Title: "You are my weakness" Chapter 8: "A piece of Heaven."
Author: too_beauty
Feedback: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.
Pairing: Alexander & Hephaestion. Fathers & friends.
Rating: NC-17
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".
Warning: m/m explicit sexual intercourse, but you should know that by now.
No beta so all mistakes are mine.
The prince pushed himself back at arms' length and looked into Hephaestion's eyes.
"Phai? How do you feel?" he asked smoothly because he didn't want to scare him.
"Tired … deadly tired" he replied closing his eyes again.
"Don't say that, my love. Don't worry, rest on me, I'm here."
Alexander sat on the bed, his back laying on the headrest and he brought Hephaestion to sleep between his legs, with the brunette's head on his golden chest.
"Rest my love, re gain your force so we can go back home"
"Too weak …" Phai whispered.
"That's fine, sleep, let Morpheus play his magic and restore your strength."
When Alexander realized that Hephaestion was breathing easily, asleep, he called for Amyntoros, who quickly rushed into the chamber. The old man looked at his breathing son and a wide smile appeared on his face.
"You did it, Alexander, you brought Hephaestion back !" he said while laughing nervously.
"But how? I did nothing"
"Yes, my boy, YOU gave him your embrace of life, you saved him from Death" and he proceeded to tell him about Aphrodite's request.
Amyntoros went out of the chamber calling out his wife and children, telling them the good news. One by one entered the room to see Hephaestion peacefully sleeping in Alexander's arms.
In a moment, both young men were deeply asleep, and a warm and caring light covered them while gods and goddesses celebrated in the Olympo.
Hephaestion opened an eye and closed it seconds later, his head was pillowed over something soft, warm and moving; the scent was more than familiar.
"I must be hallucinating" Hephaestion thought "this is Alexander's scent" and he nuzzled the warm surface again.
A soft hand brushed his cheek while another drew small soothing circles in his back. Hephaestion lifted his gaze and found his two favourite coloured eyes, looking at him with a tiny smile.
- "Hey"
- "Hey"
- "How are you feeling?"
- "Confused … tired …"
- "I know, don't you want to rest a bit more? Maybe in a more comfortable position" Alexander said and motioned to move out of the bed.
- "Please, stay", Hephaestion asked, "just for a while, then you can go back to Cassander" Hephaestion added.
- "Cassander? What does he have to do with US? Sorry, I forgot there's no more an US" and a single tear ran along the prince's face.
Hephaestion looked at his prince and caught the tear with the tip of his finger.
"That's true" Hephaestion said and motioned to move out the bed but his legs failed and he fell on his knees. Alexander was right there, helping him up, in that moment; Amyntoros reentered the room bringing two bowls of stew, some bread and water for both of them.
"Here you are, my boys, let's eat something to gain some strength back. Alexander, would you like some meat?" he asked happily.
"No Sire, thanks for your hospitality, but … I must be going, I don't want to meddle" and saying that he looked at Hephaestion and said:
"Wish you a quick recovery, Hephaestion and health to both of you" the prince said going out of the room, leaving a surprised Amyntoros and a hurt Hephaestion.
*** really tempted to finish here***
"What has happened, my son? Why has Alexander rushed out of her?"
"He is NOTHING to me, why should he stay?" Hephaestion's voice sounded a bit loud.
"NOTHING TO YOU! Say that to someone else, he is YOUR lover" Amyntoros shouted.
"No, Papa, he WAS my lover but HE sent me away nearly a year ago." The son replied.
"But he came to sort things out with you but, when he arrived this morning, you had just died and so he … "
Amyntoros was interrupted by his son's question:
"Dead? How could I be dead in the morning and alive in the afternoon?" he asked astonished.
"Sit down, my son, and listen to me carefully; afterwards whichever decision you take, we will support you; you don't have to go back to the palace if you don't feel like doing."
Hephaestion nodded and listened to his father, who told him everything that had happened since the early hours of that very same dawn. When his father went silent, Hephaestion couldn't stop his tears, he hid his face between his hands and cried as if there was no tomorrow. Amyntoros hugged and comforted him, he also made him eat some bread and drink some stew, and when the meal was over, the old general cradled his son in his arms as if he were a little child.
"What must I do, Papa? I am so confused."
"What does your heart say? Follow what you have inside it" he advised.
"I love him so much, there's no other for me but … but I can't give him what he needs; he needs a heir and I am not a woman, he needs fierce warriors and I am not brave enough, he needs …" he was interrupted by his father.
"He needs love and stability and only you can give him those things. I saw him, Hephaestion, broken, sad and crying his eyes out because he thought he had lost you forever. Leave your pride aside and sort things out, neither of you can live without the other. That is as clear as the reign of Zeus in the Olympo. Get better and I'll go with you to the palace "
A week later, two men on fine war stallions entered the Macedonian Palace. Two grooms approached to take the horses, an old servant, who was on his way to the kitchen, saw the newcomers and a broad smile appeared on his face.
- "Joy to you, my young Sire, you are back to us" he greeted.
- "Joy to you too, noble Athos, how have you been " the brunette man asked.
- "I am fine now but I was quite ill last winter, but my prince gave me one of his healing concoction and he looked after me for a whole month until I got better, and since then, I didn't catch any other illness. "
Excuse me Sire, you must be general Amyntoros, Hephaestion's father, the resemblance is amazing and your loyalty to our King precedes you"
"Thank you, Athos. Is there any chance to see King Philip without a previous audience?" the general asked.
"Of course, I'll see to that myself."
Some minutes later a page, wearing the colour of the King, led them to the throne room and told them that the king was on his way to see them. Hephaestion was still walking slowly and every time and then, he had to stop to put some air inside his weaken body; he was still tired and very thin, but his beauty hadn't diminished a little.
Ptolemy and Perdicas were walking, arm in arm; to the garden when they saw their dear friend.
"Phai, when did you get back?" they shouted while running to hug him, in fact, he was crushed between the two companions.
"Be careful, I am still a bit weak" Hephaestion warned them.
"We can see that, you are so skinny, we will have to wait to challenge you at the wrestling arena" they said smiling.
"Has Alexander seen you? "Ptolemy asked anxiously.
"No, I want to speak to King Philip first, to see if I can come back" he said with hesitation.
"Of course you can, you don't need to ask that, Hephaestion" the loud voice of the king answered from behind.
"My King, joy to you, Sire" Hephaestion greeted with a bow.
"Come here, son" he said hugging him, "you scared us to death, I thought Alex was going to fall dead when Xenos delivered the news of your illness; I had never seen him prepare to leave so quickly. But, he asked setting his good eye on the handsome companion; you haven't solved anything yet, have you?"
"No, Sire …" he replied blushing.
"Even if I am the King, I can't interfere with the things of the heart, especially when the lovers are so stubborn as you two are. Just one advice: if you are to solve things, do it soon, that son of mine is wearing himself out with drills and wrestling, eating and sleeping well is something he can start doing again now that you are here."
"Do you know where he is?"
"I think he may be having a bath in the river near …"
"I know the spot very well" Hephaestion admitted blushing again. "I am going with your leave, Sire"
"Go, go and leave us go for some wine. Come General and let these love birds solve their problems" laughing, he headed with Amyntoros back to the Palace.
"Do you want us to go with you?" Ptolemy asked.
"There's no need, thank you" and the young man started to walk slowly towards the river.
Alexander was there, lying under the sun, drying himself after a bath; as Hephaestion was walking so smoothly, the prince didn't listen, allowing the brunette to sit next to him and lied down, looking at him with love in his eyes.
"Who do I want to deceive?" the handsome man asked himself, "I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life by his side, not matter what." Without realizing, Hephaestion closed his eyes while raking his long fingers through the golden hair. Alexander felt the softness of the caress and opened his eyes to find a nearly asleep Hephaestion by his side, caressing his scalp now.
"Strong Apollo must be tricking me; Hephaestion told me very clearly that there was no US. Please Apollo, if this is a trick of the gods; make him disappear when I open my eyes again." And when he did, he encountered the two most perfect blue eyes looking at him, two red lips near his and a warm big hand was on his cheek.
"I am not a trick of the gods, I am your Patroclus if you still think so" the brunette confessed whispering.
Alexander propped himself onto his two elbows and kissed Hephaestion's lips tentatively, the taller man pushed his tongue between the prince's lips to make them part and, of course, the prince obeyed. The kiss deepened and a battle of tongues began, each one trying to reach further inside the other's mouth.
Hephaestion set apart first when a fit of cough invaded his chest.
"I am sorry, but my experience with Thanatos left me a bit weak." he explained.
"No more sorry between us; come, lie down and let's rest for a while." the prince suggested.
The stronger man caught his lover between his arms and rested the brunette's head on the crock of his neck. Hephaestion released a sigh he didn't know he was holding and whispered "I am at home now" while he embraced his golden lover.
The afternoon turned into evening, the prince was awake looking at the young man slept between his arms, he was so happy to have his Phai back but he was also very nervous, he knew this was his last chance top do things well and he had promised himself that if he had it, he would do up to the impossible to make things right.
Hephaestion stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes for a moment, he blinked twice and smiled.
"I thought you were a dream" he whispered with a loving voice.
"Can you get up? It is rather cold and you mustn't be under this mist" Alexander said.
"Don't pamper me, Xander; but you are right, let's go back to the palace. Besides , I am starving" he confessed laughing.
"Me too" Alexander answered while helping Hephaestion up.
"Not so fast, I am not that steady yet" he warned.
"Sorry, and you do need to put some more flesh on those bones, you are very skinny, love"
"I know, maybe we can heal together now" Hephaestion said while putting his hand inside Alexander's.
"I am sure we will; together we will be invincible, Achilles and Patroclus reborn" he assured his lover while kissing their entwined fingers.
TBC (two more chapters to go)