Title: A sad poem drabble: "Packing up the moon"
Author: too_beauty
Pairing: Alexander and Hephaestion.

Disclaimer: I don't know the people involved, no harm intended, everything is product of my imagination.
Feedback: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.

Author's note: the words in capital letters belong to a beautiful poem by W H Auden.

No beta, so all the mistakes are mine, sorry!!

Warning: character's death, really sad and I can't explain why I wrote this.

Alexander and Hephaestion are living now in the 21st century; they are partners as they were in ancient times and they have been reincarnating through centuries, but sadly, this is their last life and they are living it day by day.

They are old and together, but Hephaestion is not doing so well, he is ill and the medications are not working anymore.

He has been feeling really tired so Alexander makes him go to bed, he takes some water and the pills and goes back to their bedroom, which is dimly lit.

Hephaestion is resting, doing some zapping and murmuring against the TV programmes and Alexander knows what the real problem is: Hephaestion has lost mostly his sight but he is still proud to recognize it.

Hephaestion coughs for some minutes, his breathing is uneven but it gets better when Alexander rubs his back with soothing caresses. Hephaestion looks at him and smiles with that tiny smile, the one reserved just for his Alexander.

Alexander takes one of the General's hands in his and starts reading while Hephaestion listens to his calming voice and rests. After some minutes, Alexander looks at Hephaestion and sees what he fears most: bright less eyes and a quiet chest. And he cries for hours and when dawn comes he knows what he has to do, and he does it unwillingly, but he does the same because it was his last wish.

Friends gather in their house and seeing all the people there, Alexander reflects:

STOP ALL THE CLOCKS, CUT OFF THE TELEPHONE,

PREVENT THE DOG FROM BARKING WITH A JUICY BONE,

SILENCE THE PIANOS AND WITH MUFFLED DRUM

BRING OUT THE COFFIN, LET THE MOURNERS COME.

Hephaestion was a well known military man in his last life and many of his fellow officers came to pay his respects to Alexander:

LET AEROPLANES CIRCLE MOANING OVERHEAD

SCRIBBLING ON THE SKY THE MESSAGE HE IS DEAD,

PUT CREPE BOWS ROUND THE WHITE NECKS OF THE PUBLIC DOVES,

LET THE TRAFFIC POLICEMEN WEAR BLACK COTTON GLOVES.

Alexander is asked to say his words, he knows he won't be able to tell them without crying but that doesn't matter anymore, so he says:

HE WAS MY NORTH, MY SOUTH, MY EAST, MY WEST,

MY WORKING WEEK AND MY SUNDAY REST,

MY NOON, MY MIDNIGHT, MY TALK, MY SONG;

I THOUGHT THAT LOVE WOULD LAST FOREVER: I WAS WRONG because I am dying too and I am anymore strong.

" THE STARS ARE NOT WANTED NOW: PUT OUT EVERY ONE;

PACK UP THE MOON AND DISMANTLE THE SUN;

POUR AWAY THE OCEAN AND SWEEP UP THE WOOD,

FOR NOTHING NOW CAN EVER COME TO ANY GOOD."

Alexander thanks everyone,

And when he is left alone,

He only prays to Thanatos

To take him soon home.