Chapter 25
Title: From Friends to Lovers
Word Count: 500 (five paragraphs of 100 word)
Alexander could not tell exactly when the change had started. All he knew was that he felt different, and it became almost too painful to be closer to Hephaistion. As soon as Alexander sensed the presence of his friend, his heart pounded against his rib cage, and his hot blood rushed up to his head, making his cheeks blush like a girl. Alexander was confused, and he hated so much to lose control of himself that he took the only action he could think of; stay away from Hephaistion. Even though a part of his heart screamed for the opposite.
Hephaistion was puzzled and concerned. Without warning, Alexander started to avoid him. He repeated every detail of the last day he had spent with Alexander . He must have done something terrible to receive such a treatment. Yet, he could not find anything extraordinary except he did remember very clearly that his heart jumped and a jolt of electricity had run through his spine when their pinkies touched as they sat on the grass side by side. It was not the first time that a part of their bodies had touched, but somehow it felt so different on that day.
Both Alexander and Hephaistion were miserable, but they did not know what to do. When Hephaistion was wandering in the wood questioning what went wrong between his best friend and him, a black butterfly with bright blue stripes fluttered around him, distracting his thoughts for a moment. It flew by him back and forth as if to guide him to a significant path. A sharp gasp made Hephaistion look up. He froze to the spot seeing Alexander standing right in front of him, his back against the bark of a large oak tree looking straight at him with wide eyes.
Alexander panicked for a moment. There was no place to go. His back was against the tree, and the source of his pain was standing right in front of him. He bit his lips and inhaled deeply. He knew that it was the time for him to gather all his courage and face the problem. Once his mind was made up, Alexander did not hesitate. He cautiously walked up to Hephaistion and hugged him tightly burying his face into Hephaistion's soft locks. He felt Hephaistion's body mold and melt against him. That moment it became all clear what he wanted.
Alexander pulled away just far enough to look into Hephaistion's eyes. His friend's eyes shone with a passion yet calm with a full trust. Alexander raised one hand to cup Hephaistion's cheek, and wrapped one arm around Hephaistion's waist to bring him closer to him. Then he pressed his lips firmly against Hephaistion's. After a moment of hesitation, Hephaistion responded and Alexander gratefully savored the full taste of Hephaistion. When they finally parted their swollen lips apart, they understood that they were no longer just a friend to each other, but something more. They found the love of their lives.