John sat in the yard at a table with Laf and Herc, his leg jigging in a nervous tick.
He wrote Alex as guilty.
Why did he do that?

Sure, Alex loved his cousin, but never once did he say 'I didn't kill him'. It was always 'I'm innocent' this and 'I'm innocent' that. What if Alex killed him because he loved him, innocent intentions? That was John's mindset. He declared in his lag that Alex couldn't have killed his cousin for the sole purpose of killing him. He didn't want to believe he killed him. But he did kill him.

How would Alex react when he found out it was John's lag that made the final determination of his sentence? He would be disappointed, but happy to still be with John, right?

No, he'd never speak to you ever again and would probably hand you over to Levi on a silver platter. You're his prison boy toy to get his mind off the murder. You're not special.

Or maybe his lag had been completely dismissed and Alex was declared innocent after all, in which case John would probably never see Alex again.

John buried his head in his arms, trying to clear it of the intrusive images of Levi acting up. He felt a large hand rest on his shoulder and looked up to see Herc's sad smile.
"You doin' okay?" He asked just above a whisper, Lafayette turning to join the conversation.
John nodded weakly, shoving his face back into his arms.

"Assholes and Gentlemen," an obnoxious voice yelled out over the yard. John lazily lifted his head, letting his eyes peek out over his arms. Jefferson stood centre stage, the dark grey clouds above the yard making him look just that little bit more menacing. "My time in prison comes to an end tomorrow," Thomas announced, earning a few hollers of varying emotions from the inmates, some joyful and some disappointed.
"-and in my final hours as top dog I would like you all to thank me for being such a generous leader," Thomas laughed with a bow.

Thomas' crew and a few others crowded around him, punching him playfully and congratulating him on his sentence ending. What people were forgetting was that tomorrow someone new had to step up to the challenge of top dog.

Of course, you can't just stand up and say 'I want to be in charge'.
The inmates have to choose you, not through physical vote, just an unspoken trust and respect that gradually forms around one inmate. The prison staff have no say in who is top dog, they simply encouraged Thomas being in charge because he made sure their prison was drug, alcohol and weapon free. Everyone was intrigued to see who stood up to be the next top dog.

John scanned the yard, his audit studying any possible candidates.

James Madison was slung under Jefferson's arm. He could possibly rise to the challenge, and he'd be supported by all the inmates, he was a nice guy.

Charles Lee would surely dive for the position, but after word of his affair with Officer Seabury getting out among the inmates, it didn't look like he'd be getting much support.

George Frederick had been eying the prison-yard throne for quite some time, he would have supporters but honestly belonged in the looney-bin not prison.

Levi Weeks, John didn't want to go there. If said sex offender did become top dog, which was highly unlikely, John would be fucked. The most horrific part? Literally fucked.

Aaron Burr had been waiting a significant amount of years to pounce, John knew this from Alex, but he wasn't sure if Burr would receive the support he needed to get the position.

John looked over at Lafayette and Hercules, they stood a chance but he knew they didn't want to get involved in the shit-show that was this prison's governing system.

He pushed his hands against the cool metal and stood up from the table, looking up at the sky that was filled with clouds ready to spill with rain any second.
"I'm heading in, might do some drawing," John muttered in Laf and Herc's general direction.
"Oui, let us know if you need anything," Lafayette called out after John, watching worriedly as he made his way out of the yard.

"I worry about him," Lafayette added with a sigh once John had left the yard. Hercules hummed in agreement, resting his chin in his strong hands.
"I wonder how Ale-" Hercules began to speak up when a familiar voice cut over him.
"Heyyy guys," Alex muttered nervously, making his way over to the boys, still dressed in his suit.
"Well speak of the devil! Alex! Come for one last goodbye aye?" Hercules smiled brightly, standing from the table and slinging his arm around Alex's shoulders.

"Uh, one last hello?" Alex spoke sheepishly, shrugging out of Hercules' hold. Laf and Herc's smiles dropped.
"Oh, I'm sorry man, uh, welcome back," Hercules sighed, squeezing his shoulder.

"Thanks," Alex shrugged with a weak smile. "Where's John?"
"You just missed him, he retreated to our cell block, probably in his room-" Lafayette answered before correcting himself. "Uh, cell."
Alex nodded and thanked the two for their directions, passing a crowd of cheering inmates trapping Thomas in a tomb of affection and gratitude. He scoffed at Jefferson's mindless followers and continued to make his way across the yard, down a few hallways, waving to officers as they let him through, until he got to his cell block.

He froze at the metal bars, taking his time walking in. He peered into John's room where John sat at his desk, hunched over his art journal slashing erratic lines across the page. He noticed Alex moving in his peripheral vision and his head darted up, his eyes meeting Alex's.

"How'd it go?" John asked, sounding more agressive than he intended, surprising himself as well as Alex.
"I'm here to stay," Alex replied with a sad smile, opening his arms. John's lip curled up in a weak smile before he turned back to his journal. Alex frowned and closed the cell door, moving towards John and wrapping his arms around John's neck from behind.
"Sorry," John muttered, his eyes not lifting from the artwork on his paper.

"Sorry?" Alex questioned. "Why are you sorry?" He asked, standing up a little from his hunched position over John.
"You're stuck here now for, however long, a-and it's all m-," John began to mumble, his voice hoarse.
"John, I've got Lafayette and Hercules, and I've got you, I honestly don't care about anything else right now," Alex laughed breathlessly, spinning John's chair around to face him. John gulped, wanting to just scream at Alex that it was all his fault. He could tell there was a discreet sadness behind Alex's eyes upon being deemed guilty, as much as he denied it.

John must've been staring at Alex for a while without talking because Alex decided to close the gap between them, placing his hands on John's thighs and pressing his lips against John's. John didn't kiss back, guilt still eating away at him, until he realised Alex was gradually pulling away. John, not wanting Alex to think that his affections weren't reciprocated, pulled him forward, onto his lap, deepening the kiss.

Alex smiled into the kiss, resting his hands on John's chest, until they were very rudely interrupted.
"JE LE SAVAIS!" Lafayette cheered as the cell door was flung open. Hercules groaned and slumped against the door frame. Laf held out his hand expectantly and Herc slapped a $10 note in his hand, Lin Manuel Miranda looking smug in Laf's grasp.

Alex jolted backwards but John grabbed him and held him on his lap.
"It's fine, it's just Laf and Herc, I think they should know," John whispered while Lafayette and Hercules bickered by the door. "What was your bet anyway?" John added, his voice rising in volume.
"There was a $5 bet you were gay and a $5 bet Alex was gay," Hercules sighed with a defeated shrug while Lafayette danced happily, waving his $10 note around triumphantly.

"I'm bi," Alex smirked, Lafayette's smile falling.
"Merde," Lafayette hissed, digging into his pocket and chucking a $5 note at Hercules.
"Anyway, we'll let you get back to... this," Hercules chuckled, flipping his wrist in John and Alex's general direction while he slipped out of the room. Lafayette smirked and started making suggestive gestures while Hercules pulled the cell door shut.

"Do you want to get back to... this?" John asked sheepishly, his hands slowly unwrapping from around Alex's waist.
"You're actually asking?" Alex laughed, John shifting uncomfortably until his question was answered with Alex's lips back on his, where they belonged.

Edit A/N leave your guesses as to who will step in as top dog in the comments, winner gets a shout out :)