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Washington walked alone amid the ruins of the battlefield. Beneath an old oak tree he saw Lafayette, in fitful repose without a blanket. Tenderly, Washington knelt beside the young marquis and, drawing his dusty cloak around them both, fell fast asleep.
Surveying the muddy and bloody remnants left at Monmouth Courthouse, General Washington took stock of the day's events. Charles Lee had revealed himself as a treacherous coward by retreating from the field, yet the scattered army had rallied and dealt a blow to the enemy with a fierce determination. His commanders, Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, and the Marquis de Lafayette had proven themselves as admirable leaders, with much thanks to the guidance of Baron von Steuben over the previous winter at Valley Forge. Though the battle had ended in a draw, the General could take pride in the bravery and heart displayed by his men.
As he slowly made his way back to camp, a flash of blue and white caught his eye from beneath a large tree a bit removed from the battlefield. As he drew closer, he recognized his French commander the Marquis de Lafayette sprawled under the great oak, and gently urged his horse forward. The Marquis had made a valiant effort in the 100 degree heat of battle, guiding his men with brilliant tactical maneuvers and displaying passionate courage in the face of defeat. The General, already overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil of the day, felt a swell of pride rise up in his chest as he looked down upon the Marquis, and dismounted his horse in one swift movement.
He was careful not to wake the dozing Frenchman as he removed his cloak and gently slid down the trunk of the tree so that they were sitting next to one another, shoulder to shoulder. Washington then spread his cloak so that it covered both of them, making sure to tuck a portion of it under Lafayette's chin so that he wouldn't catch a chill. As he finished adjusting the cloth, he couldn't help but softly cup the young man's cheek and smile to himself.
With no biological children of his own and such a large distance separating himself from his wife and stepchildren, the General took comfort in his tight knit military family. The Marquis was just one of the handful of young men within his military family that had been orphaned at a young age, deprived of their fathers, much like the General himself. Individually they were all remarkable young men, capable of doing incredible and daring things to get ahead in the world. Together under the common cause of the fight for freedom they were almost like his own sons, working and fighting alongside one another, much to his satisfaction and happiness. And, just like sons, some were bound to shy away from his paternal advances while others returned them in kind. Lafayette was part of the latter group, so entranced and filled with adoration as he was for the General.
Before he could move his hand away, Lafayette began to shift, opening his mouth wide in a yawn and looking out sleepily from under his long eyelashes. Noticing the General, he smiled and nuzzled his face against the warm hand still pressed against his cheek, moving his body closer to the older man. Washington felt his face flush with heat as he snuggled closer to him and readjusted himself so that his arm was wrapped around Lafayette's shoulder, allowing his chin to rest on his head.
Though many thoughts, military and personal alike, swam in the General's head, he let the exhaustion that held his shoulders tense finally take over. As the rhythm of Lafayette's breathing slowed down again, Washington felt his heart seize up with an overwhelming rush of love for the man wrapped in his arms. The war was nowhere near over, and there was no guarantee that any of the men under Washington -or Washington himself- would live to see their defeat or glory. Yet in this moment alone with Lafayette, the General could allow all of his worries and doubts to melt away, and the two of them could share a quiet respite amid the chaos of war.
With that small comforting thought, Washington placed a soft kiss on Lafayette's head and slowly drifted off to sleep.