Title: "Nine full Moons" – Chapter 2: The First Moon.
Author: too_beauty
Feedback: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.
Pairing: Alexander & Hephaestion.
Rating: PG.
Category: Historical AU.
Disclaimer: I don't know the people involved; A&H belonged to themselves and to History, if not, Phai would be living in BA…
Warning: this is a MPREG fic, it means it will deal with male pregnancy, if this is not your cup of coffee, don't drink it.
THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS ON THIS STORY, ESPECIALLY TO THE ANONYMOUS ONES BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO ANSWER YOU =)
"Have you seen Hephaestion?" the king asked Ptolemy.
"Yes, right now, he was walking bare chest with Cleitus somewhere but I don't know where exactly. Hephaestion was carrying a towel and Cleitus was very cheerful, in fact he has been like this since yesterday evening." Ptolemy added.
"Half dressed, my Phai? With Cleitus? What happened yesterday evening? Everybody seemed to have a nice evening except me" Alexander said.
"Didn't you, Alex? That's is strange as you turned to bed so early with Bagoas that we all assumed you were to have one of those "wild nights" Ptolemy replied.
"All of you? Did Phai think that too?" the young king asked a bit surprised.
"I supposed, he got very drunk last night"
"Ah! That's why he was having a light breakfast and by Zeus's balls, Cleitus filled him with wine, that old general made me think another thing" Alexander said releasing a sigh that he didn't know he was holding.
"You thought they had spent the night together" Ptolemy said.
"Yes, I did" Alexander said blushing.
"Well, you won't have to wait too long till that happens" Ptolemy sentenced.
"Why do you say that? What do you know?"
"The only thing I know is that you are losing him and even though you know that , you are doing nothing to get him back."
"But he is mine as I am his" Alexander said pouting.
"Show him, Alexander, show him and tell him or someone else will take advantage of his loneliness" and saying that Ptolemy left his side feeling very angry with his king for being so blind.
The following mornings were always the same, Hephaestion throwing up at least three times before breakfast and then feeling well.
"Hephaestion, Sire, you should see the doctor, there must be something that is affecting your health" LadyLight said with concern.
"Don't worry, sunshine, it must not be something serious or I'd not recover so soon after being sick." Hephaestion said, trying to calm her down.
" As you wish, Sire"
"Hephaestion"
"Hephaestion, that's fine, would you like me to finish those reports so you can go to the King's meeting?" she offered.
"No, take them to him and tell him that I am still resting, I will lie down for a while until my stomach settles."
LadyLight got to the meeting and asked for the king; Alexander saw her and another pang of jealousy struck his heart, this gorgeous lady was living in Phai's quarters, he knew that they were not sleeping together – Hephaestion was a married man now- but she shared most of his free time, the same time HE used to spend with his Phai.
"LadyLight, what do you need?" the king asked with a serious voice.
"Joy to you, your Majesty, General Hephaestion sends you these reports" she said with a clear voice.
"Why hasn't he brought them himself? He knew we are having a meeting in some minutes" he snapped back.
"Yes, he knows but he is still resting, Sire" she said looking at the floor.
"Why? Is he feeling unwell?" he asked with a worried voice.
"Yes, and I'm really worried, my king, he has been throwing up before breakfast at least three times, he is loosing weight and his skin is paler than usual " she replied, knowing that she shouldn't have said all that but she loved his General so much that she couldn't see him suffer.
"Where is he?" the king demanded to know.
"In his chamber but …" she didn't finish the phrase when she saw her king running towards the before mentioned direction.
The king entered the room and saw his lover sleeping peacefully, his face had a relaxed expression and he was resting on his back with his hands entwined over his lower stomach, on his side of the bed. Alexander crawled onto the bed and lied along his General's body and caressed his lips with his own.
Hephaestion sighed and whispered "Xander"; listening to his lover naming him made the king extremely happy because he realized that everything wasn't lost, so the golden man kissed him again and covered his lover's hands with his.
Hephaestion stirred in his sleep, opened his blue eyes and focused them on the face over him.
"Sire, what are you doing here?" he asked still a bit sleepy.
"I came to see how you were, can't I?" he asked softly.
"Of course, it is your palace but the meeting is about to start and you don't have to do this" Hephaestion explained.
"It is our palace, the meeting was put off till this afternoon and I want to do it. What's the problem with you? "Your" little woman is very worried, your health is not fine and you haven't been feeling well for some days" the king said.
"I have no woman, except a wife who I appreciate as a sister, and LadyLight is my right hand "friend" as she has been yours for many years; my health is fine and it has been like this for the last month" Hephaestion confessed.
"LadyLight is very worried, she follows you wherever you go and she is with you at all times and … why haven't you told me about this before? Don't you trust in me anymore?" Alexander said sighing.
"You have more important things to worry about than the health of one of your generals. Your incoming conquest of Arabia is about to start in a few days." he answered back.
"YOU are not just one more of my Generals, you should know this very well by now. You are my chiliarch and my moon, my friend and my soul mate. We have been together for so long that I cannot remember a moment without you by my side" Alexander said caressing his lover's cheek.
"Am I still all that for you, Alexander? I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you that but …" Hephaestion was interrupted by his king.
"Yes, YOU ARE. I know I have not been acting well with you but I didn't want to put more pressure on you, not more than I have: all the way back from India, your wedding, the organization of the supplies for the Arabian campaign and to put the matter worse, ME; it is not fair, Phai " the king confessed.
"I can with all of that, Alexander, but sometimes I wish we could spend some time together as we used to do, be able to wake up on the same bed, share breakfast and walks, read to each other, tend to our needs … Last time was long ago…"
"It wasn't so long, some days only" Alexander said.
"Thirty five days, Alexander" Hephaestion answered sighing.
"Were you counting, Phai?" Alexander said with a cheerful voice but when he looked at his Phai's eyes, he could see so much pain and loneliness in them that he could feel his own heart coming to pieces. He leaned and kissed his lover on the lips, on his cheeks, following the jaw line until he reached his neck. He covered his General's body with his own and asked sweetly:
"May I?" and he got a very deep kiss as answer.
They made love slowly, remembering how it was to feel each other's body with their hands and their lips, and they re discovered their love and their kisses and caresses brought them back memories of other times, happier than this one, and each other promised, in silence, to be there for the other half of their soul, because no man can walk on earth with only one half of it.
Both lovers felt asleep in each other's arms. When Cleitus got to the room to take Hephaestion to the fighting arena as he had been doing the previous days, he saw them and a pang of pain and jealousy got his heart. He thought he could get the brunette general for himself but once again, the young King had defeated him.
TBC