Ruby red..a little swollen…shaped like the bow of the ever elusive Cupid. Pearly whites biting them constantly, unmindful of the heartache it was causing to the viewer.
If he could just touch the little dip in the middle..just once..
All of a sudden a harsh shake on his shoulders jerked him to wakefulness. Upon raising his eyes he found Ptolemy smirking at him , his intense blue eyes full of mischief.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
Hephaistion gulped nervously. He knew something like this would happen. Why did Ale….a certain someone have to be so heavenly? So innocent..and so very pure?
"Hmmmm..studying nature? Just as Master asked us to?" he replied. Then he surreptitiously stole a glance at the object of his study.
Yep…still studying butterflies and etching something in his papyrus. By Zeus…those lips would be death for him.
But what a way to go.
Hephaistion smiled secretly.
"Studying nature huh? " teased Ptolemy ..again disrupting his reverie, "Good! For it's also studying you back!"
Hephaistion blushed. He was a horrible actor .
It was all Aristotle's fault.
It was a bright spring morning in Mieza. The air hung in a delicate balance that made it really pleasant. Chirping birds and fragrant flowers filled the world around them. Aristotle had gathered all his pupils around him and send them off to the nearby hills to study nature.
"It's a sin to sit indoors when it's so beautiful out there! " he had declared to his awestruck boys.
And there started Hephaistion's trouble.
He really was keen on studying nature in all her glories. But a certain someone with a sky blue chiton disrupted his plans.
From the moment his golden one emerged in that simple blue chiton, it looked as if he had managed to wrap the sky around the beautiful body of his. His hair was still a little damp on the tips from the morning shower and gave off a golden hue. He had taken Hephaistion's hand in his with a casual grace and had dragged him along.
"Come on Phai…let's go!" he had said.
Nature study?
It had jumped off the cliff right then.
It became Alex study instead.
Hephaistion sighed. If only he could….
Ptolemy took one look at his cyan eyed friend and shook his head in a fond exasperation. Sometimes he just wanted to take the love birds by their heads and bang them together. May be, that would let them see the truth that was in front of them all along .
Alexander sighed.
Because watching butterflies when Phai looked like an angel? Really hard.
Alexander had never seen an angel. But he was fairly certain that they had the same aura around them.
He tried hard to put on his show. He sat there on a medium sized rock and pretended to stare at the little patch of wildflowers in front of him.
Why did Phai have to be so heavenly? So pure and so pristine?
The moment he had appeared before Alexander everything had stopped. He couldn't believe that his Phai had chosen this very day to braid his hair…and Alexander was finding it hard to concentrate.
He stole another glance at his brunette and found him lost in his own thoughts. Two bright cyan eyes gazed at the horizon…long eyelashes brushing those cheeks at will.
His angel.
Soon the beautiful day gave way to a bright starlit night. The boys returned indoors .
Someone rested his chin on Hephaistion's shoulders and blew into his ears . The brunette was standing by the window reminiscing the day…..the warm breath startled him a bit. But then his lips curled in a little smile.
His Alex.
"I've something to say to you Phai!" whispered the golden youth. His face was a mixture of apprehension and something else that the brunette couldn't quite place.
"What is it Alex?" he whispered back, turning to face his friend.
Alexander didn't utter a word. He cupped the golden cheeks with both his hands and kissed his Phai. Two sets of lips spoke silently to create an eternal lovesong.
The shrill cry of a night bird broke them apart. Hephaistion raised his fingers and touched the little dip in the middle of those bow shaped lips….just as he always wanted.
"What is it..my Alex?" he pressed.
Alexander hugged his friend . He brought his face in the crook of his Phai's neck and inhaled deeply.
At last he was home.
"Just this.. Phai!" he murmured.
He wanted to kiss again.