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xtruss · 30 days

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As “War Criminal, Complicit in Genocide in Gaza, Demented, Hypocrite, Hegemonic and The Scrotums Licker of the Zionist 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐗 Joe Biden” Cheers TikTok Ban, White Elephant House Embraces TikTok Influencers

The White House Brushes Off Accusations of Hypocrisy, Courting TikTok While Seeking To Ban It.

— Ken Klippenstein, Daniel Boguslaw | April 23, 2024

President Joe Biden greets digital content creators on Oct. 25, 2022, at the White House. Photo: Adam Schultz/White House

As Congress And the National Security State continue their quest to ban the TikTok social media platform in the United States, President Joe Biden has been courting TikTok influencers to help him shore up youth support for his reelection. While the administration has been publicly casting TikTok as a grave threat to American security, the White House has quietly hosted a number of influencers to pitch them on pro-Biden content.

“Don’t jump, I need you!” Biden joked to a group of TikTok influencers as he walked by the group standing on the White House balcony on his way to deliver his State of the Union speech earlier this year.

In recent months, some of the biggest TikTok users with accounts boasting millions of followers have visited the White House, visitor logs reveal. Since September alone, some of the most prominent examples include:

Jason Linton, a dad who posts wholesome content about his family and whose TikTok account @dadlifejason has 13.8 million followers.

Michael Junchaya, (who goes by “Mikey Angelo” on the handle @mrgrandeofficial, 3.5 million followers), a young entertainer who specializes in rap recap videos.

Mona Swain (@monaswain, 1.9 million followers), theater enthusiast.

Alexandra Doten, space communicator, who previously worked for NASA (going by “Astro Alexandra” @astro_alexandra, 2.3 million followers).

Andrew Townsend (going by “Papi Dre” @andrewtowns, 3.1 million followers).

Alex Pearlman (@pearlmania, 2.6 million followers), comedian.

Josh Helfgott (@joshhelfgott, 5.5 million followers), LGBTQ+ advocate.

Perhaps the biggest TikToker hobnobbing at the White House was Oneya Johnson, a viral sensation famous for his angry reaction videos (@angryreactions) boasting 27 million followers. He visited the White House on September 27. (Johnson has since deleted his account after being arrested for domestic violence.)

Each of these TikTokkers’ meetings was coordinated by White House deputy director of partnerships, Morgan MacNaughton, who herself has a background with the company. She was hired away last year from Palette, a social media talent management company that specializes in TikTok personalities. While there, MacNaughton helped found the political group “TikTok for Biden” (since renamed “Gen-Z for Change”). Many of the TikTok users who visited the White House are themselves represented by Palette.

In 2022, Palette received a $200,000 payment from the Democratic National Committee for paid media, Federal Election Commission data shows. According to the Washington Post’s Taylor Lorenz, Palette was paid a retainer from the DNC to cover expenses for eight TikTok creators to travel to Washington in hopes of wooing them in the run-up to the midterm elections, resulting in an Oval Office meeting with Biden.

Anita Dunn, senior adviser to the president, told The Intercept that MacNaughton “helped to get POTUS’s message out to more audiences.”

“The reason Morgan’s position exists is because we knew the work she was capable of: discovering, ideating and leading creator talent,” Christian Tom, director of the White House’s Office of Digital Strategy, told The Intercept. “In just under a year at the White House, she has driven on many digital creator projects that have been vital to our digital strategy.”

With Biden’s reelection campaign in full swing, it would hardly be surprising that they’re meeting with influencers whose videos reach millions of Americans — were it not for the administration’s national security rhetoric about the app’s purported threat. Earlier this month, Biden raised his concerns about TikTok during a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first contact since November. Biden administration officials have raised hypothetical concerns about the Chinese ownership of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.

Public opinion on banning TikTok is sharply divided, with support tending to come from older Americans but marked opposition coming from youth. Biden’s support for the legislation has irked even some of his most ardent supporters.

“There are clearly some First Amendment concerns here and to do this in an election year seems wrong to me,” Harry Sisson told The Intercept. Sisson describes himself as a “pro-Biden content creator” and frequently uses his TikTok account (@harryjsisson, 800k followers) to advocate for the president and blast his opponents. (Sisson has himself visited the White House and is represented by Palette.)

“There are over 170 million Americans on TikTok, many of which get their news from the app, and to take that away and give Trump a talking point only hurts the Democratic Party,” Sisson said.

While White House visitor logs are only available through this past September, it is clear that TikTok influencers have continued to frequent the White House. When Biden gave his State of the Union speech in March, Sisson was one of dozens of social media influencers, including TikTok stars, invited to the White House where he spoke to his 800,000 followers during Biden’s address. The influencers sat on the White House balcony and watched as Biden headed over to the Capitol to deliver his speech.

Though the Biden administration has directly consulted on the creation of the legislation that could ban TikTok, the Biden campaign has embraced the app, creating an official account in February. The decision has drawn criticism from even some of Biden’s most stalwart allies.

“I’m a little worried about a mixed message,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said of the decision.

The White House, for its part, has brushed off accusations of hypocrisy, pointing to the fact that the federal ban on the use of TikTok on government devices is still in place and applies to White House officials, referring questions to the Biden campaign.

The campaign has said that it will “continue meeting voters where they are.”

Unless, of course, the app is banned.

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the-fangirls-desk · 2 years

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Take A Break (Hamilton x F!Reader)

Summary: Alexander Hamilton has once again hit that wall. Everyone knows the man can't wipe his own chin without you, so it's time for his weekly self care session.

Trope: Taking care of an overworked S/O

Warnings: Non explicit implied nudity (alex needs a bath) I swear it's just fluff!

AN: I suck at writing period/historical speech. I'm sorry XD There's plenty of historical inaccuracy (such as adding things that prolly didn't exist back then) since I'm writing about the Broadway portrayal of a young America. Let's be honest, it's more fun that way. Also that deleted rap from the Adams Administration? I had to incorporate it somehow!

An exasperated sigh escaped your lips as you dabbed your mouth with a cloth napkin. Dinner was delicious but not nearly as it could've been if company was involved. Many times you could handle being alone if it was necessary; that didn't mean you didn't need some attention now and then. Some people would argue your pet cat was more than enough to count as another head at the table; or at table leg to be more precise.

Honestly if it wasn't for him, there's no telling how much more lonely the house would be. He never made much noise or fuss, but his presence certainly made a difference in small ways. The brown feline you spoke of, Chestnut, was currently hunched over his tiny saucer, lapping up milk.

It was a treat he only got twice a week, so his excitement never ceased; he always hopped off his favorite spot by the window to race into the dining room when he heard the milk being poured into his dish.

No matter what most people say about cats, he was different. He seemed to be able to sense when you needed a friend, because the same days your loneliness was at its worst, he would tend to brush up against your legs more often, curl up in your lap and even eat slower at meal times so as to not leave you alone in the large dining room.

He was honestly the best gift Alexander had given you in a long time. Well, 'gift' may be a bit of a stretch; he was more like a...friend you were allowed to take in. Chestnut was only a kitten when you first met him. A feral kitten to be exact.

One year ago, while you were out on the front porch trying not to expire of boredom, the smallest little mewling broke your concentration. Your vision darted around, scanning all the obvious places it could've come from, and sure enough, a tiny brown head with eyes to match popped out from behind a bush near the porch.

The sight of the scrawny little thing broke your heart, and whether or not Alexander would've liked it, you fed the kitten every time he showed up, slowly gaining his trust as he slowly gained the much needed weight.

He wasn't hostile from the beginning either, he was quite gentle and a bit skittish as one would expect a frightened animal to be. But that never really caused concern. He needed you and that was that. From there, you ended up getting a daily visit from him around noon every day.

Your 'devious' little secret was uncovered a few months later on the rare occasion that Alexander somehow managed to will himself away from his writing desk to get some fresh air before diving headfirst into another mountain of paperwork.

It was nice to see him outside for once, but it was also annoying that the one time he picked to come outside was the same time Chestnut was on his way to get lunch from you. There was no telling if your husband would be alright with opening your arms and kitchen to an animal. It's not like you were throwing peanuts out to a few squirrels like the elderly ladies downtown did.

You were sipping warm tea on the large porch swing when a few light footsteps pattered in the front doorway. Sure enough, Alexander came out, hands behind his back and a light tired smile on his face.

"Alexander? What are you doing outside your office so early? It's not like you to even consider a break before dinner."

"Well good day to you too, my Dear." he chuckled.

"Now you know I didn't mean it that way. I'm just surprised to see you, that's all."

"I suppose I have been making myself a bit scarce as of late."

He just smiled a bit more and took a seat next to you on the swing. The gentle rocking it provided seemed to somewhat relax him and it quite nice to see his usually furrowed brows let go of the tension as well as that cursed throbbing forehead vein to stop convulsing. You swore, it going to burst wide open one day.

"My mind feels as cluttered as my office and I still have so much to do. I can normally fight the urge to procrastinate, but today was a must. I'll be back inside shortly, I just needed to get some air."

You pulled one of his hands into your lap, cradling it as if it may go limp at any second.

"You have no idea what a relief it is to see you taking a break, even if it's just for a moment. I worry about your health."

He kissed your hand in return.

"Yes my Dear, you tend to worry a bit too much about everyone else's health."

"I think I have the right to worry about my husband's more than anyone else's."

"You do and I appreciate it."

As sweet as it was for him to say, it was obvious he wasn't saying it with very much thought, so to get his attention, you firmly pulled your hand back.

"Then prove it."

"Prove it? How?"

"Don't worry about writing today; or at the very least, set an earlier time to stop working."

"(Y/N), you know it's not that simple."

"Don't I? Half the things you write are ideas of your own. It's not required you come up with new ideas for the government or the national bank every single day. You've already gotten your plan through Congress, would it really be asking too much of you to slow down a bit?"

"I suppose not." he sighed. "I'm just always thinking, coming up with something to write, it would feel like a crime to put my quill down."

"Even if it was just until the ink dried?"

His hands he left in your lap started to fidget and the leg he was previously using to rock the swing began bouncing in place.

"That sounds even worse honestly. Those few minutes that people take to step back and breathe from their work, they add up. They only remain a few moments for those few moments and before you know it, they've piled up hire than the bodies of the British we disposed of in Yorktown---"

"Alexander." You had to firmly speak in order to get his attention when he trailed off like that.

"I'm sorry, I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

He felt a bit more guilt pang at his chest when you silently nodded in return.

"Well if you're not going to slow down, why don't you stay for a bit longer? My friend should be stopping by any minute now."

"New friend? You haven't mentioned them before, have you?"

"No, I don't think I have. I promise you though, you'll find him quite charming."

"Him??" Alexander's voice suddenly became tense and dare you say, jealous? Since when did he care so much about what you got up to? Yes he ws your husband but he certainly never acted like it.

"Darling, it's nothing like that, it's--"

Meow! Chestnut's little fluffy brown head popped out from the greenery.

"There you are! Alexander, meet Chestnut!"

"A cat. Your new friend is a cat..." Alexander flatly finished for you. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling an enormous wave of relief wash over him.

"A very sweet one! He's so well behaved for a feral creature. Even back when I started feeding him a few months ago he never showed any hostility towards me."

"You've been feeding a feral cat for months without telling me? When were you going to say anything?"

"I didn't think it was something vital to tell you. I don't see what the harm is in feeding something that's hungry. Besides when do I have a chance to tell you anything? If you're not locked up in your office, you're asleep in the bedroom and in both those places you hate being disturbed."

Alexander almost felt as if you'd somehow slapped him across the face without even managing to lay a finger on him. He hated when you pulled that card; mostly because you were right.

"There's plenty wrong with it! The more you feed him, the more he'll visit, demanding and expecting food. He's not a pet, why make him feel like one?"

"Did that top notch brain of yours ever stop to think that just maybe I needed a friend? Someone to talk to? Possibly even someone to just listen to me? I know that this is the age of men and I'm just your wife but I'm still a person with feelings."

'Just your wife?' How could you think such a thing? Alex didn't realize just how lonely he'd really left you in exchange for the siren call of a mistress he could never ignore: work. His actions may have said otherwise but It was no secret he thought the world of you. To hear someone so wondeful speak so terribly about themselves left him bewildered. And the crack in your voice as you tried to hold back tears? Heart shattering.

Everything within his being told him to hold you close and tight.

Before you knew it, he wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

"Oh my Love...please don't ever speak so lowly of yourself ever again. You are far from 'just my wife.' You are the reason I'm still here. If it wasn't for you, I never would have had a reason to return from the war.

I never would've lasted through my writing. How many times have you pulled me away from my desk to make me eat, sleep, bathe? You are---"

Meow!

Chestnut didn't seem to like seeing you sad on top of Alex's nonstop talking.

"Alexander may we please keep him? He needs a family and I need the companionship; I promise he won't be any trouble!"

It's like everything he just said went through one ear and out the other and that hurt. He couldn't blame you. He'd said those exact words more than once and they while were completely honest, his words still spoke much louder than his actions.

He had to figure out some way to get himself to stop working so much so you could get the attention you deserved. Perhaps he should take your advice and stop working earlier today---wait no...

Not today. He still has so much to write down before it escapes him. If it was something that the new nation could benefit, and he didn't couldn't recall it later, forgiving himself would be impossible. But you were right again, you needed something to keep the loneliness away.

As much as he detested the idea of letting a feral animal into the house and making it permanent, he knew this was the very least he could do until he could put his work aside. So with a reluctant sigh, he nodded.

"Very well. I suppose it wouldn't hurt too much to give him a home; but it would be best if we called for a veterinarian first. I'm sure he's gentle with you, but he could be carrying some kind of disease for all we know."

That was fair. More than fair.

"Tomorrow, (Y/N)."

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow I'll start slowing down on my work. I'm plenty ahead now but these pages in particular cannot wait."

"Alright then. Thank you."

He was going to go back on his word and you knew it. This promise had been made too many times to believe him anymore. The only thing keeping you from pointing out his obvious half hearted promise was the fact that you now had his blessing to keep your new friend.

Words couldn't describe your joy when the vet had given Chestnut a remarkably clean bill of health. The only recommendations that really had to be given was to feed him a bit more protein. He even gave you tips on how to carefully bathe your feline without frightening him and having to submerge him in a bucket of water.

Barely a week had gone by when Alexander hestiantly found himself falling for the cat's quiet charms. There were many times where you walked into his office, stressing about something he had to write, something Jefferson said, only for Chestnut to come to the rescue by rubbing against Alex's leg or hopping up on the desk to request a few scratches behind his ears.

Even though Chestnut was the one getting attention, Alex seemed to find it soothing to pet the cat and receive a long chain of purring in return.

One year later and he was still keeping both yours and Alex's sanity in check with his mere presence. How Chestnut didn't seem to mind all the frustated tension between you and your husband was beyond a miracle.

It's a good thing too, because tonight, the seat across the table from you, the same one that Alexander once regualrly occupied, was once again empty. His plate remained untouched and every morsel of food had gone cold. See? Nothing ever changed with him. Oh your love for him hadn't run out, not in the slightest. Your patience, however, was a completely different story.

Alexander was even more worked up than usual as of late. The amount of hours he used to work on end were now mere child's play compared to now. Just two weeks ago, that sorry excuse of a leader, President John Adams had the nerve to fire your husband and privately call him a 'creole bastard'.

As a result, he came home that very day, locked his office door and stepped out only a handful of times since. He wrote letter after letter, verbally destroying Adams, practically shouting from the rooftops why the man in question should be mobbed and replaced.

A side effect that came with his rage was even more self neglect. Getting a full night's rest and decent amount of nutrients in his system now seemed like a dream to achieve; it was getting to be extremely concerning.

He already had a reputation for being firey and was proud of his immigrant background. Why shouldn't he be? He came from basically nowhere and used his mind to write his way out. But using it as ammunition from a place of hate?

He would never let that go until he destroyed his enemies through the power of his weapons of choice: the quill and ink. During the war, he'd may have killed an impressive amount of British soldiers, but the body count on the battlefield was nothing compared to the lives he destroyed from his office desk. Alexander Hamilton, just as deadly with a pen than with a gun. It was honestly a chilling a truth.

How many times you debated whether or not to hide his writing supplies, you didn't know. But it was many more times than the average person would imagine.

Suddenly a loud thud from the upstairs office broke your concentration and caused Chestnut to jump from his spot and hide under the table. His defensive hissing told you that every animal within a five mile radius could sense the secretary's tension. It was time for him to stop. At least for today.

After giving your furry friend an assuring pet, you gathered up a breath big to enough to push you out of the chair. If quiet enough, one could hear a muffled voice, carrying on and on without any breaths in between. The higher you ascended up the stairs, the clearer the voice could be heard. The voice was just speaking, it was shouting.

"Oh not again."

Alexander had a tendency to recite his letters out loud as to get a clear concise reading of his progress; these letters in particular were coming from a place of indignance, which meant his yelling was also coming from true anger and most likely sending his blood pressure through the roof.

It didn't seem to stop until you knocked on the door three times.

After hearing a bunch of papers rustling, he cleared his throat and calmly spoke.

"Come in."

You peeked your head in, only to see the horrific but familiar sight of his office. It somehow managed to look like a post-riot site; papers everywhere, overused quills on the floor, and countless ink bottles on his desk drained of their life force. The amount of empty cups stained with old coffee and tea on his already askewly arranged bookshelves was astonishing.

And then there was the man himself; Alexander could've easily been mistaken for a hostage. It wasn't abnormal for him to regularly look run down due to his inability to stop and breathe. But this? This was too much, even for him.

His usually slicked back hair was frazzled, falling more forward and clearly overdue to be washed. The brown irises that many women had spoke highly of were no longer sharp and focused; they were glazed and sparkless, undeniably being weighed down into the sinkholes under his eyes.

As if the unbuttoned shirt and missing jacket wasn't odd enough, he was clearly putting off any kind of personal hygiene.

When was the last time he shaved?

This didn't look like the Hamilton everyone had come to know and love...or loathe depending on who you are.

"(Y/N), please come in, my Dear, I want you to hear this."

Come in? Now he really must have lost touch.

"I'm nearly finished with this latest letter; the volume I've written just about Adams alone will certainly have him weeping and running back to his wife."

After clearing his throat once more, you unintentionally jumped back as he began to yell his latest page.

"An open letter to the FAT, ARROGANT, ANTI CHARASMATIC NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT KNOWN AS PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS---"

"Alexander..."

"THE MAN IS IRRATIONAL, HE CLAIMS THAT I'M LEAGUE WITH THE BRITISH IN SOME VAST NATIONAL INTRIGUE?"

"Alexander."

He just wouldn't stop. His face getting redder by the moment, his eyes becoming more manic as he continued. You decided it was best to sit by and let him get it out. It was hard to remain neutral as half a minute passed and his tone was now incredibly frightening.

Finally enough was enough.

"Alexander!"

He froze in place at your unsually sharp call.

"Yes?" he asked, basically whispering now.

"Darling, you've been locked in here for a week now; don't you think it's time for a break?"

He looked at you as if you were growing a second nose.

"A break? No! How could I possibly stop now when I'm so close to being finished?"

That's when your eyes darted to his desk; you realized the only orderly item in his office was a pile of papers neatly stacked. It looked like enough pages to fill at least one-fourth of an encyclopedia. You knew he was angry about losing his job, but this wasn't just anger. It was pure rage and fury.

You walked over to carefully examine his work.

"Oh please be careful! It's taken me hours to properly arrange them."

You nodded and gingerly took a page from the pile, quickly scanning it over with your eyes. Every word across the paper told of his hatred for the country's current leader; and what viscious words they were. How did he even manage to fill this many pages with such consistency?

No wonder he looked as if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. One week, locked in here without barely eating or sleeping...

That brilliant mind of his never really stopped working, did it? It couldn't be. On a good day it could only be slowed down, which is exactly what you intended to do now.

"So what do you think? Will they destory John Adams?"

Just tell him what he wants and just maybe you'll have a chance at getting him out of here.

"Uh yes. They absolutely will; as a matter a fact, these papers you have now are more than enough to make him crumble."

He chuckled and let out a sigh of relief as tipped forward a bit, leaning against the desk in an effort to hold himself up since it seemed like far too much work for his legs alone to do it anymore.

"Yes..."

And you weren't lying either. the things he was saying in these letters were enough to make an entire army of grown men cry tenfold. It was just a fiery reign of words, it was complete assault and overkill. The chuckle slightly elevated into a small bout of manic giggles. The type that you hear when someone is trying to contain their laughter because the situation was too inappropriate to laugh at.

"Yes." he repeated, a look of tired victory on his face.

The only thing to do now was to get him out of the room. So with the utmost care, you wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Alexander you missed dinner again."

"I-I know. I'm so sorry, I just couldn't afford to abandon my work when nearly finished. It would've been impossible to enjoy myself."

He tried to lean in for a kiss but you had to gently push him away.

"I'm sorry. You don't smell very good at the moment."

The embarrassment on his face was painfully clear.

"Ah. I suppose it's been a while since I last cleaned up."

"Well you've certainly done a lot in the past week. Why not allow me to run you a hot bath? You can come back in here if you want after, but you may as well be fresh."

After clearly debating with himself for a little, his shoulders dropped and he sighed again.

"That would be nice."

Success. Somewhat. By some miracle, The Alexander Hamilton was actually allowing you to lead him out of his 'weaponry' and to the washroom that sat adjacent to the bedroom.; a place he had completely forgotten existed. The amount of time it took to heat up the water and fill the bathtub went on longer than you wanted; it left your arms and back screaming already before even getting your husband in the tub. The only silver lining in this, was being able to convince the worn secretary to just sit on the bed and not move a muscle.

He wasn't even fighting you on it anymore. The fatigue that weighed down on his mind and body were now impossible to ignore. When exiting the bathroom, you found him still on the bed, staring off into space, nearly catatonic.

It took a bit of shaking him to get his attention.

"Your bath is ready. I took the liberty of putting in some lavender oil and bathing foam to help you relax."

The absolute amount of fondness in eyes were glazing over with tears as he gently took you by the wrist.

"Thank you so much my Love. I don't think I'd even be here without you."

"I know you wouldn't be here without me." you joked, "but that's enough thinking for now; go wash up and don't be afraid to call me for anything."

He kissed your hand and found enough strength to walk into the bathroom.

"(Y/N)!" a weak voice called from the bathroom. You were sitting on the bed reading a book.

Alexander couldn't have been left alone in there for more than ten minutes.

Upon opening the bathroom door, you were greeted with the sight of Alexander still lying in the tub, a blanket of bubbles from the soap still completely covering his form. His neck looked so uncomfortable. The extra bath supplies seemed untouched for the most part.

"Yes? What is it Darling?"

His expression told you it was embarrassing, but he needed you.

"My hair, I can't wash it; It seems that hunching over my desk and writing so much after so long has left my arms and hands so tired and sore. I managed to wash myself but my arms just don't seem to want to lift anymore. Would you please help me?"

"Of course I will."

Thankfully, there was already a stool in by the elbaorate towel/storage cabinet that could be used as a seat. After pulling it up close the tub's edge, you positioned yourself behind Alexander and began to work on his hair; starting off by taking a pitcher and scooping up a large amount of water to wet his raven locks.

Another relaxed sigh escaped him as the still hot water flooded across his scalp and rained down the tightened muscles in his neck and upper back. With him having such thick hair, it took a few minutes and more than one rinse to prep him. You didn't mind one bit though.

He was finally away from that desk, allowing himself to just exist in this moment. It was enough.

Once his hair was wet enough, he handed you the bar of soap being previously used to wash his body. Not even he could muster the mental capacity to describe the euphoria he felt when your lathered hands massaged against his head. Alex even began to exhibit almost cat-like behavior when your nails raking across his scalp left an ever so slight but delightful burn in their wake.

"Does that feel good?" you giggled.

"It feels divine. I'm not sure I can sit up much longer."

"Here, I know how to fix that."

Your fingers brushed his hair over the front of his shoulders; it made it a lot easier to grab an extra towel off the cabinet and fold it into a tight roll form to place against the back of his neck. He could feel you gently usher him to lean back.

"How's that?"

"It's wonderful. I just may fall asleep in here if you continue."

"Before you get too relaxed, I should take the opportunity to give you a shave. I havent seen your beard this full since you returned from Yorktown."

"That bad, huh?"

"Atrocious."

The laughter exchanged felt like breath of fresh air.

While men mostly relied on their barbers for a shave, you'd learned how to properly groom your husband's face due to the fact he never really took care of himself.

"Here, put this warm damp cloth over your face."

"Trying to slience me, are you?"

"Don't be so dramatic! I have to prepare your skin to avoid little cuts."

"Very well."

At least you knew he wouldn't be fidgeting during this. The only times Alexander Hamilton was capable of sitting still was when he was too tired to move, or when a razor was too close to his throat.

But it wasn't just that. He trusted you more than anyone else in his life; you could never purposely hurt him.

After spreading the shave solution over his face, you got to work. He found the gentle sliding motion of the blade crossing his skin to be so soothing; for the first time in a while he didn't have to worry about anything. All that was required, was for him to sit back and let you take control for a while.

Of course something as simple as that could be a mountainous task for him. A self starter since adolescence, Alexander learned to do everything by himself far too early; as a result he had a difficult time asking or relying on anyone else.

Now here he was; at your complete mercy...this was an honor to say the very least.

"Should I shave it all off, or would you prefer I try to just groom it?"

"If you could, I'd still like some hair left."

You kissed him on the forehead.

"I'll do my best."

He couldn't tell how much time had passed upon closing his eyes, but for once it didn't matter.

A while later he opened his eyes to you running a damp washcloth over the remaining shaving cream. He was handed a small mirror.

"What do you think?" you asked.

"It's perfect. Excellent precision!"

It was pretty good, even you had to admit. His facial hair was now groomed into a much more clean cut beard-mustache combination, while the rest of his skin was smooth as butter, free from the cursed stubble that caused an overcast on his throat.

"Now let's get back to your hair."

In between the lathering, your hands would occasionally wander down to his shoulders, kneading out as much tightness as possible, which was no easy feat in the slightest. The bundled up nerves felt like hardened clay; so stiff and rigid!

Alexander didn't think it could get any better. Despite his intelligence, he was at a loss for words; what did he do to deserve you? That's exactly the issue. He did nothing, you looked at this bastard oprhaned immigrant and saw someone worth loving. The very thought was enough to drive him to tears every time.

But it blinking them away was easier this time since he had become so malleable to your touch.

Little by little, his body showed signs of slowing unwinding. His head completely relaxed against the towel behind his neck, both shoulders drooped further down away from his ears and his breathing was significantly deeper.

Inhaling the lavender oil in the bath water seemed to be wafting over him, almost like a magic spell.

A few more moments passed and after rinsing his hair out, you finished him off with some gentle pressure to his temples and jaw. While he wasn't quite asleep, he was definitely oblivious to his surroundings.

You used the utmost care to slide both hands away from his finally still form in order to step back and admire your handiwork. The clicks of your heels remained unheard by him as you sneaked around the side of the tub.

It provided a much better look at his face.

This was not Alexander Hamilton in the best possible way. With a head still full of soap, he remained limp against the tub; eyes shut, neck loose and lips slightly parted from his jaws finally relaxing.

No longer were his expressive eyebrows furrowed together or his nose not scrunched up in anger like it usually was when he went toe to toe with Jefferson.

You dare say he almost looked at least five years younger. The only tell that betrayed his face, were the dark shadows being cast under his eyes from the constant sleep depravity. If only there was some way to get him to sleep regularly...

By now, the blanket of bubbles in the tub were thinning down into a sheet. The water had to be cold by now. It almost felt like a legal offense to wake him, but he needed a comfortable place to lay.

"Alexander? Love?"

His eyes slowly opened, revealing a tired glaze over his rich brown irises. He looked so relaxed, It'd be easy to mistake him for being drugged.

"It's time to get out, the water's cold."

"Oh alright." he sighed.

"Do you need help getting out?"

"No thank you, I'll manage; just give me a moment."

"Take as long as you need. Your nightwear is by the sink, I'll be back in few minutes."

"Where are you going?"

"To make you some tea and something small to eat. I'd prefer to give you a full meal, but it's too late for that and you're so tired right now."

"I don't deserve you."

Returning to the bedroom ten minutes later, you found Alex on the bed, tucked under the covers, decked in glasses and night shirt with an open book in hand; it seems he found enough motivation to brush his hair as he waited.

To make things even better, Chestnut was laying by his side and receiving light scratches along his spine. It was a sight you wished you could have in a portrait. Both of them looked so relaxed, you didn't want to disrupt them, especially with the cat happily purring.

"I'm back, I brought you a cup of tea and some toast; it's not much but I'd rather you not go to sleep on an empty stomach."

"Thank you, Lovely."

"Just what do you think you're doing with that book? Not trying to wake your mind up more I hope."

"Only some light reading, I promise."

It was hard not to catch a glance at the cover.

"'Cecilia'? You consider the memoirs of an English heiress to be light reading?"

"It's interesting!"

"Well put it down and get some nourishment in you before this cools down."

"Must I now? This novel is so captivating."

"How about I read it out loud while you eat?"

"Very well."

A few minutes later after changing into your night gown, you settled into bed and took over the reading for Alexander. Chestnut obediently moved himself to the end of the bed as not to get in the way.

The first taste of the tea and toast he had took away any remaining resistance he had towards relaxation. The warmth it provided on the inside was like the embrace of a caring friend.

You had to admit, the novel really was interesting; no wonder why Alexander felt the need to keep reading. Page after page, the narrative grew increasingly more captivating. So captivating in fact, that it completely took you by surprise when he finally laid down and wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Alexander?"

"Keep reading, please. I love hearing you read." he said, snuggling further into your side.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It'll help me sleep."

Could it be? He was finally ready to get some rest? To do anything against his wishes now would be foolish. Of course you would keep reading; anything to help. Only this time you let one of your hands absent mindedly stroke his still damp hair.

It didn't matter.

Five minutes and four pages later, a muffled snoring emitted from the limp form by your side. At last, sweet relief for both him and you, even if it was just for tonight.

Without his knowledge, he received one more kiss on the head.

"Sweet dreams, Alex."

THE END.

Posted: December 5th, 2021

Tags: @beecastle

#hamilton #alexander hamilton #alexander hamilton x reader #my fics #lin manuel miranda

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