Paybacks and Sweet Revenge

Alexander and Hephaestion stood in the hallway at the palace discussing the supply lists. As they talked, they watched as the army workers repaired a section of the floor not too far from them.

A large crack had appeared in the floor and Alexander was afraid someone would trip and injury themselves. A six-foot section of the floor had been removed and now had been filled. Now all it needed was time to dry. The workers had gone to get something to put around the still drying foundation.

Alexander left to continue to his next meeting leaving Hephaestion still studying the scrolls he held in both hands. Voices were heard coming down the hallway and Hephaestion, upon recognizing their owners, groaned softly.

Cassander and Philotus came around the corner and spied Hephaestion standing alone. Never ones to miss an opportunity to harass their favorite victim, they began to circle him as they began their cruel jabs.

"Alone again I see, Hephaestion." Cassander started.

"You would think he would get the hint that no one around here likes him." Philotus added.

"Aye, but he is more than a little slow, you know," Cassander said pointing to his head.

Hephaestion didn't say a word as his tormentors began to laugh at their own jokes. He started to walk away but was stopped and surrounded by both men.

"Oh, did we hurt your little feelings?"

"He doesn't have any feelings, except between his legs."

"Right, his whore thighs. Even Alexander doesn't what them anymore."

Hephaestion still kept his silence as he advanced forward with the two men in front of him walking backwards to get even closer into his face.

"What's the matter, Hephaestion, cat got your tongue?"

"He just can't think of anything arrogant to say."

Hephaestion kept walking as he finally began to speak. "I would stop of I was you."

This brought a whole new wave of laugher from the two bullies.

"Oh my, I'm scared."

"Me too, I'm shaking in my boots. Someone help us please, Hephaestion is getting angry."

Hephaestion continued walking, Cassander and Philotus continued walking backwards and laughing until they ran out of anything solid to walk upon. Both fell backwards into the once smooth surface of the repaired flooring.

As they came up sputtering and cussing covered in mud and stone, Hephaestion very calmly said, "I told you to stop."

The two men came raging out of the damaged mess ready to charge Hephaestion when they stopped suddenly and halted their forward motion.

"What a mess you two have made, of the floor and to yourselves. I think you had better go and clean yourselves up, don't you?" Alexander said from behind Hephaestion.

Hephaestion turned to look at Alexander and then watched as the two muddy bodies left, mumbling all the way down the hallway.

"I thought you had work to do?"

"I do but I thought of something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"How much did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it, does that happened often?"

"More than I care to admit."

"hum"

"I can handle it, Alexander, you don't need to get involved."

"I saw how you handled it." Alexander said with a smile. "I am putting that maneuver in my war battle plans. I am going to have to try that one with the army sometime."

"It only works when you are dealing with enemies more interested in hurting others than watching out for themselves." Said Hephaestion.

Alexander drew Hephaestion into a side room and put his hands on either side of his face.

"You never were or will ever be my whore, or anyone else's."

"Aye, I know." Said Hephaestion confidently.

The room was empty except for the two of them and they spend the next hour in it. When they left the room, they found the workman finishing up repairing the floor again and surrounding it with barriers.

"I love you for many reason, Hephaestion, one of them is the way you think, I love the way your devious little mind works. You can get the sweetest revenge and dish out paybacks with such class."

Hephaestion laughed softly as they walked. "Thank you, Alexander."

"Just one thing though, please tell me if I have done something to upset you so I can make it up to you before you start your revenge on me. Remember, I have seen how you work and I would rather not be in the receiving end of one of your paybacks."

Hephaestion's laughter filled the hallway as they walked on together, happy in each other's company.