Chapter 2
Prompt: Habit
Title: Alexander and Hephaistion's Habit
Word Count: 500
In the winter when Hephaistion was seven years old, the weather was particularly severe in northern Greece. It even snowed in Pella in late November that was very unusual for the city along the Aegean Sea.
Hephaistion hated cold. He could take heat, but when it came to cold, he had no tolerance at all. He was not proud of it, either. A boy had to be strong both mentally and physically. His father used to say that mental strength often overcomes physical weakness.
'Just don't think about it, then I might not feel any cold.'
Hephaistion was trying his best, but he was losing his battle.
"What's wrong with you, Hephaistion? You are very quiet tonight."
"Nothing is wrong."
Hephaistion answered in short sentences while grinding his teeth together, so that they would not chatter. Although the fire was burning in the fireplace, the air in Alexander's room was freezing cold as the evening grew.
Alexander looked at Hephaistion in puzzlement; he did not understand why his friend was acting so strangely. His face was so pale that he looked as if he were in pain.
"Are you hurting anywhere? Are you in pain?"
Alexander took Hephaistion's hands in his. They were as cold as the lifeless marble stone. Alexander's eyes grew bigger in surprise, but he did not let them go. Instead, he guided his friend to his bed.
"Let's lie down. I'm getting tired."
With this, Alexander put a cover over them, and spooned Hephaistion. It felt as if the rays of spring sun wrapped around him, and Hephaistion leaned his stiff body against comfortable warmth.
Six months had passed, and it was the stormy season in late spring. Alexander and Hephaistion were playing in the courtyard. All of a sudden, dark clouds multiplied in the sky, and soon, the blue white lightning ran across the black sky pouring down big drops of rain.
They ran back into Alexander's room while laughing and splashing through the water pools. As the storm increased in intensity, so did the wind. It howled as if it were alive and breathing.
"What's wrong, Alexander? You have become very quiet."
"Nothing."
Alexander replied in a tiny voice, as he was afraid that his voice might tremble. He was not afraid of thunder or lightning, but the howling sounds of the wind rubbed his nerves up the wrong way, and made him feel very uneasy.
"Are you getting sick, Alexander?"
Concerned, Hephaistion took Alexander's hands in his. They were shaking like a leaf.
"Let's take a nap, Alexander, I'm getting tired."
They lay down on the bed, and Hephaistion held Alexander from behind against his chest. Feeling the calm breathing against his neck, and the rhythmical strong beats of Hephaistion's heart, Alexander felt his body relax.
From this year on, it became their habit to lie together on those cold nights, and stormy days. They had learned that there was no need to fight alone. Life was much easier when facing it together.