Reminiscences of Beaches
It had been a while since Hephaistion had come to the beach. He used to spend a fair amount of his free time swimming at the ocean near his house in Athens. It was his daily routine after school to go to the beach with his friends from mid spring to mid autumn. Blessed with the mild climate of southern Greece, it was not unusual for them to find a day or two warm enough to go into the water even in late autumn days.
He also went there by himself, usually early in the morning or late at night when he wanted to sort things out, and clear his mind, or when he was upset, and needed to calm down. The vast clear cool water and gentle waves in the bay usually soothed him like the rocking arms of a sweet goddess.
Staring at the blue water in front of him, Hephaistion remembered the last time he had spent a day at the beach. He was young at the age of fifteen, right before traveling to Pella with his father. When his father told him about the plan he had for him, Hephaistion was upset. He did not want to leave his friends, and this beautiful accustomed place behind. When he recognized that he had no choice in this matter, he came to the beach late at night and just sat there looking at the night ocean while listening to the sound of whispering waves.
He wondered what would be out there when he reached the end of the horizon. The sudden rush of curiosity filled his mind. Maybe, traveling to the new world might not be such a bad thing. An excitement started to fill his heart. Next day, he went to the beach with his close friends. They chased each other in the shallow water, splashing the sparkling water beads around and over them. His sadness eased, and he soon forgot his worry.
A sharp cry of a seagull brought him back from the past. He was not particularly worried or angry, but unexplainable melancholy was creeping into his mind. The boy, who he met in Pella and loved, was now the king of not only Macedonia but also of the whole of Asia. And he himself was no longer just a friend of the boy, but one of seven bodyguards in Alexander's army. Those carefree days they spent in each other's arms had long gone.
Hephaistion did not doubt the love of Alexander for him, but there simply was not enough time in the days of the great conqueror and his companion. They had not shared their bed for over a month. It was a high price they had to pay in exchange for glory and their dream. Alexander's days were filled with meetings and inquiries from those newly allied tribes he now reigned over. Hephaistion spent endless time meeting with those whom Alexander could not, and dealt with a mountain of paper work. It started to suffocate him, and he had to escape.
The calm water in front of him was inviting. It soothed him to think the body of water was somewhat connected to the one of his hometown in Athens. Hephaistion kicked off his sandals, unfasten the brooches on his chiton, and slowly shed it out, revealing a slender yet well toned body underneath. A lean muscle flexed under his tight bottom as he walked with long strides. Strength rippled around his shoulders as he gracefully swung his lean limbs. Nobody was present, but if somebody was watching, they must have mistaken him for a god from Mount Olympus come down to play.
As he came to waist deep in the water, Hephaistion dived into the wave just like a dolphin playfully chasing fish. His movement was powerful yet elegant. He swam vigorously until his body became too tired to continue. His body felt even heavier as he emerged from the water. He stumbled to the shore, and fell on his back on the soft dry sands. His sun kissed chest heaved deeply to get extra air.
The warm afternoon sun embraced him with a secure blanket. The gentle breeze from the ocean teased him with nostalgic aroma. The sound of breaking waves soothed him with a rhythmic lullaby. The melancholy still lingered around, but his tired body was gradually slipping into the world of sweet dream. He had not slept well for quite some time.
Alexander spotted Hephaistion from a distance, and nudged the sides of Bucephalas to make him hurry. He dismounted and tied his horse in the shade before taking off a blanket and a sack filled with a jug of sweet wine and a light meal. He slowly walked to this sleeping god while enjoying the beautiful sight. As he came close by, he frowned to see a deep crease between Hephaistion's perfect brows. He set the blanket and the sack on the sand, and kneeled by his side, and kissed the crease.
Hephaistion stirred, and his long eyelashes fluttered before the amazing blue eyes emerged. His face brightened when he recognized Alexander, but it was soon replaced with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you have a meeting with the governors of Egypt?" his sleepy voice asked looking at Alexander's wet hair curiously.
"The same reason why you are here." Alexander answered cheerfully, but did not miss a slight shadow cross Hephaistion's bright eyes.
"While I was taking a bath to get ready for the meeting, it just hit me. I needed to get away from this busy routine, just even for half a day, and then, I realized that I had a more urgent meeting to take care of."
Hephaistion arched his eye brow in question.
"The meeting with my love." Alexander whispered on Hephaistion's lips before claiming them. Hephaistion's eyes twinkled, and a color rushed up on his cheeks.
"Hummm, they taste salty."
Hephaistion laughed, "I was swimming."
"Come, let me sweeten them."
Alexander guided him on the blanket, and pulled the stopper out of the jug. He kept the wine in his mouth, and looked at Hephaistion with flirtatious eyes. He leaned and kissed Hephaistion. As Hephaistion parted his lips under Alexander's, the sweet nectar flooded into his dry mouth. He gladly swallowed it; the cool liquid trickled down his thirsty throat, and changed to a warm glow of fire when it reached his stomach. Each time Alexander nourished him, their kiss deepened, and Hephaistion eagerly sucked it dry.
Soon, Hephaistion started to feel a buzzing in his head. Potent wine in an empty stomach, and a hot sun was not quite an ideal combination. His body was heating up almost uncomfortably as well. Alexander noticed this, and broke a kiss.
"I think you need to cool down." Alexander chuckled, discarded his chiton and sandals, and pulled him up. Hephaistion swayed and stumbled, almost falling back to the ground. Alexander caught him, and half dragged and half carried him to the ocean. They did not know what was so funny, but they could not stop laughing all the way to the water.
Cool water was refreshing against their heated bodies. Alexander settled his back against the sandbar, and pulled Hephaistion close by the waist. Alexander gently pulled the hair away from Hephaistion's nape, ran the tongue behind the ear, and nibbled his tender ear lobe. Hephaistion's breathing got faster, and a whimper escaped his parted lips. Hephaistion felt he was just about to cry, realizing how he had missed this touch. Each place Alexander touched brought back a memory of happy days; the days they used to make love every day at least once. The days, when they did not have all these distractions or responsibilities.
Alexander faintly caressed Hephaistion's inner thigh, making Hephaistion's body tremble with anticipation, and then he tilted his chin with his forefinger, and kissed him hard. His other hand stopped on the soft skin of Hephaistion's upper thigh close to where it connects to the hip. Hephaistion twisted Alexander's soft curls in his hand bringing Alexander even closer to his body, while intertwining the slender fingers of his other hand around Alexander's, which was now gently squeezing him.
Alexander thrust himself with the next big surge. Warm flesh filled Hephaistion, and a hot gasp escaped into Alexander's mouth. Hephaistion's grip tightened around Alexander's fingers, while they rocked their bodies lazily along with the endless waves. Alexander matched his strokes with the motion in and around Hephaistion. Constant moans of bliss started to escape from Hephaistion, increasing the passion inside of Alexander. A light breeze carried their pleasured voices to the shore, but there was nobody in sight. They were free again from any other's eyes.
The urgency to release built up inside of their bodies. The sensation was so intense that Hephaistion felt his head spin. They let out a loud cry as their bodies shuddered uncontrollably. Alexander reluctantly pulled himself out of Hephaistion, as he hugged him tight and kissed his still panting mouth. They let the gentle surf molest their spent bodies. Everything stayed the same as if nothing had happened. The only trace of their blissful lovemaking was their mingled seed slowly wafted away with the current, just like the Milky Way in the summer night sky.
End