Comfortable
Alexander sat in the middle of a very loud and happy gathering. People of all ages and rank filled the room with servants scurrying to keep them full and happy. His attention was drawn to a young couple not far away. Though the room was full, they were oblivious to anything around them. Their eyes and hands were for each other only.
Alexander smiled to himself as he recalled the feelings they were displaying. Had it really been that long ago? Had age and maturity snuck up on him when he had his back turned?
He glanced across the room at the one who had been the object of all that youthful affection. Hephaestion may have acquired a few scars over those years. He may not move with the same grace, or react as quickly as ten years ago, but he was still a sight to behold. The body was still lean, too lean sometimes for Alexander's liking. The grace, though slower, was still there in the way he carried himself. But it was the eyes that always drew Alexander in and held him there.
The giggles drew his attention aside for a second before he returned his thoughts to across the room. Their relationship had been called many things over the years: lovers, soul mates and companions, to name a few. But it had been a while since they had been in the throngs of lustful passion and overwhelming lovemaking. The years of battles had taken their toil. Bodies, once full of youth and strength, now bore the scars from too many swords and knives. Too many endless miles and hours in horseback had left their mark. Muscles and joints ached more and flexed less.
Time stopped for no one, even a King.
And through it all, their relationship had become something else. It had become comfortable.
The moments they were together now held more meaning. A smile from across a crowded room, the brush of a hand on the middle of a back and a warm silence in a room with only two people was somehow deeper than those few hours of raw passions shared not so many years ago. But there was no sadness in this new comfort. That smile had a twinkle in the corner of the eyes, the hand would sometimes sneak a little lower and pause to play, and the silence of the room sometimes ended when a glint of naughtiness peeped over the top of the scrolls being read.
Alexander rose from his couch and walked slowly to Hephaestion's side. A smile greeted him upon his arrival and blue eyes met his and held.
Comfortable was turning out to be just fine with Alexander.