Title: "After Ecbatana"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 14, "Finding Hephaestion"

A/N: Wow, if you are panicking about anything, don't worry. I love Hephaestion. He will end up fine!

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Alexander took the directions that Olympias had given him. He left the palace, hidden beneath a great deal of robes. He wanted to make sure that no one would follow him or recognize him. He wanted nothing coming between him and Hephaestion, especially now.

It did not take him long to reach the inn. He was easy to see that Hephaestion had gone where no one would recognize him. The area was not poor, he supposed, but it was clearly not the lap of luxury. It was in an area where it seemed only Persians came. Maybe Hephaestion had picked this inn for that very reason, for Alexander knew that not far away there was a better inn, one which catered to men of the western world.

Nonetheless, Alexander entered the inn. He was not recognized by anyone, or if he was, they said nothing of it. Instead, he was aloud to approach the man sitting at a table counting rubles without any trouble. He waited for the man to look up, and when the man saw his eyes, Alexander had been recognized. Both men knew this. Yet the man with the rubles did not draw attention to Alexander. He knew that the king came on private matters, matters which he wanted no other to be concerned with.

"I am looking for Hephaestion Amyntor," Alexander said. The man looked at him and shook his head. Alexander figured that he did not speak his language, and that he was not familiar with the name. Alexander decided to improvise. He touched his cheek, to identify his lighter coloring, and then motioned with his hand to about the height of Hephaestion. He then took his own hair, showed the man with his hands that Hephaestion's was longer, and then pointed to the brown of his robe. Still the man appeared to be confused. Alexander then pointed out the door, at the sky, and then pointed to his eye.

The man smiled then. He nodded enthusiastically. He now knew which man Alexander was asking for. The Macedonian had come in yesterday, with a woman, and had asked for a room. He paid well, in golden coins, and the woman told him that they wanted privacy. The woman was paler than the man was, but she had spoken perfect Arabic. It was odd, the man found few white people that spoke his language at all, let alone fluently.

"Back room," the man said, pointing Alexander in the direction. But before Alexander was out of sight, moving even, the man put up a hand. He then put a finger to his lips. "Ask to be alone."

"I am a friend," Alexander assured the man. He gave him an honest smile, and the man nodded. He then put his hand down. Alexander took that as a good sign. He then walked away, into the back room. Many of the rooms only had beads covering the door, but the one in the back was a wooden door.

As he reached the door he forgot everything that he had planned to say. Instead he knocked, and waited. There was no response at first. Yet he then heard Hephaestion rise, from bed he thought, and heard him come to the door. Hephaestion opened it, and before Alexander could say a word, Hephaestion had shut the door. Alexander knocked again. Hephaestion opened the door, shook his head, and then shut the door again.

Alexander opened the door this time, and shoved Hephaestion back. He then shut the door behind him. This was not how he had planned for things to go. He thought the words would have come to him, and that Hephaestion would have listened, but it had come to this. He was forcing his way back into Hephaestion's life.

"Just listen," Alexander said. He moved the only chair in the room against the door. He jammed it so that no other would be able to enter. Alexander then pulled the robe and hood away from him and tossed it onto the chair. How Hephaestion had known it was he, he did not know. It must have been the same way that he could listen to the rustling of fabric and know from behind a door that it was Hephaestion moving.

"I am tired of listening," Hephaestion said. He tried to go for the door. Alexander grabbed both of his forearms though and shoved him back. It was a bad idea to try and force Hephaestion to do something. But the man had the patience of a saint and did not immediately hit Alexander.

"Don't say that," Alexander said.

"Why," he shot back. "Have you stopped hating me already? Are you here to take me back? Too bad Alexander, I'm not coming back. I'm not your slave."

"I don't want you to be," Alexander said, and noted that Aryse was not here. He could not imagine where she was. But he knew that he had to do something to get Hephaestion to listen to his explanation. "I love you Hephaestion, only you. I always have and I will never stop loving you. You have to understand why I was so angry when you told me about Aryse."

"No, I don't have to listen to any of your explanations. I don't care anymore Alexander. Do what you want with your life. I won't be in the way anymore."

"Phae," Alexander began, but was quickly cut off.

"Don't call me that. I hate that name. You've always called me it, but I hate it. I don't want to be Phae. My name is Hephaestion."

"Hephaestion," Alexander whispered, crushed.

"Get out Alexander, find your happiness elsewhere. It should be easy for you. You have plenty of minions to fill your bed," Hephaestion said as he tried to push past him. His words cut, as they were meant to. It was as if he had Olympias coaching him from the other side of the small, cramped room. As he tried to push past him Alexander grabbed him and tried to push him back.

This time Hephaestion fought back. As Alexander pushed against him, Hephaestion grabbed him, and shoved him back. Hephaestion was strong, but Alexander was fighting for something, and it gave him more strength. It was not enough though. Hephaestion easily flung him into the door as if it were nothing. Alexander fell to the ground, and as much as it hurt Hephaestion, he did not help him up. Instead he just stood there.

Alexander got up, in a furry, and quickly rammed Hephaestion in the gut. As he did Hephaestion, caught off guard, fell back into the edge of the bed. It caused Hephaestion to fall back. Alexander continued to try to hold him down as Hephaestion maneuvered, trying to throw Alexander off him. Even as he kicked Alexander in the chest, and Alexander fell back, the king got back up. He rammed Hephaestion again, this time drawing a groan from him.

"I was jealous," Alexander said as he fought with Hephaestion.

Hephaestion grabbed him by both forearms and pushed Alexander off of him. Alexander was pushed to the side. Hephaestion then straddled him. He wanted Alexander to leave. Fighting him was tearing him apart. He loved Alexander, but he needed him gone. He needed him out of here, now, before he broke down and cried.

"I don't care," Hephaestion said. Suddenly Alexander swung an arm, hitting Hephaestion with a fist square in the jaw. He shoved Hephaestion off of him. He then crawled back on top of Hephaestion. Hephaestion continued to wriggle beneath him and Alexander put his forearm over his throat. The other arm he put over Hephaestion's right arm, and held him down the best he could.

"I hate you," Hephaestion said as he continued to flail wildly. He managed to throw Alexander off of him again. This time Alexander fell off of the bed and onto the floor. The persistent king got off of the ground though. Hephaestion grabbed him and pushed him into the wall. Dust and chips of dirt fell off of the wall, and Alexander screamed in pain. Nothing was broken, but a large bruise would appear on his back by tomorrow.

"I hate you too," Alexander assured him as he pushed him back. He used all of his strength to turn to the left. He then tossed Hephaestion into a wall. Hephaestion was far less pained by this and moved before Alexander could reach him again. Alexander was quick though, and he leapt at Hephaestion, wrapping his legs around Hephaestion's as he pushed him onto the bed.

Hephaestion tried to fight beneath him but Alexander was doing a wonderful job holding him down. He grabbed a fist full of Hephaestion's hair and then pressed his lips against Hephaestion's. When their lips parted Hephaestion tried to hit him. He punched Alexander hard on the side, his ribs, and Alexander returned the gesture by kneeing Hephaestion in the gut.

"I was jealous," Alexander stated as Hephaestion rolled on top of him. He punched Alexander in the jaw. Alexander fought back though. Alexander reached up and grabbed a long lock of Hephaestion's hair. He tried to pull it, but Hephaestion hit him again, this time on the chest. He then pressed his lips against Alexander's.

"I don't care," Hephaestion replied, as Alexander bit his lower lip. This caused Hephaestion to kiss him again. Alexander wrapped an arm around Hephaestion's neck and pulled him down on top of him. Hephaestion tried to pull away, but Alexander wrapped a leg over Hephaestion's back, and pulled his hips back down. Hephaestion broke the kiss, and Alexander tried to kiss him again, but Hephaestion bit his lower lip hard. Alexander could taste blood in his mouth. It did not matter though, he pulled Hephaestion's face back to his, and pressed his lips hard against Hephaestion's.

Alexander grabbed the cloth of Hephaestion's shirt and pulled it hard, tearing it down the center, and pulled it away from Hephaestion. Hephaestion still fought him though. He grabbed Alexander's hand and pushed it away, hardly pushing it against the bed. But it took both hands to try to keep Alexander away from his pants. Yet before he could stop, he had pulled Alexander's garments away from his. The clothes on both of their parts were torn and would not be sewn back together though. It did not matter though for their rage had become their passion.

Alexander still held Hephaestion hard against him. As Hephaestion tried to free himself from his grasp, which should have been easy because he was on the top, he felt Hephaestion's erection grind against his own. Somehow Hephaestion was able to pull away from Alexander, but Alexander would not let him go. Instead, as Hephaestion tried to stand, Alexander pushed Hephaestion's back against the bed. He then was on top of him, and held him down.

Alexander brought their lips together. As he did Hephaestion still struggled. Yet his protests were becoming less and less. Now all he could do was wrap a leg around Alexander's. He tried to kick him, just once, but then found himself kissing Alexander back. He put his free hand on Alexander's arm, and pulled him closer, wanting to take all of his mouth with his.

Just as violently as everything leading to this had been Alexander grabbed Hephaestion and pulled him to him. Hephaestion bit Alexander hard on the neck as he forced himself inside of him. Alexander seemed to growl as he forced himself even deeper into Hephaestion. Meanwhile, Hephaestion clawed at his back.

Alexander put a hand on the small of Hephaestion's back. He pulled Hephaestion closer to him, causing the both of them to cry out. Hephaestion bit at his neck, his breathing very uneven, and each gasp he took he winced. As Alexander forcefully thrust his hips against Hephaestion he leaned down and kissed his chest. He kissed all of him, and with his other hand he took the back of Hephaestion's head, and pressed his lips against Hephaestion's. He kissed him wildly, not wanting this to stop.

Hephaestion's needs were tending to. Alexander's hips ground against his own erection until he came. Alexander continued to kiss wildly at him until he too came. As he did he cried out Hephaestion's name. He then put his forehead to Hephaestion's, and used one hand to hold himself up, and the other he wrapped in Hephaestion's dampened hair. He breathed heavily upon Hephaestion, and Hephaestion breathed just the same.

"Alexander," Hephaestion said between gasps, "I was lying…when I said…I wouldn't…and that I…I love the name Phae."

Alexander knew what it all meant. Hephaestion would come back with him. He would bring Aryse with him, and she would give him a child, but it did not matter. Hephaestion loved only Alexander. Alexander breathed heavily and he brought his lips back to Hephaestion's, kissing him softly.

"I'm sorry," Alexander whispered.

"Alexander," Hephaestion laughed, still gasping, "get off of me before you fall off."