A/N: Two updates in one day, I AM ON A ROLL! this is a more emotional chapter that I hope will explain a little more of Hephaistion's way of thinking, and his feelings toward Alexander.

I don't own them, and I never will

REVIEWS ALWAYS WELCOME.

Chapter 3

The next morning, I awoke to find Alexander kneeling by my bed, his hand on my forehead.

"Hephaistion…" he whispered as my eyes opened to see him once again.

"Alexander?" I mumbled. "What are you doing in here?"

"I came to apologize." Was his answer as he brought himself up and sat on the bed. I sat up so that I could see his face. "I know not what I was saying last night, but whatever I said, I know I was wrong."

"But if you know not what you said, how do you know you were wrong?" I answered, attempting to make a joke.

His arm went around my shoulders and his lips met my cheek. "You are not funny, Hephaistion." He whispered and laughed in my ear. As he let go, I swung my legs over the bed and put my feet on the floor.

"Well, if I am not funny, then why do you laugh?" I asked, smiling as he turned to look at me.

Alexander charged at me, effectively knocking me to the ground. Soon he was on top of me. I squeezed my leg muscles just enough to cause pain, and then rolled us both.

"Pinned you," I chuckled.

"Hey, Phai let me up!" He pushed me off of him. Smiling as I got up to my knees, Alexander did the same. When I turned my head, he chose that moment to strike.

Throwing himself at me again, we rolled along the floor until I got my legs around his waist again. In the process I felt my cheek hit a loose piece of floor and the skin open. I could feel the blood beginning to slowly flow down my cheek. I had him immobile, he could not move.

"Pinned you again!" I smirked. Only time you will ever defeat a prince of Macedonia? HA!

"Phai…" he whined, all the while smirking, "this is not funny!"

"Of course it is!" I laughed, Alexander's waist still on the floor by way of my thighs. "This is hilarious." I refused to move off of him. "This is exactly like the time when we first met you told me it was the only time I would ever defeat a prince…"

"Phai…" the playful expression on his face turned to concern. "You're bleeding…"

"I am what?" I reached my hand up to touch my cheek. When I removed my hand, sure enough, it was stained with mine own blood. "Oh dear…" I moved off of my best friend and sat back on the floor.

"Here, here, let me tend to that…" Alexander went to another part of the castle close to my chambers, and returned with a sort of plant. Aristotle had spoken to us of this; it was a leaf from an aloe vera plant. From our lessons, we had been taught that aloe vera was very soothing to skin whilst it was wounded. I watched as Alexander squeezed a bit of the sap on to his finger and rubbed it in and around the wound as a means of disinfection.

I cringed as the sap stung the already fragile flesh.

"Sorry," he muttered as he threaded a thin bone needle with a piece of thread. The first prick of the needle upset the nerves, but it took a lot for me to admit I was in pain. When he finished, he bit the thread after tying it in a knot. "There, I'm finished."

"Thank you," I muttered. Even though it was only him and I in the room, it felt strange to have my best friend stitch a wound in my face. I had always been the one to stitch his wounds, but I had never used aloe vera. Alexander had always insisted that I used nothing, just stitch it and let it heal naturally.

"It was not a problem," Alexander smiled at me as he went to the corner of the room and laid the tools in a bath of sterilized water.

Now, looking at my best friend, I could see the potential. This man truly had what it would take to be a leader, and a leader he would become. He was compassionate, fiercely competitive, and willing to take on tasks that no one else I knew was willing to take.

Alexander had always been my Achilles, and I his Patroclus, and now it was only more evident. We were not lovers, as Achilles and Patroclus were, but rather I loved him in a way that was different. He was my best friend, and I loved him as a best friend.

I must admit to you that these are feelings that I myself do not understand, and I will also freely admit that I do not appreciate the fact that I am standing here talking to you dressed in nothing but my dressing gown. So if you will excuse me, I am off to dress and go into the courtyard, where I will meet with the newly crowned King of Macedonia and discuss how we shall stage our exodus. Now if you do not mind, I am closing the door now.

Thank you.