Title: Olympias' Request

Author: Baliansword

A/N: Thanks again to all of the reviewers. Since encouraged to continue, thought that I would. Keep helping me out! You all rock, and you know who you are!

Olympias sat down on the chair inlayed with gold. Her eyes scanned the room. The men continued to eat and drink, thinking nothing really of her presence anymore. At first they had all looked up, all stared, all wondered. With a glance they had all then turned their heads back to what they had been doing previously.

Hephaestion sat next to Alexander, closer than usual, but no one seemed to notice the affections Alexander was lavishing on his friend. The king would reach out, touched Hephaestion's chin, smiled lovingly. He would then continue to pay attention to others at the table. Not because he wanted, but because it was his place to do so. She could not hear what was going on, but smiled, and Hephaestion turned his head to look at her.

"Do not let her stare at you," Alexander said when he noticed that Hephaestion could not look away. "You are better than she. Never again will you have to look up at her."

Hephaestion turned his attention back to Alexander, "Perhaps. You must not think ill of her though. For she shall always be your mother."

"You defend her too much," Cassander said, overhearing this.

Alexander shot Cassander a gaze. The man sat down without saying another word. It was clear that Alexander did not want earlier affairs to be discussed in front of Hephaestion. Cassander would honor this, not because he felt like sparing Hephaestion from anything, but because other things were being discussed now. He simply moved to speak with Ptolemy.

Hephaestion stared down at his hands for some time. Alexander watched the going ons of the evening for a moment. He then turned his attention back to his lover. He leaned close to him, not really caring if any others saw, and whispered in his ear.

"Would you like to leave?"

Hephaestion did not have to say yes. Everything Alexander needed was in those bright cerulean eyes of his. The king stood and took Hephaestion's arm, helping him up, for he was still weak. He led him back to Hephaestion's chambers, where he knew they would not be bothered. Alexander lay him down in bed, carefully removing the attire he had worn to dinner. Before he could leave Hephaestion reached out and wrapped a hand around his wrist.

"Alexander," he whispered. "Stay with me."

Alexander knew that he would have anyway. He removed most of his clothing, leaving his chest and legs bare, and crawled into the bed. As he lay next to Hephaestion he ran his hand through Hephaestion's dark hair. There was nothing about him he had not come to love. Nothing could ever keep him from loving this man, for he was so much more than a consort, but the other half of his soul as well.

Hephaestion lifted his body, placing his other arm on Alexander's right, and kissed him. Alexander kissed him passionately back, feeling his body tense as Hephaestion's hair lightly touched against his chest. He reached up, putting a hand on Hephaestion's face, and slid his tongue between their lips. Fire was sent through him as Hephaestion's tongue touched his briefly, then retreated into the hollows of his mouth.

"I can't," said Hephaestion as he quickly shifted back onto the bed. Doing this made his eyes well with tears. As Alexander reached over and brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead the tears slowly began to flow.

"Forgive me," he said as Alexander pulled him closer. "I just can't stop thinking about it, about her, and what happened."

Alexander did not know what to say. He held Hephaestion close, trying to find the words, and wiped the tears away from his face. He then planted a light kiss on Hephaestion's forehead. Those beautiful cerulean eyes met his, and even through tears, he looked so beautiful.

"No," Alexander whispered, "you have nothing to apologize for. I understand, and expect nothing of you."

Hephaestion's emotions were mixed. On one hand Alexander's words gave him a slight hope. If he were not angry, and understood, then all would soon be fine. Yet, at the same time, he wondered. Would Alexander rise now and leave, return to dinner, leaving him by himself? It must have shown in his expression, for Alexander kissed him lightly on the forehead and then lowered Hephaestion's head to his chest.

"Rest," Alexander said.

It was so simple a word. To many Hephaestion would not have listened. Although when Alexander whispered this, Hephaestion felt his body relax. His eyes slowly shut. For some time he was somewhere between being awake and in the land of dreams. He could hear Alexander's calm breathing, feel his chest move, but this was all.

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Hephaestion was dreaming now. He moved through a palace that he had never before seen. It seemed as if he were floating on a cloud. There was no one to be seen, nothing to be heard, just he wandered through the hallway. As if being led, he made his way to the king's chamber. Yet how he knew that he stood before the chambers of the king, he did not know. He reached out, pushed the door open, and entered the room.

"Ah," Alexander greeted him. "Hephaestion, come. I have something to show you."

Hephaestion approached Alexander. The king led him to a desk. He then pointed to a small map that lay on the table. Pointing, he began to speak, yet Hephaestion could not hear him. Then, from behind, he heard the door slowly swing open again. In that moment, his body seemed to freeze, though he could not begin to know why.

"My son," a feminine voice said its owner entered.

Olympias entered the room. Alexander smiled as she entered. Hephaestion could not move yet felt that something was horribly wrong. Alexander looked now at him in a different way. He seemed to be angry, he had shifted his position, and was coming closer now to Hephaestion. Meanwhile, Olympias had crossed in front of him.

Everything had been going in some kind of slow motion. Now everything sped back up, too fast, and Hephaestion felt sick. He saw Olympias, saw her growing belly, and swallowed hard. Then before he could think to move, Alexander lunged forward, driving a blade into Hephaestion's throat.

He fell to the ground, gripping at his throat. Alexander looked down at him now, his blond hair framing his face, his eyes hard. Those eyes, the eyes of Olympias, he had seen them before. No, this could not be happening. This was not real. Hephaestion tried to scream but nothing came from his mouth. He was completely defenseless in the world of dreams.

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"No," Hephaestion screamed as he sat up quickly. Sweat covered his body, his hair tousled, and his eyes were wide. Immediately Alexander was up as well, reaching for him, brushing hair out of his face.

"What is it," Alexander asked as he crawled in front of Hephaestion, looking at him intensely. Hephaestion's hands shook and he seemed to still be stuck in his thoughts. Alexander put a hand on Hephaestion's cheek and felt warmth there. At this touch Hephaestion started, and his eyes met with Alexander's, the fear was still there.

"Alexander," he breathed out as he flung his arms around his neck. He clung to him, wishing not to move. Everything that he had just seen he knew could never be. Yet fear had a way of gripping the back of his mind and was now hissing at him, telling him that it could happen, that it might not have been a dream but a premonition.

"What is it," Alexander asked again as he kissed Hephaestion's temple. "Do not fear, I am here now. Please, tell me something Hephaestion, say anything. You scare me with your silence."

"I saw," Hephaestion began but suddenly stopped.

"What," Alexander asked as he rubbed a hand softly up and down Hephaestion's back. "Tell me what you saw so that I may ease your pains."

"I saw her," Hephaestion said quietly. "She haunts me Alexander. I wish that I, that I did not feel so… so unclean. Tell me that you'll never leave me Alexander. Tell me that you still love me, even though I have betrayed you, tell me."

Alexander kissed him lightly on the lips then. One hand remained on Hephaestion's back, the other on his cheek. It need not be said that Alexander had forgiven him, that he still loved him, for the flames were still there. As the kiss ended Alexander began to move back, but Hephaestion wrapped an arm around his back. The other he put in Alexander's golden locks, and softly digging his fingers into his scalp, he pulled him closer once more.

Hephaestion let his hand slide from Alexander's back lower to the back of his thigh. Alexander pushed his knees into the bed and raised himself. He was now a few inches taller than Hephaestion. He leaned his head down, passionately kissing Hephaestion, and pulling him closer. He put both hands on Hephaestion's jawline, one on each side, and held Hephaestion close to him for some time is seemed before he kissed him once more.

A moan escaped Alexander's throat as Hephaestion moved his hands to the king's waist, slowly lowering the thin material that still covered him. Lust flowing through his body, Alexander pushed Hephaestion back so that he lay propped up against the pillows. He then kissed his neck, biting gently where the slope of his neck met his shoulders, and continuing down to his chest.

Hephaestion gasped out as Alexander nudged his hips into his own. Alexander continued to kiss his chest, running his tongue over each tensed muscle. It was as if ice were touching fire. Alexander made his way to Hephaestion's waist before Hephaestion was able to move again. He shifted, moving his legs slightly farther apart, and entwined his legs with Alexander's.

"Alexander," Hephaestion whispered as Alexander slowly ran his fingers over Hephaestion's thigh. His fingers left a trail of burning, of longing, full of lust that needed to be attended to.

Hephaestion gasped again as Alexander took him in his mouth. He wrapped his fingers in Alexander's hair, driving Alexander mad. Alexander seemed to engulf him entirely, and Hephaestion felt the burning intensify, as if he wanted more of Alexander.

Alexander, knowing his lover, could sense this. He grabbed both of Hephaestion's thighs and pulled him back. Hephaestion slid down the bed, his knees now bent, and his body tightly molded against Alexander's. Alexander leaned down, kissing Hephaestion hard against the lips, and slid his hands under his back. He brought him up then, still molded together, and held him close.

With his strength he lifted Hephaestion slightly up. He then lowered him back down against his erection slowly. In doing to he slowly began to enter Hephaestion. Hephaestion drew in a breath as Alexander held him up for a moment, before he then lowered him slowly down, entering him even more. Alexander whispered Hephaestion's name in his ear, then kissed his earlobe.

Alexander began to move himself inside of Hephaestion. As he gasped out at the bliss of this Hephaestion let his hands roam all over him, kissing him here and there, completing him. They were Achilles and Patroclaus then. They were the sun and the stars meeting in the sky. Everything fell in place just now, the world would have to wait, for Alexander would not be taken from this moment if the gods came and tried to pull him away.

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Alexander lay next to Hephaestion, thinking of what he would do to Olympias. He had to do something to avenge his lover. It was not fair that she get her way, that she win this sycological battle. Something needed to be done, and Alexander would do it, despite Hephaestion's pleads against him taking his wrath upon her. No longer did he view her as his mother.