He was riding his beloved warhorse through the tall grasses. The wind was whipping around his face and his long dark hair was billowing behind him. The air was fresh and the sky above was full of fluffy white clouds with patches of blue peeking out. The breeze felt warm and…
Through his sleepy muddled brain, his warrior instincts kicked in and Hephaestion, in some part of his mind, came partially awake and aware. Something had awakened his senses and put him on the alert. It was then he remembered through a fuzzy haze where he was and whom he was with.
More asleep than awake, he mulled over his thoughts and started talking to himself.
"If I don't open my eyes he wouldn't know that I am awake. I can't even hear the birds yet. Does this man ever sleep late or even to a decent hour in the morning?"
Hephaestion lay as still as he could trying to look lost in sleep. The feeling of being watched did not wane. Maybe he could risk a quick peek and then he would know for sure. Lying on his stomach with his arms under the pillow his head was lying on, he opened his right eye just a hair.
"Joy to you Love, I knew you were awake. I have been waiting for you to get up so we can talk." Alexander was all smiles and his eyes were twinkling with merriment.
Hephaestion moaned deeply and buried his head in his pillow.
Alexander continued talking as if he didn't hear the moan or see the burying. "I was thinking about we were talking about last night and I have some more thoughts on it."
Hephaestion groaned louder and tried, for the life of him, to recall what their conversation had been about only a couple of hours earlier. As Alexander droned on, Hephaestion raised up on his elbows and looked towards the windows through sleep laden eyes. The night sky greeted him and the stars took turns winking at him.
He turned to look at Alexander again with a confused look on his face.
Holding his hand up in the air between them, he waited till the heavenly silence came and then with a crackly voice said quietly, " Do you know what time it is?"
"Aye," said Alexander, "It's almost daylight."
"Where?" said Hephaestion, "Most certainly not here."
"In a couple of hours it will be." countered Alexander, "Now, where was I…right…as I was saying…"
His words were drowned out by Hephaestions' pillow again.
I'm going to kill him and when I do I will be put to death swiftly and then I can finally get some sleep.
Hephaestion let Alexander babble on for a while longer until he could stand it no longer. He rose back up on his elbows and brought his hand between them again for silence. It took a few seconds for Alexander to notice then hand of silence because he was so engrossed in what he was saying. When he finally did, he stopped talking and grinned at Hephaestion, his face bubbling with happiness.
"How many people would you say live in this palace? asked Hephastion.
"Many hundreds, why do you ask? said Alexander.
"How many do you think are awake in this palace right now do you think Alexander?"
"I don't know, my love, why do you ask?" said Alexander innocently.
Where is my knife? I will do it swiftly and then I can go back to sleep!
"I'm sure there must be someone else up in the palace right now, why don't you go see if they need any kingly advise or help." Hephaestion said as tactfully as he could muster.
"Why would I go anywhere else when I can be with the most beautiful and intelligent person I know? " replied Alexander, his eyes full of love and admiration.
Maybe I will not kill him, I will just cut his tongue out instead.
Undeterred by Hephaestions' interruption, Alexander returned to his speech and Hephaestion just watched him continue. As Alexander talked, his tongue kept gliding out of his mouth and across his lips.
On second thought, I wouldn't cut out his tongue; it has too many other good talents.
About every fifth word Alexander was saying managed to make it's way to Hephaestions' wary sleep deprived mind. He decided to use a different tact.
Raising the silence hand once more, he heard Alexander quit talking immediately.
If I could sleep with my hand in the air all the time, he couldn't talk.
"Alexander," Hephaestion began quietly, "Do you know there are two different types of people in this world? There are people who wake up ready to face the world and all of it's problem and there are people who need a little more time two get started each day. Each has their place in the world as long as each respects the other. Do you know what I'm am trying to say?"
"Most certainly I do and you are absolutely correct." Alexander smiled.
'Now about what I was saying…"
Hephaestion slowly rolled his eyes and sighed. He saw the puppies at the end of the bed look up sleepily at Alexander and get up and circle for a few times. They collapsed back down again facing the other direction and sighed loudly, closing their eyes and falling back to sleep.
My thoughts exactly.
The silence hand rose again.
"Listen, I would love to have this conversation with you in a couple of hours when I can give you my full attention my King. Why don't we just snuggle up together and rest a little longer. I promise to make it worth the wait." added Hephaestion when he saw the disappointed look on Alexander's' face.
With a little coaxing, Hephaestion was able to get Alexander to lay down beside him and spooned up to him with his back to Alexander's' chest. Sighing deeply he let the warmth of his arms and the sound of his breathing lull him to sleep. Just a little more and he would be there.
A painful sigh breathed down his neck and the chest to his back moved deeply. Hephaestion ignored it and drifted off again. Another sigh, this one louder blew the hair around his neck.
Maybe I could just knock him out for a while, I getting a terrible headache.
After the third sigh, Hephaestion turned to face Alexander and rose up on his elbows again.
"Am I keeping you awake, my love?" Alexander said innocently.
No, I always sleep with my eyes open!
Hephaestion gave up all attempts at sleeping and deciding to be awake on his own terms. He pounced on Alexander before he could open his mouth to say anything and proceeded to completely and thoroughly seduce him. He made sure to love every inch of his kingly body. There was no part of Alexander in need of any attention when Hephaestion was finished. Both lay in each other's arms as they fought to regain their breath.
Now that is how to wake someone up.
Hephaestion heard the birds start to chirp and the suns' ray come creeping into the room. He started thinking about the tasks to be done today and organizing his day.
A loud snore came from the other side of the bed and he looked at Alexander with his mouth hanging open.
Hephaestion took the cup of water next to the bed on the side table and poured it on Alexander, sending him flying out of bed sputtering,
"What was that for? Alexander yelled
"Just wanted to see if you were awake yet." laughed Hephaestion.
Take that you morning person.