Drabble – Mask
He's glowing. His face is a mask of perfection in happiness. There is even a glint of naughtiness around his eyes.
This is my Hephaestion. This is the man that only I see. For everyone else he wears a mask of confidence and reserve. He is very mature and stately. He could be a king with his stature and he would make a very good king.
But he has chosen to be with me, beside me and behind me in my quest to follow my dreams. How I was gifted with his life entwined with mine I will never know, but I thank the gods every day for him.
He giggles. The others may hear him laugh occasionally but they will never hear the beautiful sound of his voice in pure glee, the sound of a young boy getting into mischief. I can see by the look in his eyes that he is definitely thinking of mischief at this very moment. I am delighted and smile at him with eager anticipation. I know where his mischief can lead.
The years drop off of his body as he climbs towards me from the bottom of the bed. The lines in his face that I see so often these days with his workload slip away and he beams as he crawls his way up my body.
By the gods, I love this man. He fills me with love just by looking at him and I reach for him, but he will have nothing to do with this. With an evil look in his eyes, he reaches for my hands and pins them above my head and tells me to leave them there or he will quit what he was doing. Nothing in the world will make me move my hands now. He pulls a soft cloth from somewhere in the messy covers and grins widely as he covers my eyes with the mask.
I can't see anything but my rest of my senses are on very high alert. Every nerve in my body is attuned to the man hovering over me and he knows it.
He laughs again and I melt.
I know where this will lead and I will happily and contently follow. These stolen moments are becoming rare that we share and I cherish every second that I can be alone with him.
My Hephaestion, the one behind the mask.