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“...And that's only a few of the reasons why I think Jefferson's wrong! I mean, who would propose that plan in the first place without having a hematoma in the brain ?!”
Hamilton rambled, gesturing with his hands wildly. Odysseus didn't really get it, but the sound of his voice was making his day brighter. He just wished the man was happier, too.
He continued to talk— Something about “finances”? Odysseus didn't understand that word. But he was fascinated with how passionate his friend was about the topic. He hasn't seen him this passionate since the battle of Yorktown.
The Secretary of Treasury continued to rant, frustrated about the topic. In all honesty? Odysseus wasn't exactly listening. At best, staring at how the man's face would switch between expressions, theatrically even.
“And then? You wanna— Hah!” He grinned, putting a hand to cover his smile. Odysseus suppressed the urge to ask him to move his hand so he could see his smile. He hasn't seen it in years.
Hamilton gesticulated once more as if storytelling. Odysseus himself fell victim to the signal, waiting eagerly for him to continue. Did he understand at least a bit of the topic? Yeah. He was a warrior of the mind for a reason. Half, though? Now that was a stretch.
He moved his hand, smile lines tracing his cheeks. He giggled a bit before continuing his sentence, though Odysseus paid more attention to the appearance of happiness. Or, more accurately, his general appearance.
Hamilton paused, the smile still present on his face. He mouthed some words, but Odysseus stared at his eyes. They reminded him of a fire. Who, he wondered, was the match to start the flame? Who sparked such passion in a man? He didn’t know, he usually didn’t. Which was quite ironic for somebody being trained by the goddess of wisdom. But he knew specifically that it warmed his cold heart.
He reminded Odysseus of what he liked to call "The Inbetween". Hamilton wasn't a candle, nor a blaze, but more similar to a calm campfire. Not a comet, nor a meteor, but a shooting star. If he saw him soar across the starry stars, though, he would not wish to change anything about Hamilton.
Under his eyes, dark eyebags were framed. Gods above, he needed to remind him to sleep. Maybe he should consult Athena on how to use your words to convince somebody to take care of themself. She’d probably tell him to apply that advice to himself, too, though. That was a downside. But—
“...sseus? Hello? Earth to Ody?”
Oh. Yeah, right, Hamilton was talking to him. How long was he awkwardly staring at him? This is embarrassing, fuck. He needed to keep his guard up more, what if somebody attacked and he was too busy dozing off?
Why was his biggest worry right now protecting him and making sure he looked good in front of him?
Odysseus chuckled. He could make a random excuse on his feet, that was for sure. He could stare at the man for ages with different idioms and metaphors from the top of his head, he could do that— Fuck, he still has to reply!
“Ah, sorry about that.” The king of Ithica smiled. It reached his eyes when he saw Hamilton return the gesture. “I was just thinking about… something.”
Hamilton tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear as he responded. Speaking of his hair, Odysseus noticed he let his hair down more. He wasn’t complaining, though. He kind of liked it.
“Don’t do that to me!” Hamilton replied, jokingly. “I thought there was something on my face!”
‘There was.’
Odysseus thought to himself.
‘It was happiness. Happiness that I wish I could see more in the future.’