Everything seemed to stop.

Alex was suddenly flustered, blushing madly and stuttering. "I-I'm so, so, so sorry. I-I--"

"I love you, too," I answered back.

He froze, but then rested his head on my shoulder and held me tighter. "I love you," he repeated. "I love you so much, John. I've loved you ever since I first saw you. You're so beautiful and so amazing."

We looked each other in the eyes for a moment.

And our lips crashed together.

His lips were soft. He tasted like hot chocolate.

Hand tangled in hair, we fell back with me on my back and him pressed on top of me, still lip-locked. The kiss seemed to last forever, like your favorite song that you could never get tired of repeating on loop.

We broke away, breathing heavily.

He was practically glowing in the early morning light, looking down at me like I was his entire world. His skin was set aglow, the stray strands of his hair outlined in gold and set ablaze by the rising sun.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, nuzzling my nose with his. I responded by kissing the very tip of his nose, sending a flood of red across his face. He laid back down next to me, and then immediately jumped and yelped, falling out of bed in a flurry of blankets and limbs.

I furrowed my brow, then turned my head to the door and did the same thing, minus falling off the bed.

Mr. Washington stood in the doorway, his eyes wide and his jaw on the floor.

"Hi," I mumbled, cowering in the blankets. Alex peeked his head up from the floor and stared with terrified eyes at his foster father.

"I have to tell Martha," he said in a small voice, then ran out of the room and yelled, "MARTHA! THE SHIP HAS SAILED! I REPEAT, THE SHIP HAS SAILED!"

We snorted, and Alex laid back next to me and got under the blankets again. I put my arm around his shoulder and kissed his cheek. He smiled at that.

"John," he said. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yeah," I responded. "Yeah, I will."

~.~

Breakfast that morning was rather awkward.

Mr. and Mrs. Washington sat next to each other, occasionally sharing glances. Martha looked rather excited.

"Is there something you would like to say?" Alex finally broke the silence.

"Oh, it's nothing," Mrs. Washington said casually. "Just curious about how long this has been going on, that's all."

"Since last night," Alex said, sipping his coffee. "I asked his to be my boyfriend then. Not very long."

"Uh huh," Mrs. Washington said, chuckling. "Well, boys, we have an announcement to make."

"That we do, that we do," Mr. Washington said.

"We're taking a trip to Europe!" Mrs. Washington said excitedly, grinning ear-to-ear. "We'll be going with another family that's been our friends for a while called the Lafayettes. You don't know them. Well, maybe you do, John, since they're in South Carolina on business for a few months right now, but they'll move back to New York pretty soon."

I gaped. "Really?"

"Yep!" she beamed. "You're speaking seems to be improving, by the way. We got your full medical report last night in the mail, and the report says that your father thankfully did minimal damage and only succeeded in damaging your skull."

"Oh," I said, not knowing what else to say. "Okay then."

"So when do we leave?" Alex said in an effort to change the subject.

"In a few days," Mr. Washington responded. "We're going by plane, obviously. Oh, and John, I need to tell you something: you inherited your father's net worth, which is roughly $10 million," he said (Alex blanched). "Do you want to buy your own wheelchair? They range anywhere from $100 to $10,000, and we could always just buy one for you. The one you're using right now is a rented one, and we'll have to return it before we go to Europe."

"Sure," I said. "I don't mind at all."

Martha's phone rang. She picked it up and said, "Hello? Ah, yes, Philip, how wonderful to speak with you! How are you and the girls?"

There was a pause. She continued to beam. "Well, of course she has a girlfriend. Have you seen her style? Rainbows everywhere! Besides, Maria is a sweet girl, and Eliza deserves the best. Oh? Okay, sure!"

She took the phone away from her ear, pressed the speaker button, and set the phone on the table. "You're on speaker, Philip. George, Alex, and his boyfriend John Laurens are here, too."

"Wait," I heard Philip Schuyler's gruff voice say in surprise. "John Laurens? As in Peggy's friend?"

"Hi, Mr. Schuyler," I said.

"Hey, there, John," he said. "What are you doing in New York?"

"My father's in jail because he almost beat me to death," I explained. "I thought Peggy told you."

"Nope. She's been busy being salty," he said. "Said she's mad that you have a new friend. I assume that would be Alexander?"

"Yep. Tell her to stop being salty."

"I definitely will. Anyways, Martha and George, I called to tell you that I can come on that trip to Europe, and my wife and girls will be coming, too."

"Even Catherine and Cordelia?"

"Even Catherine and Cordelia.*"

"Well, that's wonderful! Those two are teens now, yes?"

"Yes, they are. Catherine just went into her first year of High School, and Cordelia is a Sophomore this year."

"Good for them! Well, we'll see you soon!"

They said their goodbyes, then hung up.

I didn't know what to say.

*(NOTE: I am aware that their actual names are Caty and Cornelia, but I'm not a huge fan of the name "Cornelia" and "Cordelia" sounds a little bit more regal. Also, Caty's full name is actually Catherine, after their mother. And yes, there are actually 5 Schuyler sisters, not 3.)