AN: Because I'm on my monthly right now and struggling with it, I wrote this real quick. Hopefully this helps someone else going through something like this. You are valid. Enjoy!

Warning: gender dysphoria

Alexander strode in to the apartment one evening with the groceries, only to be met with pitch black when he opened the door.

Confused, he called out cautiously, "Phai? Where are you, Love?" Then he heard it; soft sobs coming from the direction of the living room couch, and Peritas' whine. He tried again after carefully making his way to the kitchen and setting the grocery bags on the small island, before turning, arms outstretched he didn't accidentally hurt himself, "My love? Where are you? I hear you. Why are you crying?"

He felt his way to a lamp and pulled the cord, but didn't get the chance to even turn around in the little bit of light before Hephaestion spoke, his voice ragged and breaking at the same time, "N-no! Turn it off! I don't want you to see me! I'm disgusting!"

That made the back of Alexander's neck tingle with worry. What could have happened-? Disregarding what he had been told, Alexander slowly turned to face his soulmate. And gasped at the sight. Hephaestion's eyes, usually so bright, were dull and red from crying. Their hair was tangled and messy. And most notably of all was the heavy sweatshirt and thick fleece blanket wrapped around them.

Hephaestion flinched at their boyfriend's surprised gasp but glared at him all the same, snapping, "Turn it off!" When this wasn't done for a second time, they began to panic, "Turn it off! Turn it off, please! Alexander!"

The sound of his name got Alexander moving, and he was at his love's side in moments, fretting, "Phai? What happened? Come out from under the blanket, it's too hot for that," it was the middle of June after all, "What happened? Please tell me, I want to help. How can I help, what hurts?"

"I'm disgusting!" Hephaestion offered again, their tears starting up again.

Alexander knew this wasn't true, but decided against debating it; it wouldn't help to do so now anyway. Instead, he just gathered Hephaestion to his chest and rocked them a little, hushing them as he did so, "Shh, shh. Just tell me what happened and then we can fix it. Shh…"

"I'm bleeding! It was supposed to stop! I guess I am a girl!"

"No listen to me: you are not a girl unless you say you are one. It doesn't matter how your body is or what it does. All right?"

"But I'm on the medication-!"

"You've only been on it a month, Love. You have to let your body adjust, and then, after you've been on it awhile, your bleed might stop. No guarantees, remember? But it doesn't matter, because I love you and always will, regardless of what your body does or doesn't do. All right? Shh, it's okay," he dropped a kiss on top of their head, resuming the rocking he had paused in order to explain.

They sat like this a long time, but Alexander gave no thoughts to the groceries sitting abandoned on the kitchen island, focused instead on holding his beloved close and offering his silent support. When Hephaestion had calmed some, he suggested a distraction.

"Shall we call everyone up and see about having a group movie night and sleepover?"

Hephaestion giggled at the almost absurd idea (people their age didn't have sleepovers!) but the bright grin on their face gave Alexander all the answer he needed.

AN: Just a quick note: There is nothing wrong with being a girl or being comfortable with the gender you were assigned at birth. it can just be hard sometimes when a person's gender doen't match their assigned gender at birth. Of course this too is not always true, and a person can be happy or comfortable with their body regardless of their gender.

AN: I've seen this kind of scenario in other fanfictions, but this concept is much more positive than the other idea I was playing with in my head, and I need some positivity right now, and I'm sure you all wouldn't mind some either! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!