Title: "You are my weakness" Chapter 2: "Leonidas"
Author: too_beauty
Feedback: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.
Pairing: Alexander & Hephaestion. Ptolemy as a narrator.
Rating: PG
Category: Historical AU so some personages will appear to serve the purpose of this story.
Disclaimer: I don't know the people involved; A&H belonged to themselves and to History, if not Hephaestion would be still among us, living under my "protection".
Author's notes: the text in capital letters belongs to the script of "Alexander" by Oliver Stone.
CHAPTER 2: LEONIDAS.
Ptolemy couldn't believe what had just happened: his best friend and Regent of Macedon had let his lover and soul mate go back home without saying a word.
The rest of the companions were as shocked as he was; the only one who was enjoying the situation was Cassander who couldn't hide his big smile.
Ptolemy wanted to punch him but he refrained his instincts; he looked at Perdicas and mouthed "help me"; his long-term male lover nooded in his direction and took care of the rest of the companions who were still under a shock.
Ptolemy rushed out, looking for Alexander. He found him brushing Bucephalus and speaking to him:
"Yes, Bucephalus, he reached his limit; I wish him happiness"
The horse snorted as if he wanted his master to think again what he had already said.
"It is true, my friend, this wasn't for him; he was staying because of me, because I loved him so much, I had to set him free."
Bucephalus stomped his front legs and bit his chiton as if he wanted to show his disapproval.
Alexander turned to Auburn; the poor mare was sad, she hadn't eaten since the last time Hephaestion fed her and she had also rejected the water; her eyes were wet and she looked for comfort in Bucephalus by setting her head on the war stallion's neck.
"I know you miss him, Auburn, but he'll be fine; you must be strong for him."
Ptolemy entered the stable and stepped next to Alexander. He looked at his friend's eyes and asked:
"Why?" and his question reflected all the pain he had in his heart.
"I had to, Ptolemy, HE is my weakness"
"How can you say that, Alexander? He is your everything!"
"Not anymore, our dreams are different; we are different"
"But you complete each other so well, you are movement while he is quietness; you are actions while you are words; you are impulsive while he is reflexive; you are the heart while he is the head."
"I am a king to be and he is not", Alexander said ending the conversation.
"Don't you miss him? Will you go to bring him back?" Ptolemy asked with hope.
"NO, to both questions, Ptolemy, and I'd like you to respect his decision and mine" and saying that he went put of the stable, put a warm cloth under Bucephalus' saddle and rode out to the field where the Cavalry was doing some exercises.
Ptolemy decided to investigate the real cause of their decsions, especially alexanders, because he has never seen Alexander abandon something or someone so quickly.
It was the second time that Alexander mentioned the term "weakness" and due to his long practice with Hephaestion to do logical thinking, Ptolemy started to search for memories about hem together where this weakness might have aroused.
His first memory was one day while they were practicing wrestling with Leonidas. Alexander, even though he was smaller than the rest of the children studying at Mieza, was always able to defeat the rest of his mates.
This situation changed when the Athenian boy join them to study. Nobody liked him, even though Ptolemy and Alexander were immediately attracted to him, both for different reasons: his clear cerulean eyes spoke volumes about kindness, trust and a good heart for Ptolemy; Alexander had good memories of General Amyntor, Hephaestion's father, who he always looked up to because he was a brave warrior and a gentle father, besides Alexander felt butterflies in his belly the first time that Hephaestion's amazing blue eyes looked at him into his eyes, of course this was confessed by a drunk Alexander many years later.
Hephaestion was several inches taller than Alexander but he was slender and he defeated Alexander in their first wrestle match. When Leonidas separated them and congratulated Hephaestion, Alexander tried to counterattack Hephaestion but he was stopped by Leonidas who told him that Hephaestion had won him in a clean way. Ptolemy recalled the conversation as if it were yesterday.
"COME ON, ALEXANDER, COME ON."
"WHO WILL RESPECT YOU AS A KING?"
"YOU THINK BECAUSE OF YOUR FATHER?"
"THE FIRST RULE OF WAR IS TO DO WHAT YOU ASK YOUR MEN TO DO. NO MORE, NO LESS"
"GOOD, THAT'S IT."
"WELL DONE, HEPHAESTION. GOOD WRESTLING. THAT'S WHAT I WANT"
"COME, COME, COME"
"YOU DID WELL ALEXANDER BUT YOU LOST. NOW BOTH OF YOU CONGRATULATE THE OTHER. GO ON"
But what was more astonishing was listening to Hephaestion offering Alexander his opportunity of winning.
"WOULD YOU WANT ME TO LET YOOU WIN, ALEXANDER?"
"YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT I PROMISE YOU, I WILL BEAT YOU ONE DAY, HEPHAESTION"
Alexander could never defeat Hephaestion; in fact Hephaestion's thighs defeated him over and over again.
TBC