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Hephaestion had temporarily tuned out of the meeting. It was very important. A turning point in the great battle. A crucial victory depended on the plan tonight and whether it was a success tomorrow, et cetra et cetra. Hephaestion's input thus far had been minimal and was likely to remain that way. A large map was laid out across the table inside the tent and various generals and commanders of the great army were crowded around, examining the contours of the map and fiddling about with the rocks which represented different divisions of the army.
However, there was only one general Hephaestion was interested in.
And, by Zeus did he look particularly dashing tonight.
The orange glow of two torches illuminated his gingery hair, which shone as he moved. The features of his face were highlighted also, and Hephaestion watched his mouth as it moved in a rapid explanation of his plan. His strong arms were visible in the short sleeved tunic, and his muscles were oh so clearly defined in the light. Strong, reliable arms. The arms of a soldier.
The arms of his lover.
Yes, he knew Alexander the Great alright. He knew all his tricks. He was doing them now. The way he always spoke just a little quieter than normal, so that people had to lean into listen to him and how that made him feel all the more superior and it gave a more powerful effect when he raised his voice. The way he would stare unblinkingly at someone who had done him wrong, until they were reduced to a quivering bundle of nerves. The way he sometimes, instead of raising his voice, would simply whisper in a voice so piercingly angry it could terrify even the strongest generals. A voice that was always so confident and assured in all professional situations. Never cracking, never sounding uncertain. The voice he was using now...
“And the troops coming round from this side of the mountain will then be in a prime position to face the enemy on this side, thus incapacitating them.”
The finale to his plan. There was a moment of silence, then filled by murmurs of appreciation.
“Brilliant.” said one man. “Genius.”
Alexander stood up from the table, rolled his arms back to relive his back, which did rather delicious things to his muscles and Hephaestion wondered if he did it on purpose to taunt him, and simply said,
“I know.”
Hephaestion raised his eyebrows at him but Alexander's face did not change to apologetic in any way. He was amazing, and he knew it. That was why he commanded everyone to call him 'Great.'
'Cocky idiot.' thought Hephaestion.
The other commanders one-by-one made their goodbyes, some still shaking their heads in awe and retired to their own tents.
Hephaestion stayed. He didn't even need to ask if he should. He already knew his presence was desired, even if Alexander rarely said so.
“So” said Alexander, finally turning to acknowledge him, once all the others had left. “What do you think?” his piercing blue eyes searching Hephaestion’s face for his opinion.
“Genius. Amazing.” he assured. “Of course.” he shot Alexander what he hoped was a winning smile.
“Are you sure?” asked Alexander.
And there was the other side of Alexander the Great. The side that only Hephaestion knew. The confident, assured, greatest military leader of all time had walked out of the tent with the others, and left his other half. The half that was a little doubtful of himself sometimes. That side that worried, of failure, of his men, of his reputation.
The side that needed Hephaestion.
And Hephaestion, as he had promised Alexander, many years ago, would always be there.
“It will work absolutely splendidly, I'm sure of it. It was designed by you after all!” said Hephaestion.
He always said the same thing, but it was what Alexander always needed to hear.
Alexander had moved the rocks and rolled up the map, placing it to one side.
“Yes. It will be fine won't it,” he said, smiling slightly. “I am the great for a reason!”
“The very greatest,” whispered Hephaestion, but he knew Alexander heard.
“You know,” continued Alexander, his voice slightly deeper and quieter, “I couldn't help but noticed you seemed a little distracted in that meeting...” he teased.
Hephaestion was surprised he had picked up on his inattentiveness, he thought Alexander had been completely engrossed.
Hephaestion sat himself on the table, looking straight into Alexander's eyes, his legs hanging off the edge, almost touching Alexander's.
“Well...” he paused to formulate his excuse, “It is oh so hard to concentrate when one of the leaders is so devilishly handsome.” he said, grinning cheekily.
Alexander raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Wouldn't happened to be Acaeus, would it?” he teased, a cheeky grin on his face.
“Oh no. Someone much better.”
“Much better, hmm? Wouldn't happened to be someone great would it?” replied Alexander, whispering the last word, his face so close to Hephaestion’s they were almost touching. That voice always sent a shiver straight through Hephaestion, causing the all hairs to stand up. Alexander knew this full well.
'Cocky idiot,' thought Hephaestion again.
“You could say that,” he whispered back, leaning back slightly, tilting his head to one side and smiling cheekily.
Alexander simply followed him, both his arms resting on the table, on either side of Hephaestion, trapping him there. Making sure he was still in charge.
“Interesting. Very interesting.” whispered Alexander. “Well we can't allow you to be dozing off in important meetings, little skinny man. Someone should teach you a lesson...” and he leaned in further.
“Oh really? And how do you suggest they do that?”
“Like this.” he whispered and brought their lips together in the kiss that Hephaestion had been yearning for all night.
It was, like Alexander himself, a delicious mix of forceful and loving. Enough to keep Hephaestion in his place, but to let him know he was loved. As their tongues danced a tiny waltz together, Alexander pushed him back so that Hephaestion was lent on his elbows on the table.
When they finally drew apart, their breath slightly harder than before, their eyes met for a moment. Hephaestion could feel the blue eyes boring into his own, which he knew, like Alexander's were, were full of pure love. He smiled, and Alexander gave him one last kiss, more chaste and more confined than last time, but no less enjoyable.
Alexander stood upright and offered a hand to his lover, who allowed himself to be pulled of the table with a slight jump to Alexander's side.
“We should retire. Big day tomorrow!” Alexander reminded him.
Tomorrow.
Yes, that would come. The confident leader Alexander would come back. Commanding troops, fighting in battle. Hephaestion would be at his side of course. His duty would change from lover to comrade and he would fight, to the death if the need arose, for Alexander. But that was tomorrow.
They still had tonight. No matter what happened tomorrow or in the future, they would still have all the personal time they spent together. That could never be taken away.
Alexander extinguished one of the torches, so that both men were just illuminated by a very soft glow. The shadows danced across their faces and bodies as they moved towards the sleeping area of Alexander's tent. Alexander had Hephaestion by the hand and led him there, ever the leader, but the hand was firm in a gentle way and the touches were tender as they helped one another out of their armour of the day and changed into the clothes of night.
They lay down next to each other as they often did, facing one another. Though the light was dim, Hephaestion didn't need it to know exactly what Alexander looked like. He had every line and contour memorised, forever etched into his mind as the face he always thought of the moment he got up, the minute before he fell asleep and searched for always, whether in a small group or acres of battlefield. The face that appeared always in his dreams. The face that looked upon him, lovingly, hungrily and occasionally angrily and which he loved through every emotion experience by them both.
Alexander lent up on his elbows and ran a strong hand through Hephaestion’s chocolate hair.
“You're so beautiful,” he whispered to his lover. Hephaestion’s heart did a tiny trip, as if he were a silly young teenager falling in love for the first time. Alexander usually preferred to tease him rather than compliment and Hephaestion showed his appreciation for the rare change by kissing him softly. Alexander hummed softly in happiness and whispered “Come on now. To sleep with you.” Hephaestion smiled a last time, and turned around, imprinting the shape of his own body in line with Alexander's who held him close, all night. Hephaestion felt him nuzzle into his hair.
“I love you.” he whispered. He said it often enough and he meant it more and more each time.
“And I you,” came the reply. There was a slight pause. “More than you know.” Hephaestion closed his eyes, lost in the perfect satisfaction of the embrace.
Yes, tomorrow would come and they would become skilled soldiers and comrades fighting together in a bloody battle among the noises of war and anger.
But tonight, tonight they were free from that and were just two lovers, wrapped together in an eternal embrace.