Drabble – Jealous
Alexander was in a playful mood. He was laughing with a naughty gleam in his eye. The problem was he was playing with the wrong person, at least in Hephaestion's opinion.
Hephaestion had entered Alexander's room to find him tickling Bagaos. Peels of laughter filled the room as they wrestled on top of Alexander's desk.
How long had it been since he had laughed like that with Alexander? His frowned as tried to remember.
Alexander caught sight of Hephaestion standing in the doorway and stopped teasing Bagaos and helped him to his feet. The expression on Alexander's face reminded Hephaestion of a little boy caught with his hand in the honey jar. But the guilt was not too bad because he gave Bagaos' behind a pat as he left the room.
This wasn't the first time he had disturbed Alexander with others. It was happening more and more often. Hephaestion asked himself if he was jealous of the attention that Alexander was showering on everyone else. He decided at first seeing the displays, he had been but that green-eyed monster no longer raised its head. It had now settled into a dull numbness.
Alexander lifted his eyes sheepishly and smiled at his friend. Hephaestion smiled back with a half smile.
They talked for a while about a few of the daily details needed to run a growing kingdom and Hephaestion rose to leave. His hand was still on the back of the chair when he spoke his next words.
"Alexander what is the protocol for a companion who would like to resign the army?"
"What?"
"I don't recall anyone ever leaving and I wondered what your rules were?"
"Hephaestion, who wants to leave?"
"They are just considering it for now."
"Tell me who approached you with this."
"You will be the first to know if they do decide to go." And with those parting words, Hephaestion gracefully left the room.
Alexander had spent the rest of the day worrying and stewing about what Hephaestion had said. He now sat on his couch watching all the companions as they enjoyed the nightly festivities, his hand absently playing with Bagaos' hair. His keen eyes looked at each one of the men and watched for any signs of discontent. Most were laughing and enjoying themselves and he could see no one who looked unhappy to be there.
Hephaestion must have been wrong about anyone wanting to leave, Alexander decided. He looked Hephaestion's way as he made a note to talk to him tomorrow about it.
And then he saw it, the sadness just below the surface, the eyes glancing towards the hands in Bagaos' hair and then lowering their gaze to the floor in front of him and the lips pressed closely together. There was no sign of happiness in any part of Hephaestion posture, he looked very unhappy.
It's Hephaestion.
The reality of the words made Alexander rise immediately and walked towards his friend and soul mate.
Somehow he must stop this.