"This is great." Lafayette says happily as we walk through the forest together.
     "Great? What do you mean?" I ask, rubbing my eyes tiredly.
     "I mean, I got up when I wanted, and ate as much as I wanted, and now I get the spend the day however I want as long as I don't leave the rebel's base!" Laf smiles and turns around to Hercules and myself. "Isn't it great?"
     "It's definitely an improvement. But we're not completely free yet." Herc reminds him, and Laf's mood seems to sink a little.
     "Why are you two such pessimists?" he says, now frowning at us. Herc and I look at each other for a moment.
     "We spent the last few years of our lives in the mines." I answer.
     "We barely have any people left to fight for us." Herc adds.
     "We don't know what's going on."
     "The Captain disappeared before we could confront him."
     "And most of our army is injured beyond repair."
     "Should we go on?" Hercules asks.
     "Non, you know what? Forget it." Lafayette sighs, and walks away from us, his head hanging sadly.
     "Maybe we shouldn't have been so hard on him." I whisper to Herc, guiltily.
     "Nah, he'll be fine in five minutes. But he needs to know the truth, he needs to know not everything is okay." Herc responds, and then starts walking too, leaving me behind.

     "So... I just wanted to thank you again for being there for me." Alex says shyly. He quickly glances around the empty forest.
     "No problem. Who are you checking for?" I ask, following his gaze towards a rabbit that has strayed into our clearing.
     "Jefferson." he spits out the name like it's foul.
     "You met a few days ago," I point out. "Can you really hate him already?"
     "Yes! He's always looking down on me, like 'Mr. I'm in charge of the rebels and you're a right hand man, haha!' And get this! He wasn't even planning on attacking the British in the mines until we showed up. That coward." Alex growls.
     "He has good reason not too. It's hell there, he wouldn't have to be captured." I say fairly.
     "But if we fight them, and win, then there won't be mines to worry about!" Alex argues back at me. I raise my hands, palms out to show I don't mean anything.
     "Sorry, I don't want to fight. Sorry." I say, but Alex's attention is fixed on my wrist. Oh shit.
     "What's that?" he asks, and pulls my wrist closer to his gaze to inspect it.
     "N-nothing!" I stammer, pulling my wrist from his grasp and rubbing it. "Just a mining accident. Scars are common, y'know?" But Alex's eyes are filled with concern as he fixates them on me.
     "A very specific place for a scar. To small for a pickaxe to have made, and right above veins. John I'm not stupid." he tells me.
     "Well who asked you to judge me anyways?" I shout back at him. No. No I don't want to fight with him.
     "John I-" Alex says, a he reaches out his hand again, but I flinch away. He gazes at me, surprised.
     "J-just leave me alone." I mutter, and dash deeper into the forest, now leaving Alex behind.

     I'm crying. Again. This seems all I'm good for now... I don't even know why. Why am I scared of Alex finding out about me? About him finding out how I've hurt myself. How others have hurt me. I'm just worried... worried about what he'd say. I lean back against a tree and sink to the ground, tucking my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. Hiding my face from the world.
     "You know... talking about it really helps." I jump, I didn't even hear him coming. But that's his speciality I guess... coming without being heard.
     "I didn't want you to follow me." I mumble, my voice muffled by the fabric of my clothing and my sobs.
     "I know... but I thought you could really use some help. You helped me, it's only fair," Alex says, and he sits next to me. "What's up?"
     "Alex... talking about it won't help. I've already told Laf and Herc and I still feel like shit."
     "Well tell me too, and we can feel like shit together. I won't judge you I promise," Alex says reassuringly. I snort because of course he's going to judge me. Everyone does... "Hey, you're talking to a guy who's afraid of rain." It's like he read my mind, I turn my face towards his and see him smiling.
     "Fair point." I mutter.
     "See? Aren't I just the best for talking?" he says proudly.
     "Yeah, nice and humble too." I joke, and smile back at him.
     "There's that smile. Don't you feel better already?" And I do. I do feel better, just being with him makes me feel better, and lighthearted and happy and I just... I just don't know how to going on about it.
     "Yeah thanks." I say, rubbing my eyes to get rid of the tears. He suddenly encloses my hand with both of his and stares up at me. I can feel my hand twitch and my whole arm seems to turn into jello, and I can feel warmth spreading through my entire arm through where he's touching me,
     "Tell me why, John. Tell me why you can't smile all the time."

     I lean my head back against the tree, fresh tears rolling down my face. I see he's crying again as well. "We just always seem to cry together, huh?" he comments, wiping away his tears.
     "Yeah." I say as though I don't have any air left in my body. I just had to relive it all. All of the painful memories I've kept trapped away for so long. I should feel worse... so much worse but... for some reason I don't. I don't understand, I've had to relive all the worse moments in my life but I feel so... relieved.
     "So... so you left home because...?" Alex says as though trying to remember something but the thought keeps on slipping away from his mind.
     "Because my dad's a homophobic piece of shit." I say angrily. Alex shakes his head sadly.
     "That's bullshit. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I guess I should consider myself lucky." Alex tells me.
     "Why?" I ask in spite of myself. Is it possible... could he be...?
     "I'm bisexual, and even though I didn't really get to know my dad I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be happy about that."
     "Oh," I manage to get out, even though my heart feels like it's doing cartwheels in my throat. "Alex I- thank you."
     "What are friends for? You made me feel better, it was time I returned the favor." Alex smiles, and I manage to smile back, and for the first time in forever, I don't have to force it.