The Victor
General Hephaistion walked alone down the sprawling corridors of the Palace of Babylon. He listened to his lonely footsteps echo off the ornate walls. He was returning from the dining hall after his morning meal.
The dining hall was mostly deserted at this time in the morning. Most of the inhabitants of the palace had spent the previous night very deep in their cups. Hephaistion could still hear the music, drunken laughter, and the gentle clink of the dancers' adorning jewelry. The voice of last night's bard still echoed in his ears.
The poet had spent most of the evening stroking the King's ego, declaring him the greatest leader to ever walk the earth, blessed by the gods, divine, and completely undefeatable.
Hephaistion had not stayed long at the feast. He had been very tired and had had no patience for incoherent drunks. Even though, most likely, one of them had been his beloved.
The general had sensed Alexander's eyes flickering over to him all night, reaching out with his gaze for his Phai. But the general had stubbornly evaded the kings hinting glances. It is not that he did not wish to spend time with his soul mate; it was simply that he was in one of his moods that required solitude.
They were so totally different in that way, Alexander and Hephaistion. Alexander basked in the attention of others, constantly, without any need for seclusion or aloneness. But Hephaistion could never stand the constant attention, the never ending adoration. He needed to be able to isolate himself, be with no one but his own mind and soul.
And so Hephaistion had left the hall and retired to his rooms alone, much as he did now. Alexander did not interrupt him last night. He must have understood Hephaistion's frame of mind, and left him to his segregation.
His time alone had left Hephaistion refreshed and revitalized. He woke this morning clear-headed and quite awake. Now he appreciated the soothing silence in the halls, only interrupted by the footsteps of himself or the occasional passing servant; and the way the morning sun warmed the stark white of his chiton.
He then rounded a corner rather quickly and almost crashed right into someone who had been waiting there. His heart jumped at the surprise
"Do you mean to plow me over, Phai?" Alexander grinned at him from his position; leaning against the palace wall, inexplicably bright eyed considering his excessive drinking last night.
"I simply didn't see you, my King" Hephaistion replied as he regained his composure from the almost collision. After seeing who had caught him off guard, his heart jumped for a very different reason.
It always amazed Hephaistion that after all the years Alexander and himself had spent together, the sight of Alexander could still cause his heart to flutter and swell with joy and love.
"My King?" Alexander raised a golden eyebrow. "One night away from me and I am reduced to just your King, my general?"
"One million nights away from you could not transform you into simply my King, my love" Hephaistion took a step closer to his golden lover, grinning.
Alexander's warm brown pools flitted over the form of his Phai.
"You look much rested this morning, more rested than I would prefer." The corners of the king's luscious mouth tugged up at the corners as he shrugged away from the wall. "I tried to catch your eye last night."
"I know."
Alexander's arms wrapped around Hephaistion's hips and pulled him closer.
"I know you know. And yet you ignored me all night, left preposterously early, and spent all night locked up alone in your rooms" The king exclaimed dramatically, pretending to be extremely wounded. "I had to climb into a cold bed last night." He pouted.
"What can I say, Xander. Perhaps I got a little fed up listening to that over flattering poet feed your enlarging ego" The general teased with a wicked grin.
"You never much minded my enlarging ego before." Alexander whispered suggestively, as he pressed his groin against his love.
After a sharp intake of breath Hephaistion replied, "Well the man was spewing lies."
"Lies? What lies?" The king demanded in a very kingly voice.
"Oh, just the ridiculous claims of Your Highness never being beaten at any course you pursued."
"How is that a lie, General Hephaistion?" Alexander released his Phai and took a step back.
The general smiled, he had struck a nerve and perhaps deflated his love's ego a little bit.
"I can recall multiple occasions in which I myself have defeated you, Sire."
The king let out a mighty 'Ha!' and shot back, "Perhaps at frivolous little things we partook in as boys. Wrestling or races."
Hephaistion leaned casually against the wall and taunted Alexander, "Those are still defeats. And….I am still sure that….I could very easily defeat you again… right now."
Alexander slowly cocked his head.
"Are you challenging me?"
"Perhaps…"
"Very well!"
"Are you accepting, then, Alexander?"
"Do you, Phai, expect me to turn away from such an outright challenge? That would be disgraceful. In fact, why not put a small wager on the outcome of this competition?"
"As you wish, Sire" Hephaistion shrugged. His nonchalant attitude was obviously irritating Alexander's fiery temper and pride. "How about the bested must give the victor a back rub? I have some terrible knots just here in my shoulders."
"And there they shall remain, my love. Why not add a foot rub to the rewards? My own feet seem to be very sore this morning and could use some attention."
"I'm sorry to inform you, beloved, that very soon, a pair of tired hands will be joining those tired feet."
The two glared at each other. Despite the fact that they were soul mates, they were both fierce competitors, and sore losers. Each would fight for the glory of defeating the other, and the ability to dangle this conquest above the other's head for a very long time.
"We shall see. Now, the challenge?" The king inquired.
"A foot race. Starting here, at the end of this corridor, going down this hall, around the corner there to the left, and ending at the end of that hall."
"And the rules?" Hephaistion watched a familiar wicked glint enter his Xander's eye.
"It will be an honorable race, Alexander. We will have no dishonorable or devious maneuvers."
"Very well." Alexander sighed, disappointed.
Hephaistion grinned at him, as they both kicked off their sandals, so that they would not impede either of the participants in the race.
"Are you ready, love?" Hephaistion addressed Alexander.
"I am. I am very ready…to win."
"Do not build your ladder too high, Alexander. It is a very long way to fall." Hephaistion laughed.
Both of them stood at the end of the first hall, poised for the signal, and keenly watching the other.
"On go?" Hephaistion proposed.
Alexander gave a quick nod of the head.
"Alright. Read-"
"GO!" Alexander yelled. He took off down the corridor, before Hephaistion could recover from the interruption.
When he finally did, he tore after Alexander.
"That is low, Xander!" He yelled.
Alexander's laugh floated back to him.
But Hephaistion was gaining on his opponent. He forced his legs to move faster, enjoying the feeling of his muscles contracting and releasing, straining to push his body forward. His bare feet slapped against the cold marble floors. His dark hair, braided back just as Alexander preferred it, flew out behind him like a shadow chasing after him.
He focused on Alexander's form, becoming ever closer. He had completely caught up to his King as they both skidded around the corner, and burst down the next hallway.
Alexander, now realizing that Hephaistion had caught up with him, smiled and let out a laugh, as he propelled himself faster towards the finishing point.
They were neck-in-neck now, neither one having the advantage. They grinned sideways at each other.
At the end of the corridor, Cleitus came around the corner, but froze at the sight of his king and a fellow general, barreling towards him.
"Good morning Cleitus! You have arrived just in time to witness my greatest victory!" The King called out to his general.
"Not necessarily, my King!" Hephaistion retorted in a strained voice, short of breath, as he used all of his energy and might to push himself ahead of Alexander, just in time to cross the finishing line before him.
"YES!" Hephaistion cried.
"No." Alexander groaned.
"Yes, I have beaten you, once again, my King." The darker man panted at his blond counterpart.
Alexander was doubled over, hands resting on his knees, gasping desperately to catch his breath.
"I demand another race!" he wheezed, not sounding much like a king.
"I'm afraid not, my Xander. I have beaten you fairly. Even more than fairly, in a disadvantage. You see, despite your trickery, I have still ended victorious. Cleitus," The winner called out to the black general, who was approaching with a confused grin on his weathered, scarred face, "was my victory not more than deserving?'
"I have to say, though it was close, Hephaistion, you are undoubtedly the winner." Cleitus replied.
General Cleitus shrugged when his king threw him an annoyed look.
"And you weren't even there to witness his very un-kingly, dishonest act." Hephaistion pointed an accusing finger at his love.
"Alexander doing anything to get his way? That is not something anyone has ever witnessed!" Cleitus said sarcastically.
The dark generals laughed.
Alexander, now able to breathe more easily, straightened and said, "If you are both done mocking your king, he will return to his rooms, so as not to be the brunt of your jokes any longer."
Hephaistion caught Alexander's arm as he attempted to stalk away, "Ah, Xander, you know it is all in good fun. You are just too easy to rile up when it comes to your pride."
Alexander finally cracked a glorious smile and let his Phai wrap an arm around him.
"What is this all about?" General Cleitus said curiously.
"I am just reminding Alexander that, contrary to the belief of last night's bard, he has been defeated and can still be defeated."
Cleitus let out a booming laugh.
"Good for you, Hephaistion." He nodded.
"Yes and now the king has been put in his place by his general!" Alexander cried exasperatedly.
"Calm down, Sire." Cleitus sighed, "No one is challenging your birthright or your authority. You are still Alexander, King of the Macedonian empire. We are just having a bit of fun."
"Yes, I know. Now, Phai, will you please accompany me back to my rooms so you can reap your rewards as victor." Alexander purposefully worded his sentence in that way so he could watch the color of a blush bloom on his introverted and private beloved's face.
The eyebrows on the other general's face rose, "I'm going to go take my breakfast now." He grinned good naturedly.
"All in good fun." Alexander whispered in his lover's ear as they watched Cleitus' form retreat down the corridor.
"Yes, my love, you succeeded in embarrassing me, but do not forget the duties you get to perform."
"Very well." The King sighed.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"You still smell of sweat." Alexander said softly as his hands worked tediously over his Phia's back. "I love that smell. It reminds me of your scent just after making love, except it is lacking something that only exists in those precious moments after we have lain together."
All Hephaistion could do was sigh. His beloved's sweet words, mixed with the wonderful sensation of his gentle hands roaming over his muscles, were almost too much.
He was lying across Alexander's bed, naked to the waist, as Alexander straddled him and let his hands kneed at his taunt muscles.
Hephaistion almost gasped when he felt Alexander's soft lips press gently press to his lower back. Then they traveled up his back, a tongue darting out to taste his skin, and stopped at regular intervals to suckle at the lean bands of muscle.
"I will not lie to you, love; I prefer that to your mediocre backrub."
Hephaistion felt the laugh on Alexander's lips as they pressed to his neck.
Alexander grazed his fingertips up the length of Hephaistion's spine, causing the darker man to shiver.
Swiftly, Alexander flipped Hephaistion onto his back and covered his lips with his own. Then those sweet lips traveled down Hephaistion's chest, much in the way they had traveled up his back.
Alexander felt his Phai's abdominal muscles ripple under his tender kisses.
"Xander." Hephaistion whimpered as his lover's mouth moved ever closer to his swelling manhood.
Alexander chuckled as he kissed and nuzzled Hephaistion's inner thighs, never touching where his beloved needed it most.
The king vaguely remembered the joke that he had been told was circling around the army, that he had only ever been defeated by Hephaistion's thighs, Hephaistion's glorious thighs. He laughed at how true those words had become today.
~Fin~
That's it. Hope you enjoyed it. Now I challenge you to click that nice little button and let me know what you think. I'm not sure that your reward will be nearly as nice as Hephaistion's...but it would sure make me happy! :D