It was 7am when John was returned to his cell block. Inside Marquis and Hercules were perched on the couch with Alex, interrogating him.
"I'm single-" Alex answered as John entered, his cheeks flushing a little.

"John! What was that all about?" Hercules asked, leaning back into the couch.
"Nothing important," John shot back, glancing at Alex. Alex looked a lot less timid as opposed to when he first arrived, but seemed to tense when John walked in.

John made his way into his cell and retrieved his coffee from earlier. It was cold now, he would have to make a brand new one. John sighed and moved into the kitchenette.
"So how long are you in here for, Hamilton?" John asked, his back to Alex as he made his coffee.
"Oh I'm not- I mean, I'm waiting for my trial, here on remand," Alex answered quickly.
"Oh, your crime?" John continued to question. Alex laughed softly in response.
"My crime? Not mine. I'm being charged with murder, as if I could commit murder. I'm scared of picking up ladybugs and I'm being accused of murder." Alex explained firmly, finishing with a light chuckle.
"You sure you're innocent?" John asked, turning around and leaning back onto the bench. Alex squinted his eyes and tilted his head a little.
"What makes you doubt me? Either way it doesn't matter what you choose to think because I know I'm innocent." Alex finished with a shrug.
Little does he know my opinion matters a lot more than he wants to believe.

John shrugged it off and turned back to finishing making his coffee. When he finished he walked to the couch holding his warm mug tightly. An inmate walked past with a big trolley of sheets & clothes and banged on the bars of their cell.

"Laundry!" James Madison yelled into the cell. Lafayette stood and retrieved their basket from the corner of the cell.
"John none of your clothes are here," Lafayette mentioned as he picked up the basket effortlessly.
"Here," John muttered, pulling off his shirt and throwing it at Laf who caught it and threw it in the basket. When John turned back to his coffee, now just in sneakers and sweatpants, he noticed Alex staring with a slight blush. Their eyes met and Alex's eyes quickly darted away.
"Like something you see, Hamilton?" John smirked, biting his lip.
"Don't get cocky," Alex spat back, crossing his arms uneasily and earning a hearty chuckle from John. He was about to make a 'cock' related remark but bit his tongue when Alex stood from his seat and moved into his cell.

"John you made the kid uneasy with your abs, not on his first day," Hercules laughed, slapping John on the shoulder.
"Trust me, if my abs are the worst of his problems he is going to have a breeze in here, wait until he meets Jefferson, I can tell he'll be a fighter." John remarked.
"Fighter? Alex? He seems a little too timid for facing Jefferson don't you think?" Hercules questioned under his breath.
"Hmm, just you wait," John muttered with a slight grin.

The first sign of aggressive behaviour Alex exhibited could work in favour of Alex being guilty of murder, so now John was intrigued to see how he coped in a cafeteria filled with criminals. John was fairly confident he was guilty at the moment, playing the innocent card to try and trick everyone.

After half an hour their cell block was opened, allowing the group to slowly make their way to breakfast. Alex was walking behind Lafayette and Hercules when John swept in and slid next to him, striding in pace with Alex.

"Listen, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I'm sorry about earlier," John slowly apologised, cringing.
"No you're not," Alex replied in a monotone voice.
"Okay, I'm not, but I had to at least try to make amends," John laughed, earning a quiet chuckle from Alex which he tried to conceal by clearing his throat.

They reached the cafeteria and John lead Alex to the bar to collect a tray. As he shuffled down other inmates who were blessed with kitchen duty filled his tray with food, slopping it on the tray with a horrible squelching slap that made Alex want to turn inside out. John laughed at Alex's reaction to the slop on his tray as they left the bar and found a seat.

Alex slowly began to wander off when John grabbed him by the collar.
"Where are you going?" He asked quickly as Alex was jerked backwards.
"I was just gonna sit by myself over the-" Alex began before John shook his head and interrupted.
"Nuh uh, you're sitting with us, the boys will have a feast if they see fresh meat by itself." John laughed, tugging Alex away.
"Ah thanks, I didn't think you'd want me sitting with you," Alex replied sheepishly as John lead him to the table where Hercules and Lafayette were perched.
"You're gonna be sleeping with us until your trial Hamilton, you can sit with us at breakfast," John replied, rolling his eyes.

John sat down but Alex wasn't given the opportunity because as soon as his tray hit the table he was tugged backwards, again. He slipped and slammed into the rock-hard linoleum, a sharp zap of electrical pain sizzling up his spine. He hissed and cowered on the ground before looking up to see his assaulter.
"Fresh meat huh?" A tall man with insanely frizzy hair smirked maliciously. "You know you're gonna need protection in here, every criminal is gonna want a bite of that scared-" The man began to lecture, leaning down to Alex's level before both Alex and John cut in at the same time.

"I don't need protection,"

"He's with us Jefferson,"

The boys turned to look at each other and John widened his eyes, trying to communicate to Alex that he needed to shut up.
"Your days abusing the new-comers are over Thomas, get over yourself," Hercules spat.

"I'm sorry, who is top dog around here?" Jefferson asked rhetorically. "Is it you Laurens?"
"N-no,"
"Mulligan?"
"No."
"Lafayette?"
"Non."
"That's right. It's me. I make the calls around here. The next time you interfere with my leadership I'll be seeing you in the laundry." Thomas growled, swiping Alex's tray off the table. He stalked off with his crew of criminals following. John reached out to help Alex up but Alex ignored the hand and pulled himself to his feet.
"I could've handled that," Alex sighed quietly, reaching down to grab his tray.
"Have fun 'handling it' when they tie you to the shower nozzle and strip you down," John muttered, stabbing at his breakfast violently.
"Wait wh-what?" Alex asked quickly, his confident facade slipping.

"You're in prison mon ami, I believe you are forgetting everyone is here because they did something terrible, and that includes us." Lafayette replied quietly. Alex leaned back a little, shaking his head with a sigh.
"I know, thanks then," Alex finished. "At least I won't be here for long,"
John, Lafayette and Hercules all looked up quizzically.
"I won't be back here after my trial, I'm innocent."

The boys nodded understandingly and turned back to their breakfasts.
How innocent are you Alexander?