To Honor You

by Historyexplorer12

For Hephaestion's month of death. Alexander swears he will honor his lover. Warning: Major Character Death, T for safety, may not be in correct genres, tissues may be needed when reading Disclaimer: Xander and Phai are not mine!

AN: Writing this today, on October 1st, 2015, because I just found out that the tomb that archaeologists found out that the tomb that was found in northern Greece was for Hephaestion. You guys cannot understand how unbelievely happy I am at this grand news!

Alexander closed Hephaestion's now unseeing eyes. He had wept out his tears and now was incredibly solemn and stoic. Hephaestion had been dead less than a full day and yet Alexander had cried himself so raw that he had no more tears to shed. He had known it would happen; warriors were bred to expect death, but he had not expected to feel so empty and dead himself. But that was how he felt. Dead. There was no other way to explain how he felt. He wished he were dead, truly dead. The way he felt now he would never wish on another living soul.

Hephaestion had remained optimistic that he would recover and be up and about before Alexander knew it, but Alexander realized now that the front had been for his benefit. Everything Hephaestion had ever done had been done with Alexander in mind. And of course they had their fights, with screaming until they had almost rendered each other deaf, and the sweet apologies afterwards, but Alexander knew he would replay every moment if only it meant he could have his Phai with him again. His Patroclus.

"Why did you have to leave me, Phai? We were supposed to be together forever... How am I supposed to live without you?"

He paused, expecting Hephaestion to answer him, or leap up from the bed and laugh at the grand joke he had played. When the body of his lover did not do either of those things, Alexander, who had thought his eyes were dry, had to look away from the face he had thought was the most beautiful in the world for twenty-two years, his throat tight with unshed tears. When he had composed himself, he looked back at the peaceful face that was clearly in no more pain, and took the heavy, cold hand between his own, saying just this:

"I will honor you, my love. In whatever way I must, I swear I will. I love you, now and forever."

AN: And he did honor him, with that beautiful tomb they found in Greece. I feel like I might actually cry now, but out of sadness for the loss of Hephaestion, instead of happiness at the discovery.

AN: You guys may have noticed my absence until now. I am busy with school, but also with writing a novel about Alexander that is in Phai's point of view. I only wanted to write this to commemorate Hephaestion's death month and to tell you guys about the fact that it is his tomb in northern Greece. Sorry it is so short. Hope you guys enjoyed!