"Slow steps, that's it," Hephaestion walked Alexander into the kitchen for supper.

"Shit..." Alexander mouthed in pain, his voice still not perfect.

Hephaestion smiled, kissing the top of his love's head, "It's okay. Just a few more steps."

Alexander stumbled and went careening toward the ground. But Hephaestion was there, wrapping his arms around the falling man. As soon as they were safe on the ground, Alexander began to sob.

"Tryphon, can you help me get him to the chair? Thank you," as the boy rushed over from his place by the hearth, where he had been making a quick dinner, "Just a few more steps, Xander, I promise you. There you are. And sit. There!"

As Hephaestion prepared a bowl of porridge mixed with honey to feed Alexander, Alexander saw the steam and felt the heat from it on his face. A flashback of the fire ran across his mind, and he panicked, knocking the bowl and spoon out of Hephaestion's hands.

"Xander! It's gone, done! It's done! The fire is gone! You're safe. I swear, you are safe... Never think otherwise, all right? I will always protect you. Always."

Alexander shivered in his lover's arms as Tryphon cleaned up the spilled breakfast and then got Alexander some bread with honey on it to eat instead, giving it to Hephaestion and watching him gently present it to the man in his arms, and watch Alexander use his fingers to feed himself.

And he decided that while this flashback was a setback for Alexander, he was making more progress than not, and smiled to himself at the thought.