Cabinet Meetings.

Washington had set up a Cabinet to HELP him lead. To give valuable, intelligent advice and help start the damn country …

… yet he ended up with a mess of screaming and held-back punches instead.

It was no secret Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton loathed each other.

From simple matters of disliking their style and ideals - to simply wishing the other went to sleep one night and never woke up.

As if Hamilton loudly saying to Jefferson ‘ TURN AROUND, BEND OVER, I’LL SHOW YOU WHERE MY SHOE FITS ! ‘ at their first debate alone wasn’t enough proof already …

… or Jefferson telling Alexander that he ‘ Smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty ! ‘ …

… or Jefferson also saying ‘ Pray to God we never see Hamilton’s candidacy ! ‘ …

… you get the idea. They’re not particularly close.

Though, despite that, the two were still technically colleagues, so everyone around them simply had to just shut up and deal with it. Even Washington could only tell them to ‘ cut it out ‘ so many times during Cabinet meetings.

So, the Cabinet found themselves in the same situation again.

Jefferson and Hamilton debating.

Now, in the recent week, Hamilton had been absolutely destroying his sleep schedule.

He’d been up for nearly five damn days straight - and wouldn’t listen when anybody would tell him to go take a break.

Even as Jefferson shouted his side of the argument at him, Hamilton looked like he was on another damn planet as he stared with exhausted eyes at the Secretary of State. He was still pissed at him - but damn was he tired.

So, Hamilton kind of just - oh, how to describe this …

… collapsed ?

Uh, yeah. ‘ Collapsed ‘could be a way to describe it.

Jefferson crossed his arms, glaring down at Hamilton with his typical smug grin. “ And - I mean, don’t tell me you really think that - “

Thud.

Jefferson cut himself off and Hamilton just fell forward, his head landing on his lap. He looked dead - but the slow breaths from him were enough to show he was just asleep.

Everyone’s eyes went wide at the sight - Washington torn between laughing and looking away.

Madison looked dumbfounded - and even Burr’s typical calmness shattered at the sight of a passed-out Hamilton laying on Jefferson like a damn pillow.

The Virginian stared at the Secretary of Treasury just … sleeping. Maybe trying to convince himself not to bash Hamilton’s head in with his cane.

Jefferson scoffed at the sight, instantly going to get up ( and probably start dragging Hamilton out of the chair and toss the man from a window, to be honest ) - before Washington stopped him.

“ Hold on now - this is the first time Hamilton has slept in almost a week. “ He notified Jefferson, who looked like he could care less.

Before something clicked to the Secretary of State. “ Oh-no, you are not telling me - “

“ - I know you don’t want to, but just … stay there. For a moment. Until he has some rest, at least. “ Washington sounded resigned, already knowing Jefferson was not happy about needing to let Hamilton sleep on him.

Which was an assumption he was correct in.