 'Art Book'. Curiously, I flipped through the pages. Plenty consisted of sketches of turtles, which I found rather satisfying.
"D- Don't touch that!!" Charles yelled, scattering towards me. I dropped the book, backing away.
"Sorry, I didn't realise it was yours..." He gathered the books together, cradling them in his arms.

"I like your drawings..." I commented. For a second, a stark of hope lightened up his eyes. But as I said, it was only a second. He rested at the end of the bed, scratching his neck. It was only then that I had remembered the scar that was ripped down it. Though, I didn't want to ask him about it. "You're very talented." I complimented. God, I sounded like a freak.

"Thank you..." he murmured under his breath.

~

"Great! Now let's get started. Everyone find a partner on the opposite side of the room!"

All of the other girls hopped up excitedly, encouraging the boys to get up. I sighed reluctantly, standing up but remaining in the corner. Charles did the exact same, and we met eyesight. I raised my eyebrows at him, implying that we may as well be partners. He shrugged, sulking over to me. "You haven't learnt this at all, have you?" Charles criticised.
"Not exactly." I grunted. "I can envisage that you surely have."
"Indeed, Miss Hamilton." Charles bowed to me as the music began to play.

~

"I am never doing that again." I told Valentino.
"I thought it was fun!" she exclaimed. "You know, you and my brother would make a good match."
"What?! No we wouldn't!"
"Ahem, yes you would! You're the same age!"
"That doesn't mean anything."

~

"Just know that you can trust me. Alexander isn't my uncle, and Emily is my biological sister."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. And using the names Y/N L/N or Emily L/N will both get us hurt. And it might get you hurt, too." I warned him. "I love you, Charles, and I don't want you or anyone else I hold close to me to get hurt--"

Abruptly, he smacked his lips onto mine. But the second he realised what he was doing, he pulled himself away. He stood up behind the chair, a terrified look drowning him. "I- I- I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking, I..." His breath hitched.

"I'm sorry."

~

Charles took my hand back delicately into his, closing his eyes thoughtfully as he kissed my knuckles. He raised my hand up, leaning his forehead into my knuckles with his eyes still closed shut. "They'll use all their strength and might to tear my mind apart, but one thing they can never tear apart is my heart." He lowered my hand, kissing my knuckles again. "And as long as my heart thrives, my affection for you thrives with it."

~

Out of nowhere, Charles' arm was suddenly hooked around mine. He gestured to the dance floor, smiling affectionately. "I can't dance." I muttered.
"Would you rather it be with me or with somebody else?" he persuaded. "Besides, you can't be lumbered here all night."
I rolled my eyes, hiding a smile. "Fine."

I was escorted out, looking around to the other participants: John and Martha, Alexander and Eliza, and Washington and Martha. We got into position, the music starting quite rapidly. "Huh." Charles stated in the middle of a bow.
"What?" I questioned.
"It's the Allemande." he recognised, taking my hand. "Our first dance together."

~

His hand interlocked with mine, stroking his thumb over the back of it.  "...I wish we could have more times like this." I broke the silence.
"...We could." he whispered, his blue eyes searching through mine. "We could do this forever."

He used his other hand to caress my cheek, his mouth gaped open in an enchantment. His eyes moved about rapidly, unsure of where to look.

But I couldn't resist.

I grappled his shoulder, using it to lean in closer. And with that, our lips touched.

~

"All of this... and..." -He sniffled- "I can't... I can't even be there to... to protect you..."
"Protect? C- Charles, what are you talking about...?"
He shook his head frantically. "The book, the book, it's all in the book, IT'S ALL IN TH--"
"Charles, you're sick, you need t-"

"N- No, you're in danger, and there's nothing I can do about it Y/N, there's nothing-"
"Charles..." I held him close to me, letting him sob into my shoulder. "I'm not in danger, you don't need to worry about me."
"But the book-"
"Forget the book." I played along with whatever he was talking about. "Forget me. You're the one that we should all be worried about, Charles. You've not been yourself. And Doctor Hosack, he can help you. You just have to trust him as you trust me, can you do that for me?"

He sobbed harder, nodding into my shoulder. "I'll be here with you." I comforted. "I'll be here with you forever."

"I'll never leave you, Charles."

~

"First we'll measure the circumference of your head."
"My head?" I giggled.
"Yes." -Charles extended the tape- "So we can get you a lovely hat."

"But I didn't ask for a hat!" He continued to wrap the tape around my head anyway.
"Precisely. I think it will look adorable."
"Charles!"

~

"The carriage is mere seconds to hours away..." I confessed. "I'll be whisked away into... who knows where."
"But I will write. Every day, I promise you that I will write."
"The amount of promises you make, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep all of them." I teased.
"On the contrary, I believe I will."

"I'll settle a deal with you. If you fail to write for one day or more, you owe me."
"Owe you what?" Charles questioned.
"Something that will repay for the trust I've lost in you." I taunted further, knowing that it would unnerve him.

"I would never--!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Then prove it to me!" I induced. Charles tapped his hand at the sides of his legs. I laughed, holding them both to a halt.

"If..." I let him go to give him time to think. "I- If a kiss shall satisfy..."
I wasn't going to see Charles for possible months. So to pass up this opportunity would be foolish of me. He pressed his hand against my arm, frightened to look up. Nevetheless, as soon as he mustered the courage to step forward, he couldn't help himself. He explored me with his steel blue eyes, but not like that time at the store. Or the ball. Or at Doctor Hosack's.

This was what he was trying to hide.

This was love.

The seconds grew into days, and the air grew heavy with his presence. My own eyes must have been betraying me, but I swore I witnessed a tear creep from the corner of his eye. There was no time to check, for he had already locked his lips in with mine. He caressed my arm with delicacy and his chest rose and fell ever so slowly. He'd been waiting for this for so long, yet he was too shy to ask for it. And I was too self-absorbed to realise it.

I thought he would pull away after the first: again I was mistaken. He slithered his hand to the back of my neck and made his promise. He claimed his trust with actions. He glided away, leaning his forehead against mine. We both had our eyes closed tight in the arms of one another.

"I will never leave you." Charles swore in a whisper. "Never. You have my word."

~

I hummed quietly to myself, rocking back and forth on the bed with my head pressed against the post. There was no melody to my humming. Just a note repeated over and over. I was certain that I had been doing this for hours now, whilst recalling every little moment I could. He was only in my memory now. There were no existing drawings or portraits of him.

Someone opened the door into my room. I couldn't suddenly halt my routine of swaying myself around and continued. When was the last time I had blinked? My eyes stung, but I refused to care. My face was stained red from the tears that had invaded me hours ago. For hours.

"Hey..." It was Alexander. He sat at least a metre from me; he didn't want to disturb me either. Good. I'd lash at him if he did. "We won the war. Isn't that great?"

I didn't respond.

"We can settle down with the child. If he's lucky enough to be a boy, perhaps we will call him Alexander." he joked.

But jokes could not break me.

Alexander sighed. "I have letters for you." -He placed them on the bed- "Take your time. We're all here for you, Y/N."

"...He was going to be a tailor."

Stopping at the door, Alexander turned his head back.

"He was going to start his own business and become a tailor."

Alexander rushed over and knelt down. "Hey, don't speak like that-"
"I keep thinking that I can still hear him." I contemplated. "What if he isn't dead? What if I'm just delusional at the thought that he could be?"
"You're not delusional, Y/N." He took my hand, just as Charles had once. "The passing of someone you hold close to you is a tragedy. I was there beside my mother when she passed in our bed... I didn't know what to do. Neither did my brother. We moved in with a cousin of ours, but he also shortly passed."

He sighed. "I know what the pain feels like, Y/N. But just see where we are now! I have a wife, a beautiful child on the way, I have Emily, and I have you. No man could compare to that, not even the most devoted of husbands. You and your sister are a gift from God, Y/N, and if I know anything, it is that you were sent to me for a reason. Sent here for a reason. And I swear to it that I will do whatever it takes to make this the most joyous of families. You have my word."

There were no tears left to cry. I nodded solemnly as Alexander proceeded to plant a kiss on my cheek. Finally, he left the room. Just me and the letters. I took a quick glance over; they had been addressed to Williamsburg. Alas, they had failed to reach me and only now were sent here. To our home.

I picked out the first letter and read.

My dear Y/N,

I am not at all exasperated upon your decline; in fact, it was one of my suspections. Like the pathetic man I am, I was of course miserable about it for many hours following your response. Why must God create man for him to grow so wild over women? It is a trait that I very much dislike in myself, for I believe that I am coercing you into things that you find undesirable.

Nevertheless, part of me celebrated to know that you still loved me. Did I pressure you into stating that? Because if so then I shall set an immortal curse upon myself. Perhaps I am not the man that you deserve; I couldn't understand why you accepted me after our encounter after you came from the war. My actions were unforgivable, and yet you still chose me. Why? Are you a kind of Angel that must see good within every soul? For my soul does not deserve your pity, Gracious One.

I forget to mention. I was encountered by a peculiar man later yesterday evening. He knocked at our door, asked for me. I told him my name and allowed him in. He began asking questions, harmless at first, which only escalated to ones about you. I admitted that, indeed, I personally knew you, and as he asked more of you, he became infuriated. I hadn't noticed it, alas; I muttered on about your kindness and purity.

Then from nowhere, the gent threw me against the wall and demanded that I stay away from you. He screamed threats, that I meant nothing to you and that you loved him. He bared curled, brown hair, eyes, and was more or less my age. A Briton, no doubt. His accent was distinctive, alike yours but far more grand.

Valentino and Mrs. Taylor came to inspect, thought Mrs. Taylor protected Valentino closely in her arms. I was compiled to act for I was the eldest male in the household. This man had a pistol stationed in his pocket, therefore I seized for it and warned him away. Indeed, he left. Even now, I shiver at the thought that he may come back.

Please be safe, darl. His whereabouts to me are unknown and I would kill myself if you were to be hurt. I trust in Mr. Hamilton, so keep your very own trust in him.

I love you forevermore.

- Charles

My sweet Y/N,

Has it not been a day? I worry much more about you than I had already. If that bastard man has dared to reach you, I will retrieve you myself. I have contacted Mr. Hamilton and now I am writing your own letter.

My hope is that you are merely not receiving these letters, or perhaps you would rather not respond. Perhaps you have tossed them into a fiery pit. But I have eternal faith in you, Y/N. Not one moment have you strayed from me and I can say with certainty that this man has not changed your mind. You may have encountered him on your travels to England, to which I conclude that he is a dangerous man, just as your Uncle had said.

I am currently writing this from the comfort of my own bed. This morning followed some complications with my health but I can assure you that all is well. Valentino keeps me close company by the hour; I struggle to eat but she forces me. She offers me commiseration though I could only wish that you were here. I feel incomplete without you and I bid your return.

Forever yours,

- Charles

My Dearest, Y/N,

I have lied to you. I have fallen victim to this deadly illness and now I pay consequence of my actions. I am barely able to breathe as I hadn't yesterday. I lie on this bed cofing blood and wondering when you will come home. will it be soon? will I meet you in our new life? God save me my hand is hardly capble to write.

I knew that I was going to die. maybe not so soon but I knew it. I never did tell docter hosack about the blood, about these 'symptoms' I have been experincing. and I am so sorry Y/N. I did not want to distracts you from your ambitions. you were happy, and so long as you stayed that way, that was all I needed to know. I could not let my problems infiltrate your life.

I have nown about the blood for a year. keeping it from you has proven to be my biggest achievement. I have known about the severity of my health but was afraid to admit it to anyone. especially you. only I myself knew. if I had admited it you may have never joined the war. since I read the book I knew it. I knew that I could not go on living as I was.

I am unsure how much time I have left. Valentino still consoles me. she is the sweetest. when I am gone, will you take care of her? she needs a mother.

if you receive this, do not feel that you must return. you are always present in my thoughts, Y/N L/N. even though I might not be there to see the end of the war, I will live alongside you as an aparition.

i'm runing out of energy.

I'll love you forever, Señorita. and I will write to you again the morrow.

- Charles

~~~~~~~~~~

Behold, my longest chapter yet.

So I was just curious.

Would y'all be interested in seeing a short story based upon Charles' backstory? Just as a little tribute to him lol

Let me know if you're interested!