Waking up next to Hephaestion was the most precious joy of his life. He stirred softly, nuzzling his face between his friend's shoulder blades, one arm loosely passed around the slender waist. They slept spooned, alternating the embracer and the embraced. But it seemed like weeks since a morning like this one … Breathing in deeply with emotion, Alexander kissed the smooth skin up to the base of the neck, pushing away with his nose the strands of dark brown hair out of the way, and, circling his strong arms around his sleeping lover, he crushed him in a firm and suffocating embrace.
At first Hephaestion didn't move, Alexander could feel his strong, regular heart beat against the inside of his left arm, pressing hard around the rib cage. He concentrated on it for some seconds, almost feeling the pulse of the hot blood inside his own, thinking with tears in the eyes about the magic of life, of love, and of the gods who had blessed him so. He would sacrifice to Zeus, Aphrodite and Eros as soon as possible.
Suddenly Hephaestion tensed in his arms and with a jerk gasped for air, opening both eyes and mouth at the same time, his hands flying to his chest to push away the disturbance. Alexander released him, and, afraid that he had hurt his friend, he crawled over him to the other side of the bed, and looked down on the beautiful face, about to voice his soft apology.
But Hephaestion was smiling sleepily as he rubbed his bare chest, and without warning he jumped at Alexander and squeezed the muscular body in the tightest embrace, murmuring inaudibly in the king's neck.
Alexander hugged back with all his strength, and for some seconds nothing moved. Then Hephaestion released him and let Alexander lay on top of him, as he raised his hands to the King's head to push aside the heavy blond curls out of his lover's eyes.
"Morning, beautiful" whispered Alexander, caressing Hephaestion's lips.
Hephaestion smiled and pushed up to bring his lips against Alexander's. He lingered there for a while, blue eyes deep into brown ones.
"Morning, lover"