Cassander's Campaign Chapter 6: Unmentioned, an alexander fanfic

Title: "Cassander's Campaign"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 6, "Unmentioned"

A/N: Again, sorry for the updating pauses. Yet our tale continues, about six months later in the beginning of the winter. Enjoy! Quick warning: Do not put any ice near this chapter. I am not responsible for anything that melts!

As the words were spoken a smile spread across Cassander's lips, even though it shouldn't have. He knew all to well that the man next to him trembled when such a devastating blow hit him. Whoever said that words could not kill, was wrong. Cassander sat back though, drinking diluted wine, and kept his eyes focused on Alexander. As he'd suspected, Alexander never mentioned what he'd done to Hephaestion. It simple had been failed to be mentioned. Cassander wondered where he would have added that in his meetings with the Companions. Right after he told them what a wonderful leader he was seemed good but might be devastating to his 'unmarred' image. Alexander glared back at him for a moment, before standing. He left, even though Cassander should have, brushing past his chair and hitting his shoulder as he did so. The hit brought back memories that made him smile, but they were bittersweet.

"Do not believe that you are above me," Hephaestion screamed and shoved Alexander back. The king fell to the ground. Wine mixed with the previous days' beating from Cassander did not mix well. He looked up at Hephaestion, his own eyes glossed with tears, and shook his head. He did not mean for what he'd done to happen. He couldn't even begin to wonder where the idea had come from, how it had started. Raping Hephaestion, ugh, the thought was enough to cause his throat to constrict.

"Phae," he began but was immediately cut off. Hephaestion backhanded him, hard, and it caused Alexander's head to turn to the side. He looked up at Hephaestion and his jaw dropped in a frown. Hephaestion, despite the fact that he was trying to be a man of marble, began to cry. Yet he had the same anger and did not let tears wash that away. Perhaps they quenched his burning soul though and brought comfort to his aching heart.

"Don't call me that," Hephaestion said through his teeth. He repeated it again, louder, and spit even flew from his mouth. He then turned, preparing to leave the tent. Alexander called out his name, his full name, and Hephaestion stopped. Without turning he continued, this time his voice was dreadfully calm. His tone reminded Alexander of the waves in the Mediterranean Sea, calm to what most could see, but brewing beneath to take ships to the bottom. Alexander cried, listening carefully.

"Sometimes," Hephaestion said, staring out at the night and the stars in the sky. Never did he turn back to look at Alexander though. The king could understand this but it still ripped him to shreds on the inside. "Sometimes I stare up at the stars, and I wonder why men cannot be more like them. They stay the same, constant, never faltering. I realized one day long ago that we were though, like the stars. Like most of the men here, I am one of the little stars, lighting the sky. Yet I will burn out and leave a black void from where I've been."

Alexander listened, trying to hold back his sobs. Hephaestion had far too much power over him. Everyone that knew of their relationship had always said the same thing. Never would he mind though. Deep down he knew that he deserved anything that Hephaestion said to him now. Yet he did not want to hear of his failures from Hephaestion. Of all people, Hephaestion was the only one that still believed in him unconditionally. If he lost that, he would loose everything.

"Ah, but you Alexander," Hephaestion continued. His voice was forced to be audible, or he'd be whispering. Tears were about to choke him, but he wouldn't let them fall. He drew in a breath instead and tried to force them away. "You are the brightest star of them all. Men follow you unconditionally and will never be able to outshine you. But…you are also alone. Whether or not you wish to be, unlike those stars, is up to you. Yet your own glory continues to outshine who you are Alexander. Do you think it will be the land and a name they remember when you die? Or will it be you, as you stand behind me now?"

Alexander wanted him to turn and face him. He wanted him to accept his apology. Yet he knew that he wouldn't. If he were Hephaestion, he would have already drove a knife through his stupid heart. Hephaestion had every right to kill him for what he'd tried to do to him. The only thing that held him back from ordering Hephaestion to was the fact that he'd not succeeded in raping him. Only raped his soul of the remaining trust they had with one another.

"You used to be great," Hephaestion whispered. "Now you're just a pathetic mess of a man. Cassander was right. You are not the boy that we knew. But I wonder, was I a naïve child, or were you a liar for so long?"

He left then. Alexander could not stop him. He knew that he would not see him again except for at meetings he held. For this reason he called more meetings. After awhile, Hephaestion stopped even listening. He'd stare at something in the tent, some unimportant object, and would continue to stare at it until he sensed others leaving. Then, in a rush, he would leave either at Cassander's side or by himself. Six months would pass before another word was spoken between he and Hephaestion. Yet, those words would be heavily priced, for he'd have to push another boundary before Hephaestion would come to him again.

"No," Hephaestion said as he knocked over a chair. He grabbed his hair, cursing as he knelt over, and tried to hold back the bile he tasted in his throat. Suddenly nothing made sense in the world and he knew that it was his fault. He finally fell to the ground completely in a sobbing shell of what once was a man. Again he pulled at his hair, and knowing that it would not matter if he made all the sound in the world, he screamed. It could have broken all the eardrums in Macedonia had he been standing in Pella's center. He slumped forward, heaving into the dirt as he did so, and tears clouded his vision and he quickly covered the liquid with dirt. He was not alone though. A hand gently touched his shoulder, and he felt legs and thighs against his back. Another hand gently pulled his hair back, and then his forehead.

Hephaestion felt Cassander lower himself in a sitting position behind him. Behind closed doors Cassander would have amazed all. Instead of insulting Hephaestion, as many knew he did often enough in public, he cradled him in his arms. He kissed his forehead lightly and rocked Hephaestion slightly as he grabbed at his shirt and cried upon his breast. Cassander looked down at him, pulling tear soaked locks of hair away from his cheeks. He was beautiful, even when he cried, and Cassander knew this was why so many others envied his godliness. He'd wondered how long Hephaestion would wait before breaking down into this state, but he'd gotten the answer far faster than he would have liked. Just as he'd stepped into the tent behind Hephaestion, the other had begun to cry. Cassander held him for a moment longer before picking him up effortlessly in his arms. Hephaestion tried to protest, but tears still flowed, and his throat was still sore from screaming.

Cassander placed Hephaestion on his bed and pressed his lips to his lover's. He wiped his tears away before he slowly removed Hephaestion from his clothing. Doing nothing more, he pulled the thin sheet and thick fur blanket over Hephaestion. Hephaestion smiled softly, his eyes already slowly closing. Cassander put a hand over Hephaestion's eyes, and in doing so told him to sleep. Hephaestion fell asleep, too angry to do otherwise, and far too broken to protest. Cassander stood though and went back to his own tent. He stripped of his clothing and washed himself quickly before pulling a coal black chifton over his muscled shoulders. Upon doing so he pulled a robe over himself and left his tent once more. It took him longer to return to Hephaestion's tent than to leave. Upon entering, he hadn't looked towards the bed, but when he did it made his heart skip a beat.

Hephaestion had pushed the blankets away from himself and had turned onto his side. He rested his head on his hand, elbow pushed into the bed, eyes looking up at Cassander through his dark lashes. Cassander couldn't even move, just stared at him. His tanned body, muscled completely, seemed too fragile, as he lay nude on the bed. The only thing covering him in the slightest was the translucent azure sash Cassander had given him. Pausing, Cassander caught his breath before he came closer, still staring at the angelic body that was offered before him. Hephaestion stared up at him and offered Cassander his hand. Cassander lightly laced his fingers with Hephaestion's, but did not immediately let Hephaestion pull him down to the bed.

Before he hadn't worried in the least about the words that Alexander had said to him. Yet now, as Hephaestion was before him, he recalled what fear was. Fear, it was something he forgot long ago. But if Hephaestion was before him, he remembered what fear was, because he feared so much that he'd loose him some day. He dreaded what would happen should they be separated. Hephaestion did not seem to notice his fears though. Cassander hid them well, knowing that Hephaestion had his own concerns. Not to mention, he did not wish to be the cause of Hephaestion's heartache, or any other heartache should he say.

Hephaestion only crawled onto his knees, his lips coming up only to the center of Cassander's chest. He pulled the sash away from his thighs and wrapped it around Cassander's neck. Pulling him down to him Hephaestion covered Cassander's tender lips with his own. Kissing him amorously he held back a single glossy tear at the corner of his eye. Hephaestion pulled away from Cassander, and he then took the sash and folded it over once. Carefully he wrapped the sash around Cassander's head, covering his eyes and tied it in the back, careful not to catch any of Cassander's hair. Cassander let Hephaestion draw him forward, and unable to see he let Hephaestion lead him. His knee hit the edge of the baseboard of the bed, but he didn't do anything. Instead he found himself vertical on his knees in the center of the bed, with no one touching him.

After a moment Hephaestion's hands were on his shoulders. Slowly Hephaestion slid the robe away from him, and then pulled away Cassander's chifton. He let the material brush delicately over Cassander's skin causing him to quiver. The clothing was tossed away, and Cassander reached behind him, trying to feel for Hephaestion, who'd somehow disappeared it seemed. He trusted him, but didn't like the fact that he couldn't see anything. It worried him slightly. But Hephaestion took his outstretched hand, and slowly wrapped an arm around him. He placed Cassander's hand back on his chest, his covering it, and he kissed his back between both shoulder blades. Cassander felt the wet trail of kisses that Hephaestion covered his back with. He continued to trail kisses over him, his hands wrapping around to his chest, and one slowly slid down to his pelvis. Cassander bit his lip, turning his head to the left, hoping that Hephaestion's lips would meet his.

That did not happen though. Instead Hephaestion ran his fingers up and down his chest, leaving trials of a tingling sensation over him. Cassander's mouth was agape by the time that he finally gasped, the cause being Hephaestion biting his earlobe. Cassander felt Hephaestion pressed against him, his hardened erection pushing into his buttocks, and his sacs lightly rubbing against his soft flesh as well. He felt the few warm drops of viscous white liquid that had dripped from Hephaestion's tip as it touched his skin. He gasped out, and lost his balance, and fell forward. He'd caught himself but was now on all fours, still unable to see, and now gasping for breath.

Hephaestion ran his electric fingers over Cassander's back, and then kissed the small of his back. He pressed his palm against his thigh, rubbing warmly up and down, and then fondled him with the other hand. Cassander let out a moan from deep in his throat as Hephaestion licked himself off of the curve of his buttocks, and he bit his lower lip. For a moment he thought he'd drawn blood but instead concluded that it was saliva from his awaiting mouth. Hephaestion kissed the rest of his backside, then kissed the back of his thigh, and upon doing so nudged his cheek against Cassander's tightened flesh.

"Hephaestion," Cassander gasped out, breathing heavier than he ever had when they'd been together. Hephaestion had stopped touching him. The beating of his heart in his ears was enough to block out any sounds he would have made. Cassander began to push himself up but Hephaestion stopped him, his hand on his hip. He put a hand over Cassander's right breast, pinching his erected nipple slightly, and then slowly lowered him back into a bent position.

Cassander felt him against him and when the first initial slide of Hephaestion's erection into him caused him to groan erotically. Hephaestion furthered his thrust until he was completely inside of him. He then put a hand on Cassander's abdomen and lifted him up slightly to a higher incline. In doing so Cassander had to reach back and grasp Hephaestion's arm to steady himself. Hephaestion took his arm, bending it back and draping it over his own neck as he brought Cassander back to his knees. He thrust into him then, and Cassander held a bit tighter to his neck. Another thrust, and Hephaestion moaned in his throat. Cassander breathlessly rasped his name and gritted his teeth as Hephaestion pushed into him again. He felt his eyes welling with tears, not because it hurt, but because that worry he'd had earlier was creeping back into his mind. What if he was going to loose this? Hephaestion plunged into him once more before he tensed, then released himself.

Cassander thought that he'd be done but that was clearly not the case. Instead Hephaestion merely pulled out of him and then carefully turned Cassander to face him. Cassander went to withdraw the blindfold but Hephaestion stopped him. He removed Cassander's hand, placing it on his chest so that Cassander could steady himself, and then kissed him full on the mouth. He slid his tongue between Cassander's parted lips, licking at each lip as he entered, and then he searched for Cassander's tongue. He found it, drew it to him, and then closed his lips over Cassander's tongue alone as he pulled it out of Cassander's mouth. He kissed only his tongue, causing Cassander to quake, and a slight spurt of his seed dripped from his ready erection. Hephaestion let Cassander have his tongue back but then kissed his chin.

He let his hand find Cassander and he rubbed his thumb over the tip of his penis. Cassander, who'd been almost perfectly in a vertical position a moment before, crumpled. He threw his arms around Hephaestion, holding to him so that he didn't sink further, but he was already slipping down. With a slight laugh Hephaestion bit Cassander's lower lip before kissing him again. Letting out another weakened rasp of his name Hephaestion lay him back against the bed. He crawled over him, staring down at the vision before him, and let his hand find Cassander again. He rubbed him in many different ways, harder and then softer, passionately and then tenderly. No matter what he did Cassander began to spill himself, but as soon as Hephaestion's touch was gone, he stopped and held himself –waiting for Hephaestion to stroke him again.

"I love you," Hephaestion whispered as he began to suck at Cassander's neck. At the same time he rubbed his thumb over his tip again. Cassander gasped out, quaking as more of his seed oozed onto Hephaestion's hand. This time when Cassander reached up and pulled the sash away from his eyes Hephaestion let him. He lifted himself up and wrapped his arms around Hephaestion's neck. He pulled Hephaestion down on him. Hephaestion kissed him deeply as Cassander's erection rubbed against his own genitals. Cassander came while kissing him, binding them both with warm viscous nectar. Hephaestion sucked at his lower lip and tongue, begging for more. A drop of sweat dripped from his brow onto Cassander's cheek, and he wiped it away, still kissing him. He began to lift up, just for the fact that he felt he was trapping Cassander beneath him. Cassander only grabbed him by the buttocks and pulled him back down. He let Cassander grind into him tenderly for a moment more before he stared down at him. Tears shone in Cassander's eyes and Hephaestion placed a simple kiss on the tip of his lips. Letting out a breath of air Cassander reached up, pulling Hephaestion's hair out of his face, and just gazed at him before a tear streaked down his face. Still upon him Hephaestion could not move. He could only stare back at him, the same fears taking his emotions by storm, and he was soon letting silent tears slide down his cheeks.

"I'll come back," Cassander assured him as Hephaestion pressed his forehead to his own. Hephaestion shook as he cried, and Cassander held him tightly. Hephaestion shifted so that he straddled him, his length still pressed against Cassander's, and his chest against Cassander's as well. Tears fell from his chin to Cassander's, and he tried to brush them away, but Cassander stilled his hands. He took Hephaestion's hands, and kissed both of them before sitting up, taking Hephaestion with him. He held him, their legs wrapped around each other, and they both cried for a moment.

"Promise me," Cassander whispered as he frantically pulled hair out of Hephaestion's face and touched every part of his face he could touch. "Think of me, when I'm gone. Just do that one thing for me, please, and keep strong."

"Cassander," Hephaestion said as he held him, whispering into his ear as his chin rested on his shoulder. He cried for a moment, forcing both of them to shake. He did not want this to happen. Alexander was sending Cassander only because the mission would be dangerous and he may not return to them. Hephaestion had already been told not to cry or worry, for Cassander had not wanted him to. But how could he not? Yet there was one thing Cassander had assured him, that it was not his fault. But how was it not his fault?

"Promise me," Cassander said again.

"I do," he assured him. Cassander whispered something else to him. He promised that no matter what he'd return to him. He planned to be back by the summer. Yet Alexander was not going to stop. He was going to cross into the Hindu Kush, and Cassander would be gods know where during the months from January till then. Hephaestion held him close, not wanting to let him go, but heard steps outside of the tent. It was too late though. Alexander had already entered the tent, and he crossed his arms, a frown upon his face.

There was silence then. Hephaestion did not move because he was still trying to grasp the scenario. However, Cassander remained as he was in defiance. After a moment he untwined himself from Hephaestion's grasp and picked his robe up from the ground. He pulled it on and turned to Hephaestion, blocking Alexander's view of him with his back. He smiled a bittersweet smile and then pressed a kiss to Hephaestion's forehead. He lingered there for a good number of seconds and then inhaled before pulling back. Holding back his tears he turned and walked defiantly over to Alexander. He stood before him and stared at the man he'd come to hate. Alexander returned his gaze and Cassander spat in his face before brushing past him, hitting him hard on the shoulder as he did.

"You have a way with people Alexander," Hephaestion said as he threw himself onto the bed, covering himself. He was not embarassed by his nudity. Yet he knew that Alexander no longer deserved to look at him in such a way. Alexander remained and Hephaestion finished his thought. "You truly show them that you love them and won't let harm come to them."

"Do I," Alexander asked, anger on his words.

"You stab them yourself," Hephaestion tossed back at him. Alexander turned in a furry and left. Hephaestion waited a few moments before he burst into tears. He wrapped his fingers around the sash that still lay on the bed. He curled up, holding his only remaining piece of Cassander to him, and cried. When he heard Cassander saddling his stead, his men preparing to ride out, he knew that it was dawn. He'd not slept all night, yet tears still poured. He heard Cassander ride away, his men with him, and wished more than anything that he'd gone too. He'd rather have Alexander hunt him down and kill him swiftly than continue to cage him and kill him through slow tortures such as this.

A/N: Well, what do you think? Again, if your ice melted I cannot be blamed. But I would love to hear about it! Going to try and get another chapter done with in at least two days or sooner. Crossing fingers! Thanks for reading and please review!