TITLE: R is for RIVALS.
AUTHOR: Too_beauty.
PAIRING: Alexander /Hephaestion/ Black Cleitus.
RATING: Nc-17
CATEGORY: Historical AU.
DISCLAMER: I don't know the people involved, they belong to History and to themselves but I wouldn't mind sharing my life with Phai *sighs*
WARNING: explicit sex scene.
NO BETA so all mistakes are mine.
FEEDBACK: comments are love!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic contains explicit references to sexual male intercourse, don't like, don't read!
The young Macedonian prince was fifteen and was puzzled, for years he had known him but since some months ago he truly discovered he knew nothing about him, in fact he knew a lot but he didn't want to realize about the tiny changes in their relationship; sometimes the young blonde was so afraid to be caught that he either froze in the spot or ran away.
Today had been ran away as far as his still short but strong legs took him, when he felt the cramps attacking his muscles due to the exertion, he fell on his back and his breath came out in short pants.
Minutes later, he propped his body onto his elbows and saw the object of his desire walking towards him and he closed his eyes tightly; he wanted to avoid the incoming questioning, but when he opened his two coloured eyes again, his prospective better half was walking away from him, without noticing his presence, his pride was hurt because that "walking god" had ignored him; the mentioned youth was dusting his chiton and brushing his auburn tresses with his slender and strong fingers; Alexander wanted to run his fingers through it, but he told off to himself, he couldn't have those feelings for his best friend, the one who has shared the best and worst moments of his life since they were eight, or …..could he?
Alexander saw Hephaestion stop for a while, checked his appearance again and headed to the training grounds; he leaned onto the railing and followed the soldiers' moves. Alexander wanted to know what his friend was looking at with so much attention, so he decided to approach. Meanwhile, Black Cleitus was coming towards Hephaestion and the young brunette blushed, Alexander couldn't believe his eyes, his Phai was blushing like a girl at the sight of the elder General. He hid behind a nearby tree and saw how Cleitus spoke to Hephaestion, patted his head before leaving the training site. Hephaestion took his head where he had been patted and blushed again, and turning round, he followed the strong frame of the elder man with dreamy cerulean eyes.
Alexander saw this scene repeated everyday during a week and Hephaestion was always daydreaming for the rest of the day.
"How did that happen? How didn't I see the signs?" Alexander wondered, his Phai was in love with Cleitus, how could he win over the Black General? He was no rival at all, but he had to do something about it, HE was in love with Phai, now that his feelings had reached the surface, he didn't want to hide them anymore.
So the young Prince thought of a plan to gain his friend's heart; firstly, he had to see what things Hephaestion was attracted to; secondly, he had to see Cleitus's movements around the brunette, he wanted his Phai to blush at him whenever he looked at him too and thirdly, he had to show he can be anybody's rival; the plan was designed and he was more than ready to act.
He went back to the training grounds and saw Hephaestion in his usual position, watching at him again and when Cleitus approached, Hephaestion asked him directly if he could help him to improve his riding whenever the General had time. Cleitus moved his eyebrows up and down and caressed Hephaestion's cheek, he leaned over and whispered something into his ear and the brunette got deep red. Cleitus looked at him and laughed loudly, Alexander thought that that had been a really huge mistake because his Phai didn't like being laughed at, but to his astonishment, Hephaestion started to laugh too. Alexander couldn't resist and got near and putting a smile on his face, he asked:
"What are you laughing at?"
"Something between beauty boy and me" answered Cleitus and went away.
Alexander turned to Hephaestion but he just blushed and shrugged his shoulders and started walking towards the palace.
"We could go swimming in the afternoon" said Alexander who didn't want his friend to go.
"I've already made plans" said Hephaestion.
"Who with?"
"You are very curious today, Alexander."
"I just worry about you" he explained.
"No need at all, see you"
"Where are you going now?" he asked again
"To the bath, I am feeling a bit … hot" the brunette explained with a smirk in his lips.
"Hot? But it is just warm …" he said a bit puzzled.
"Oh Alex, Alex" he said while giggling and walking away, leaving a young Prince more intrigued by the youth's answer. Minutes later, he understood what his friend meant and blushed deeply.
Later that afternoon, Alexander went back to their room and saw Hephaestion who was looking at his chitons with a worried expression on his face.
"What's the problem?" the prince asked
"I … I am choosing a chiton to wear this evening" he said,
"So you are meeting someone special" Alexander stated.
"Yes" said Hephaestion while he continued looking inside his wooden chest.
"And do you like this person?"
"Yes, quite a lot." Hephaestion didn't see the pain in his friend's eyes.
"And the person's name is ….." asked Alexander as Hephaestion set a midnight blue chiton on his bed.
" …. a secret. Don't you have someone special?"
"In fact, I do" said Alexander, nearly whispering.
"Oh, yes? You never told me" said Hephaestion, clearly astonished.
"Neither did you" said Alexander between his teeth.
"My feelings are still new and I feel a bit insecure."
"Does this person return your feelings?" asked Alexander, thinking that he wouldn't have any doubt with his feelings about the brunette.
"I don't know, maybe I find out today."
"So soon?" the prince asked quite anxiously.
"I hope so, I really can't wait anymore, and my body craves for something more …."
"Oh! Will you go all the way?"
"Yes, I will, I don't want to be a virgin any longer, I am 16, Alexander, I am ready to have an erastes"
"Oh, you mean that kind of relationship …" said the prince.
"Yes, of course, you know I am not quite attracted to girls" explained the brunette.
"So, what are your preferences?" asked Alexander thinking he was about to achieve the first step of his plan.
"Well, you know that they must be older than us but not quite old, I'd like a strong body and a nice face to look at, but not girly; a strong personality, skilled in battle and weapons as well as an open mind to be able to talk about science, politics and things like that" explained Hephaestion.
"Do you seek love with this partner?"
"You know as well as I do, that this kind of relationship die naturally when the contract is finished so I think it is not my first aim but I am not against it, if it happens"
"So you are looking for a physical release?"
"We can say that I am."
"But wouldn't you like to do this with someone you already love?" asked the prince who wanted to plant a seed of uncertainty in his friend's mind.
"Well, I don't love him but I like him very much, that can count by now. Alexander, why are you so curious?"
"May be because you have never been interested in these matters before"
"Yes, that's true but well, time has come …" and saying that he stripped off his dirty chiton and wearing only his loincloth, he approached the bowl with water and proceeded to wash his face and arms and Alexander couldn't stop watching how tiny drops of the clear liquid ran along the golden tanned muscled chest. Hephaestion put his clean chiton on and combed his hair, braiding it and tying it with a leather cord.
"See you at dinner, Alexander, wish me luck" said Hephaestion, smiling at his friend.
"See you" said Alexander with deep pain reflected in his eyes.
Alexander didn't leave his room that night, he didn't go to the dinning room later … neither did Hephaestion.
Morning came and Alexander went out to have his morning bath in the lake, near the palace, with his heart as heavy as the evening before, because when he woke up this morning, the bed besides his was still empty.
When he reached the dinning room to have his morning meal, rumours were flying around the place like fire arrows, his companions were gossiping about a certain brunette who had been seen entering Cleitus's room last evening and none of them had been seen till that moment.
"I am not rival at all, especially after last night" thought Alexander with his heart once again broken into a thousands pieces and realizing that his plan was doomed.
Some minutes later, everybody saw Hephaestion entering the room and more than one of the presents gapped, Hephaestion was glowing and he even looked more handsome, if that were possible, his skin was glossy, his eyes were brighter and bluer and a halo of blossom enveloped him.
"Joy to you, my friends" he said and even though this was his usual greeting every morning, today his voice sounded more secure. He sat next to Alexander, as usual, and gifted him with a broad smile, but his friend smiled back a tiny one, so tiny that it didn't reach his eyes.
"Are you feeling good, Alexander?" asked Hephaestion showing concern.
"Yes"
"Someone woke up grumpy this morning" joked Hephaestion.
"Not more than usual; if you excuse me …" said Alexander while standing up and walking out of the room. On reaching the door, he bumped into Cleitus who was entering the room with a satisfied smile in his dark eyes.
"Where are you going boy in such a hurry?" asked the elder man.
"I am not a boy, I am the Crown Prince" he said between gritted teeth.
"Oh, I am sorry, your majesty, will you have me flogged due to my lack of respect" he asked giggling while bowing.
"Get out of my way, Cleitus, and leave me alone!" he said shouting and sprinting out of the room.
Everybody looked at both of them and an uncomfortable silence invaded the dining room.
"Looks like someone lost his favourite toy overnight" said Cleitus trying to cheer them up. The rest of the companions laughed and conversations began again. Cleitus sat next to Hephaestion, where Alexander had been moments before, and caressing his cheek asked him if he was fine. Hephaestion nodded and blushed, recalling how the night before had been.
The night before …..
Hephaestion knocked at Cleitus's chamber and Black Cleitus opened the door with a big smile on his lips, while Hephaestion was quite nervous. He entered the room and looked all around the place; the chamber was nearly stripped off furniture or luxuries, just a wine cabinet, two wooden big chests, two chairs but what drew Hephaestion's attention was the impressive huge bed that dominated the full space.
Cleitus led him to one of the chairs and asked him to sit while he poured some unwatered wine into two goblets. He offered one of them to the brunette and sat on the chair opposite him. Hephaestion was really nervous but excited and willing at the same time.
Cleitus was happy but he was puzzled too, he had known the boy for the last eight years and he had never realized about the boy's sexual leaning, that's why he wanted to set some limits before they got started. The real thing was that he felt flattered when king Philip told him that Hephaestion had requested him to be his erastes; he would enjoy teaching the pretty boy the art of war and love but he was also sure that he didn't want to get too attached to anybody, he liked his life as it had been up to that moment, getting laid whenever he wanted and sharing his bed with whoever he liked.
He saw, from the corner of his eye, how the youth took small sips of his wine as if he didn't want to get drunk and lose his will. Cleitus also realized that the brunette was in deep thoughts, maybe he was regretting his decision and he didn't know how to react, so Cleitus decided that he would go slowly and let Hephaestion make the first move.
Cleitus was right, Hephaestion was thinking about something Alexander had told him in the early afternoon, when they were together in their room: "wouldn't you like to do this with someone you already love?". He thought that first times were always important and he was about to give a very big step, so he reached to a new decision, he would go as further as possible but he would stop before the real intercourse. Hephaestion moved in his chair and Cleitus saw that as the sign to start speaking again, the silence and wait was really killing him.
He chuckled and Hephaestion raised again his cerulean eyes, which were a bit darker than usual, and blushed.
"So Hephaestion, I am really flattered you chose me to initiate you but I don't want you following me as a stray puppy. Apart from that, I wasn't born to be faithful so I don't need or want anybody reproaching or whining at me."
Hephaestion looked at him and nodded. After some minutes, he added:
"I have been thinking and I am not so sure I want to have sex already but may be you can show me how to pleasure you or myself, to get a kind of release" he explained blushing so much that his face had a dark hue of red all over it.
"That's different and a bit more difficult but we can give it a try" said Cleitus and saying that he took the goblet from Hephaestion's hand and set it on the cabinet.
The black General made the young man stand, bringing his body near his and circled the narrow waist with his muscled arms, finally he asked Hephaestion to close his eyes. Nobody could have imagined that this so manly Cleitus could be such a gentle and careful lover. Cleitus left his lips brush along Hephaestion's face, placing here and there tiny butterfly kisses while his hands caressed softly the back of his eromenos, going up and down along his spine.
When he finally reached the youth's lips, Hephaestion released a sigh he didn't know he was holding, Cleitus pecked them and after that his tongue darted out and followed the outline and pushed slightly in their corner asking for entrance and Hephaestion let him enter. The elder man's tongue travelled all around the youngest man's hot cavern, tasting the remaining wine and a unique flavour that was Hephaestion's. The kiss was slow and tender and it finished when the need of oxygen was really necessary. Hephaestion hid his face between Cleitus's neck and shoulder and took deep breaths to calm his heart. Cleitus kissed the crown of the brunette's head and moved his hands upwards; he removed the brooch that was holding his one-shoulder chiton and let the upper part of it fall up to the waist where the leather belt was. He let his hands travel along the arms and when reaching the chest, he followed the well built muscles, which were quite defined even though they weren't bulky. His caresses made Hephaestion shiver with excitement and he looked into the dark eyes as if asking for permission to requite the caresses, Cleitus took his hands and set them on his own chest, encouraging the youth to feel him. Hephaestion was marveled at the strong frame and he dared to touch and pull the chiton off his erastes's body; Cleitus smiled and undid the belt so both of them were on their loincloths.
Cleitus began kissing Hephaestion's chest, nipping the brownish nipples and then lapping against them to soothe the pain; Hephaestion threw his head backwards as excitement hit his body and especially his nether regions. Cleitus smiled against the flushed skin and continued his trail of kisses along the youth's stomach, being the underwear on its way, he took it out and contemplated the vision in front of him: milky thighs and a very aroused member were there for him to take them but he knew that if he touched the boy in the way he wanted, he wouldn't be able to stop. The man decided to caress the rounded cheeks and thighs upwards while a confused Hephaestion looked at him with blurred eyes, which now were violet-blue. Taking off the remaining garment, Cleitus brought their bodies together and began brushing his rough skin against the silky one of his eromenos's; their arousals were at full length and they rubbed against each other, looking for the more than needed friction; hands travelled along both bodies, cooperating in this rubbing game until the young man arched his body backwards and released his cum all over them, the elder man followed him some thrusts after.
Hephaestion's knees went weak but Cleitus was ready to catch him between his strong arms and, taking him bridal style, set him on his bed, while Hephaestion continued panting, his skin completely flushed and with a dizzy feeling invading his body.
Cleitus went towards the back of the chamber where the bathtub was and picked up a bowl with water and a cloth; he went back with Hephaestion and sitting on the bed, started to clean his body, then he did the same with his own body and took the bowl back to the place.
When the General was again at the bed, he smiled at the sleeping youth, who was curled onto his right side, breathing completely relaxed and with a satisfied expression in his face. Cleitus lay spooning him with his left arm around the youth's waist and his face hidden in the auburn tresses.