AN: Wrote this story forever ago. A friend from high school suggested I post it here. Enjoy!
AN: "Husband" is only a term of endearment in this story.
It had been three-nearly four- hot months as the army and I traveled to Delfoí to visit Apollo's Oracle. The oracle there was said to be the most truthful in Greece. Finally, we neared the sacred city, and I was anxious to know what I would find in Persia.
"Think of it, Hephaestion!" I was dreaming, as was usual, "Persia! We shall all be kings by the time we return home!"
"Xander, Bucephalus!" Hephaestion reached over to me to reach for my ride's reins as he bent his head, panting and eying the healthy grass on either side of the dirt road we were traveling, the recent days in the desert taking their toll on my brave steed. As a consequence, I was nearly thrown from his strong back.
"Let's rest," Hephaestion suggested after the shock had faded somewhat.
"Yes, let's," I swung from my steed's back, allowing him to graze by me as I petted and praised him.
Hephaestion swung down from his own steed, only to find unsure footing and tumble into me so that we soon found ourselves in the sweet grass.
Winded and caught underneath him, I grumbled, "You did that on purpose…"
He laughed, "Never Love," before kissing me.
"You think you can just ki—oh, dearest…" as Hephaestion kissed me deeply.
"I know I can, darling," he smirked, his smile reaching his eyes, making them glisten with a mischief I had not seen since our childhood, "Oof!" he gasped, his expression turning to one of shock. We both strained to see what had caused this quick change without leaving each other's playful embrace, and saw Bucephalus nudging Hephaestion's rump curiously with his nose. We both laughed aloud for quite a while, and Bucephalus whinnied in happiness, and then Hephaestion's war-mare, Aella, ran to be near him, whinnying along wth him.
Hephaestion's sixteen-year-old Arabic servant boy he had saved from me in Tyre neared our resting place as the army neared us as well. As Hephaestion turned to greet his boy, I snarled at him.
"Fattah, my boy, what are you looking for?" Hephaestion smiled at him.
Fattah came up behind him and draped his arms around his neck, all while catching my eye and smirking at me. I turned away quickly.
"I was just thinking of you, Master, and came to see how you fared. Do you wish for anything? Food perhaps? Or drink?"
"Only you, my dear boy, would be concerned for my wellbeing when your own is lacking. How sweet," as the boy sat on his heels in our company, Hephaestion wrapped an arm around his slender waist to pull him closer, kissing his cheek, "Would you like some wine? Bread?" unable to say no, the boy took the offering with a small smile and had his fill.
While he drank, Hephaestion kissed his neck just below his ear. He drew away from the wine, smiling as he came to know Hephaestion's intentions. They soon found high grasses and other brush to hide behind while they indulged in each other. I watched the spot where they had disappeared only briefly before getting up and going to Bucephalus, only to hide my face in his dark coat and weep, not from grief so much as jealousy. I looked toward their secret spot and called on Zeus to send lightening bolts upon them both. Just then, it began to pour rain, as well as thunder. The army all climbed into their litters, and I counted heads. I soon found Hephaestion to be missing. Of course, I knew where he was, but the rain was blindingly thick, and I worried for him. Soon, however, he was beside me once more, face flushed with happiness even in the rain. He took to his litter with Fattah, and I took to mine, alone.
When the rain had cleared, Hephaestion came to see me in my litter, as it was still wet and the road was now drenched in mud. He brought Fattah with him. The boy sat in Hephaestion's lap as the latter smiled, caressing his arms, back, and dark hair. I turned away and stared beyond the closed curtains where weak light filtered in.
"Fattah, fetch me bread to break my fast," Fattah looked between Hephaestion and I and knew he wasn't wanted. Climbing down from the litter, he left us alone, "Xander—" Hephaestion edged closer to me.
"Do not call me that. Don't touch me!" I batted his hand away.
"What have I done?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that you spurned my love for another's. I would have given you anything when we wrestled yesterday. Or maybe it was the way you were glowing like Apollo's sun after your time with him yesterday in the rain."
"What we have is new. You will do the same in Persia."
"No, I will not. You are my soul, Hephaestion. I will not be unfaithful to what keeps breath in my body. Am I tiring you, Hephaestion? I want the truth."
"Alexander, you know that is not true."
"Do I?" I asked with a cock of my head in anger.
"You know as well as I do that if I had not saved him in Tyre, you would have killed him. He is repaying me for the gesture."
"With his body?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust, looking at him.
"It may be the only way he knows how. We do not know how he lived before now. He may have been a servant of a king."
I gave him a look, looking up and down his body, "Well, if that is the case, his expectations have fallen a great deal."
Exasperated, he yelled, "You are impossible Alexander!" and, climbing from the litter, left me to wallow in my thoughts.
We suddenly stopped sometime after midday.
"What is it?" still irritable, I responded immediately to this unplanned stop. Without waiting for an answer, I caught sight of the tall trees in front of us, "That's not right," I ducked behind the curtains to search for my maps. As I suspected, the forest in front of us was uncharted.
"Hephaestion!" I called for him.
He came to me with Fattah by his side.
"We need a way around this," I ordered, "Find it."
"Ah," Fattah cautiously opened his mouth to share his thoughts.
"You were not asked to speak," I eyed him.
"Alexander, every man in this army has the right of an opinion. He is with me; therefore he has the same right. Go on, Erastís," I bristled, unable to believe that Hephaestion had just called this boy "Lover" in my presence.
"We cannot go around. There is simply no way to do it. I know forests. I could guide the army through. Sýzygos, Husband, I will need to borrow Aella…" He leaned his body into Hephaestion and looked up into his face as I sat dumbstruck by his name for my lover and childhood friend.
"Always. She is ready for you."
Fattah looked beyond the curtains as he crouched before the slit to exit. He paused and then looked up at Hephaestion once more with large, dark eyes.
"I only know how to ride nude."
I wanted to straggle him, but with much difficulty restrained myself.
"That's fine. Remove anything you see fit," I was aghast, staring at Hephaestion, but he did not look my way, "I will have to ride with you," I turned away from them, seething.
When I turned back, they were both gone. To see if they did as they threatened, I ripped the curtains open, only to see Aella without her seat or harness. When Fattah saw me looking, he raced to the front of the line, slowing as he neared his destination, Hephaestion clinging to his middle and laughing aloud.
"Go on, Fattah!" I heard Hephaestion encourage, "Let her go!"
Fattah did as he wanted, shouting encouragement to Aella in his own language. Without seat or harness she whinnied, nearly screaming as she began to run with abandon. Bucephalus screamed as well, tearing from the groom's hold to follow her. I made the signal to follow them, and so we did, though too slowly for my liking.