Thank You For Your Lovely Reviews.
Mara: Oh don't fret Mara, everything will turn out ok. It's all a big misunderstanding you'll see…. Here's the chapter I spoke of weeks ago ;) Thank you for reviewing.
Queendel: He might have right to be angry and then again not. You, like Hephaistion, don't know all the details yet ;) He soon will though… Thanks For Your Review.
lvingphai: I think you're in for another shock in this chapter. Nothing is really what it appears to be. Thank You For Reviewing.
Shioban: I know, totally not the Hephaistion we know. But wine and jealousy can make the most composed person do something rash. But as you know, he does regret it ;) Thanks For Your Review.
It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It's so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone.
- Easier To Run by Linkin Park -
Chapter 18: The Fight!
Hephaistion's bedroom was dead quiet, you could hear a pin drop, as the three young men looked at each other in shock. Hephaistion quickly grabbed a sheet and covered himself while the other man just looked between Alexander and Hephaistion. Alexander turned more angry with every passing second of silence. His hands balled into a fist, trembling in rage.
"What is going on here?" Alexander yelled this time looking between Hephaistion and the other man, the other man stepped forwards towards Alexander,
"Well I…" he started but was quickly stopped as Alexander hit him in the face making his stumble for a moment because of the force behind it. Hephaistion flinched like he himself was hit and bit his bottom lip as he saw Alexander's rage.
"Hold your tongue in the presents of your Prince…" threatened Alexander while the man bowed slightly, "… you are lucky I don't have you executed…" Hephaistion's head snapped back up at those words he began turning angry remembering what led to all of this.
"Leave!" ordered Alexander pointing to the door, the man protested pointing to his chiton on the floor,
"But I…"
"I said leave…" Alexander used such a vicious tone, the man turned pale and simply ran out of the door not caring if he was naked or not. The door slammed shut and the two remaining looked at each other, now knowing what to say. Hephaistion kept on seeing Alexander with that girl and felt his quilt lessening slightly. He turned around and began searching for his chiton.
He heard Alexander sigh and mutter "Why?" Hephaistion found his chiton and pulled it over his head while casually asking,
"Why what?" Alexander couldn't believe his ears, but the look of shock was quickly replaced with anger, a feeling he was more familiar with,
"What? What? What?.."yelled Alexander while Hephaistion threw his sheetback on his bed, "… I just walked in here and found you naked in bed with someone else…"
"We were not in bed Alexander…" stated Hephaistion calmly while he searched for a bag of some kind, Alexander balled his fist not understanding Hephaistion's behaviour. Little did he know Hephaistion's heart was beating erratically out for fear of losing him.
"What does it matter if you were in bed or not, you were both naked and it's clear what you have been doing…." Yelled Alexander waving his hands to the rumpled bed, Hephaistion simply nodded his head saying,
" Uhu.." Alexander did a double take at Hephaistion's reaction and shook his head and watched as Hephaistion found what he was looking for and placed it on the bed, not giving him a glance of any kind.
"Hephaistion…." Yelled Alexander before turning sad and saying "Why?" Hephaistion looked up in Alexander's eyes at the change of tone, "…Why?" asked Alexander again stepping closer still not understanding why Hephaistion would betray him like this. He touched Hephaistion on the arm "Why Hephaistion?"
Hephaistion sighed deeply, closing his eyes, guilt settling firmly in his gut, then the memory of Alexander laughing and leaving with that girl flashed before his eyes and he turned angry pulling his arm from Alexander's hold. And snapped bitterly,
"You know why…" Alexander looked shocked at the change in Hephaistion's demeanour until Hephaistion's last comment sank in,
"What do you mean?" asked Alexander confused,
"You know perfectly well what I mean, Alexander." Spat Hephaistion going to his closet and pulling out several clean chiton's.
"No, I don't know what you mean!" yelled Alexander, irritated at Hephaistion's strange behaviour.
"Don't play innocent with me Alexander, I saw you last night." Replied Hephaistion loudly, putting his chiton's in his bag along with some other items,
"Saw me where? You are not making sense…" yelled Alexander losing his temper again, watching Hephaistion pack with a frown,
"At the party Alexander…" yelled Hephaistion getting in Alexander's face, "… I saw you…" Alexander frowned again, taking a step back, shaking his head in confusion,
"You saw me, so what?"
"Urg…" groaned Hephaistion, having had enough of the innocent routine,
"You are not making any sense today…" yelled Alexander frustrated stomping with his foot, "… explain yourself to me or…"
"Or what…" yelled Hephaistion angrily, "… you'll have me whipped?" laughed Hephaistion mockingly, walking passed Alexander, bumping into his shoulder. Alexander wiped around in anger screaming,
"I can! My father is…"
"King…" mocked Hephaistion bowing down, "… while I'm the son of mere General, right?"
"That's not what I meant…" stuttered Alexander, feeling ashamed of what he was about to say, he never though of Hephaistion that way. They were just them: Alexander and Hephaistion, no titles, no nothing, just them.
"I know what you meant…" spat Hephaistion, picking up his bag and turning around, "… I will not continue to disgrace you further with my presence." Bowed, and then walked to the door. Alexander's anger left him and he panicked,
"Where are you going?"
"Away…" muttered Hephaistion, starting to lose his resolve in the prospect of leaving Alexander,
"Where…" whispered Alexander,
"Just…" Hephaistion sighed, "…away." Hephaistion didn't want to leave but thought it was for the best especially after the latest course of events. They both needed time. If the gods wanted them to be together, then would see each other again.
"Stay.." pleaded Alexander and Hephaistion almost stopped, he knew if he turned around now, he would be lost in Alexander's eyes. It was for the best and he reached for the door.
"Hephaistion?..." Hephaistion opened the door starting down the hall when he heard, "I order you to stay…" Hephaistion squared his shoulders an stood still for a moment while Alexander continued, "If you leave, don't bother coming back!" Hephaistion looked slightly over his shoulder seeing Alexander standing there arms crossed and he took a deep breath and simply continued walking. As he walked down the corridor he could hear Alexander screaming his name, breaking his heart in the process. He had to bite his lip to stop from crying but a few tears escaped his eyelids none the less. Mounting his horse he thought they were over. It was done.
"Hephaistion?" whispered Alexander shocked as Hephaistion actually kept walking until he disappeared from view, "Hephaistion!" the whole horrible truth came crashing down as Alexander realised what just happened and Hephaistion leaving him.
"Hephaistioooooon!" Alexander's knees buckled and fell to the floor, shaking like a leave, muttering Hephaistion's name over and over again. He started hyperventilating as he realized his only link to keep him sane just walked out of the door.
Alexander felt hands lift him, sitting him up and putting his own hands over his mouth until his breathing started to return to normal. He looked up coming into contact with Ptolemy's worried hazelnut coloured eyes.
"Oh Ptolemy…" moaned Alexander in pain. Ptolemy simply held him as Alexander rambled about what happened. After he finished his tale he looked at Ptolemy in wonder,
"Why aren't you more surprised? Do you know something I don't?" Ptolemy sighed before standing up and walking up and down in front of Alexander who stood up as well,
"I feared this might happen…" stated Ptolemy, seeing the look of confusion on Alexander face he added, "Hephaistion got very drunk last night.."
"Hephaistion drunk? But he barely touches wine and even when he does, he merely sips it…" said Alexander confused, "…It doesn't make any sense!"
"I think he jumped to the wrong conclusions when he saw you last night…"
"Last night? He mentioned something about that as well, what happened? I…" muttered Alexander before realizing what happened, "… But she's my…"
"I know that but Hephaistion does not. When he saw you leave together he jumped to the wrong conclusions and drank too much wine. I tried to stop him from leaving with that man but he would have none of it and babbled about how you hurt him…" seeing Alexander look of pain he added, "…I'm sorry Alexander."
Alexander paced up and down the room, rubbing his face and combing his finger through his hair in frustration.
"I have to get him back Ptolemy, I must…" stated Alexander seriously,
"I know and I will help you." Nodded Ptolemy and Alexander smiled feeling relieved,
"Where could he have gone…" pondered Alexander as he sat down at Hephaistion's desk, staring at the surface, which was scattered with letters. His eyes fell on an open letter and read it, realization filling his eyes.