Title: D is for DEATH.

Author: too_beauty

Feedback: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.

Pairing: Alexander & Hephaestion.

Rating: PG

Category: Historical AU

Disclaimer: I don't know the people involved; A&H belonged to themselves and to History, if not Phai would be among us under my "protection"

No beta, so all mistakes are mine.

It was a summer day, there weren't clouds in the sky and the god sun was shinning in its full force. Two young men were lying naked near the river; their skin was wet and shinny. The golden man was lying on his back with one arm behind his head and his right leg bent; the brunette man was on his stomach, propped on one elbow and resting his head in his right hand while he drew letters on the golden man's chest, whose left hand was raking the auburn tresses of his lover.

The golden man looked at the man next to him and whispered:

"Me too"

"What?" the other man asked confused.

"Oh, by Zeus, where was your mind, my beloved?"

The brunette looked at him and blushed.

"After ten years you keep blushing every time you told me "I love you" " the golden one whispered.

"I didn't tell you that" he said blushing again.

"No, you've just written on my skin, but you know it isn't necessary."

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Because it is engraved on my heart, Phai" he said looked directly into his eyes.

The brunette man blushed again and the golden one laughed loudly and his laugh filled the air with happiness.

The golden man closed his eyes; he dozed for a while under the warming sun and his lover's caresses along his chest and lower stomach.

"I can hear you thinking, Alex, what's disturbing you?"

"Ummm … nothing …" he whispered.

"Nothing is always something with you, Alex" Phai told him.

"Thinking about my phobos …." He whispered again.

"I can't believe you, the almighty Alexander, King of Persia and the known world, has fears" Hephaestion said laughing.

"Don't laugh at me, Phai, you know that I am just your Alexander and that I'd give my whole empire for more moments like these." Alexander sighed loudly.

"Don't lie, Alexander, you love being a King and you enjoy your life just like it is"

"But I still have my fears"

"What are you afraid of, my Xander?" he asked caressing the syllables of his lover's nickname.

"I am afraid of my blood"

"Of your blood? I don't understand that, care to explain me?" Hephaestion didn't want to push the confession but he knew that something important was worrying his lover.

"Firstly, my father's blood; I don't want to turn out to be such a careless man, addicted to his wine or to sex, afraid of his clouded reasoning and stubbornness that only brought him his death"

Hephaestion changed his position and lying on his right side, he looked at Alex into his eyes and answered after some minutes of silence:

"Even though you are quite similar to your father, you won't make the same mistakes because you have the advantage to know where they could take you."

"That's fine, you've got a good point there, but I also fear my mother's blood, so dark, so evil, so full of venom; all her life is surrounded by lies and mischief, she doesn't know what pure love is, like the one we feel for each other; she has never had anyone like you by her side to show her what is to be really in love." Alexander said with a warm voice.

"And because you have me, loving you as anybody will ever do, you won't fall into those evil feelings and misunderstandings, because I will always be there to bring you back onto the right path."

"As usual, you have the perfect answer for my doubts. But what about my brother? I don't want to end my life as him, stupid and rejected by everybody"

"But, my love, you know your poor brother was born with a weak mind and that is not your case, you were born strong and healthy if not you wouldn't have grown up into the fine man you are now"

"My Phai, when did you become so smart? When did you get your wisdom?"

"My Alexander, it is not intelligence, just common sense and pointing out the obvious things."

"What about my sister? Will I end up like her, marrying someone she doesn't love to keep appearances and loyalties for the kingdom? I can't think doing that, not even for the sake of having an heir."

Hephaestion remained in silence, he looked into the summer sky and sighed.

"Phai, why aren't you answering me?" a nervous Alexander asked.

"Because that is one of my fears, Alexander, one day you will have to leave me and get married to have a legitimate heir for you vast empire, and this, what we have been sharing for so long, will disappear and I will step aside, and see you living your life without me."

"NO, Phai, I'd never do that to you, how can a man live with half of his soul? I won't be able to walk on earth without your steadfast presence; I will never give up our love, Phai, not matter what everybody thinks, I was born to be with you and you with me, never apart, never alone" the young king rolled over his left side and captured his general's lips in a deep and possessive kiss, he embraced his lover and set him on his body, resting Hephaestion's head over his heart as he caressed his nape and drew small circles on his back.

"But mostly, I fear Death, I am afraid that she can come for me before I achieve all the things I want, I 'd really hate leaving earth without accomplishing all our dreams, Phai"

"Only the gods have an answer for that, at least we can pray for having an honorable death in battle as the soldiers we are." Phai said with his face hidden in Alexander's neck.

"What's your greatest phobos, Phai?"

The brunette man looked at his lover into his eyes and without hesitation, he answered:

- "Seeing Death coming for you first" and he kissed him strongly to escape from the bad feeling.