Warning: suggestion of future sex at the bottom of this chapter. Just a warning! Enjoy!

"Why are his fingers always in his mouth?" Alexander asked aloud one October morning as Darko walked through the kitchen while his parents were cleaning said kitchen from breakfast.

"He's only two, Love. It's natural. He's exploring his body. Plus he's getting new teeth," Hephaestion announced proudly, "He's using his fingers to self-sooth."

"Hm."

Hephaestion was reading a book on the couch that night when Darko came to him, his chiton pulled up to expose his round stomach and his navel, which he seemed engrossed in.

"What is it Love?" Hephaestion set his book aside and leaned forward, giving his full attention to his son.

"What is it?" Darko signed, still poking his navel with a finger.

"That, my Love, is your navel. It was what kept you alive in my belly before you were ready to greet the world. Momma has one too, see?" he showed him.

Just as Hephaestion was doing this, Alexander walked into the room. Seeing Hephaestion exposing his stomach to their son, one eyebrow arched high on his head in both curiosity and desire.

"Hello, All! And how's my beautiful family today?" immediately, Hephaestion's chiton dropped from his hands and he tried to dig deeper into the couch all in the same movement as he startled, "Whoa, Love, easy there. I'm sorry I scared you. Accept my apology?" Alexander leaned over the back of the couch.

"Don't kiss me. Darko's watching," Hephaestion pushed him away.

"But-"

"Leave me alone," he growled angrily, but Alexander saw tears in his eyes.

Knowing that he couldn't have an emotional breakdown in front of his son, Hephaestion calmly got up and walked out the door, his son and husband staring after him.

"Come, my sweet Baby Boy," Alexander set Darko in his crib and settled him in for a bit of an impromptu nap, "It'll be all right, I promise. You just stay right there, and Father will be back soon."

And then Alexander followed his wayward husband to the creek just twenty or so feet away.

"Phaistion!" he saw him sitting by said creek with his knees drawn up to his chest, and hair blowing in the slight breeze. When he approached he sat down beside him.

"I told you to leave me alone," came the grumble.

"And I couldn't very well do that, now could I? I hate it when you're upset, you know that. What's wrong?"

"I hate my body."

"Now there I have to disagree, but continue."

"I still have baby fat. It's been two years since- Oh no..." he moaned, putting his head down on his arms.

"What?"

"He saw. Darko saw. I feel disgusting..."

"As I recall, he did not see what you saw. He saw where he gew inside your belly for those eight months. In a sense, he saw home."

"You think so?"

'I know so. He saw the place that kept him warm and safe for so long, and so do I. Why don't you?"

"I don't know. I'm just not beautiful anymore."

"Again, I have to disagree. That place is where you carried our child. How could you not love that? And I see you as even more beautiful than before."

"Why?"

"Because there is more of you to love," Alexander kissed him on the lips, "There is nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. Think of this new body not as a curse, but a gift from the gods. You carried life within this body. That is no small thing."

"I love you."

"And I you. Never doubt that. I will forever love you. Always. Now, I put Darko down for a nap before I came out here, why don't we use the time to our advantage, hm? This way I can prove just how beautiful you are."

"Xander, you are crude. Is there nothing but sex in that brain of yours?"

"It is the gift the gods gave me, and the gift I give to you as well. I suggest you take it!" Alexander called back to him, having gone ahead.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head as he watched his husband disappear into the house, Hephaestion whispered, "I swear, he is Zeus in the flesh," then he laughed as he reached the doorway and turned back to gaze at the land, "Goddesses help me. But I love him, nonetheless."