Murphy's Hero

Excerpt:
The sound of sirens startled Adrian. Sitting up, seeing he was alone in bed, he grabbed his pants and rushed down the stairs. Stopping short, he found Alexander in only his briefs and a white towel covered in black soot around his shoulders, struggling to pull off the Greek helmet.

“What the hell is going on?” Helping him, Adrian yanked at the metal and it came off his head. A line of black dirt ran down Alexander’s face where the helmet gapped on the nose guard.

“The flat across the street is on fire,” Alexander exclaimed excitedly.

Adrian set the helmet down on the coffee table, rushing to open the door, seeing the fire trucks and spectators. Spinning back, he took in the appearance of Alexander. “What did you do? Did you save those people?”

As if exhausted, Alexander dropped down on the sofa, wiping at his charcoal-covered hands.

Just noticing it, Adrian found a sword lying on the floor next to him. Adrian shouted,

“What the bloody hell just happened? Alexander! Talk to me! Did you just run across the street and save those people?”

“It was nothing. Any bloke would have done the same.”

“How did you know their flat was on fire?”

“I was just down here, you know, playing. I noticed smoke. What else could it have been?”

“And?” Adrian crossed his arms over his chest.

“And? And?” Alexander mimicked.

“You ran over there and saved those people!”

“Why are you making such a bloody big deal out of it?” Alexander stood, still trying to wipe the soot from his hands.

As Alexander climbed the stairs, Adrian pushed back the curtains to stare at the row of Victorian homes across the street. “I can’t believe this.” Looking back once, Adrian opened the door of the flat and darted between fire trucks and parked cars to the crowd that had gathered. As he stood there in the night, everyone was talking about some man in a Roman helmet who had saved all their lives. Rubbing his rough jaw in astonishment, Adrian tapped a woman on the shoulder as she held a little girl in her arms. “Did you just say a man wearing a Roman helmet saved you?”

“Yes! He came in, woke my husband and I up, grabbed Sarah, and carried her out of the house. Do you know him? I want to thank him. He just ran away.”

“No…ah, no. I don’t. I’m glad you’re all right.” Adrian slipped back across the street and into the flat, closing the door behind him. When he made it up the stairs he found Alexander had showered and was wiping some stubborn grime off his face in the mirror.

“You amazing man.”

“Huh?”

“You absolutely amazing, fucking man.”

“Cut it out, Adrian. It’s embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing? You should be given an award.”

“Stop it.”

Gaping at him, Adrian shook his head. “I don’t understand you.”

Alexander hung the towel over the shower door, turning off the light. “There’s nothing to understand.”

As they snuggled back under the blanket, Adrian gripped him close. “You are a hero, Alexander. One heck of a modest hero.”

“Go to sleep, Adrian. Go to sleep.”

Hugging him tightly, Adrian smiled in delight as he fell back to sleep.