Title: "The First Campaign"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 7, "Uncovering"

A/N: Thanks again for the support from everyone. It is completely wonderful to know that there are readers out there. If you have a chance, please review. By the way, Queen, I promise the Hephaestion torture will stop after this chapter. I know, it's hard for even me to handle, but it makes things different and interesting. Thanks again for your reviews.

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Hephaestion gritted his teeth as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. He thought that only his leg should be pained but his entire body screamed at him. It seemed as if he was being stabbed everywhere by thousands of sharpened needles. He pushed himself up a little further but fell back, letting out a soft cry of pain. As soon as he did he heard the flap to the tent open and saw Alexander walk in. Dropping the flap Alexander quickly ran across the room. He rushed to Hephaestion's side, putting a hand on his forearm. Alexander brushed a lock of hair away from Hephaestion's face as he sat down on the side of the bed.

"Are you alright," Alexander asked, looking him over.

"No," Hephaestion admitted, gritting his teeth as he tried once more to sit up. Alexander silently helped him. He could see the pain in Hephaestion's eyes even though he tried terribly hard to hide it. "It burns like fire."

"It will for awhile," Alexander said with a soft smile. He then picked up the cup of wine he had brought for Hephaestion. Hephaestion took it, his hand shaking slightly like a flower in a windstorm, and glanced at Alexander. Then, without saying anything, he drank. Alexander watched in pure awe. It made him think for a moment. Hephaestion, he had decided, was beginning to trust.

"What about your arm?"

"A scratch," Alexander said without looking at the wound. He knew that it could not be terrible. It didn't even hurt unless someone were to touch it. He then took the salve from the stand beside the bed and tilted it so Hephaestion could see the contents in the clay container. "The surgeon ordered for this to be rubbed over your thigh twice a day until there is no more salve."

"Surgeon," he said with a soft panic.

"Stitches, I just wanted to see your face."

Hephaestion smiled and found himself laughing even at the joke. He then drained the rest of the cup of wine. Alexander took it and placed it on the stand. While he did Hephaestion took the clay container with salve from Alexander. He looked at the ointment, smelled it even. It reminded him of a field after it rained, wet grass, dirt, flowers, and rain. He wondered what the concoction was made out of. Alexander just watched him as he pondered this new lotion.

"Here," Alexander said for a moment, "let me rub some on. It should soothe the burning sensation."

"You don't need to," Hephaestion said, stumbling over the words as he spoke them. It was hard for him to tell Alexander what to do. It wasn't really his place. Not to mention, he really did want Alexander to touch him. He wanted him to touch him in so many ways. Thinking of some of these ways even made him blush or wake up in the middle of the night.

Alexander didn't seem to hear Hephaestion's protest. Instead he put some of the salve on his hand. He then carefully began to rub the ointment over Hephaestion's thigh. He started just above his knee, where the worst of the bruising was, and worked his way up. Before he reached the middle of his thigh he took more salve from the container. Prior to rubbing the salve over Hephaestion's stitched wound.

"Ouch," Hephaestion said as he pulled his leg away when Alexander accidentally let a finger press too hard upon the center of the cut. Alexander immediately withdrew his hand.

"Phae, I'm sorry," he said.

"Alexander," Hephaestion said quietly. Alexander had been looking at his eyes but immediately turned his eyes to Hephaestion. Hephaestion said his name as if it were a plea. Alexander stared into the depths of his cerulean blue eyes. If Hephaestion thought his leg burned, Alexander wondered what he would be thinking if he were inside of his body right now. From touching him his thighs were on fire.

Alexander waited for Hephaestion to finish. For the first time Hephaestion was stumbling though. He looked away and let out a breath of air. Looking back, he still said nothing. Instead he began to mess with his hands. After a minute he glanced up, and just put an arm around Alexander's neck and pulled him to him. He put his lips against Alexander's and kissed him wildly. If this was the fever that the medic had described, Alexander didn't mind it.

Hephaestion continued to kiss him, and his other hand wandered to Alexander's chest. Alexander in turned move closer, forcing Hephaestion to lay back against the pillows. Before Alexander knew even what he was doing he had put a knee onto the bed, and leaned over Hephaestion, kissing him pleasantly. Then, again before he realized it, he had put his opposite leg over Hephaestion so that he was now straddling him.

Alexander put a hand behind Hephaestion's neck and pulled him up to meet his eager lips. Alexander then broke away from his lips and began to kiss his jaw, and then the soft flesh of his neck. Ablaze with his passions Alexander continued to kiss Hephaestion wildly. Hephaestion let out a soft whimper as Alexander's leg brushed against his, skimming over his aching flesh. But before Alexander could pull away he pulled him closer.

"Phae," Alexander whispered into his ear as he bit at the lobe. "I have to tell you something."

"Anything."

"You are going to fall asleep in a moment and I don't know if you'll remember this tomorrow." Alexander pulled away and looked into Hephaestion's eyes. The affect of the contents of the vile he'd put into his wine was taking him. Otherwise, he still kept that same trustful gaze that Alexander had seen earlier. Alexander brought his lips to Hephaestion's, speaking even as he began to kiss him. "I'm sorry Phae."

"Alexander," Hephaestion whispered his name as Alexander continued to kiss him. He paused again before saying more. Alexander put his forehead to Hephaestion's and in his hands held fistfuls of his brown hair. Hephaestion's became very blinky then, the potion from the medic was working very well, but tried to keep his eyes open as he spoke his next words. "I think…think that I…love…you."

Alexander watched as Hephaestion's eyes closed and he drifted off. He was already regretting giving him the sleeping aid. But at the same time he knew that it would help with his fever. Alexander also knew that he couldn't be with Hephaestion the way he wanted to, at least not tonight, for the general was already spent. Instead, Alexander took off his own sandals and breastplate. He then crawled onto the bed on the opposite side of Hephaestion. Silently he put his head against his chest, an arm draped over his stomach, and closed his eyes. Sleep took him almost as fast as it had Hephaestion.