Hephaestion woke slowly, still bathed in the heat of sleep. As he became more and more awake, he began to realize he was not alone. He could tell this was the truth and no a dream by the body pressed against his back, the arm around his middle and the warm breath that was in his hair.
Still half asleep, Hephaestion turned over and buried himself further into the protective body beside him. With a sigh of contentment, he murmured, "You're warm, Xander," into what he knew was a man's chest.
"I am not Xander."
Shocked fully awake by the deep voice from the man beside him, Hephaestion pulled away to look up into the man's face. And screamed in alarm, flailing as he tried to scramble from the pallet and falling to the dirt floor in a heap instead.
"Ow..." he moaned, his head covered by the previously clean blanket he had been using.
"Are you alright?" there was some sounds of shifting and blankets being rustled, and then Faris' voice was right above Hephaestion's head, and he knew he had scooted to his side of the pallet and was now looking down at him. He also had a small smile on his face, by the lilt of laughter that had invaded his voice.
Hephaestion quickly stood up and tore the blanket from his head, angry, "Stop laughing at me, you pervert!"
"Pervert? Who is a pervert?" his smile disappeared.
"You are! What have you done to me? Tell me!"
"I have done nothing, nor would I. Do you remember nothing of night last?"
"All I know is that you..." tears shone in Hephaestion's blue eyes, and his voice caught in his throat, "you touched me... You touched me when you knew my history with such things!" Hephaestion turned away on his heel, weeping into his hands.
"Hep-" Faris stood up from the bed, grave as he tried to comfort the broken man, "Hephaestion, it was not I who touched you. It was the shaman. I protected you. All I did was wash you after we were alone. I swear upon all the gods in all the different realms of all of the different kings, I did not hurt you. I swear it."
Hephaestion whirled to face him, vaguely registering in the back of his mind the pain in his hips and abdomen at his quick movement before his many emotions clouded his mind once more. Not sure which emotion to address first, Hephaestion's body began to shake violently. Confused as to why his body was shaking and in pain, Hephaestion finally let out a wail and began to sob.
Faris took hesitant steps toward the overwhelmed man, not quite sure what to do. When he got close enough, Hephaestion grabbed him by the upper arms and pulled him even closer, burying himself into Faris' naked chest.
Faris coughed, feeling very awkward and not sure what to do, "Do-do you want Lutfi?"
"No..." Hephaestion mumbled into his skin.
"Then what do you want?"
"I just want you to hold me. Can you do that please?"
Faris relaxed, folding his arms around the smaller man and dropping his head to rest on his crown, "All right. Go on and cry. No one here will judge you. I promise."
With that reassurance, Hephaestion nestled his head into the crook of Faris' shoulder and began to weep in earnest.