Authors Note: Yay, the happy fic I was always promising! This story started off seriously but turns into pure fluff towards the end lol. It's good fluff though I promise. Again I don't own the characters and there's some historical inaccuracy ahead, it's called artistic license folks!

Please review and tell me what you think (and if I should just stick to angst haha).

The Handsome Youth

The sun was setting swiftly over the green fields of Pella, transforming it into hues of red and gold. In the corridors of the the Palace, the lamps had already been lit and now shone, casting with effulgence like worship, over the pebble-mosaic corridors depicting many mythical monstors and heroes poised for the kill.

Loud laughter, music and revelry came from one of the great halls, drifting on the pungent smell of food and perfume. A delegation had come from Sparta and King Phillip had decided to hold a banquet in their honor.

"Though," Alexander said lowly to Hephaistion before he was hauled away by Parmenion to sit at the table of honor. "Any excuse would do for him nowadays."

He and the other Companions were on a break from Mieza and Aristotle. Many, by virtue of their important fathers and families, had been given permission to attend the party. Boys among men, they clustered together now, distinguished and different from the other young Macedonian nobles, and eager for others to remember it.

"Come now," Ptolemy, ever easy in manners, was the first to break away. "We've put on enough of a show of manners and breeding for one night I should think! There's a pretty girl over there, a Thracian I think. She doesn't have enough airs for a Greek heitara."

Philotas, whom Hephaistion could never really think about without adding the words "skinny" and "little" into the description, answered him eagerly. Hephaistion watched in amusement as Ptolemy marched straight up to the girl, who looked taken aback by his boldness but who smiled at him with her bright eyes. Philotas, hot on his trail, tried his luck with the girl's heavily painted friend who looked considerably less impressed.

Cassander sidled up to Hephaistion and motioned towards Alexander, who was chatting at King Phillip's table with one of the Spartan delagates, with a wine cup. "So what's it this time? He's been as black as Hades for days! Is it the Queen or is it," he coughed loudly, "have you been working him too hard?"

With a deliberate flick of his wrist, Hephaistion spilled his drink. Cassander yelped and Hephaistion snatched his wrist. "Don't be such a fool Cassander. Remember who you are insulting. And it's not just Alexander."

Cassander didn't struggle. He stared at Hephaistion, measuring him. They were both just out of boyhood, of similar build, still soft were men were hard. They had never been tested agaisnt each other and so there was no telling who would knock who out if they decided to have it out right there and then. Cassander had had too much faith in the crowd and Alexander's presence. Hephaistion was telling him he was wrong.

"Very well," Cassander said at last with a scowl. "You've made your point Hephaistion."

Hephaistion let go. He wasn't angry really. He was aware of the jealousy of others. They were all Companions but Achilles had but one Patrokles and thinking of it filled him with such joy he did not much left in him for the small cruelties of others.

Cassander went away and was replaced quickly by Timaes who cheerfully refilled Hephaistion's spilled cup. "Good one," The boy said, grinning. "He won't forget that. He'll be more wary next time. You know he only does that because he's jealous of you."

Hephaistion stared. "What?"

Timaeus was a clear-voiced, comely youth with cheerful manners. Hephaistion liked him because he never partook in any of the power games and backbiting that went on in Mieza when the philosopher's back was turned.

"Cassander fancies that he is in love with Hilarion." Timaeus informed him.

Hephaistion was stunned, then he grinned. "Really? The golden-haired guard? But so?"

"You really don't see anything except for Alexander do you?" Timaeus said with a glimmer in his eye. He sipped on his own cup, the curved beak pressing into his cheek. "Poor Hilarion."

Hephaistion put one and one together. "You can't mean...?"

Timaeus laughed. "Beautiful Hephaistion, beloved of Aphrodite and Alexander, so blind to poor mere mortals."

Hephaistion laughed then and resumed his drinking, hiding his grin in his cup. Timaeus clearly had had a drop too much to drink and was letting Dionysus have his jokes.

Later Ptolemy, flushed with wine and with the Thracian girl under arm, hailed him. "Hephaistion! Have you seen Alexander? I'm about to leave, wonderful party isn't it? Oh Ilena this is Hephaistion."

The girl stared at him boldly with her great eyes and then said something to Ptolemy who repeated it louder, with mock anger, "What? You think he's handsome do you? Is he more handsome than me? Why you little...!"

He attacked her and the girl squawked with laughter, her skirts flying. After which they disappeared from the room faster than the Persians fleeing at Marathon.

After they had left Hephaistion caught sight of Alexander in the crowd. The golden haired boy caught his eye and looked as though he was moving towards him but then Antipater grabbed his arm and gestulated something extravagantly, the laurel wreath in his white hair falling carelessly over his eye. The people swelled between them and Hephaistion was hailed by a group of men he knew to be friends of his father Amyntor and who were curious about Aristotle, what kind of philosophy did these Greek men teach?

One hour later Hephaistion was feeling delightfully tipsy and quite content as he cheerfully debated the possible outcomes of fought battles should Xerxes had done this or Leonidas had forgotten this. Timaeus had joined and also some of the Spartan delegates who were loudly advocating the actions of Leonidas at Thermopylae.

Their discussions were briefly broken up by someone exclaiming loudly and pointing and Hephaistion looked up and laughed with the others as King Phillip, rumored to have become more amorous since the Eurydike's pregnancy, loudly slapped the bum of Philotas and said something about him which sent his cronies into fits of laughter. Parmenion flushed with embarrassment but was helpless to comment as Cleitus the Black swung a friendly arm around his shoulder and shook the old man like a rag doll.

"Ha!" Timaeus said, waving his arms about as Philotas tried unavailingly to extricate himself from the crowd. He tottered and fell into some cushions currently occupied by a woman who didn't look too displeased. Another youth took it up, "Ha! He deserved that didn't he, Hephaistion?"

"Ha," Hephaistion agreed but he had already forgotten what he was agreeing with.

"Another cup, beautiful youth?" Someone smilingly was pressing it into his hands. Hephaistion thanked the man, what was his name? Someone had mentioned it.

"Hephaistion."

Hephaistion looked up and smiled. "Alexander! There you are. Where have you been? Ptolemy was looking for you. He, um...?"

Alexander was pulling him up (when had he sat down?) and taking the wine cup from his hand, dropping it unceremoniously onto the ground. "Come on, we're going now."

"Yes all right," Hephaistion said agreeably and allowed himself to be led away.

Someone he didn't recognize said, "Goodbye Hephaistion."

Alexander rounded on the man and said something sharp. Before it penetrated Hephaistion however, Alexander was back already and pushing him along towards the door. Halfway there a beautiful girl appeared. She was exquisitely painted and adorned with. She said softly, "Prince Alexander."

Alexander said something to her quickly, then looked at Hephaistion. He then something again, this time with more deliberation. Hephaistion couldn't catch it but then Alexander reached out a hand and carressed the girl's cheek. She blushed beautifully and Hephaistion felt as though someone had suddenly stuck a knife in his heart. It hurt so bewilderingly much that by the time they finally made it out of there he felt almost sober.

"Alexander, who was that?" They were retracing a familiar path through the palace.

"Hm?" Alexander was holding his hand but he didn't look back over his shoulder. "The girl? Her name is Callixena. She's a Thessalian courtesan. Parmenion introduced her."

"Oh." Hephaistion said. "Do you like her?"

Alexander looked at him then. He looked angry. "I don't know. Maybe I do! Why, are you jealous?"

Hephaistion was too hurt to speak.

They had come abreast of the guards at Alexander's room. Alexander waved aside their bows and drew Hephaistion through the door and slammed it shut behind him and glared at Hephaistion. Suddenly he came forward and snatched the laurel wreath off Hephaistion's head (who had put it there?) and flung it across the room.

Hephaistion said quietly, "Alexander whats wrong? Why are you angry? Cassander said-"

"Cassander!" Alexander's face was white. "Yes, yes, I did see that. And Timaeus too. Not to mention those delegates from Sparta, what do you think you were doing!"

Hephaistion blinked. And then he suddenly smiled. "Alexander, are you jealous?"

Alexander groaned. He flung himself face-down on the bed. "I refuse to talk to you when you're drunk! The way all of you were taking on tonight! Ptolemy, Philotas, even you Hephaistion! How dare you smile like that to those..." The rest of the sentence was muffled by the pillow.

Hephaistion took off his boots and climbed onto the bed. Lovingly he stroked the beloved hair. "We were just enjoying ourselves Alexander. There's no harm in it. I was only drinking because I missed you. I'm sorry Alexander, how was your night? I know you wanted to discuss it."

Not appeased, Alexander didn't look up or speak. Patiently, Hephaistion continued stroking him, gradually letting his hands grow more bold as they dipped lower on Alexander's back.

"Well, do you want to hear about mine? Let me see. Ptolemy abandoned us early on for a Thracian girl. Philotas went after him but judging by the way things turned out I guess he didn't have much luck. Then I was stuck with Cassander who said some pointed things. I managed to bully him off and then Timaeus tried to make me laugh by telling me that Hilarion had a crush on me-"

Alexander sprang up suddenly. "What?"

Hephaistion sat back on his legs and stared back guilessly. "Then the Thracian girl told me I was handsome. And somebody else said it too, but I can't remember who it was. It doesn't matter though because I only love you. Do you think I'm handsome Alexander?"

Alexander bit his lip and flushed. He opened his mouth and what burst out was, "I'll kill them all!"

"That doesn't sound very lover-like," Hephaistion demured wickedly. "Not half as good as some of the other things that were said to me tonight."

They stared at each other for one breathless moment. Then suddenly Alexnder flew at him, toppling him over. Then they were kissing and hugging each other and their clothes were too much in the way. As Hephaistion dipped his hand underneath Alexander's chiton the other threw back his head and moaned lowly, "Hephaistion!"

"So I'm handsome?" Hephaistion teased.

"Hephaistion, you're incorrigible," Alexander refused to rise to the bait, flushed, his eyes feverish as he clutched tightly onto Hephaistion's shoulders. "How dare you- If you ever-"

Then Hephaistion put his mouth where his hands had been and Alexander forgot all about what he was going to say.

End 15/5/06.

Thanks for reading! I have no idea what the next part will be about... any ideas people? More fluff? More angst!