Title: Rocking the World
Sequel to "Unexpected"
Author: Morgana
Author’s Email:
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing;
Hephaestion/Bagoas/Alexander
Rating:
NC-17
Summary: Hephaestion is determined to see Jared Leto
play his music, Bagoas reveals a secret that will rock the academic world, and
Alexander is just being Alexander, being very silly.
Disclaimer:
These characters are inspired after Oliver's Stone's movie. No copyright
infringement is intended.
Warning: AU of course.
Beta read by DA, thanks sweetie!
All
remaining mistakes are mine.
Rocking the World
Part 1
Hephaestion's
appreciatory gaze followed Bagoas' form as it moved with a familiar sensuality and
elegance. The raven hair now reached Bagoas' hips and danced against the small
of the younger man's back whenever he swirled around. The ankle bracelets
rustled with each movement and Hephaestion quickly lost himself to the lovely
sight.
Two
months had passed since they had returned from
Today,
Alexander had taken Boukephalos for a ride, Hephaestion had settled in the
shade of a tree with Peritas stretched out at his feet, and Bagoas was
practicing what he called 'his dance of the veils' nearby. This was heaven as
far Hephaestion was concerned. He couldn't remember having ever been happier.
"Your
eyes never leave me," Bagoas whispered in a breathless voice, out of
breath due to his dancing. "You must like what you are seeing."
Giving Hephaestion a stunning smile, he sat cross-legged beside the older man.
"You
are getting back in shape again," Hephaestion remarked as he ran his
fingers through Bagoas' raven hair. He believed that all three of them had a
bit of a hair fetish. He had realized that the other day when he had been
surfing and had come across a picture of one very bald Jared Leto. His wide-eyed look of surprise had attracted
Alexander and Bagoas' attention and his lovers had come up behind him to see
what had startled him. Looking up from the screen and at Alexander, Hephaestion
had seen him cringe. Bagoas had frowned and then shaken his head.
"Apparently
he shaved it off for a role in a new move he is playing in," Hephaestion
had commented, trying to explain the drastic change in appearance.
Alexander
had tried to form words, but had failed miserably. Bagoas had done better and
he had instead murmured, "Such a shame… Such a waste…"
"Hephaestion? Hephaestion!"
Bagoas shook Hephaestion gently and wondered about the distant look that had
crept into the normally lucid eyes.
"I
was thinking about Jared Leto's new look,"
Hephaestion explained.
Bagoas'
features contorted. "Just console yourself with the fact that the hair will
grow again."
"I
do love the way your hair looks and moves through my fingers," Hephaestion
admitted in a warm voice. "Promise me that you will never cut it
off?"
"Don't
worry. I have no desire to go bald on you." This time, Bagoas gave
Hephaestion a cheeky grin. "You have a thing for long hair, don't
you?" Even Alexander was growing his hair long just to please Hephaestion.
Bagoas chuckled; his hair was the longest – it grew at an incredibly fast pace.
Hephaestion's hair reached past his shoulder blades, while Alexander's was the
shortest compared to theirs, since Alexander's hair still had to reach his
shoulder blades.
"Did
you know that Jared Leto and Colin Farrell wore
amulets with a lock of each other's hair in it during the filming of the film? I
think that is a very romantic gesture." Hephaestion's fingers left Bagoas'
hair and his hand now cupped Bagoas' cheek. Ever since Bagoas had accepted his
past and the part Bagoas the eunuch had played in it, a calming strength had
come over the younger man.
Bagoas
once more applied his kohl beneath his eyes, accenting them in a striking way.
He would brush his hair until it shone with a dark fire and sometimes, just to
please Alexander, he would wear it in a pony tail, which made him look even
more exotic.
"Are
you happy here, Bagoas? You are still so very young… Don't you want to *do*
things?" Hephaestion savored Bagoas' presence and caressed his lover's
face. He would never tire of Bagoas' exotic looks.
"Like
what?" Bagoas leaned into the caress. He then tilted his head, pressed his
lips against the palm of Hephaestion's hand, and bestowed a kiss onto the soft
skin.
Hephaestion
licked his lips and decided that the time was right to try to convince Bagoas
to indulge him. "I would like to travel to the States… Would you come with
me? I know Alexander will, but I want you at my side as well."
Bagoas
frowned. "I don't like flying…" And traveling to the States would
take them many hours – hours in which he would be confined to a plane!
"Why do you want to go there?"
"Yes,
please enlighten me as well." Alexander jumped from Boukephalos' back,
letting the stallion graze as he joined his lovers. He smiled at Bagoas and
accepted the kiss which his younger lover planted firmly on his lips. He loved
this more cheeky side to Bagoas. "Why do you want to go there?"
"I
want to try to get into touch with Jared Leto – at
the very least I want to see his band perform." Hephaestion held
Alexander's gaze and read surprise there clearly. "I told you that
before!"
"Yes,
you did, but this is the first time that you are actually making plans to carry
out that idea!" Alexander rested his back against the trunk of the tree
and narrowed his eyes. "What's behind this?"
"Nothing." Hephaestion shrugged
his shoulders. He had downloaded most of the band's songs and he liked them –
just like Alexander and Bagoas did.
"You
are restless," Bagoas decided after a moment's thought. He exchanged a
look with Alexander. Hephaestion's restlessness had started after they had
watched the Oliver Stone film. "What is this really about?"
Hephaestion
cursed Bagoas' acuity. The younger man was beginning to display the shrewd
thinking that had made Bagoas the eunuch such a formidable opponent and Hephaestion
cringed as he realized that Bagoas knew something else was bothering him. Well,
there was no use in denying the truth. He had better come clean. "Bagoas,
can I ask you something personal? I hope you will answer, but I won't force you
to tell me what I want to know."
Bagoas
leaned in closer and crept over to Hephaestion on all fours. He straddled
Hephaestion's lap and rested his brow against his lover's so he could study
those unfathomable blue eyes. "What do you want to know?"
"What
happened after Alexander died?" Hephaestion sucked in his breath – he had
wanted to ask Bagoas for details for some time now, but had pushed his own
needs aside as long as Bagoas was still healing. But Bagoas had grown strong –
hopefully strong enough to discuss this horrid detail of their past.
Bagoas
frowned. "I told you, didn't I?"
"I
don't think that is what Hephaestion wants to know." Alexander was still
better at reading between the lines when it came down to his other half.
"This isn't about what happened to you, Bagoas." Looking Hephaestion
in the eye, he asked, "You want to know what happened to my corpse?"
Hephaestion
nodded his head once. With Bagoas straddling his hips, his movement was
limited, but he still managed to bury one of Alexander's hands in his.
"Yes, that is it." His gaze shifted back from Alexander to Bagoas.
"And only you can answer that question."
Bagoas'
eyes sought out Alexander's. "We should start at the beginning." Both
his lovers gave him a puzzled look, but Bagoas merely nodded his head to
confirm his words. "What happened after Hephaestion died, Alexander?"
Alexander
finally understood the point Bagoas was trying to make. Hephaestion's head
slowly gravitated toward his shoulder and his lover's head now rested against
his. "After holding the funeral ceremonies I started the fire that would
burn your body. Once everything was over, I gathered the ashes and sealed them
inside a bust I had made to keep your memory alive. It stood at the end of my
bed the day I died."
Realizing
it was now his turn to speak, Bagoas said, "After Alexander had died,
chaos had ensued. They actually fought over the body and it was only because of
Crateros' help that I managed to take Alexander's
remains into safety." Reliving the memories was painful, as he was also
forced to remember his former insane jealousy toward Hephaestion, but Bagoas
didn't shy away from it. "Crateros and I decided
that your remains should be conserved and a team of embalmers began to work on
you. They were Egyptians and had long perfected their techniques. After they
were done, I had looked at you and I had thought you were still alive. You
didn't look dead, Alexander."
Alexander
squeezed Hephaestion's hand for this was also new to him. "What did you do
next?"
"Crateros wanted to take your corpse back to Macedon, but by
now, fighting had spread through your former Kingdom. In the end, we decided
that your final resting place should be
"You
did that for me?" Alexander's big eyes had fastened on Bagoas in love.
"I
did more than that." Bagoas lowered his gaze and stared at Hephaestion's
fingers which rested on his thigh. "No matter how much I hated you,
Hephaestion, I knew that I could not separate your remains from Alexander's, so
I took that bust with me as well."
Hephaestion's
eyes swam with unshed tears. "I am so very proud of you!"
"Just
hear me out!" Bagoas raised his eyes swiftly and swallowed hard as he
looked into Hephaestion's watery ones. "It took us several weeks to dig
into one of the hills there, but we managed to create a room inside of it. We
placed Alexander's sarcophagus inside, along with Hephaestion's bust and some
personal belongings."
An
ominous feeling coursed through Hephaestion. He had the feeling that something
really bad was going to rock his world. "What happened next?"
Alexander's fingers tightened around his, revealing that his lover shared his
worries.
"I
ordered them to return home. Most of the warriors hailed from Macedon and they
were happy to return to their
"What
did you do?" Hephaestion rubbed Bagoas' face until the younger man calmed
down a bit. Bagoas' dark eyes were also filling with tears and Hephaestion's
heart thundered in his chest with apprehension. What news could be so terrible
that Bagoas didn't want to tell them?
"I
told them to close the entrance and…"
Hephaestion's
eyes narrowed. "Bagoas, the way you said that… Does that mean you were
still inside when they closed the tomb?" He hoped he had reached the wrong
conclusion – for if it was the truth it would be hard to bear!
"Yes,
I stayed behind. I had no place to go and wanted to die there. I had long
prepared my wine – had added the poison to it and, once they had closed the
entrance, I drank it. I died within the next few minutes. This is nothing new
to you. The two of you know I took my life." Bagoas gave Hephaestion a
rueful smile. "I wanted to be together with Alexander in death."
Alexander
had remained quiet during Bagoas' revelations and stared at his lover in
disbelief. He had known that Bagoas had taken his life after he'd died, but
hadn't realized he had buried himself while he had still been alive.
"Bagoas, I wish you had found the strength to continue on living instead
of taking your life in such a way. I never wanted you to join me in death. I
wanted you to be happy."
The
smile that Bagoas gave Alexander spoke of a silent sadness. "What was I
supposed to do, Alexander? Where could I go?"
"You
mentioned that Crateros offered you a home with
him." Hephaestion thought he had heard Bagoas say that once.
"Yes,
he did, but why I should I have accepted his offer?" Bagoas' expression
was open and hid nothing from his lovers. "I lived for you, Alexander, and
when you died I lost my reason to live."
Hephaestion
freed his hand from Alexander's hold and wrapped his arms around Bagoas' trembling
form. He eased Bagoas against him and buried his younger lover in a tight hug.
"You united the three of us in death. Maybe that is why we managed to find
each other again in this life."
Bagoas
rubbed his face against the fabric of Hephaestion's shirt. "I feel so
ashamed of my behavior – my thoughts. I didn't want that bust – your remains –
in there as well, but I knew Alexander would want that. I felt like I couldn't
even rid myself of your presence in death!"
Hephaestion
held Bagoas as the younger man tried to come to terms with this unpleasant
memory. "I am sorry I asked you…"
But
Bagoas firmly shook his head against Hephaestion's chest and murmured,
"No, there shouldn't be any secrets between the three of us. I love you… I
love both of you… and I want you to know that I have changed."
"I
know that you have changed, my love." Hephaestion pressed a kiss onto
Bagoas' raven hair and then cocked his head in order to make eye contact with Alexander.
A plan was forming in his head and it looked like Alexander had had the same
idea. "I want to go there."
Bagoas'
head jerked back and the large, swimming eyes fastened in shock on Hephaestion.
"You want what?"
"I
want to go to
"But why?" Bagoas felt like
pulling out his hair. Why had he told them in the first place? They should let
the past rest! Hadn't Hephaestion learned that lesson yet? Not even after
watching that Oliver Stone film which had left him shaken? "We shouldn't
do that."
But
then Alexander spoke. "No, Bagoas, I agree with Hephaestion. We have to go
there."
"But why? You will find nothing there but
death!" Bagoas blinked, feeling rather dazed.
Hephaestion
smiled tenderly at Bagoas and soothingly stroked the younger man's back. The
touch helped and Bagoas managed to regain his composure. Now that his lover was
calm once more, Hephaestion said, "You have been so strong so far, Bagoas.
Can't you be strong a little longer?"
"But
why do you need to go there?" Bagoas continued to shiver against
Hephaestion. "I am not sure I can find your last resting place… There were
a lot of hills and I wasn't in my right mind. All you will find is Alexander's
embalmed corpse and that is it!"
Hephaestion
slowly shook his head. "We will find more there, trust me." He
couldn't quite explain why he needed to go there, but he only knew that he had
to see their last resting place for himself.
Alexander
nodded his head; he supported Hephaestion's decision. Hephaestion was right;
they needed to go to
~~~
Bagoas
blankly stared at the screen of his laptop. He had accessed pictures of the
burial hills at
During
his time spent with Hephaestion in this lifetime he had learned that running
away from his fears wasn't going to work and that he should face them instead.
/What am I afraid of?/
Alexander
had typed his fears up in story snippets and even Hephaestion had admitted to
confiding his memories concerning his argument with Alexander over Eumenes to
his laptop and now Bagoas wondered if the same thing would work for him as
well. Would typing everything up help him understand the terror that coursed
through him whenever he thought of having to face
He
could try.
~~~
# I am tired. So very
tired and I have finally come to the end of my journey. Taking Alexander's
remains to
But I will never leave
this place. I will stay here, at
My life has been full of
pain, pleasure, incredible sights, conquests, loss, jealousy, and love and I
want it to end it like I lived – in a dramatic way.
I knew this would happen
ever since the day Alexander died. I will never forget the way he called out
for Hephaestion – the way his eyes pleaded with the gods to reunite them and I
had to let him go. My love didn't matter. Only Hephaestion's did and, in the
end, I had no choice but to accept that.
This tomb will do
nicely. We dug out this room in the heart of the hill and it holds enough room
for my plans. Alexander's sarcophagus is already being placed at the center of
the room and the soldiers are now also adding Hephaestion's bust and a trunk
with some of Alexander's personal belongings. I glare in hatred at the bust
which holds Hephaestion's ashes. I was doomed to lose this battle – I was
destined to fade into nothingness. I don't compare to Hephaestion in
Alexander's eyes – my King preferred to die. My love wasn't enough reason for
him to remain alive… I failed him.
"We are ready,
Bagoas." The officer in charge walks up to me and gives me a long, hard
look. I told him about my plans and he tried to change my mind, but to no
avail. I am determined to do this.
"Then close the
entrance. I want our King's rest to be undisturbed for eternity."
Hopefully no one will ever find out that Alexander's remains rest at
"Bagoas, I wish I
could change your mind. You are throwing your life away."
"My mind is made
up." I ignore the look filled with sympathy and sorrow the officer gives
me. In a strange way, I became a part of Alexander's army throughout the years.
The officers accepted me and I never expected that to happen. "Leave
me."
He shakes his head and I
can tell that he is going to try once more to change my mind, but I simply turn
my back toward him and stare at the sarcophagus instead. "Go," I say
in the most commanding tone I can muster. I hope it is enough to make him
comply.
"I am sorry,
Bagoas…" Those are the last words he utters before leaving my side and
ordering the soldiers to close the entrance with mud and stone. In a few
minutes, I will be buried alive inside.
I lock out the noise
they are making now that they are sealing the entrance and I kneel beside
Alexander's remains. I have an oil lamp with me and I place it on the lid of
Alexander's sarcophagus. I asked for it to be made of glass so I could look
upon him in my dying moments.
He looks peaceful in
death. He looks asleep and there is a tiny smile on his face. In his hands, he
holds a letter. Just before he died, he asked for it and, out of curiosity, I
checked its content after his death. It didn't surprise me to find that it was
a letter he had written to his Hephaestion – a letter in which he declares his
undying love for the other man. It is even more proof of my failure to replace
Hephaestion's love with mine.
Kneeling beside the
stone sarcophagus, I stare at his face, relaxed in death and oh so beautiful.
His long, fair hair frames his face and for one moment I wish the eyes would
open and look at me in love. But they will remain closed for all eternity.
I must credit the
Egyptian embalmers. They did their work extremely well and Alexander will be
preserved for eternity. It is almost a shame that no one will ever again look
upon the face of Alexander the Great, but I refuse to share him. He is mine now
in death -- all mine.
The soldiers have closed
the entrance and I am alone now with death – cut off from the living. I will
die of lack of oxygen in time, but I don't want to wait that long. I don't want
to die of suffocation. I uncover the phial that holds the poisonous wine. I
mixed a cobra's venom into it and it will cause my death within minutes. I
won't suffer that long and then I can finally cast away this burden that I have
carried my entire life.
I was cheated out of my
life, my family, my heirs, and my birthright, but serving Alexander had made my
life a little more bearable. I have seen things no one else will. I have known
Alexander the Great. I have known him intimately and no one can take my
memories away from me. I only wish my love had been enough for Alexander.
I remove the stopper
from the phial and draw in a deep breath. I don't want to drink yet… I will
wait until the light of the oil lamp goes out. I want to look at him as long as
I can… My lover… My King… My everything…
~~~
An hour later, the air begins to become thin and
the light of the lamp falters. The time has come and I place the phial against
my lips. Soon, Alexander, soon… I will join you in death…
I empty the phial's content and the glass slips
from my fingers. It falls onto the ground and a sharp pain twists my insides.
This is it – this is death.
My body convulses and my heart continues to pump
the poison through my veins. The pain is intense, but I know everything will be
over within a few seconds.
"Alexander… I love you…" I want those to
be my last words, but I am not prepared to hear just how broken my voice sounds
when I speak them. I stare at his face, place my hands against the glass that
keeps us apart, and draw in my last breath. A sharp pain stabs my heart and it
stops beating, finally succumbing to the poison. My head drops onto the glass
lid and my pupils widen in death.
It's done -- we are together in death. #
~~~
Bagoas stared at the
screen through a waterfall of tears which dripped from his face and onto his
shirt. His hands shook violently and he was unable to continue typing. He
released a strangled sob and cried – hard.
"Bagoas?" Alexander, who had been readying the table for
dinner, walked over to Bagoas and knelt so he was level with the younger man. "Bagoas? Look at me?" Seeing and hearing Bagoas
weep tore him apart and he wanted nothing more than to console him.
"What's amiss?"
Bagoas finally raised his
head and blinked a few times in an effort to rid himself of his tears. Seeing
Alexander alive and well in front of him calmed him down. Needing to also feel
him, Bagoas wrapped his arms around Alexander's shoulders and then pulled him
close. "I remembered something…"
Alexander privately cursed
their memories. Some time ago, it had been Hephaestion who had felt crushed
under his memories concerning Eumenes and now it was Bagoas who had recalled
something nasty. "What was it?"
"Your sarcophagus had
a lid made of glass and I remembered the way you looked in death…" Bagoas
hiccupped and then cried some more. "You looked so much at peace…"
Alexander proceeded to
pull Bagoas close and held him tight. "I never considered what my death
would do to you. I lost my mind after Hephaestion died. I could still sense
your love for me, but I hungered for something else."
"You hungered for
Hephaestion." Composing himself again, Bagoas wiped away his tears and sat
upright. Alexander's hands were clasped around his and rested in his lap.
"I am afraid, Alexander."
"What are you afraid
of?" Alexander couldn't thank Hephaestion enough for teaching him that
they needed to discuss their feelings – their fears and their hopes. It had
improved his relationships a lot – with Hephaestion and with Bagoas as well.
"I am afraid how I
will react when I look upon your sarcophagus again, Alexander." But there
was something else as well. How would he react to seeing his remains – his
skeleton – lying next to the sarcophagus? What would that confrontation do to
him?
"You won't be alone
when you go in there, Bagoas. Hephaestion and I will be at your side. We will
help you cope." Alexander rubbed Bagoas' trembling fingers. "And you
*do* have faith in us, don't you?"
Bagoas managed a weak
smile at seeing Alexander's hopeful expression. "I do. I know you won't
let me down. The two of you have come through each time since we found each
other again. I have faith in you."
Alexander returned the
smile and nodded his head once. "Hephaestion is right, you know. You are
much stronger than you think, especially since you stopped fighting your past
and made your peace with it. You can do this. I have faith in you too."
Alexander's words were
just the thing Bagoas needed to hear and he leaned in closer to press a kiss
onto Alexander's lips. "Thank you, my Al'skander."
Alexander's smile brightened
and he gave Bagoas a wink. "I will always be your 'Al'skander'."
Bagoas felt calmer now
that he had confided his fears to Alexander. Yes, he could do this. He could do
this because he had Alexander and Hephaestion's support. His lovers would pull
him through. "When will we leave?"
"Hephaestion said he
would like to leave in a few days, if that's all right with you."
Bagoas nodded. Now that he
had made up his mind to do this, he wanted to get it over with. The sooner they
left the better.
TBC
Part 2
Bagoas still didn’t feel
comfortable with the idea of visiting
"Alexander, turn right."
They were only an hour away from
"I am excited,"
Alexander admitted, steering the car in the right direction. "Bagoas, you
mentioned that you also sealed some personal belongings in with me. Do you
remember what they were?"
"Letters
mostly." In retrospect,
Bagoas felt thankful that he had set his jealousy aside in the end and had
included the bundle of letters Hephaestion and Alexander had written each other
whenever they had been forced apart for a longer stretch of time. Reading them
again would please Alexander and Bagoas reckoned Hephaestion as well.
Alexander frowned,
suddenly recalling something. "Bagoas, I cut off a braid of Hephaestion's
hair before he was put onto the pyre. Didn't I put it inside a letter? Did you
manage to save that one as well?"
Bagoas continued to read
the map, but nodded his head at the same time. "I think so. It should be
inside the chest." Strangely enough, discussing these details was helping
him calm further. He wasn't as nervous as he had thought he would be – he
actually felt calm and in control.
Alexander seemed excited
and Bagoas understood why. Alexander was about to enter his past again – a past
which was precious to him and therefore the former King didn't fear it. It was
Hephaestion who worried Bagoas though. Hephaestion had grown eerily quiet now
that
Hearing Bagoas' question,
Alexander also peeked at his lover and identified the empty look in the blue
eyes. His lover's thoughts were somewhere else – probably in the past. "Hephaestion?"
"I am fine,"
Hephaestion quickly said in order to reassure them. "Just
thinking of the past."
"Do you still want to
do this? We can still turn back, you know." Bagoas was still convinced
that turning back was the best thing to do. Locating Alexander's remains would
evoke powerful emotions and it was impossible to tell just how they would react
to seeing Alexander's embalmed remains.
"I am sure,"
Hephaestion answered, but this time his voice sounded strained and stressed.
"We need to do this."
"No, we don't."
But Bagoas received no answer after making that statement and concentrated on
reading his map again. Hephaestion wouldn't listen to him, though he had no
idea why.
~~~
Bagoas felt composed as he
stepped out of the car. Alexander was already looking around in an attempt to
get his bearings, while Hephaestion looked lost. Acting on his instincts which
told him that Hephaestion needed him, Bagoas curled his fingers around the
older man's and squeezed them in order to show his support. He wanted to remind
Hephaestion once more that they didn't have to do this, but in the end, he
didn't. In Hephaestion's eyes he had read the determination to do this.
Hephaestion gave Bagoas a
weak smile once he noticed their twined fingers. "Do you remember which
hill it was?"
Bagoas drew in a deep
breath and scanned his surroundings. While he had been surfing on the internet,
he thought he had located the right hill, but now he hesitated to share that
information with his lovers. Something felt off and an apprehensive feeling
moved through him. His eyes narrowed, realizing that his attention was focused
on Hephaestion. /Something is wrong with him, but what is it?/
"Hephaestion?" Alexander had removed the two shovels he had
brought with him from the car and now looked with expectation at Bagoas.
"Where do we start to dig?"
"Over there."
Bagoas pointed at one of the tallest hills. "I believe I recognize its
shape."
"Let's get started
then." Resolutely, Alexander marched toward the hill and then started to
shovel.
~~~
Hephaestion joined
Alexander and they now worked together on exposing the entrance to the tomb the
soldiers he had dug centuries ago. Bagoas watched Hephaestion closely and
worried about the distant expression in those blue eyes. Because he was so
focused on Hephaestion, he forgot about his own worries and fears.
"I have found
something!" Alexander had shoveled loads of clay out of the way and now
his shovel met with no more resistance.
Hephaestion moved over to
where Alexander was standing and, together, they removed the last earth that
kept them from reaching the tomb hidden inside. Bagoas felt catapulted back
into the past and recalled how hard the soldiers had worked on creating the
space inside the hill. They had used the beams made of several strong trees to
support the earth so the hill wouldn't collapse into itself and now the first
support beams appeared in front of him. Yes, this was the hill. This was where
Alexander's remains had been buried.
"Bagoas, get the
flash lights from the car. We will need them to light our way!" Alexander,
growing even more energized, now pushed the earth out of the way and tried to
throw a first glance inside, but there was only darkness.
Bagoas fetched the flash
lights and handed one of them to Alexander. He kept one himself and pressed the
last flash light into Hephaestion's hand.
Alexander switched it on
and directed the strong beam at the inside of the hill. "Oh my," he whispered
when he realized that they had found the sarcophagus.
Bagoas pushed Alexander
aside and hurried inside. His breath caught now that the light rested on the
collapsed skeleton next to the sarcophagus. It was a strange, almost surreal
experience to look upon his remains. His raven hair had remained intact and
covered the bones that made up his face. He was still wearing the circlet
Alexander had once gifted to him and a golden amulet rested on his exposed
breast bone. The fabric of his clothes had long faced decay and only a few
strands of gold remained. The jewelry was still intact, though. His ankle and
arm bracelets, the amulet, and the circlet looked the same they had on the day
he had drunk the poisonous wine.
During his death, he had
collapsed onto the glass lid, and his upper body rested atop the sarcophagus.
"That's me…"
Alexander, recalling how
Bagoas had sobbed after realizing he was about to face his corpse, quickly
reached for his younger lover and wrapped an arm around Bagoas' waist. "Your
loyalty and dedication went beyond the grave, Bagoas. You did everything
right."
Alexander's words worked
miracles and soothed him. He had been about to burst into tears, but now Bagoas
found he had no more reason to shed them. He had done everything right –
everything. "You should be the first to look," he said, pointing
Alexander to the sarcophagus. "I am not certain I will." He still
remembered how Alexander had looked in death and had made his peace with his
past during these last few days.
Alexander moved toward the
sarcophagus. The light guided his way and he sucked in his breath when he
caught a first look of his embalmed body resting beneath the glass lid. He had
seen his face many times in the mirror – had heard Hephaestion praise his handsome
features, had shaved himself countless times, and yet, when he looked at that
ancient face, he knew it wasn't him lying in that sarcophagus, not anymore.
This was a different man. This man had been driven by fear, ambition, and
insanity. This man had believed that he was destined to be more than a mortal
man – to be a god and nothing less.
With the utmost care, he
moved closer and knelt next to the sarcophagus. "Bagoas, more light
please."
Bagoas redirected the beam
of his flash light and now enabled Alexander to take in more of his remains.
Alexander was unable to
draw in his next breath and felt like he could choke any moment. He was looking
at his alter ego, Alexander the Great, and Bagoas had been right – he looked
alive, like he was merely asleep. "Bagoas, help me lift the lid." He
had caught sight of the letter and now wanted to remove the piece of paper from
the sarcophagus.
"Should you do that,
Alexander? It might fall apart. It is old – so old." Bagoas shuffled
toward Alexander and considered his lover's request. "We shouldn't do
this. We should let this rest – let it remain undisturbed."
Alexander considered
Bagoas' words carefully. "Where are the other letters?"
"In
the trunk over there."
Bagoas indicated the trunk's location by moving the light over there. He
followed Alexander and squatted, mimicking Alexander, when the blond man opened
the trunk. Directing the light into it, they found that most of the letters had
remained intact.
Alexander reached for a
bundle of letters, unfolded the paper, and read the confessions of love
Hephaestion and he had exchanged year after year. Examining the contents of the
trunk further, he released a delighted yelp as he also uncovered the braid of
Hephaestion's hair. "It survived!" Alexander was about to get to his
feet again and present the letters to Hephaestion when a keening wail echoed through the tomb.
In their excitement,
Bagoas and Alexander had forgotten about Hephaestion, who had approached the
sarcophagus and had then collapsed beside it.
"Hephaestion?" Bagoas privately cursed himself for not paying
attention to Hephaestion when it had already been obvious that the older man
had been upset. He hurried over to Hephaestion's side and knelt beside him. "Hephaestion?"
But Hephaestion was unable
to react to Bagoas' pleading tone. All he saw was Alexander – his Alexander –
dead, embalmed, and laid to rest in his sarcophagus. "Alexander!"
Alexander reacted at once
and covered the distance between them. His first reaction was to kneel in front
of Hephaestion, but that was impossible, as Hephaestion had wrapped his arms
around the sarcophagus. Hephaestion's upper body rested on the glass lid, so
Alexander opted for a different approach and knelt behind Hephaestion.
Hephaestion had gone into
shock at seeing Alexander's remains. Until now, Alexander's death had been a
scene on screen – or a picture woven from Bagoas' words, but now, all that had
become terribly real. "No, you can't be dead!"
"We need to get him
out of here." Hephaestion's reaction alarmed Alexander, who resorted to
using force in order to pull Hephaestion's hands free of the sarcophagus.
"Hephaestion, listen to me. Listen to my voice. I am not dead. I am alive.
I am here with you." But Hephaestion was beyond his reach and the
distressed man continued to sob and wail uncontrollably. In the end, Alexander
realized he had no other choice and used all of his strength to pull
Hephaestion away from the sarcophagus. "Bagoas, help me!"
Hephaestion was a dead
weight in-between them as Alexander and Bagoas half-dragged, half-carried him
outside. Alexander lowered Hephaestion onto the grass and quickly moved into
Hephaestion's line of sight. "Look at me!" He cupped Hephaestion's
chin in his hand and raised his lover's head. Hephaestion shook over his entire
body and seemed to be fighting to draw in his next breath. "Hephaestion!"
Bagoas felt helpless. All
he could do was support Hephaestion, while Alexander tried to pull their lover
from the shock he was in. /Why didn't I see this
coming? I should have known something like this would happen! Alexander had had
the time and the opportunity to mourn Hephaestion's death and I had had the
time to accept Alexander's death's as well. Alexander and I faced our lover's
death, but Hephaestion never did as he died before we did. He never saw
Alexander dead./
"Bagoas, fetch the
bottled water." Alexander was growing desperate now that Hephaestion still
didn't react to his pleading.
Bagoas eased Hephaestion
against Alexander and then went to get the water Alexander had asked for.
Alexander wrapped his arms
around Hephaestion's trembling form and now rocked his lover. Hephaestion's
head rested against his shoulder and his lover's skin felt cold and clammy. It
was so damn easy to forget that Hephaestion was only human too. Hephaestion was
always the strong one, the rock he had built his life and love on and now that
Hephaestion had crumbled under the emotional pressure, Alexander knew he had to
pull him through. It was a strange position he found himself in, but he was
determined not to let Hephaestion down. "I am here for you, Hephaestion. I
am here for you… You are not alone… I am not dead, Hephaestion."
Alexander kept up the
soothing murmuring until Bagoas returned with the bottled water. He placed the
bottle against Hephaestion's lips and forced some of the cool liquid down his
lover's throat in the hope that it would jolt him out of his stupor.
It seemed to work.
Hephaestion coughed violently, the eyes regained their normal awareness, but
then another scream left his lover's lips, making Alexander's skin crawl.
"What is happening with him? I don't understand." Feeling helpless,
Alexander sought out Bagoas' eyes.
"Think about it. You
witnessed his demise and you took care of his remains. I did the same thing for
you, but as Hephaestion died first, your death never truly registered with him
– until now. Now, it is all of a sudden very real for him." Bagoas rubbed
large circles onto Hephaestion's back, trying to establish some sort of
contact.
Bagoas' words made sense
and Alexander cursed himself for being so ignorant. He should have realized
that something like this could happen. "What do we do?"
"What we are doing
right now. We can't move him in his current condition. We must make him react
to us." Bagoas sat down and pulled Hephaestion's back against his chest,
locking his arms around the older man. "There should be a blanket in the
car. Get it and see if some coffee is left."
Alexander made his way over
to the car, returned with the blanket, and covered Hephaestion's convulsing
body with it. He had also brought the flask with coffee in it and now poured
some of the black liquid into a plastic cup. "I never thought this could
happen." He placed the cup at Hephaestion's lips and grew a bit calmer
when his lover obediently swallowed the coffee. "He is always the strong
one… I tend to forget that he has needs too."
"So do I." Bagoas however was determined not to make that
mistake again and he could tell by reading Alexander's expression that the
blond man was determined to do better as well. "Sometimes, he needs to
lean on us."
Alexander nodded and
managed to establish eye contact with Hephaestion, who was blinking rapidly.
"Please hand him to me. I need to hold him."
Bagoas complied and eased
Hephaestion's body into Alexander's arms. Realizing the two men needed some
privacy he got to his feet, picked up the flash lights, and walked toward the
tomb again.
Hephaestion blinked one
more time, gasped for air, and then coughed violently. The first thing he
became aware of was the warm body pressed against his and when he raised his
eyes, his heart stopped beating for one terrible moment. "You are
dead."
"No, I am not dead. I
am alive and I am holding you in my arms, my beloved Hephaestion."
Alexander pressed a kiss onto his lover's brow and succeeded in maintaining eye
contact, even though Hephaestion's gaze was still a bit unfocused. "I am
here. I am alive. And so are you."
Still shivering,
Hephaestion pulled the blanket closer. "What happened?" His head
still spun and whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Alexander's remains in his
mind. "I saw your corpse just now."
"I died a long time
ago, Hephaestion, and so did you. But we are alive again, don't you remember?"
Alexander stroked Hephaestion's hair and continued to rock him. His entire
being was focused on comforting his lover. "I should have listened to
Bagoas when he said we should let the past rest."
Hephaestion blinked again
and spat out the coffee he had sipped. His stomach had rebelled and he pressed
tightly against Alexander. "I feel strange."
"I will look after
you, my beloved. Don't worry." It was seldom that he was called upon to be
the strong one in their relationship, but he rose to the challenge and
continued to rock Hephaestion until his lover grew a bit calmer. Driving back
home today was out of the question – Hephaestion needed to rest and not be
cooped up in a car. "We brought tents. Is it okay with you that we camp
here?"
But Hephaestion didn't
really seem to register Alexander's question. His lips continued to whisper,
"You are dead… You are dead…"
"I am so sorry I
brought you here… so sorry." Alexander buried Hephaestion's head beneath
his chin and rocked him.
~~~
Bagoas surprised himself
by being steadfast and faced his past once more. He sat on his heels in front
of his remains and studied the skeleton. So this was what remained of him after
such a long time.
His gaze was drawn toward the
jewelry – to the circlet to be precise. He had always been fond of it, as it
had been a present from Alexander and he carefully removed it from the raven
hair. Some strands remained entangled with the circlet and he gathered them in
his hand before putting the circlet into the pocket of his jacket. He also
removed the ankle bracelets, but left the rest in place. He needed to take
something palpable with him from this adventure.
His next gaze was directed
at the sarcophagus and, although he didn't know why he did it, he pushed the
glass lid aside so he could reach inside. Using a small knife, which he had
found in the trunk earlier, he cut off three locks of Alexander's hair and put
them into a pouch, which he had also removed from the chest. It had contained
healing herbs, but he now removed them so it could now hold Alexander's hair.
He put the lid back into place again and then moved over to the trunk. He
closed the lid and then dragged it outside. He was quite certain that Alexander
would want to leave as quickly as possible, but not without taking with them
what he had come for.
~~~
Alexander had eventually
decided against putting up the tents and had moved Hephaestion into the
passenger's seat of the car. Sitting on his heels in front of Hephaestion, he
guided his lover's head between his love’s knees and rubbed Hephaestion's neck
in the hope to draw him further from his disorientated state. "Just draw
in deep breaths, Hephaestion, and all will be well."
From the corner of his
eye, Alexander watched Bagoas lift the small chest and place it in the car's
trunk. He nodded his head once to show his approval and then gestured for
Bagoas to join him.
"How is he
doing?" Bagoas sat down on the grass and watched Hephaestion lift his
head. The older man looked extremely pale, his eyes were red-rimmed, and the
lips moved, but brought forth no words.
"Not too well, but at
least he is back with us." Alexander remained concerned about his lover.
"I underestimated the effect this would have on him."
"I didn't consider it
either. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was." Bagoas
moved closer until he could rub Hephaestion's face. Hephaestion gave him a
grateful look and then put his head between his knees again, drawing in deep
breaths, just as Alexander had told him to.
"I am going to close
the tomb again," Alexander announced. "I don't want Hephaestion to go
back in there. You were right, Bagoas. We should have let the past rest. Will
you stay with Hephaestion while I…" His voice drifted off as his gaze
shifted toward the still exposed entrance. He needed to go inside one last time
– to say his goodbyes to himself. /Now that's a weird thought./ But it was the
truth.
"Go on. I will stay
with Hephaestion." Bagoas understood what was going on in Alexander's head
and watched the reborn warrior-king disappear inside
again. Now that Alexander was out of view, he concentrated on Hephaestion
instead.
~~~
Alexander used his flash
light to illuminate various parts of the tomb. The first thing the ray happened
upon was Hephaestion's bust. It stood in a corner and was covered with dust,
but the features were unmistakably Hephaestion's. "Oh, my beloved
Hephaestion," he whispered, remembering that his lover's ashes were locked
inside the bust. "I kept my promise and by doing that, I sentenced Bagoas
to death as well."
He gave the bust one last
parting look and then let the ray of light descend onto Bagoas' skeleton. He
noticed that the circlet had been removed and reckoned Bagoas wanted to keep it
with him. It had been one of several presents which he had given to the eunuch
in their first life. "Bagoas, I failed you. I utterly failed you." He
had made too many mistakes where the younger man was concerned, but he hoped
that he had made amends in this life.
In the end, he looked at
his remains. Bagoas was right – he merely looked asleep. Studying the identical
face, Alexander realized he still saw traces of pride and arrogance in the
wrinkles. Alexander the Great had left behind a torn empire, which had quickly
fallen apart after his death. He had failed in more ways than one.
In the end, all he'd had
to hold on to had been a letter in which he had told Hephaestion just how much
he loved him and needed him. He had clung to it in the moment of his death.
/This is my past and I
need to let it rest. I have Hephaestion to look after. Only the gods know what
this did to him. I never expected him to fall apart like that. What have I
done?/
~~~
Alexander closed the
entrance and he did it with a vengeance that surprised Bagoas, who kept a close
eye on him. Alexander managed to erase all traces of their expedition and, when
the blond man joined them, Alexander looked much older than he had when they
had set out on this journey. This experience had changed Alexander.
"We are driving
home." Alexander determinedly approached Hephaestion, who was sitting in
the shade of a tree. Alexander noticed that Bagoas had made sure that the car
blocked the view of the tomb and Hephaestion hadn't seen him go inside or close
up the entrance. "Hephaestion, we are going home." The look which
Hephaestion gave him made Alexander's heart pound in his chest. He had never
seen Hephaestion look so vulnerable before and he lowered himself onto his
heels so he could tangle his fingers in his lover's hair. "We are going
home, my beloved Hephaestion."
"I don't feel
well," Hephaestion said in a soft voice, which was barely more than a
whisper. "I feel weak. I am not sure my legs can support me." The
shock he had suffered had taken its toll on his system. "I want to lie
down and sleep."
"You can do that once
we are on our way." Alexander pushed his arms beneath Hephaestion's knees
and back. Lifting his lover took all of his strength. He wasn't used to having
to carry Hephaestion. His lover was stronger than he was, but somehow,
Alexander managed to carry him over to the car. The way Hephaestion rested his
head against his chest moved Alexander deeply. Never before had Hephaestion
needed him to be so strong on an emotional level.
With Bagoas' help,
Alexander managed to place Hephaestion on the back seat. He lifted
Hephaestion's legs and, although the back seat was too small to accommodate a
lying Hephaestion, his lover managed after pulling in his legs. "Will this
do for now?" Maybe he should desert his idea to drive home. It would take them three hours to get back to their cottage and he wasn't
certain Hephaestion would be comfortable for so long, cooped up as he was on
the back seat. Maybe they should stop when they encountered a hotel.
"I want to go home,
Alexander, please." Hephaestion still sounded distressed, disoriented
even. "Just take me home."
"I will,"
Alexander promised. He turned to Bagoas and asked, "Are we ready to
leave?"
Bagoas nodded his head
once. The chest was safe in the car's trunk and contained Alexander's
belongings which he had valued so much in life. They had found what they had
come for.
Alexander started the car
and steered it away from
TBC
Part 3
Relief flooded Alexander
when they finally drove up to their cottage. Hephaestion had been quiet during
their trip home and, concerned, Bagoas had changed his seat in the front for
the back seat. Hephaestion had pushed himself in an upright position and had
rested his head against Bagoas' shoulder. Alexander had studied them in his
mirror and had seen how their fingers had interlaced. Hephaestion was doing
better – but only marginally.
He parked the car close to
their cottage and then switched off the engine. Alexander opened the car door,
got out, and then opened the other door so he could assist Hephaestion in
getting out.
Hephaestion drew in a deep
breath and forced himself into motion. He shifted toward the end of the seat,
placed his feet on the ground, and summoned his strength in order to push
himself upright. Fortunately Alexander caught him and steadied him as he
swayed. He felt light-headed and his body shivered with cold, which was odd as
it was a warm evening. He shouldn't be feeling cold.
Bagoas exited the car as well,
closed the door behind him, and then came up to Hephaestion's right side.
Alexander and he supported Hephaestion and they slowly walked toward the
cottage. Peritas, who had woken from his sleep, now advanced on them and wagged
his tail. But they ignored the dog, not daring to loosen their hold on
Hephaestion.
Bagoas looked
questioningly at Alexander and awaited directions.
"We will put him to
bed. He needs rest." Once Hephaestion was lying down comfortably he might
feel better.
They guided Hephaestion
into the bedroom and sat him down on the side of the bed. Alexander made quick
work of removing Hephaestion's clothes, while Bagoas turned down the covers and
lit several candles so it wouldn't be completely dark in the room. Bagoas
lifted Hephaestion's feet and Alexander eased their lover down onto his side.
"I will stay, don't worry." Alexander would have liked to examine the
content of the chest they had brought with them, but reassuring Hephaestion and
comforting his lover was his first priority. "Just give me a moment to
strip." Alexander gave Bagoas a meaningful look, which said, 'You too'.
Bagoas had no problems
with that and, after he had stepped out of his clothes, he slipped between the
sheets and lay spooned behind Hephaestion, whom he pulled close against him.
Alexander, who was naked
now, stretched out in front of Hephaestion so his lover could see him. He
folded his arms around Hephaestion and maintained eye contract. What would
tonight be like? Would Hephaestion be able to rest? "You should try to
sleep."
Hephaestion shivered like
a leaf and his lovers reacted by pressing closer. Their arms, and even Bagoas'
legs, were tightly wrapped around him and yet, Hephaestion still felt lost. He
was afraid to close his eyes because then the memory of seeing Alexander dead
inside that sarcophagus would come back to haunt him. His gaze remained
fastened on Alexander's face and he continued to fight his exhaustion. He still
felt very weak and light-headed; he hated feeling that way. "Why do I feel
this way?"
Alexander caressed
Hephaestion's hair and with his other hand, he rubbed his lover's side.
"Because you never had a chance to mourn my death, Hephaestion, and now
you were confronted by the past. You were rather unprepared and I had no idea
it would hit you that hard – seeing me dead."
"I am cold,"
Hephaestion murmured in a lost tone. "Why am I cold?"
Hephaestion's child-like
tone touched Alexander and he stroked the cold skin beneath his fingertips
harder in an effort to warm his lover up. "You suffered a shock,
Hephaestion. Don't talk, try to rest instead. Try to sleep."
"I can't. I don't
want to." Hephaestion's eyes however were already in the process of
closing. "I don't want you to be dead."
Alexander involuntarily
sucked in his breath now that the blue eyes had firmly closed. Keeping up the
soothing touches, he hoped Hephaestion's sleep would be undisturbed, but he was
afraid nightmares would haunt his lover instead.
Bagoas suddenly began to sing
softly and Alexander gave his younger lover a puzzled look. Bagoas was singing
a song he had learned a long time ago when he had lived at Darius' court – it
was a lullaby, which he had sung often to either lure himself or Darius into
sleep.
As the song continued, the
frown disappeared from Hephaestion's face and he seemed to relax a bit.
Alexander gave Bagoas a grateful look. "He will need us, Bagoas – the both
of us." Bagoas blinked his eyes once, indicating he had understood.
"We must stay at his side tonight." Bagoas closed his eyes and
continued singing his lullaby.
~~~
"No!"
Hephaestion's scream cut through the bedroom and jolted his lovers awake.
Alexander privately cursed
himself as he realized that he had fallen asleep when he had been determined to
stay awake so he could guard his lover's sleep. Hephaestion was moving wildly
about, tossing on the bed, and his arms moved uncontrollably, like he was
reaching for something. /Not something – someone –
Bagoas glared at Alexander
for trying to wake Hephaestion in such a rude way. Couldn't Alexander be a bit
more subtle?
But Alexander continued to
shake Hephaestion until the azure eyes finally opened and looked at him.
"I am here, Hephaestion, I am here. Everything is all right. You had a bad
dream. You had a nightmare." The expression in those blue eyes was one of
terror and immense loss and Alexander quickly kissed his beloved Hephaestion
while running his hands through the auburn hair. "I am here, Hephaestion.
I am here."
Hephaestion calmed down
slowly. During his nightmare, he had been back in that tomb and Alexander had
been staring at him with dead eyes. "You…" He gasped for breath,
shivered, and then latched onto Alexander. He forcefully wrapped his arms
around Alexander and refused to let go. "You were dead."
"You had a nightmare,
Hephaestion. I am here now, am I not?" Hephaestion had a crushing hold on
him and Alexander fought to draw in his next breath. "Could you loosen
your hold just a little, Hephaestion?"
Realizing his hold was
keeping Alexander from drawing in oxygen, Hephaestion loosened his hold
slightly. "I don't understand… How can you be dead one
moment and alive the next?"
"Bagoas, do me a
favor and light one of the lamps." Maybe Hephaestion would calm down
further if his lover had a good look at him.
Bagoas had to let go of
Hephaestion in order to do that. He left the bed, switched on one of the lamps
on the night stands, and then sat down on the edge of the bed so he could watch
them. His instincts were telling him to keep his distance; this was something
between Alexander and Hephaestion.
"See? I am here and I
am alive." Alexander pressed the palm of his hand against Hephaestion's
cheek and stared deeply into those pools of teary eyes. "I am here. I am
alive."
Hephaestion calmed down,
now that it was obvious that Alexander was alive and well. "What is wrong
with me?"
"You had a nightmare…
Give it time, Hephaestion. I mourned your death until I died myself – at least
I had some time to accept and deal with your passing." Alexander wished
they had never visited their tomb and that they had left the past undisturbed.
Bagoas nodded his head once.
Alexander had everything under control and this was one situation his presence
wasn’t called for. This was something Alexander and Hephaestion had to work
through together. "I will be in the living room, should you need me."
He only mouthed the words as he didn't want to disturb the peaceful quiet that
had now descended onto the room.
Alexander nodded once to
show he had understood and then turned his attention back to Hephaestion.
Bagoas snuck out of the room and Alexander realized it was now up to him to
find a way to deal with Hephaestion's emotions. Hephaestion had taught him the
importance of verbal communication, but this was one situation where Alexander
wondered if talking would help. Maybe more drastic measures were needed in
order to reclaim Hephaestion's sanity.
Feeling Alexander's lips
press against his made Hephaestion gasp in surprise. Alexander locked his lips
in a passionate kiss and Hephaestion could do nothing less than reply in the
same manner. He parted his lips and teeth and allowed his lover inside.
Alexander immediately took
advantage and deepened the kiss. At the same time, Alexander slid the palms of
his hands along Hephaestion's flat abdomen and toward his lover's groin. Life
started to return to his lover's sapphire eyes and, feeling encouraged,
Alexander pushed the sheet aside, so he had unlimited access to his lover's
body. Hopefully this was the right way to reclaim his lover.
Hephaestion sighed and
stared trustingly at Alexander, who then released his lips. Alexander rolled
him onto his back and Hephaestion complied, even parting his legs in welcome.
Alexander felt warm and heavy atop of him and his lover's closeness worked like
a soothing balm to his wounded soul.
Alexander took a moment to
admire his lover's body and then moved lower until he was kneeling between
Hephaestion's parted legs. He placed his hands atop Hephaestion's abdomen and
merely stared into the blue eyes, reconnecting their souls.
"Alexander…"
Hephaestion raised his hips, trying to show his need in a way that surpassed
the use of words. "Alexander…" He was becoming alive again under
Alexander's touches and those hands now stroked the insides of his thighs,
teasing him into submission.
Seeing Hephaestion squirm
for more urged Alexander into action. Leaning forward, he pressed kisses onto
Hephaestion's abdomen. His tongue popped out and lapped its way down to his
lover's member, which had hardened under his caresses. "I am here… I am
alive… and so are you." After uttering those words, Alexander closed his
lips over the head of his lover's erection and suckled the hard flesh until
Hephaestion thrust forward and released a choked yelp.
Hephaestion lifted his
hands and buried his fingers in Alexander's long, fair hair. With each touch
that Alexander bestowed onto him, he began to feel more like himself. The
dreadful memories were chased into the far corners of his mind and his love for
Alexander burned like a red-hot flame in the pit of his stomach.
"Please…" he whispered, knowing Alexander would understand what he
was asking for.
Alexander nodded his head
once, reached for the lubricant which they now always kept near the bed, and
uncapped the tube. He squeezed a large amount onto the palm of his hand and
then stroked his erection a few times, covering his cock with the lubricant.
Hephaestion had eyes only
for Alexander and his gaze never shifted away from his lover's face. He needed
to stare into his lover's eyes – which were alive and not dead like they had
been in his nightmare. "Take me!" He felt an all-consuming urge to
surrender to Alexander, to be possessed, and his lover didn't deny him.
Alexander sheathed himself in one fierce thrust and then lowered himself onto
Hephaestion. "Yes, like that!" Alexander knew exactly what he needed
and Hephaestion savored feeling his lover's cock nestled so deep inside him. He
didn't want their lovemaking to be gentle – he wanted to *feel*.
Reading Hephaestion's
needs correctly, Alexander grunted and gave his lover a passionate look.
"You are mine," he growled as he executed another deep thrust.
"Never doubt that – mine." There had been times when Hephaestion had
craved being taken in such a possessive way and Alexander wasn't surprised to
find that Hephaestion now needed him in that way. This was Hephaestion's way of
convincing himself that he was real – that he was still alive – and he
understood Hephaestion perfectly. "Mine!" A throaty growl accompanied
his next thrust and Alexander set an almost grueling pace in which the head of
his cock ruthlessly battered against Hephaestion's prostate. Their climax would
be quick and intense.
Hephaestion met each of
Alexander's thrusts and latched onto his lover's neck so he could sink his
teeth into the skin there.
Feeling Hephaestion bite him
made Alexander growl even harder and he 'punished' his lover by taking him even
harder.
Hephaestion reached his
climax first. Unable to keep back any longer, he found release with Alexander
lodged deep inside him. His eyes widened and he panted hard now that his inner
muscles were contracting around his lover's length – it felt divine and it made
him feel alive.
Alexander collapsed atop
of Hephaestion and pressed him down into the mattress. Putting his remaining
strength in his last thrust, he whipped his hips forward and tried to crawl
even deeper inside his lover's body, but then the contractions started and
forced him toward orgasm. Lifting his head, he gazed deeply into Hephaestion's
eyes and claimed his lover's lips in a bruising kiss. He actually tasted his
own blood on Hephaestion's lips.
"Alexander…"
Hephaestion's voice was nothing more than a whisper when Alexander finally
released his lips from his crushing kiss. Alexander's touch had chased away the
nightmare, his fears, and the horrible realization that his lover had died all
those years ago. Oh, the memories were still there and he would need time to
work through them, but now the mourning process could start in a way that would
help him heal.
~~~
Bagoas pulled up a chair,
sat down, and opened the chest. Looking inside, the first thing he saw was a
large amount of letters which Alexander and Hephaestion had written each other
throughout the years. He carefully placed them onto the couch and decided not
to read any of them – their content was private and meant for Alexander and
Hephaestion's eyes only.
Next his fingers
encountered something soft and a smile formed on his face as he recalled how
good the lion's fur had looked on Alexander whenever the King had worn it.
Alexander had killed this lion himself, had thrown his spear into the animal's
chest, and had carried away the scars that proved he had personally made the
kill. After caressing the fur for a moment, he placed it aside as well.
A lump of emotions formed
in his throat as he saw a small oil painting beneath the fur. It showed a young
Hephaestion who was smiling in an adoring way. Yes, he remembered this painting
very well. Alexander had always tucked it away in his luggage, no matter where
the King had gone.
A small jewelry box
appeared and Bagoas lifted it from the chest. Opening it, he already knew what
he would find inside. This jewelry had belonged to Hephaestion and Alexander
had been unable to part from it when his lover had died. Inside, he found five
rings, most of them made from silver and precious gems, a gold necklace and the
two circlets Alexander had given Hephaestion. Bagoas still remembered Alexander
telling him that he had given the first, the golden circlet to Hephaestion just
after they had become lovers. The second one had been a gift from Alexander to
Hephaestion on the day of his marriage. Both Hephaestion and Alexander had
wanted to sire children and that was the sole reason they had gotten married to
their wives.
He reverently closed the
box and placed it next to the lion's fur. More fabric appeared and he instantly
recognized Hephaestion's favorite cloak, made from animals' fur. Alexander had
worn it after Hephaestion had died as the cloak had still carried his lover's
scent. Bagoas released a deep breath; he finally realized just how deep their
love had been – even back then. /Their love was strong enough to find
themselves again in this life. It is strong enough to include me, when it would
have been so easy to dismiss me. They didn't have to take me in./
Something white beckoned
him from deep within the chest and a smile formed on his face as he retrieved
the plume of white feathers that had adored Alexander's helmet once. It had
made him stand out, had made Alexander a target, and yet, he had always worn
it, wanting his men to see that their King was fighting at the front line.
He had almost reached the
bottom of the chest, but some items still beckoned him to notice them. One was
a sword, which he had seen Alexander wield on occasion. Even after all these
years, the blade remained sharp and Bagoas was careful not to cut himself.
Another item was a much-used edition of the Iliad and Bagoas vividly remembered
the passion with which Alexander had tried to teach him Greek, so he could read
the Iliad himself.
The last remaining item
was one last letter, which Bagoas respectfully lifted from the bottom of the
chest. This was the letter Alexander had inquired about when they had been
driving to
Overcome with emotion,
Bagoas simply stared at all the items displayed on the couch. He stopped
fighting his tears and cried softly.
~~~
Alexander smiled at
Hephaestion. The blue eyes were lucid again and the nightmarish memories seemed
to have retreated. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, although I
still feel a bit shaky." Hephaestion's head rested against Alexander's
shoulder and he lifted his head in order to return his lover's questioning
gaze. "You making love to me in that way was exactly
what I needed." During their first life, Alexander had possessed him many
times and he had savored each of those moments. "You seem rather
unaffected by our visit."
Alexander shrugged his
shoulders. "I don't know how I feel about visiting that tomb and I had you
to worry about. I almost suffered a heart attack when you had that break
down." Alexander's fingers traced the outline of Hephaestion's bottom lip.
"You have no idea just how much I tend to lean on you. You are my strength
and when you crumbled… I was afraid I would disappoint you, but I couldn't let
you down, so I tried being there for you the best way I could."
"You did well,
Alexander." Hephaestion deeply inhaled their mingled, musky scent.
"And I feel better."
"We will never go
back there, Hephaestion. I promise you that." Alexander continued to study
his lover as he wanted to be absolutely sure that Hephaestion had successfully
dealt with the shock he had suffered. "We will let the past rest."
"Do you think that is
wise?" Hephaestion smiled reassuringly at seeing Alexander's startled
expression. "Don't you think the world deserves to know your remains
survived?"
"Do you want for them
to put me on display in a museum?" The very thought made Alexander cringe.
"Yes, people should
be able to look at the face of the greatest conqueror who ever lived. Your
legend remains, Alexander. They haven't forgotten about you. Each day
historians are busy trying to uncover more facts concerning your life. Can we
be so selfish as to keep this knowledge to ourselves? Do we have the right to
do that?"
Alexander shook his head.
"I can't believe you actually said that!"
"Think about it. You
don't have to make a decision right now. Just promise me that you will think
about it." In this life time, Hephaestion had primarily been a scholar and
as a scholar he knew that the discovery of Alexander's remains would rock the
world of many historians. He didn't want to keep this knowledge from them, or
the public. The world had a right to know that Alexander's body had withstood
the test of time!
"I don't want to
think about my corpse right now," Alexander said decisively. "Not
after just making love to you." Hephaestion's sudden calm and rational
thoughts surprised him. He had thought that his lover would be unbalanced a bit
longer, but apparently Hephaestion was already bouncing back. /Thankfully. I
wouldn't know what to do without him./
"That felt wonderful
– the way you took me." Hephaestion purred and rubbed his cheek against
Alexander's shoulder. He sobered a moment later though as Bagoas' absence
finally registered with him. "Where's Bagoas?"
"He went into the
living room. I guess he knew that we needed a moment alone."
"Then we should join
him."
"Are you up to getting
out of bed? You were rather unsteady on your feet when we returned home."
Alexander watched with concern how Hephaestion freed himself of his embrace and
pushed himself upright. "Go slow."
"I am doing much
better," Hephaestion replied as he pushed himself to his feet. He swayed,
but only for a moment, and then drew in a deep, steadying breath. "I still
feel weak."
"You shouldn't
overestimate yourself just yet. You suffered one hell of a shock."
Alexander joined his lover and together they made their way into the living
room where they found Bagoas staring at the items which he had removed from the
chest.
"What's all
this?" Alexander blinked and then sat down on the couch to study the
recovered items. His hands shook as he located the letter that held the braid
with Hephaestion's hair. "Oh, look at this."
Bagoas had composed
himself again and managed a weak smile. Crying had done him good as it had
offered his emotions a way out. He felt at peace with himself and the world and
that was such a strong and amazing feeling that it made his heart beat just a
little lighter. "Before I forget…" While Alexander and Hephaestion
examined the items he had just uncovered from the chest, Bagoas rose from his
chair, and collected his coat. "I cut these off when I was inside the
tomb." He handed Alexander the three locks of dark-blond hair. "They
are yours."
"Is that my
hair?" Well, technically it was Alexander the Great's
hair.
"I thought you might
want to have it." Bagoas still couldn't explain why he had cut the hair
off.
"May I…?"
Hephaestion's voice drifted off as he reached for one of the strands.
Alexander placed one lock
in the palm of Hephaestion's hand. "You are more than entitled to have
one."
Hephaestion fingered the
strands and tears appeared in his eyes. "I will always treasure this
gift."
Alexander wrapped the rest
of the hair up with Hephaestion's braid and then sealed them safely inside the
letter. Smiling brightly, he picked up one of the circlets and placed it onto
Hephaestion's head. "Do you remember the day I gave you this one?"
"It was after we made
love for the first time." Hephaestion was amazed that he could still blush
because of that memory.
Alexander nodded once and
then ran his fingers across the furs of Hephaestion's cloak. "I used your
cloak to keep warm in those last few days of my life." Like back then,
Alexander now wrapped the furs around his body. "It is amazing that they
haven't fallen apart throughout the years."
"Bagoas…"
Hephaestion swallowed hard, seeing the still damp eyes. It was obvious that his
younger lover had been crying. "Is there nothing…"
Bagoas shook his head.
"I rescued these." He uncovered his circlet and the ankle bracelets
from a pocket. "Alexander gave these to me…" He put one of the ankle bracelets
around his ankle and smiled at the soft, ringing sound the metal made. "I
am at peace, Hephaestion. This time it is *you* who needs to heal."
"You are right."
Hephaestion rested a hand on Bagoas' shoulder and smiled at him. "You have
grown very wise, my love."
"Only
thanks to you." Bagoas
curled his fingers around Hephaestion's hand, lifted it from his shoulder, and
pressed a kiss onto its back. "Only because of
you."
TBC
Part 4
The next few days,
Hephaestion remained distant and much too quiet as far as Alexander was
concerned. No matter how hard Bagoas and Alexander tried to distract him, it
just wouldn't work. The haunted, almost dead look would still slip into the
normally vivid eyes and remind Alexander of the break down Hephaestion had suffered
at his tomb.
Growing restless because
of the guilt that now tormented him, Alexander decided it was time for more
drastic measures. He couldn't let this continue. He needed to take care of
Hephaestion in a way that showed his love and dedication to his lover. Ever
since they had been reunited in this life, Hephaestion had been the one to
support him – and to support Bagoas as well – and now the tables were turned.
Now, Hephaestion needed his lovers to be there for him.
Alexander deemed the time ready
to take action, but in order to discuss this in private with Bagoas, he needed
a moment alone with the younger man. That meant he had to give Hephaestion a
reason to have to leave the room.
Casually, Alexander
strolled over to Hephaestion and squatted behind the couch. He rested his arms
on top of the couch and studied his lover closely. Peritas, who had been asleep
with his head propped up on Hephaestion's thigh, lifted his sleepy eyes to find
out why Alexander was disturbing his sleep.
"Why don't I fill up
the bath tub for you? Maybe a nice, long, hot soak will do you good?"
Alexander ran his fingers through Hephaestion's hair and gave him a charming
smile. "What do you think of that?" The look in Hephaestion's eyes
told him that he had hit the bull's eye. Hephaestion loved to soak as much as
Bagoas did, but seldom indulged himself in that way.
"Sounds
good." Hephaestion had
been dozing a bit. His system had taken quite a shock the other day and he was
still recovering from being confronted with Alexander's remains. Each time he
had managed to fall asleep, his dreams had turned into nightmares. In his
nightmares, he was back in the tomb and staring at Alexander's face inside the
sarcophagus. "I like that." He raised his hand to caress a strand of Alexander's
shoulder length hair. He just had to prove to himself that his lover was alive.
"Add some bath
oil," Bagoas suggested before adding, "Make him smell of roses."
Alexander chuckled.
"Or lilies!" The teasing worked and a smile surfaced on Hephaestion's
face. Alexander leaned in to press a chaste kiss onto Hephaestion's brow and
then disappeared into the bathroom to fill up the tub. He emerged again a few
minutes later. "All is set. Enjoy the soak."
Hephaestion pushed himself
to his feet and gave Alexander a peck on the cheek as he passed him by.
"Thank you."
Alexander caught him
around the middle and kissed him passionately. Claiming Hephaestion in such a
passionate way the other day had helped Hephaestion reclaim his sanity, but the
ugly memories were still there – lurking just beneath the surface.
"I love you,"
Hephaestion whispered once Alexander released his lips from the bruising kiss.
He needed Alexander the most right now and Bagoas seemed to understand that, as
the younger man was giving them the time, privacy, and opportunity to confirm
their love again. Hephaestion loved Bagoas even more for being so considerate.
It showed just how much Bagoas had changed. He cast a last look filled with
longing at Alexander and then stepped into bath room to enjoy a long soak.
Bagoas, who had been
watching Alexander with interest, realized something was up and he wondered
about his lover's plans. "Alexander? You might think that was subtle, but
it wasn't, really." Hephaestion's depressed mood affected him as well and
he would do everything he could to help lift it, but he also realized
Hephaestion mostly needed time – time, and Alexander's closeness. "Give
him the time he needs to mourn your death. Don't rush him."
"I don't plan on
rushing him." Alexander made certain that the bathroom door was closed so
Hephaestion couldn't hear them before adding, "I want him to have the time
he needs to go through the mourning process, but I hate seeing the pain he is
in. He is brooding."
"And you want to
change that."
"I can try. Do you
know of a way to distract him?" Alexander walked up to Bagoas and came to
a halt behind the younger man. Looking at the screen of Bagoas' laptop, he saw
it showed the tour dates of 30 Seconds to Mars. "Hephaestion mentioned
wanting to see that band, didn't he?" From somewhere inside the laptop,
the band's music played softly. Alexander even recognized the song. It was
called "From Yesterday" and was one of Hephaestion's favorites. He
cringed as a picture of a very bald Jared Leto
appeared on the screen. "Why did he have to shave off his hair?"
"Because
he is working on a new movie."
Bagoas sympathized though, he liked the way Jared looked with longer hair
better as well. Hephaestion had once accused them of having a hair fetish and
he reckoned Hephaestion was right; all three of them had a thing for long hair.
Recalling Alexander's question, he checked the tour dates. "They are
touring in the
Alexander thoughtfully
nodded his head and continued to study the list with tour dates. "We can
do that." Scanning the names of the cities the band would play at, he said,
"I don't want to go to a huge place like
"Where would you like
to go? Once you know where you want to go, I can check if there are still
tickets available." Bagoas remained patient and waited for Alexander to
make his decision, but his thoughts drifted off once more. Like Alexander, he
felt guilty for not noticing Hephaestion's distress earlier when they had been
in that tomb. The two of them had been excited and focused on the find and had
forgotten to see what kind of effect seeing Alexander's corpse was having on
Hephaestion. /This is also my fault. I should have stopped them./ He should
have tried harder to stop them! /But that is nonsense./ Looking at Alexander,
he knew, /There is nothing that could have stopped him from visiting his tomb./
"How
about
"Shouldn't we ask
Hephaestion's opinion in this matter?" Bagoas suddenly wondered how
Hephaestion would react to finding out that all decisions had been made without
him.
"Maybe…"
Alexander's gaze shifted from the screen to the bathroom door. Resolutely he
made his way over there and entered the bathroom. Bagoas was right – to some
extent. He should ask for Hephaestion's opinion, but he would only listen to it
if it suited his purposes.
Hephaestion, covered in
foam, looked up in surprise. "Alexander?" The warm water hugged his
body and had made it easier for him to relax. The tension had left his sore
muscles and he now only felt tired – so very tired – and he wanted nothing more
than to sleep. He had actually almost dozed off when Alexander had so
unexpectedly entered.
Determined to pique
Hephaestion's curiosity and to keep him on edge in that way, Alexander stated,
"I had an idea." Alexander leaned against the wall and crossed his
arms. Oh, he would do anything to be that little piece of foam sliding down
Hephaestion's nipple! Damp hair framed Hephaestion's handsome but
exhausted-looking face and made him even more desirable in Alexander's eyes. If
only he could make the pained expression in those eyes go away!
"You had an
idea," Hephaestion repeated, wondering what had gotten into his lover.
Thoughts of peaceful slumber had deserted him due Alexander's unexpected
arrival jolting him fully awake.
A moment later, Bagoas also
appeared, dragging a chair behind him. He placed it next to the bath tub, sat
down, opened his laptop, and looked at Alexander. "
"
"You mentioned
wanting to see Jared's band play and they are touring the States right
now," Alexander explained, enlightening his lover. "They are also
playing at
This news was utterly
unexpected. Yes, he had mentioned that he would like to see them in concert,
but as Alexander hadn't shared his enthusiasm, Hephaestion had decided they
wouldn't go see them. /They are doing this for me,/ he realized. /They are
doing this because they know that I want to go./ Hephaestion's gaze shifted to
Bagoas. "But what about you? You are afraid of
flying!"
"I will get over
it." Bagoas gave Hephaestion a reassuring smile. "We got tickets to
their show there," he announced in a proud voice. He had learned a lot
since Hephaestion had gotten him his very own laptop and making an online
reservation was no longer a problem. "But we will need plane tickets as
well."
"Alexander…
Bagoas…" Hephaestion shook his head. "You can't just do this!"
They had just gotten back from
"Why can't we,
Hephaestion? Bagoas has his papers now and can fly. We want to go. We already
have tickets to the show, so what's the problem?" Alexander studied
Hephaestion extensively and then realized something very important about his
lover. "Why won't you let us take care of you for a change? What's wrong
with putting your needs first for a while? Do you have any idea how much you
did for me? For Bagoas? How much we owe you? How much
we want to take care of you? Give us this chance to show you just how much we
care – just how important you are to us." Hephaestion blushed and seeing
that made Alexander smile in turn. "I like it when I can take care of
you."
Bagoas added in a
thoughtful voice, "It's true, Hephaestion. You
don't have to be the strong one the entire time. Sometimes you can lean on us.
You made us strong – strong enough to care for you when you need us the
most."
Hephaestion's blush
deepened further. "I am not used to being cared for in such a way."
Alexander might not realize it, but Hephaestion had felt like he had to be the
strong one in their first life as well. Alexander might have been King, but
Hephaestion had been responsible for the King's sanity. Allowing himself to feel weak – to feel he needed Alexander and
Bagoas in turn – was hard on Hephaestion.
"We can't be strong
all the time, Hephaestion. Not even you can be strong your entire life. You can
let go. We are here to catch you." Sensing Hephaestion's discomfort at
being so vulnerable, Bagoas opted for some teasing to lighten the mood. "I
reckon even Alexander likes being fussed over at times."
Alexander let the remark
go and continued to focus on Hephaestion. "I like taking care of you, you
know," he whispered as he ran his fingertips along Hephaestion's jaw line.
"This is the first time that I am actually emotionally balanced enough to
do that for you." The look Hephaestion gave him spoke of unconditional
love and trust, and seeing it, made him smile. He was grateful that he had
learned his lessons so well for now he was able to reveal a side of himself he
had never known existed. And the best thing was that Hephaestion benefited from
his change.
"It is all right if
we fly out tomorrow evening?" Bagoas' fingers hovered above the keyboard
as he awaited their answer.
"That is fine with
me." Alexander was still caressing Hephaestion's face and now his lover
leaned into the touch and rubbed his face against the palm of his hand like a
big cat. "Get us tickets, Bagoas."
"Done." Bagoas cocked his head. "All we now need is a
place to stay." He googled "
"Why are you doing
this?" Hephaestion asked while still rubbing his face against the palm of
Alexander's hand. "You didn't want to go the other day."
"I want to go because
you want to go." Alexander drew in a deep breath and then added, "I
want to see you happy again. I want you to forget… to soften the blow you
suffered the other day."
Hephaestion gave Alexander
a beatific smile. "You must really love me."
Alexander replied in his
very own way by kissing Hephaestion passionately. "You had better believe
that."
"Done! Everything has been taken care of! We are flying
out tomorrow at
~~~
"Alexander, I can
help!" Frustrated, Hephaestion watched Alexander pack their suit cases. He
had offered to help, but had been banned to the couch by both his lovers. They
felt he should rest instead of help. "And why are you packing
*that*?"
At hearing Hephaestion's
odd tone, Bagoas turned his attention away from his laptop and to Alexander.
Alexander had removed one of their love letters from the bundle and had placed
a lock of blond and auburn hair inside. "Is that your hair?"
"And
Hephaestion's." Alexander
had divided the thick braid into three thinner ones and one of them he had
twirled around a lock of the hair which Bagoas had cut from his corpse.
"Yes, why are you
doing that?" Bagoas understood Hephaestion's curiosity. What was Alexander
up to? Alexander's change in attitude was remarkable. At first, Alexander
hadn't been interested in watching the band play and now Alexander was
impatient to leave. Just what was going on in Alexander's head? And did he want
to find out?
"You will find out in
time, but not just yet." Alexander grinned and stuffed the letter safely
between his shirts. Opting for a distraction, he said, "Hephaestion, I
have been thinking."
"Oh, the gods helps
us… Alexander has been thinking," Bagoas deadpanned.
Hephaestion chuckled and
ignored the glare Alexander shot Bagoas at hearing the younger man's words.
"What have you been thinking of then, Alexander?"
"I have been thinking
about what you said… that historians, scientists and the public have a right to
know that my remains survived. Maybe I will let them know where they can find
me – well, my remains, that is."
Hephaestion arched an
eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
Alexander nodded his head
thoughtfully. "Why not?" What had made him
reconsider was the fact that the scholars would also find that love letter which
he had been holding in his hand during his dying moments. The content of that
letter might change the way they perceived the part Hephaestion had played in
his life. "But it will happen on my terms."
Alexander and Bagoas
exchanged a look and thought exactly the same thing: 'Should we feel very
worried?'
~~~
"I hate flying!"
Bagoas spat the words and dug his fingernails deeper into the armrest.
"How much longer is this going to take?" Alexander and Hephaestion
had offered him the window seat in the hope that seeing the earth beneath him
would calm him down, but he had declined, feeling much safer seated on the
aisle.
"We will touch down
in less than one hour. I am so sorry about the turbulence." Hephaestion
had long curled his fingers around Bagoas' hand in an effort to soothe the
stressed young man. "Usually there isn't that much turbulence. This is an
exception."
Alexander, who was seated
on the window seat, gave Bagoas a look filled with sympathy. "I am
nauseous as well, you know." Maybe it helped if Bagoas knew that he wasn't
the only one suffering.
"Thank you,"
Bagoas replied in a strained voice. "That was just what I needed to hear,
Alexander, that you are about to throw up. That makes me feel *so* much
better."
"Sorry I said that. I
was only trying to help." Alexander curled his fingers tighter around
Hephaestion's hand.
Hephaestion, seated in the
middle, was once more busy comforting his lovers. Bagoas and Alexander were
nervous and each of them had managed to capture one of his hands. He was back
in his role of being the strong one – for now. "All will be well," he
offered eventually.
Bagoas' jaw set grimly and
Alexander stared ahead of him when the plan bounced about again. *Both* of them
hated flying now.
~~~
Bagoas fought the urge to
fling himself to the ground in a show of utter relief. He wanted to kiss the
precious earth now that they had landed. The pilot had even aired an apology
for the rocky landing, but also said that it was the best he could do,
considering the measure of turbulence.
"A
car!" Alexander patted the
roof and gave his lovers a brilliant, thankful smile. "No more flying for
now."
Hephaestion slipped into
the back seat and made himself comfortable while Bagoas sat down next to Alexander.
Promptly, Alexander dropped the map in Bagoas' lap and said, "I trust you
to not get us lost."
In the back, Hephaestion
chuckled. Alexander didn't need to know that he had screwed up reading the map
on purpose some months ago. The map reading had distracted Bagoas from what was
going on with the police in
"You look
better," Alexander remarked, as he peeked at Hephaestion from over his
shoulder. Now that Hephaestion had something to look forward to he wasn't that
prone to brooding any more.
"I feel a bit
excited," Hephaestion replied honestly. He was looking forward to the
concert and spending time with his lovers.
Alexander chuckled.
"You *do* remember that he is as good as bald these days? Jared, that
is?"
"Oh, the hair is
already growing back," Bagoas stated. He had seen a recent picture in
which Jared was no longer bald. "Turn right at the next junction."
Alexander steered the car
in the desired direction and stole another look at Hephaestion using the
mirror. It was good to see his lover smiling again. The eyes were no longer
that haunted.
~~~
"Lodge on the
Desert? You must be joking." The name of the hotel amused Alexander.
"That's it."
Bagoas folded the map and tucked it away. "I had to book two rooms, but I
doubt we will actually use the second one."
Alexander parked the car,
opened the door, and got out, eager to stretch his legs. "It looks all
right." He walked over to the trunk, opened it, and removed their suit
cases.
The three of them entered
the lobby and introduced themselves. They were given the keys to their rooms
and made their way over there. Alexander dropped his suit case onto the floor
and let himself fall backward onto the bed. "Nice rooms."
Their room was spacious.
Dark beams of wood had been worked into the ceiling and the floor sported tiles
on one side and carpet on the other. Huge, luxurious beds, complete with white
bed linens smelling of lavender, invited them to stretch out and relax.
Alexander wondered if the fireplace in the corner of the room actually worked.
Hephaestion sat down next
to Alexander and smiled at his lover. "So, are you coming to the gig with
us?"
"Of
course!"
Alexander pushed himself upright and grinned at Hephaestion. "That's one
show I don't want to miss."
"Just what are you
up to, Alexander?" Bagoas remembered the letter and locks of hair still
tucked away between Alexander's shirts. "Just how are you going to share
the whereabouts of your tomb with the world?"
"You are much too
curious!" Alexander gave Bagoas a wink. "Patience is a virtue."
"I can't believe you
said that!" Hephaestion gave Alexander a look full of exasperation.
"You are the most impatient person I know!"
Alexander opted for
action, instead of more words, and simply attacked Hephaestion's lips.
Silencing his lover that way worked pretty well.
~~~
Dinner that evening was a
pleasant and lively affair. Dinner was served on the outdoors patio and the
fireplace situated at the center had been lit. It now radiated golden,
comfortable warmth, which made Hephaestion sigh contently. In the background a
group of musicians played traditional songs softly.
"You should eat some
more." Alexander raised his fork and pointed it at Hephaestion's plate.
"You barely touched your chicken." Alexander himself was already
halfway through eating his steak. Even Bagoas had eaten a large part of his
smoked salmon.
"I keep wondering why
you packed that letter and those strands of hair," Hephaestion replied as
he sipped his wine and then forced down another piece of the chicken. It wasn't
that he wasn't hungry. It was just that night had fallen and, with the shadow
of the night, the memories tried to sneak up on him. That was also the main
reason why he had opted for water instead of wine: he didn't want the alcohol
to make it easier for the ugly memories to disturb his sleep at night. "I
doubt it's because of sentimental reasons."
Alexander chuckled,
feeling delighted that curiosity was killing Hephaestion as well as Bagoas.
"I won't tell you, so stop asking me!"
Hephaestion sighed and
resigned – for now. "So when is the concert?" he asked Bagoas, who
looked simply beautiful tonight. Hephaestion had always loved Bagoas' exotic
beauty and now that the younger man was once more wearing kohl beneath his eyes
and striking clothes of radiant colors, his unique beauty shone even brighter.
The bracelets Bagoas was wearing sounded like tiny bells whenever the younger
man moved, always attracting his attention.
"Tomorrow
night." Bagoas had eaten enough and pushed the plate away from him.
Alexander had told them that he wanted to try some desserts and that they
should leave room for them. It was a strange thing that he didn't have to watch
his diet. Now that he wasn't a eunuch anymore and danced regularly, he was
growing muscles. His upper body was already well-toned and his legs had also
quickly attained a muscular shape – but never too muscular – he watched that
closely. He was a dancer and didn't want to end up looking bulky instead.
"Do you think we will
get a chance to talk to him?" Alexander asked out of the blue.
"Talk to Jared Leto?" Hephaestion raised an eyebrow. "I doubt
it." His answer seemed to displease Alexander and Hephaestion wondered
just what Alexander had wanted to tell Jared Leto.
Alexander grew quiet after
that, unwilling to give away more of his plans. He checked the dessert menu instead.
Tonight, he was going to indulge himself with some chocolate ice cream!
~~~
The following day passed
by rather quickly. Alexander insisted they went sightseeing and his lovers gave
in. First, Alexander dragged them to see the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich
Ranch, which was quite a surprise. Neither Hephaestion nor Bagoas
had expected they would be called upon to feed the ostriches and the deer. One
of them, a particularly cheeky ostrich, actually managed to bite Alexander in
his butt and that concluded the fun. Alexander had pouted and demanded they
leave. Hephaestion and Bagoas, doubled over in laughter, had given in and had
teased the poor Alexander for the rest of the day with the unwanted 'love
nibble'.
Alexander had done his
best to ignore them and had managed to do so quite successfully until Bagoas
tried to repeat the little love bite. Alexander swatted him on the ass as
repercussion. That got Bagoas’ attention and to Alexander's great delight, the
teasing stopped – for about five minutes. Then Hephaestion made his move and
tried to bite his buttock.
Once they had all calmed
down from their laughter, it was Bagoas who suggested they go to the Botanical
Gardens, judging them a much safer place than the ostrich farm, but after
spending a little over an hour there, Alexander got restless and demanded to
see something other than flowers. He could put flowers in a vase and look at
them if he wanted to admire them. Why would anyone spend hours looking at them?
Hephaestion restored the
peace and, after another hour of Alexander's moping and Bagoas' delighted
gasps, they left the Botanical Gardens to grab a bite to eat.
"I am sorry for
ruining your day," Alexander said, repenting his behavior at the gardens.
"We can go back and watch some more flowers if you want to." He had
seen Bagoas' eyes light up when they had wandered through the gardens and he
now felt like a bastard for ruining the visit.
But Bagoas seemed
extremely forgiving and Alexander found out why the next moment. "You want
to go where?"
"Tucson
Mall. I need to do some
shopping." Bagoas gave Alexander his sweetest smile. "We are going
out tonight, Alexander. We should make an effort to look our best. You could do
with some new clothes as well, and so can you, Hephaestion."
Hephaestion arched an
eyebrow. "Bagoas?" The younger man was
growing more confident with each day. "Are you saying there is something
wrong with the way I dress?"
Bagoas quickly shook his
head. "Not wrong, but you can do better."
"Do I really have to
go and shop?" Alexander cringed. This was even worse than staring at
flowers for hours!
"Yes, we do. You want
to draw Jared Leto's attention, don't you? Then you
have to look your best." Oh, Bagoas knew exactly how to wind them around
his little finger.
"He is right,"
Hephaestion admitted thoughtfully.
Alexander shook his head
and raised his arms to the heavens. "What did I do to deserve this? Give
me an army instead! Give me war!"
Bagoas and Hephaestion chuckled
– yes, Alexander was going shopping with them!
~~~
"Sit down here."
Bagoas had already dressed and was ready to leave, but he still wasn't
satisfied with Hephaestion's looks.
Hephaestion sat obediently
down in front of the mirror and resigned himself to being fussed over by Bagoas
– who, he had to admit, looked good enough to eat. Bagoas' raven hair danced
against the silken shirt he was wearing. Bagoas had taken his time selecting it
and the dark brown color made his eyes stand out even more, underlined with
kohl as they were. Tight jeans and a long brown coat completed the outfit.
Bagoas smiled, sensing
Hephaestion's eyes upon him. He could easily tell by the look Hephaestion was
giving him that his lover liked what he was seeing. "Now hold still."
Bagoas applied the kohl beneath Hephaestion's eyes and then admired his
handiwork. "That's definitely an improvement."
Hephaestion had humored
him at the mall and had allowed him to choose tonight's outfit. Bagoas felt he
had chosen well. He had decided on an all-grey outfit for Hephaestion and the
dark and lighter colors created an interesting mix. The long coat he had
selected for Hephaestion was made from wool and molded itself to Hephaestion's
form. He brushed the auburn hair for a long time until it began to curl a bit
and then applied some gel to get the strands in the desired position.
"That's it."
Hephaestion released the
breath he had been holding. He had to admit that Bagoas had done a good job –
he looked good. "Thanks," he said before claiming Bagoas' right hand
to press a kiss onto its back. That left Alexander, who was still getting ready
for their night out.
The bathroom door opened
and Alexander stepped inside the room. He didn't feel comfortable wearing these
clothes, but Bagoas had assured him that they looked good on him.
"That color really
suits you. I didn't think it would." Hephaestion got to his feet and made
his way over to Alexander, who shuffled his feet, betraying his discomfort. The
burgundy shirt, made from silk, gave Alexander a warm and passionate look.
"You even tried to do your hair."
Alexander snorted and
shrugged his shoulders. "I got almost all the tangles out."
"Bagoas?" Hephaestion gave Bagoas a meaningful look and then
guided Alexander to the seat he had just vacated. "Sit down."
Bagoas picked up his brush
and straightened out the last tangles. "You don't seem comfortable,
Alexander."
"I need to get used
to the fabric." The shirt caressed his skin and his nipples had been erect
ever since he had put it on. Alexander patiently endured the torture Bagoas
subjected him to and watched how his hair began to behave under his lover's
ministrations.
"Here."
Hephaestion handed Alexander his jacket.
Alexander waited for Bagoas
to hum his approval and, when the younger man finally let him go, Alexander
draped the black jacket over his shoulders. He caught a glimpse of all three of
them in the mirror and smiled. "I am very blessed to have the two of
you." The three of them looked good together, and either together or
apart, they would stand out in a crowd. "Methinks Jared Leto will notice us."
Hephaestion gave his lover
a long, hard look. Why was Alexander so worried if Jared noticed them or not?
He had the feeling that he was in for a few surprises tonight and for some
reason that thought worried him.
TBC
Part 5
They got inside
surprisingly fast and easy. All three of them had expected to be facing a much
bigger crowd, but the venue was only filling up slowly. Like Alexander had
predicted, they stood out, as the largest group present existed of young girls.
"I feel like I am in the wrong place," Alexander remarked as he moved
them toward a group of men standing near the stage.
"Jared is
handsome," Bagoas replied, musing aloud. "I can understand why the
band mostly attracts young women." And in turn, the three of them were
also attracting attention. "They seem to like us as well." He was
losing count of the many 'meaningful' looks he was getting.
Hephaestion raised his head
and checked out the stage instead, which featured a huge white backdrop with
"30 seconds to Mars" written on it. "How much
longer before the show starts?"
"We are early,"
Bagoas told him. "About thirty minutes." He then turned and faced
Alexander. "This seems a good moment to tell us what you are up to. I saw
you slip that letter into your pocket, Alexander."
"You have been
watching me, have you?" Alexander looked predatorily at Bagoas. "Just
be patient a little longer."
Hephaestion had long given
up on trying to change Alexander's mind and changed their subject.
"Bagoas, what do you know about the band?" It was amazing, he mused.
Ever since Bagoas had gotten his own laptop, the young man had been researching
a lot of things, this band being one of them.
Bagoas cocked his head and
ignored the hungry look one of the girls was giving him. "I know that
Jared's brother
"And then there is
Jared, of course," Alexander said, giving Hephaestion a wink. "Come
on, admit it! You want to meet with him too!"
"Contrary to you, my Alexander,
I know that there is only a small chance that we will get a shot at talking to
him. Why are you this obsessed with getting into touch with him?"
Hephaestion kept in mind that Alexander had brought the letter and could draw
only one conclusion that made sense. "You are going to give it to him,
aren't you? But why?"
Alexander cocked his head
and his hair danced against his shoulders – a few strands even teased his face.
"You are too smart for your own good, my beloved Hephaestion." He ran
a fingertip along Hephaestion's jaw in a teasing manner. "Trust me, Jared
will notice us." And then he *would* get his chance of slipping Jared the
letter.
~~~
The show finally started
and Alexander regretted being as enthusiastic as to take up position at the front
of the crowd. They were standing in front of the speakers and were about to be
blasted away. He moved away from the stage and found that his lovers were
following him. In the end, they found a nice place from where they could watch
the show.
"It's an eternal pity
that he cut off his hair." Alexander sighed. "I have seen a large
number of pictures of him by now, but he looked best during his time as
Hephaestion."
Hephaestion agreed.
"You're right." Looking at Bagoas, he asked, "What do you
think?"
"The hair will
grow." Bagoas smiled absentmindedly. "The shape of his face is nice,
his eyes are gorgeous, and he has a very sensual voice."
Hephaestion's eyes widened
a bit. Could it be that Bagoas was more smitten with Jared than their lover
wanted them to know? "You don't mind the short hair?"
"It will grow
again," Bagoas repeated, stubbornly.
They listened to the rest
of the songs and enjoyed the show, especially when Jared left the stage and
moved among the crowd. Hephaestion felt Alexander tense up and wondered if this
was it. Was Alexander going to slip Jared the letter now? But Jared didn't come
close enough and then returned to the stage. Disappointment shone from
Alexander's face and Hephaestion squeezed his lover's hand in an effort to
comfort him.
The band then started to
play ‘From Yesterday’ and Alexander grinned, hearing Hephaestion softly sing
along. He was glad that he had made the decision to see them play, for their
performance had returned a certain gleam to his lover's amazing eyes. And with
the realization that Hephaestion was happy, the fact that he had wanted to slip
Jared that letter became less important. He set his scheming inside and simply
savored seeing Hephaestion so happy.
~~~
"They played a good
show." Bagoas leaned back in his chair and nursed his tea. They had sought
out a bar, which was located near the venue where the band had performed, to
get a drink before starting their way back to their hotel. "Jared has an
excellent voice."
Alexander had been staring
into his beer, but looked up when he noticed the commotion near the entrance.
His eyes narrowed in concentration when he saw who had just entered – it was
Jared, along with his brother Shannon. Would he get his chance after all?
"Alexander?" Hephaestion
leaned in closer as he had grown worried seeing Alexander's sudden distant
look. "What's wrong?" He followed the direction of Alexander's stare
and found Jared and
Bagoas had also noticed
the new arrivals and shifted on his chair so he had a better view.
"Alexander, you might get your chance after all." Bagoas blinked,
realizing he was being stared at in turn by Jared Leto.
"Or maybe I will?"
Alexander wasted no time
and adjusted his plan to this new situation. "Bagoas, I want you to slip
him this letter and to tell him something."
Bagoas didn't break eye
contact with Jared when he asked, "Tell him what?"
Alexander leaned in closer
and whispered the words into Bagoas' ear. He would prefer to do this himself,
but it looked like Bagoas had captured Jared's attention instead.
Hephaestion had moved his
chair into the shadows, so his face was shrouded in darkness. He watched the
two brothers as well, but didn't try to establish eye contact. It would have
been nice to talk to Jared about the role he had played in Oliver Stone's film,
but he wasn't going to impose himself.
Bagoas unexpectedly rose
from his chair and Hephaestion frowned at the sudden movement. While Bagoas
made his way over to Jared, Alexander got to his feet, and Hephaestion suddenly
felt himself being pulled to his feet. "Alexander?"
"We are
leaving."
"But I thought…"
Hephaestion felt perplexed. "I thought you wanted to talk to him?"
"I never did. I
merely wanted to make Jared curious and now Bagoas is going to carry out my
plan. We should leave now." For one long moment, Alexander caught Jared's
gaze and he saw the surprise in those alluring eyes, which reminded him of
Hephaestion's. /He can't possibly have recognized me. He doesn't know who I
am./ But Jared was still staring at him… but then the gaze shifted and Jared
was now staring at Hephaestion.
Hephaestion's heart missed
a beat, finally establishing some sort of contact. He smiled tenderly, nodded
his head once, and then quickly followed Alexander toward the exit. Bagoas, in
the meantime, made his way over to Jared's table and was now leaning forward to
deliver Alexander's message.
~~~
Jared felt seldom
impressed, but staring into those deep brown eyes made his heart miss a beat.
The young man – younger than he was, he reckoned – looked terribly exotic and
Jared had a hard time directing his gaze away from him. But he didn't want to
be caught staring. He managed to shift his gaze to the right and sucked in his
breath, staring at a face with extremely powerful features. Blond hair, brown
eyes, and a very determined facial expression made him tense slightly.
Realizing there was a third man seated at that table, he tried to pierce the
shadows with his gaze, but failed. It wasn't until the three men rose from
their chairs that he got his first look of a pair of incredible cerulean eyes.
The depth of emotion, wisdom, and understanding that stared back at him made
Jared realize that he had happened upon a very unique man.
"Jared?"
Jared only had eyes for the
dark-haired beauty that now walked toward him. The eyes, underlined with kohl,
seemed to search his soul and Jared's hands grew clammy due to some emotion
which he couldn't label.
Suddenly, the other man
stood next to him, leaned in closer, and was then whispering into his ear.
"This is a message
from the past, meant for the future. Treat it with respect, my lovely
one." Bagoas took hold of Jared's hand and curled the fingers around
Alexander's letter. "You have no idea yet just how precious the gift is
you are receiving, but if you are determined to find out, you will."
Bagoas caressed Jared's face with a fingertip and then stepped away from the
two brothers.
Jared blinked, feeling
rather dazed. He could still smell the other man's sweet scent and he finally
became aware of the paper edged between his fingers.
"Hey, what was that
about?"
"I have no
idea." Jared blinked in order to clear the cobwebs from his head and then
stared at the letter in his hand. Strands of blond and auburn hair peeked out
from between the sheets of paper. What had happened just now?
Jared unfolded the paper
and caught the locks of hair when they threatened to fall onto the floor. Some
instinct made him tightly curl his fingers around them so they couldn't escape
again.
"What kind of
language is that?"
"Ancient
Greek." During his filming
of Alexander he had seen a few examples of Greek writing and he recognized it
now. But there was more than just the hair and the Greek words. There was a
second, smaller piece of paper hidden away between the folds of the first
letter.
# I want you to have this. If you care enough to have the
letter translated, and understand what I am trying to tell you then fly to
Alexander #
But
Jared didn't throw it away. He tucked the paper and strands of hair safely into
a pocket and then sat back, thinking… thinking hard.
~~~
"Alexander,
you owe me an explanation." They had returned to their hotel room and
Hephaestion circled Alexander like he would a prisoner whom he was about to
interrogate. "What *are* you up to?"
Bagoas
watched the scene unfold with amusement. He had installed himself on one of the
king-sized beds, naked as the day he had been born, and wondered who would win
the battle of wills which was about to follow.
"If
he is interested in finding out the truth, he will have to put some effort into
it. If he does, he will eventually find us." Alexander knew he had to
tread careful now that Hephaestion was giving him *that* look. His lover meant
business.
Hephaestion
came to a halt in front of Alexander and gave him a long, thoughtful look.
"Tell me everything."
Alexander
finally came clean and told Hephaestion about the
message he had written Jared.
"You
gave him your cell phone number?" Hephaestion shook his head in disbelief.
"How could you do that?"
"I
want him to contact us!" Alexander had had enough and glared back at his
lover. "Hephaestion, he probably doesn't believe we are for real! Why are
you overreacting?"
Hephaestion
drew in a deep breath and counted to ten. "Alexander, my sweet, rash,
stupid Alexander… You added an authentic letter to your message and strands of
our hair. If Jared takes this serious – and the gods forbid that he does – then
he will take those items to a scientist, who will date the letter and explain
to Jared that he has uncovered a treasure. And what do you think will happen
then? Do you really think Jared will settle for following your instructions and
call you?" Had Alexander any idea what he had done?
"Hephaestion,
don't take this so seriously," Bagoas said, stretching his body in a
feline way. "Jared probably thinks this is one big joke."
"I
hope he won't throw away that letter – or the hair." Alexander already
regretted his scheming. He hadn't thought this through. "Are you very
angry with me?" He peeked at Hephaestion and gave his lover his most
pleading look. "I am sorry."
Hephaestion
couldn't stay upset with Alexander now that his lover had admitted he had done
something wrong. He opened his arms and pulled Alexander close. "Just
don't do such a stupid thing again, Alexander."
"I
am sorry that I gave away a lock of your hair," Alexander said in a tiny
voice. "At least I kept most of the braid at home."
"Alexander…
Hephaestion…" Bagoas had moved into a kneeling position on the bed and
raised his hands invitingly. "Stop arguing and join me in bed." He
knew he oozed sexuality and made good use of it. "Come over here."
Hephaestion
knew when he was beaten and sat down on the side of the bed, pulling Alexander
with him. "Don't worry about it, Bagoas. I can never stay cross with
Alexander for long." The look Bagoas gave him was full of seduction and
the heat he was feeling rose to Hephaestion's face. To see Bagoas like this,
fully aware of his sensuality, was something he had never witnessed before.
Alexander might have seen it during their first life time, but it was new for him.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, sounding rather puzzled.
"I
am taking off your clothes, Hephaestion. I want to see you naked. I want to
feel your skin against mine." Bagoas sensually whispered the words in his
lover's ear and planted a firm kiss on Hephaestion's lips while slipping his
shirt down. Feeling Hephaestion's skin beneath his fingertips made them tingle
and he exchanged a meaningful look with Alexander. Was Alexander able to read
his intentions where Hephaestion was considered?
Alexander
had a fairly good idea what Bagoas' plans were and pressed against Hephaestion
from behind. He slipped his arms around Hephaestion's waist and then unzipped
his lover's trousers. A pleased and amused sparkle appeared in Bagoas' eyes and
the younger man nodded his head approvingly.
Hephaestion
experienced something that could only be labeled as sensual overload. Bagoas
was in front of him, still kneeling on the bed, and his lover was now pulling
him closer. In the meantime, Alexander rubbed himself against him from behind,
and his lover's hands were busy pulling down his trousers.
Bagoas
and Alexander maintained eye contact and it helped them maneuver Hephaestion
onto the bed while Alexander did away with Hephaestion's restrictive trousers
and underwear.
Hephaestion
found himself naked and with Bagoas' arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him
onto the bed until he was also kneeling on the mattress. Bagoas' sensual eyes
and the dark hair called to him and, feeling helpless to resist this
temptation, he buried his fingers in the raven mane. Bagoas carried a scent he
hadn't smelled before and he wondered what it was. It was heavy and musky and
that fragrance made him horny as hell.
Alexander
had realized some time ago that he liked to watch his lovers touch and so he
pulled a chair closer to the bed, unzipped his slacks, and sat down on the
chair stroking his cock.
Amused,
Bagoas saw Alexander get comfortable. He hadn't realized until now that
Alexander was a voyeur, but this fact gave him the chance he had hoped for – he
had wanted Hephaestion for himself for a while, and it looked like his wish was
about to be granted. "You are so beautiful, Hephaestion, so strong,"
he whispered as he slid his hands down his lover's chest. The expression in the
blue eyes undid him, and Bagoas moaned wantonly, voicing his need. He nipped at
Hephaestion's bottom lip, dragged his hand along his lover's erection, and then
began a slow stroking motion.
Hephaestion
sucked in his breath sharply. Bagoas had never looked like this before – like
liquid sex, and the desire -- no lust – that shone from those brown eyes took
him aback. "You are the beautiful one here."
Bagoas
chuckled softly and decided this wasn't worth fighting over – not when they
could be doing much more delicious things. "Lie down, my love."
Before
Hephaestion knew what was happening, Bagoas had pushed him onto his back. The
raven vision now hovered above him and strands of long hair danced against his
chest. "What are you doing to me?"
Bagoas
moved his head just a little, so the ends of his hair teased Hephaestion's
nipples into hardness. Yes, this was the first time that Hephaestion saw this
side of him, but Bagoas felt confident that his lover would grow used to it.
Ever since he had accepted the older Bagoas as a part of him, he had also
become more agreeable to the eunuch's character traits and the truth was that
Bagoas had liked turning Alexander on in the past. The same thing now applied
where Hephaestion was concerned. "I am trying to make you feel good."
Bagoas gave Hephaestion a wicked smile and then moved down the trembling body
until he reached his lover's groin. Hephaestion was hard and the head of his
member glistered with pre-ejaculate.
Hephaestion
gasped for breath now that Bagoas boldly swallowed his cock. "Ba…" He had wanted to stop Bagoas, to tell him that he
didn't have to do this. He was still afraid that such an act would bring back
bad memories for Bagoas, but the strong suction that his cock was now subjected
to was making it impossible for him to think, let alone speak, and he thrust
into that sweet mouth, unable to keep himself in check.
Alexander,
who had been stroking himself, now stopped. He was too close to coming and
didn't want to find release just yet. Instead, he simply watched the raven head
bob and Hephaestion thrust. The two of them looked good together.
Hephaestion's
head lolled from right to left and his fingers clawed at the sheet.
"Bagoas, I…" He was about to come and didn't think Bagoas was ready
to swallow. He still thought of his younger lover as damaged by the abuse he
had suffered and therefore fragile.
Bagoas'
thoughts however differed hugely from Hephaestion's. Yes, he pulled away, but
only to reach for the lubricant. Hephaestion's uncontrolled thrusts and trembling
had told him that his lover was close to finding release and that had made him
stop stimulating Hephaestion for now. He wanted Hephaestion to find release in
another way. "Roll onto your stomach for me," he ordered in the most
seductive voice he could muster and, as he whispered the words into
Hephaestion's ear, he also licked the arch and finished by nibbling on the
earlobe.
His
trembling increased now that he knew what Bagoas' plans for him were and Hephaestion
did as he was told and rolled onto his stomach. He parted his legs somewhat and
sighed deeply into the pillow when Bagoas coated his passage with the cool
lubricant.
Once
he was satisfied that his lover was sufficiently prepared, Bagoas looked at
Alexander from over his shoulder and nodded his head once, hoping that
Alexander caught on.
Alexander
was already in the process of removing his clothes. He was ready to take part
in their lovemaking and had ideas of his own on how to do that. A sharp yelp,
coming from Hephaestion, stilled his movements and, enraptured, he watched
Hephaestion tremble beneath Bagoas the moment the younger man took possession
of him.
Hephaestion's
muffled yelp disappeared somewhat into the pillow, but then he used his
considerable strength to push himself onto all fours.
Bagoas'
breath caught, as he watched Hephaestion push himself onto his hands and knees
and adjusted to the new position. He was already halfway inside his lover's
body and, after shifting closer, he also slid in the rest of the way. "You
are tight, my love… You make me feel so good." He placed his hands on
Hephaestion's buttocks and massaged them.
Hephaestion
felt like he was going crazy now that Bagoas was inside him but not moving.
"Please thrust!" Bagoas had prepared him well; there had been no
pain, no discomfort, only desire and lust and now he tried his best to move his
hips in order for Bagoas' cock to rub against his prostate, but the trick
wasn't working.
"Someone
once said that patience is a virtue," Bagoas whispered, squeezing
Hephaestion's buttocks in a teasing way. Well aware of the fact that he
couldn't allow Hephaestion's erection to falter, he reached below his lover's
stomach and curled his fingers around the slippery cock.
The
touch brought Hephaestion pleasure and disappointment, for he had hoped that
Bagoas would stroke his cock, but the fingers stayed in place, keeping him on
the edge.
Alexander
had reached for the tube Bagoas had discarded and had coated his cock with the
lubricant. He now knelt on the bed behind Bagoas and pressed close so the
younger man felt his hardness pressed against his buttocks. "Is this what
you want?" One of his fingers already reached for the opening to Bagoas'
body and then slipped inside. He had used plenty of lubricant, always keeping
in mind that Bagoas had already suffered too much pain in his lives.
Bagoas
moaned and quivered at Alexander's touch. "Yes…" Leaning in closer,
he rested his upper body on Hephaestion's back and wrapped his arm around
Hephaestion for support. His head rested close to Hephaestion's ear and strands
of the auburn hair caressed his face. "Hephaestion, I count on you being
the strong one right now." He doubted he could muster the strength to keep
them upright once Alexander started thrusting.
Hephaestion
finally realized what was about to happen and turned his head so he could look
Bagoas in the eye. "You hardly weigh a thing, love."
Alexander
had removed his fingers and now spread the firm mounds of flesh to bare the tiny
opening to his eyes. Squeezing more lubricant onto his cock, he moved closer
still. Alexander wrapped his fingers around his shaft, positioned himself at
the opening, and then entered Bagoas.
Moaning
now that the pressure was intensifying, Hephaestion realized that their
lovemaking had started for real and that Alexander was sheathing himself inside
Bagoas.
Alexander
rested one hand at the small of Bagoas' back and slipped the other toward his
lover's neck. Once he had a good hold on Bagoas, he pushed deeper inside until
he was buried to the balls. "Bagoas…" He whispered the name in
surprise and gratitude: surprised that Bagoas took him so easily and gratitude
because Bagoas trusted him so much to surrender in such a beautiful way. Alexander
vowed that he would never betray that trust and he stilled his movements,
giving both of his lovers a chance to grow used to the new situation.
Hephaestion
had flexed his muscles and carried Bagoas' weight, which was draped atop of
him. Now that Alexander had fully claimed Bagoas, the younger man's cock in
turn was also pushed deeper into his channel and the tip of that hard flesh now
rested against his prostate, causing a delightful sensation in the pit of his
stomach. "Thrust, Alexander!"
Alexander
chuckled and, due to the movement, his cock twitched inside Bagoas' passage.
Bagoas groaned and bit his bottom lip as his prostate was teased in turn.
Alexander heard that sound and wanted nothing more than to hear Bagoas groan
louder. "Like this?" He almost pulled out and then slid home again.
His lovers' reactions were instant: they trembled and moans tumbled from their
lips. "Or this?" This time his thrust was a
little more aggressive and Bagoas' reaction was to hold onto Hephaestion for
support.
Alexander, who was growing into his
part, said, "I love seeing the two of you at my mercy." Thrusting
again, he slid one hand up the curve of Bagoas' spine and buried his fingers in
the black strands. He kept his touch light and never pulled at the hair, but he
did put enough pressure on Bagoas' mane to make the younger man aware of just
how much they were at his mercy. "You look so needy, so wanton – so damn
sexy."
Bagoas
quivered and was driven even deeper into Hephaestion's passage with Alexander's
next thrust. When he had started this, he had hoped that they would be able to
take this to the next level. All three of them were now confident in their
relationship and they understood each other, their needs, and their fears.
Alexander
finally got fed up with taking them slowly and sped up his thrusts. His hands
now encircled Bagoas' waist and he kept his lover in place, so he could aim
each of his strokes at Bagoas' prostate.
Bagoas
came first. Unable to withstand the dual sensation for long, he buried his face
in Hephaestion's hair at the moment of his climax.
Hephaestion
yelped helplessly now that Bagoas' seed flooded his insides. "Bagoas, I
need…"
Bagoas,
although in the throes of his climax, heard his lover's pleading tone and
finally stroked Hephaestion's member – firmly and insistently. A few seconds
later, his manipulation resulted in Hephaestion reaching orgasm in turn and the
contractions around his member started. Hephaestion managed to milk the last
drops of seed from his already softening member and Bagoas moaned pitifully now
that Alexander continued to thrust in pursuit of his own orgasm.
Alexander
loved seeing Bagoas and Hephaestion abandoned to his thrusts. Hephaestion was
about to go down, unable to stay on all fours for much longer and Alexander
actually hoped that his lover would crumble. Hephaestion suddenly collapsed and
slid onto his stomach, taking Bagoas, who was still inside of him, down with
him. Alexander had expected for this to happen and followed suit. Taking them
in this position felt even more sublime and he let go of any restraints, fears
and doubts he might have had.
Bagoas
bit his bottom lip, drawing a tiny droplet of blood and surrendered to the
wonderful feeling of having Alexander possess him so completely. "Yes,
have me… have me every way you want… Harder… Harder,
Alexander…"
Hearing
those words was Alexander's undoing and they catapulted him toward orgasm. He
whipped his hips forward and, once he was buried to the balls inside of Bagoas'
passage, he let go. His seed erupted from the head and filled Bagoas from the
inside. "Mine… both of you are mine." In order to stake his claim, he
sucked the skin of Bagoas' throat hard, leaving a passion mark which would
remain visible for days. "Mine!"
Bagoas
was about to faint due to the intensity of their lovemaking. Being stuck in the
middle gave him no room to move and he had a hard time drawing in his next
breath. As a result he had grown light-headed.
Alexander
howled victoriously as he filled Bagoas with his seed. "Mine!" His
euphoria lasted another minute and then he slowly came down from the adrenaline
rush, finally realizing the awkward positions his lovers were in. Once he had
sufficiently softened, he slowly pulled out, and drops of seed followed him on
the way out, dripping onto Bagoas' buttocks.
Realizing
he was the only one who was still moving, Alexander took it upon himself to
care for his lovers, whom *he* had exhausted. He pushed his hands below Bagoas'
now still form and rolled the younger man off of Hephaestion's back and onto
his side. "Bagoas?" He frowned, as Bagoas
had closed his eyes and the younger man's breathing was labored.
"Just
give me a moment… to catch… my breath." That had been intense! His head
reeled and heaviness settled inside his bones. He simply didn't want to move
right now – not even open his eyes.
Alexander
grinned impishly and then moved on to Hephaestion. Rolling him onto his side as
well, he found the eyes open, but the pupils were dilated and the irises had darkened.
They were almost violet now and that sensation made Alexander stare at
Hephaestion in adoration. "You loved that." He had seen the color
change before, but it only happened when Hephaestion was completely sated.
"I
did. I love it when the three of us make love. It's so powerful,"
Hephaestion murmured in a heavy, sleepy voice. "And there was no
honey," he added teasingly.
Alexander
smiled. "We are not using the honey ever again." Alexander continued
to smile, recalling the sticky situation they had found themselves in when they
had used the honey. Hephaestion's violet eyes had closed and that told him just
how much they had worn Hephaestion down. "And all you can think of right
now is sleep, so why don't you close your eyes and give in?" Alexander
chuckled and ran his hands along his lovers' flanks. It appeared he was the
only one who their lovemaking had left invigorated. "I will clean us up
and you can doze off while I do just that."
Knowing
he had to be quick, Alexander left the bed, fetched water, washing clothes and
towels, and set about cleaning them up.
Once
all three of them had been cleaned up, Alexander stretched out between them. He
pulled Hephaestion close and his lover cuddled up to him on his right side.
Bagoas made himself comfortable on his left and rested
his head on Alexander's chest. Alexander had wrapped his arms around their
waists and smiled contentedly at the ceiling. It wasn't long before Bagoas' and
Hephaestion's breathing evened out and then deepened, which was a sure sign
that they had fallen asleep.
Alexander,
however, stayed awake a little longer and thanked the gods for reuniting them
in this life time. This was what he had always wanted: to be happy. In his
first life, he had made the mistake of thinking that becoming the King of Asia
would fulfill him. Back then, he hadn't seen the true treasure that would
fulfill him, but now he did.
TBC
Part 6
"Hello,
Jared, it is nice to see you again. So how have you been?" Laeta was the
expert who Oliver Stone had contracted to guide them during the filming of
'Alexander' and the Greek professor had taught them a lot about Alexander the
Great and the life he had led. Jared's phone call had surprised him and he had
given in to his curiosity and told Jared to come over when the American actor
had mentioned having come into possession of an authentic looking letter.
"I
am fine… Always busy, though." He had three weeks off until the band's
next show and had flown out to
"I
rescheduled the class which I should be teaching right now. So what is the
emergency?" Laeta gestured for Jared to seat himself opposite his desk and
steepled his fingers. His glasses slipped slightly
down his nose, giving him a hard and stern look, but Jared knew better than
that.
"I
was given this two months ago and I have been wondering about it ever
since." Before coming here, Jared had removed the note written in English
and he now handed the black-haired and tanned professor the Greek letter and
the locks of hair. "I want to know what it says."
Laeta
unfolded the letter and frowned at seeing the twined locks of hair. "It
looks authentic, but I would have to do some tests to find out if it's real or
a fake. I also need a day or two for the translation." The paper felt old
between his fingers, but he knew forgers had long learned to make excellent
fakes. "Why don't you see me again the day after tomorrow? We will do
lunch."
Jared
felt relieved now that Laeta had agreed to check on the letter. "Sure,
just let me know when and where." He reached for a piece of paper on
Laeta's desk and scribbled down the address and phone number of the hotel he
was staying in. "Thanks for doing this for me."
"I
owe you for portraying Hephaestion the way you did. You played him well." Laeta
rose from his chair following Jared's example and shook his friend's hand. The
letter looked intriguing and he wanted to get started on it.
~~~
Jared
stretched out on his bed and stared at the news bulletin on the TV. A part of
him still couldn't believe that he had flown out here to have that letter
examined.
So
why had he come here? He wasn't quite certain. Yes, the writing looked
intriguing and he was curious to learn what Laeta would discover about the
strands of hair – that was, if there was something to find.
No,
it had been those brown, gentle eyes which had made him place the call to
Laeta. Those large, deer-like eyes and the sensual voice
which belonged to the stranger who had slipped him that letter in
~~~
The
first thing Jared noticed when he sat down opposite Laeta in the comfortable,
small restaurant was the feverish expression in the almost black eyes.
Frowning, he studied his friend. What had gotten him all riled up?
"Jared, who gave you that
letter?" Laeta leaned in closer, dying to hear the answer. Maybe
there were more facts to discover, more historic evidence to uncover.
"I
was touring in
"Jared,
the letter is real – it's authentic. It was written over two thousand years ago
by Alexander the Great and it was addressed to Hephaestion. Do you realize that
this is the first *very real* evidence we found that proves the two of them
were lovers? It is a love letter, you know. Alexander speaks of his undying
love for Hephaestion and even mentions more intimate details, like holding and
kissing him. So far, all we had were hints!"
Jared's
eyes had widened during Laeta's speech. "Are you certain that it's real?
How can that be? Maybe it’s just a very good forgery?"
"Trust
me, when I found out what I was dealing with, I asked several colleagues of
mine to have a look and they confirmed my findings – it's real. Do you have any
idea how important this letter is? We will have to rewrite history and we can
finally give Hephaestion the place he so deserves – at Alexander's side as his
mate."
Jared
leaned back into the comfort of his chair. His head spun with all the things
Laeta had said. "Did you bring it with you?"
Laeta
uncovered the letter and placed it on the table with obvious respect.
"Would you consider donating it to the museum? Mankind deserves to know
the truth. They deserve to know how deep Alexander's love for Hephaestion
ran."
Jared
ignored the question for now as he wanted one more answer. "What about the
hair?"
"I
can't say much for certain. It is old, just as old as the letter, but I can't
tell you whom it belonged to." Laeta shrugged his shoulders. "One
might consider the possibility that it's Alexander's and Hephaestion's, but we
have no way to verify that."
Jared
took the strands into his hand and rubbed the hair with his fingertips.
"Did you translate the letter for me?"
Laeta
produced the translation and placed the document on the table. "Jared, you
have no idea just how important this letter is. Let us have it. Let us study it
further and let us rewrite history. Don't keep this to yourself."
Jared
gave in. "You can have it for now. Study it, examine it, publish it, do
what ever you need to do, but I am not giving it to the museum, or to you. I am
lending it to you."
"That's
fair enough." Laeta quickly tucked Alexander's letter back into a pocket.
"Do you know of a way to contact this stranger who gave you that letter?
If you do, contact him. He might be able to supply us with more answers."
Jared
was grateful that he hadn't shown the English message to Laeta. The professor
might otherwise have already called this 'Alexander'. "I might… I'll let
you know if I succeed." Jared collected the translation, and slipped it,
together with the strands of hair back, into a pocket. "Thanks,
Laeta."
"No,
thank *you*." His head still reeled from everything he had discovered. He
would publish the letter, and by doing that, he would change the face of
history.
Jared
rose from his chair, shook Laeta's hand, and headed for the exit.
~~~
Once
he was back at his hotel, Jared sat down and uncovered the message and his cell
phone. Two months had passed by since he had first laid eyes on the strands of
hair, and during all that time, he had wondered what would happen once he made
that phone call.
It
looked like he was about to find out.
Jared
punched in the number and waited…
~~~
"Why
is your cell phone ringing?" The noise had disrupted his concentration and
Bagoas shot the cell phone an angry glare. He had been practicing a new dance
and lost his footing while carrying out a complicated move.
"How
am I supposed to know?" Alexander picked up the cell phone and answered
the call. "Yes?" The silence echoing back at him made him frown.
"Who is this?"
"Jared…
Jared Leto. You gave me your number about two months
ago, together with a letter and strands of hair."
Alexander's
eyes widened. He hadn't thought Jared would follow through. "And now you
decided to give me a call? Does that mean you're in
"I
have been in
"Ah,
so you know it's real?"
"I
do… And I placed the call you asked for. What will happen now?"
"Where
are you staying? Give me the address and I will pick you up. You can stay with
us. There is no reason for you to stay in a hotel when we have a spare
room." Alexander cringed. How in Zeus' name was he going to inform his
lovers of this unexpected development? How would Hephaestion react? And Bagoas?
Jared
gave him his address and Alexander scribbled it down. "Stay there until
tomorrow morning. I will pick you up after breakfast." It was already late
and he didn't want to drive during the night. It would also give him a chance
to think about the way he was going to prepare Hephaestion and Bagoas where
Jared's impending arrival was concerned.
"You
will find me in the lobby. Let's say around
"Sounds good to me."
Alexander's face contorted as he realized that Hephaestion had successfully
snuck up on him and was now listening in on the phone call. "I will be
there."
"How
will I know you?"
"I
will know you." Alexander terminated the call and kept his eyes lowered
now that he felt Hephaestion's knowing eyes on him.
"Alexander…"
Hephaestion sounded exasperated. Had he drawn the right conclusion? "Did
you talk to who I think you were talking to?"
"How
am I supposed to know who you think I was talking to?" Alexander tried his
best to postpone the argument which would follow.
"Alexander,
did you talk to Jared Leto just now?"
Hephaestion lowered himself on his heels in front of Alexander and placed a
finger beneath his lover's chin. Lifting the face, he sought the brown eyes and
found his answer there. "You did."
Bagoas
listened up, feeling rather intrigued. "He actually called you? Does that
mean he took your letter seriously?"
"He
had it examined and it proved genuine -- of course. Now he is curious to learn
where it came from." Alexander eventually met Hephaestion's eyes and
cringed, seeing the tired expression in them. "I wouldn't do it again, you
know. I wouldn't give him the letter again, but I did, and now we have to find
a way to deal with what has happened."
"If
Jared had that letter checked out then it will be published and probably end up
in a museum," Hephaestion mused aloud. "I doubt they can do much
damage by examining our hair. I just hope that Jared will return it to
us."
Alexander
wrung his hands and his features contorted. "Hephaestion, I told him I
would pick him up tomorrow morning."
"You
are bringing him here?" Bagoas blinked. "Alexander, what do you think
Jared Leto will think once he meets with us? *We*
know who we are – that our souls have been reincarnated. Jared won't believe
that. He will think that we have lost our minds."
Alexander
wished he had never slipped Jared that letter. "I wasn't thinking."
Hephaestion
drew in a deep breath. "You have always been impulsive and it has served
you well. It helped you conquer
Bagoas
suspected that Alexander knew exactly how to manipulate Hephaestion, but wisely
kept quiet. He wasn't going to start world war three.
~~~
They
cleaned and readied the spare room so Jared would have his privacy during his
stay.
When
they snuggled up to each other that evening, Bagoas failed to fall asleep, even
long after Alexander and Hephaestion had dozed off.
Hephaestion
had been right when he had said that he seemed infatuated with Jared Leto. He didn't know why he continued to think of the actor
with those amazing eyes. Maybe it was his still tender age, his hormones, or a
subconscious desire to have a fling. /Would I ever cheat on Alexander and
Hephaestion? Why would I? They are everything I need… Everything I ever wanted.
I would be insane to throw their love away./
How
could he feel attracted to Jared Leto when he already
loved Alexander and Hephaestion? /I have to crush this infatuation. I can't
allow it to continue. It's foolish to think of him in that way. It's not like
he could ever be interested in me that way and I don't want to risk Alexander's
and Hephaestion's love./ He was merely fooling himself by thinking of Jared Leto in a romantic way.
Bagoas'
thoughts continued to run in circles for many hours that night and, when he
finally managed to fall asleep, it was already morning.
~~~
"And
remember to behave yourself, Alexander. You don't want to scare Jared
off." Hephaestion affectionately tucked a strand of Alexander's hair in
place behind his lover's ear.
"I
will do my best." Alexander leaned in closer and pressed a kiss onto
Hephaestion's lips. "I should be back before dinner." Alexander gave
his beloved Hephaestion a hungry look and then released his lover's hands. They
had decided that, as Alexander had gotten them into this mess, he had to put in
the most effort to make this work. Alexander would pick Jared up and introduce
him to his lovers.
Bagoas
had watched them closely and now followed them over to the car. This was one
moment where he didn't want to attract Alexander's attention as he gathered
that Hephaestion had the oldest right to say his goodbyes to Alexander first.
"Bye,
Bagoas. Keep an eye on Hephaestion for me." Alexander had noticed Bagoas'
distant behavior and wouldn't have it. Leaning in, he deposited a rather chaste
kiss onto the younger man's lips.
"I
will." Bagoas smiled radiantly at Alexander for kissing him goodbye.
Alexander
released Bagoas and opened the car door when another surprise awaited him.
Stretched out on the backseat was Peritas, snoring contentedly. "Oh no, do
I have to wake him?"
Peritas
woke up due to Alexander's outcry and the loyal, dark eyes fastened on
Alexander. No, he wasn't moving. He was comfortable here and he planned on
staying here.
"Looks
like you will have to take him along for the ride." Hephaestion chuckled.
Alexander
shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I will come across as more reliable with a
dog in the back of my car."
Bagoas
rolled his eyes. Alexander made a certain impression on anyone he met and
Peritas' presence wasn't going to change that.
Alexander
sat down behind the wheel, started the car, and looked at his dog from over his
shoulder. "This is your last chance to get out and to be pampered by those
two."
"Come
over here, Peritas," Hephaestion ordered in an effort to draw the dog out.
But
all Peritas did was to rest his head on his paws and close his eyes. He wished they
would stop disturbing his sleep.
"Looks
like you just got your answer," Bagoas commented jokingly.
"All
right, then you are coming with me." Alexander closed the door and started
the car. "We are off to
But
Peritas remained unimpressed and continued to snore softly.
~~~
Jared
was surprised to realize that he was nervous. He had called
He
was seated in the lobby and had chosen a spot from where he had an excellent
view of the doorway. He had no idea whom to expect. Maybe he hoped it was the
raven-haired beauty who had caught his attention that
day, but he somehow doubted he was 'Alexander'.
His
suit case stood next to him and he tapped against it with his foot. Checking
the time, he realized his 'Alexander' was late – almost half an hour late.
Maybe it had all been one big joke? But then again, this 'Alexander' had
sounded genuine when they had talked on the phone.
Suddenly
the door opened and a fair-haired man stepped inside. Jared immediately
recognized the man as the one he had seen in that bar at
Alexander
scanned the lobby and quickly located Jared Leto, who
now rose from the couch. Walking up to him, Alexander extended his hand in
greeting. "Sorry that I am late, but there was a traffic jam."
Jared
immediately identified the accent and was surprised to find he was dealing with
a fellow American. "I'm Jared." He accepted and shook the stranger's
hand.
"And
I am Alexander. Is that your luggage?" Figuring he should make a good
impression now that he still had the chance, Alexander picked up Jared's suit
case.
"Yeah,
that's it." Jared wanted to ask a battery of questions, but didn't – not
yet.
Alexander
hesitated for one moment, recalling his lovers' words. "You can trust me,
you know. I am no insane, homicidal maniac. You will be safe with me."
Jared
couldn't help it: he laughed. "And that's supposed to make be feel
safer?"
Alexander
had the grace to blush. "My lover suggested I should try to make you feel
more comfortable, but I am not good at this. He is the diplomat."
Jared's
curiosity was piqued. He followed Alexander out onto the street and asked,
"Your lover?"
Alexander
cringed. "I actually have two of them." They had reached his car and
he put the suit case in the trunk. "I am going to sound so
unbelievable."
Jared
found the situation highly amusing. He was about to make a remark as he opened
the car door, but remained quiet as he saw a dog raise his head and give him a
tired look. "And who's that?"
"That's
Peritas – he is developing bad habits in his old age." Alexander slipped
behind the wheel and started the car. "The journey home will take us two
or three hours – depends on how busy traffic is."
"And
where is home?" Jared stretched his legs as far as he could and unbuttoned
his long, black coat. It had been chilly during the morning, but it was rather
warm inside the car.
"Near the coast. We bought
a cottage there." Alexander wondered how he could have been so stupid as
to maneuver himself into this situation. What did he expect? Did he really
expect Jared to believe him that Alexander the Great had been reincarnated and
that he was it?
"You
said 'we' again. Tell me, I am curious. You did say that you had two
lovers."
"Oh,
you are not going to believe any of this – you will think me insane… And I
can't blame you." Alexander did his best to concentrate on the road.
"Jared, do you believe in reincarnation?"
That
was the last question Jared had expected to hear. "Reincarnation?
I never gave that idea much thought. Why are you asking?"
"Because
if you don't believe in reincarnation you will have a hard time believing
anything I will tell you." Peritas was now snoring even louder and the
sound made Alexander arch an eyebrow. "He sounds comfortable."
Jared
was still digesting Alexander's remark. He had reached one hell of a conclusion
which he couldn't believe. "Are you trying to tell me that you think you
were Alexander in another life?"
"In my first life." Alexander
cringed; Jared didn't sound like he was going to believe any of it, but he had
to try to make him understand. Maybe it was best if he started at the
beginning. "It all changed when I decided to visit
~~~
One
hour later, they stopped at a roadside restaurant for a drink. Alexander had judged
it best to take a break as he had been worried about the expression in Jared's
eyes. /He thinks I am
Seated
at a table in the back, Jared sipped his coffee. The caffeine did its job and
shook him from his musings. "And you expect me to believe this? That
you're Alexander the Great and that your lovers are Hephaestion and
Bagoas?" Was this some sort of mass delusion? Had those three men
convinced themselves that they were incarnations of those three historical
characters?
"I
am not Alexander the Great – I used to be him, though, but I am a different
person today. I was a cop until I got shot and I never thought I could have
lived before. It all changed that day at
"The
letter's real," Jared said, nodding his head once. "Where did you get
it?"
"Bagoas
took it from my tomb."
"Your tomb?" Jared's
month suddenly grew dry and he quickly took another sip. Deciding to play
along, he added, "But Alexander's tomb – or his body – was never
found."
"That's
because Bagoas took my remains to
In
spite of his doubts, Jared felt intrigued. "No, we'll continue. I'm
curious to meet this 'Hephaestion'."
"You
have seen him before. He stood next to me that day in the bar."
"The one with the blue eyes? They're
amazing." And that was quite a thing to say, as most people thought his
eyes were pretty amazing as well. "And what about
'Bagoas'?"
"He
slipped you that letter." Alexander finished his hot chocolate and eyed
Jared closely.
"That
was Bagoas?" Now he could give his dark-haired beauty a name. "And
the three of you all live together?"
"And
love together. I made huge mistakes in my first life, and so did Bagoas. We
wronged Hephaestion in many ways and this is our chance to make amends. I don't
expect you to believe any of this, but it's the truth."
"So
why did you decide to slip me that letter? Why not Colin Farrell? He played Alexander,
you know."
"I
didn't really like him that much in the film. You did much better, portraying
Hephaestion."
This
was getting more interesting with each passing minute. "You saw
'Alexander'?"
"I
convinced Hephaestion and Bagoas to go. I can be pretty convincing when I want
to." Now that Jared still acted calm and controlled, Alexander became a
bit more confident that everything might still work out. "Your acting
impressed us, and Bagoas thought Francisco Bosch did very well, considering the
fact that he didn't have any lines."
Jared
shook his head in amazement. "I don't know what to make of you – or any of
this."
"Just
give us a chance. You don't have to believe anything we will tell you – or the
things you will witness, but just keep an open mind. Can you do that? Because
if you can't I will take you back to your hotel. I don't want you ridiculing
Hephaestion or Bagoas – I love them too much to allow that."
"I
don't know why, but I want to believe you," Jared said eventually.
"But you're talking about reincarnation and tombs and… It's much to take
in."
"You
have time, Jared. We won't pressure or push you in any way. Just promise me
that you will treat Hephaestion and Bagoas with respect. They deserve
that."
"You
love them a lot," Jared commented, realizing that Alexander was serious.
"They
are my life, Jared. Without Hephaestion…" Alexander searched for the right
words to explain his feelings to Jared. "I don't know how much research
you did for your role, but Hephaestion kept me sane. He was the guardian of my
soul. I grew up in a dysfunctional family and he was the only one I could
trust. Hephaestion… There are no words to describe much I love him."
Jared
smiled gently at Alexander to reassure him. "You have a way with
words."
"Only
because of Hephaestion… He always makes me open up and discuss my
feelings…" Alexander gave Jared a hopeful smile. "So do you think you
can do this and keep an open mind?"
Jared
had always thought of himself as a good judge of character and Alexander seemed
trustworthy. He didn't pick up on any malicious vibes when he looked into those
old eyes. Either Alexander had truly convinced himself that he was the
incarnation of Alexander the Great or… -- and Jared's head reeled even just
thinking it – reincarnation did exist. "I'll keep an open mind."
Alexander
nodded once. "Then let's leave. Hephaestion and Bagoas are waiting for us
and we are already late." Alexander paid for their drinks and the two men
returned to the car. Peritas had woken up by now and demanded they took him for
a short walk, which they did, as Alexander didn't want his car peed on.
In
the end, they left ten minutes later and Alexander hoped he was doing the right
thing in taking Jared to their little cottage.
TBC
Part 7
Hephaestion
had been typing away on his laptop when he'd heard the sounds of a car
approaching. It could only mean that Alexander had returned – and just as his
lover had promised: before dinner time.
Hephaestion
finished typing the message to a publisher he was offering his book on
Aristotle to, sent the message, and then closed the laptop. He wondered what
Alexander had told Jared so far and if the American already considered them
mad. Hephaestion knew how their story had to sound to someone who hadn't been
in on the ride from the beginning.
Rising
from behind the kitchen table, Hephaestion cast a look out of the kitchen
window and saw that Bagoas was concentrating deeply on his dancing. He decided
that warning Bagoas could wait for another minute and headed for the doorway to
welcome Jared to their little home. He could only hope that Alexander had
handled telling Jared in a good way.
~~~
"This
is it. This is our home." Alexander switched off the engine, opened the
door, and stepped outside. Peritas was interested in getting out as well and
was trying to dig himself a way to the outside by burrowing his nails along the
back of the seat. Alexander quickly helped the dog to get out and watched with
amusement how Peritas made his way over to Hephaestion, wagging his tail and
snuffling in the other man's familiar scent.
Alexander
met Hephaestion's gaze and smiled encouragingly. So far, things were going
well.
Jared
had stepped out of the car as well and took a moment to stretch. Raising his
arms high above his head, he tried to undo the knots that had formed in his
back during the three-hour drive. Turning around, he took in the cottage and
the man standing in the doorway. A strange sensation swept through him and he
was at a loss to identify what he was feeling, but he almost felt magically
drawn toward this man.
Alexander
sighed to show his relief and his smile brightened now that Jared was already
moving toward his lover. "Jared, this is Hephaestion, my other half."
Feeling
a bit nervous, Hephaestion walked toward Jared and extended his hand in
greeting. "Welcome to our home, Jared." Now that he had a chance to
study Jared from up close, he had to admit that Jared’s eyes were gorgeous and
he shared Alexander's sentiments when it came down to the fact that Jared's
hair was too damn short. It had started to grow again, but it was still a far
cry from the lovely mane Jared had possessed when he had been filming
Alexander. "I hope you'll like your stay here."
Jared's
eyes narrowed and he studied Hephaestion closely. There was something familiar
about the man, but he couldn't say what it was. He accepted the offered hand
and shook it. "I'm glad I accepted your invitation to visit… I
think." Only a moment ago, he'd still had dozens of questions, but he couldn't
remember any of them now that he was looking into Hephaestion's eyes.
"We
readied a room for you so you'll have your privacy." Hephaestion exchanged
another look with Alexander. Did his lover know why Jared was looking at him in
such an odd way? "I'll show you so you can freshen up a bit before
dinner."
"I'll
start dinner." Alexander was looking forward to doing some cooking – that
activity always relaxed him. He opened the trunk, lifted Jared's suit case out
of it, and handed it to Hephaestion. Directing his attention to Jared once
more, Alexander added, "You're in the best of hands."
Jared
finally managed a smile. He hadn't realized just how nervous he had felt until
a moment ago, when that anxiety had begun to decrease. He had been worried that
he had made a terrible mistake in accepting Alexander's offer, he realized. He
hadn't known where the hell he would end up and with which people. But he liked
Alexander and Hephaestion simply intrigued him.
Hephaestion
gestured for Jared to follow him and he guided their guest to the spare room.
"It's no five-star hotel, but I hope it will do." He placed the suit
case onto the bed and then turned to face Jared once more. "You're free to
leave, you know. Just tells us when you want to go back to civilization and
Alexander will drive you to the airport." It was important to him that
Jared knew that he wasn't some sort of prisoner there.
"I
have two weeks left until my next gig and I would like to spend it here, I
think." Jared slowly raised his right hand and let it hover just in front
of Hephaestion's face. "Are you really him? Are you really…?"
"Hephaestion?
Yes." Hephaestion sat down on the bed and then patted the space next to
him. It was obvious that Jared needed to talk and Hephaestion wasn't going to
deny him. "I was Hephaestion in my first life – I was Alexander's
lover."
Jared's
knees almost gave out beneath him and he quickly seated himself on the bed next
to Hephaestion. Something Alexander had said came back and he asked, "Did
you also see the film?"
Hephaestion
nodded his head once. "I did and you portrayed me pretty well. I was
pleased with the way you played me and so was Alexander."
"Did
I do it right? Did I capture the essence of your character?" A part of him
wondered if he had lost his mind and he reminded himself that he was probably
talking to some sort of psychopath who *believed* he was Hephaestion. But what
if Alexander had told him the truth and they had been reincarnated?
"Mostly, yes."
Hephaestion felt relieved now that Jared didn't think him mad. "Alexander
and I weren't always that discreet and it was no secret that we were
lovers." He chuckled, recalling a scene from the movie that had annoyed
Alexander. "Alexander would never ask me to spend the night with him – he
would simply have dragged me inside and made love to me. And I should probably
not get started on the balcony scene… I will leave it to Alexander to tell you
his opinion about that one."
Jared
found himself smiling goofily. "I told Oliver the same thing, but he was a
bit hesitant to have more intimate scenes in the movie."
Hephaestion
rose from the bed and smiled at his guest. "Why don't you freshen up? The
bathroom is in there." He pointed Jared in the right direction. "Once
you are done I will introduce you to Bagoas."
"Bagoas…"
Jared had gotten to his feet as well and now gave Hephaestion a thoughtful
look. "I don't know that much about him, but the little facts I do know
make me surprised to find him here. I thought that Bagoas and you didn't get
along?"
Hephaestion
shrugged his shoulders. "Bagoas and I had some misunderstandings in our
first life. I am glad that we managed to straighten them out in this one."
"And
what does that mean?" Jared felt intrigued by all this new information. /I
can't believe I'm taking all this for granted – that I actually believe what
they're telling me!/ But neither Alexander nor Hephaestion seemed deceitful or
mentally unstable to him.
"Bagoas
hated me in his first life. He was insanely jealous of me when he had no reason
to feel like that. Things changed in this life – the three of us are lovers now
for which I am grateful."
"The
three of you are lovers…" Jared repeated the words. "I never
understood how threesomes could work."
"This
one does." Hephaestion smiled before making his way over to the doorway.
"If you stick around long enough, you will find out what the dynamics of
this relationship are."
Jared
quickly covered the distance between them and stopped Hephaestion from stepping
into the corridor by placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Why did
you send me that note? Why did you contact me? Why ask me to come here?"
"That's
something you need to ask Alexander. It was his idea to contact you. I didn't
know what he was up to at the time. His actions surprised me as well."
Jared removed his hand and Hephaestion stepped into the corridor. "I have
my suspicions as to why he brought you here, but only time will tell if I am
right."
"And
what are those suspicions?"
Hephaestion
smiled at Jared and cocked his head. "In Tucson Bagoas said, 'This is a
message from the past meant for the future'…"
"I
remember those words…" Jared still looked mystified.
"We
will find out why Alexander wanted you to know that." Hephaestion wasn't
certain he had guessed correctly, but he suspected Alexander would – in time –
reveal the whereabouts of his tomb to Jared. And Jared in turn would then
reveal his discovery to the academic world. But, he could also be wrong and
therefore wasn't bringing any of this up just yet. "I will see you in a
few minutes." Hephaestion recalled how fond Bagoas had sounded when they
had talked about Jared and he reckoned the younger man would be thrilled to
meet Jared.
~~~
"He
doesn't appear as shocked as I thought he would be." Hephaestion leaned
against the kitchen wall and watched Alexander clean and season the fish they
would have for dinner. "He is quite curious, though. Jared wonders why you
contacted him and I must admit so am I."
Alexander
placed the sharp knife aside and looked his lover in the eye. "It was you
who insisted we should tell the world about my tomb."
"You
plan to do this through Jared." He had been right then. "Don't you
think they will find it odd that it's Jared Leto who
found your tomb?"
"That's
not my problem." Alexander seasoned the salmon and heated the pan.
"Why don't you let me worry about that?"
Hephaestion
walked up to Alexander and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist from
behind. "Just be careful. Jared knows where we live. He can bring the
press here if he decides to do so."
"That
occurred to me as well." Alexander tilted his head and looked at his lover
from over his shoulder. "I made another mistake, didn't I?"
"Not
necessarily. Much depends on our ability to convince Jared that we are for
real."
"Do
you have any plans on how to accomplish that?"
"I
might have. Let *me* worry about that, Alexander."
The
sound of someone clearing his throat made Hephaestion and Alexander look toward
the doorway. "Jared, I didn't expect you to join us so quickly."
Hephaestion didn't pull away from Alexander. He didn't want to appear
embarrassed because Jared had caught him embracing Alexander. Jared would have
to get used to seeing them in such an intimate way for he wasn't going to
change his ways.
Jared
was surprised to feel a smile form on his face. He should feel uncomfortable
being in strange surroundings with two men he hardly knew, but he didn't. He
felt like he could trust them. "Preparing dinner?" he asked in an
effort to make conversation.
"I
am," Alexander replied, "but Hephaestion is distracting me. Why don't
you introduce Jared to Bagoas? The last time I saw him, he was working out in
the garden."
"I
will do just that." Hephaestion placed a kiss on Alexander's cheek,
released his lover, and then gestured for Jared to follow him.
Alexander
chuckled as he watched them go. Jared seemed to fit in nicely, which surprised
him and, although he liked Jared, Alexander still thought it was a shame that
the actor had cut off his hair. He would never get over that.
~~~
Jared's
gaze fastened on the gracious form which effortlessly moved over the grass.
Long, raven hair danced against the small of the man's back, and when it didn't,
it was swirling around Bagoas and creating the illusion of a veil. "I
remember him – and his eyes." Yes, this was the dark-haired man who had
caught his attention in
"That's
Bagoas." Hephaestion knew it was only a matter of seconds before Bagoas
would grow aware of the eyes upon him and Bagoas didn't disappoint him. The
moment Jared and he came to stop, so did Bagoas after spinning around.
Bagoas
had been about to greet Hephaestion when he grew aware of Jared's presence. The
actor's blue eyes seemed glued to his form and Bagoas couldn't stop a blush
from forming on his face. Jared looked good – looked handsome in his dark-grey
jacket and black slacks.
"Bagoas,
you remember Jared don't you?" Hephaestion noticed Bagoas' shy reaction
with interest. He had seen the downcast eyes and trembling before – Bagoas had
acted like that in their first life whenever Alexander had been praising him.
Seeing Bagoas so shy all of a sudden told him a lot. "Jared, this is
Bagoas."
Hephaestion's
introduction urged Jared into action. He took a step toward Bagoas and extended
his hand. "Hello." Having this meeting and addressing Bagoas felt
surreal, but he was beginning to easily accept that they were for real.
"You're a talented dancer."
"Thank
you." Bagoas stared at the offered hand and worked up the courage to shake
it, taking several minutes. He hadn't thought he would feel so timid around
Jared.
Jared
didn't quite know what to make of Bagoas' reaction. The dark eyes stared at the
grass and Bagoas had quickly let go of his hand again. Was Bagoas feeling
nervous or did he simply not like him?
"You
must excuse Bagoas," Hephaestion commented, intervening, "He can act
bashful at times." The glare that Bagoas now gave him caused Hephaestion
to chuckle. His remark had served its purpose: it had made Bagoas look up.
Bagoas
composed himself and met Jared's eyes. "I didn't expect you to be here –
you took me by surprise."
Jared
appreciated Bagoas' beauty – the way the long hair moved against his shoulders
and the manner in which those eyes seemed to devour him. Bagoas struck him as
very young and then he recalled what Alexander had told him on their drive
here. /He's only nineteen./ "I didn't think I would be here either."
Jared's
words made Bagoas feel a tad more comfortable and he smiled weakly. "I
hope you'll like it here."
"I'm
sure I will." Jared returned Bagoas' shy smile. So far, Bagoas intrigued
him the most. There was something about the dark-haired beauty that puzzled him
– there was a mystery there and he loved riddles. "Will you join us for
dinner?"
Bagoas'
stomach growled promptly, revealing just how hungry his dancing had made him.
"I will."
Hephaestion
smiled secretly, seeing their interaction. He hoped that Jared would make some
nice company for Bagoas. Bagoas needed more friends.
~~~
Dinner
was eaten while easy chatter was going on, something which surprised Jared. He
had expected to feel uncomfortable, like an intruder, and worried because he
found himself in such an unexpected situation, but none of that happened. He
wasn't quite certain yet if he believed their claim that their souls had been
reincarnated and that they had been really been Alexander, Hephaestion, and
Bagoas in the past, but they seemed 'harmless'. Jared actually felt safe with
them.
After
dinner, they chatted about the Oliver Stone film, Alexander the Great's life, and the show Jared's band had given at
Sitting
down on his bed, Jared shook his head and wondered what he had gotten himself
into. He made up his mind and decided to stay here for the whole two weeks
before he had to join his band again. He hoped to learn a lot more about these
three men during his stay here.
~~~
Jared
didn't really know what had awoken him in the middle of the night. He had been
asleep one moment and was sitting upright in his bed the next. For one moment, he
felt disorientated and had no idea where he was, but then he remembered where
he was staying.
There
it was again! A sound coming from the corridor caught his attention and Jared
pushed the comforter off of his body. He was wearing a baggy T-shirt, but as it
was chilly that night, he also picked up his morning robe and slipped into it.
After tying the belt around his waist, he snuck over to the doorway and opened
the door. A shadow slipped out of the corridor and, curiosity piqued, Jared
followed suit.
~~~
Jared
followed Bagoas onto the beach. There was a full moon out that night and its
rays made the waves of the sea shine silver. Bagoas, who had left his lovers'
bed naked, sat down on the sand. He pulled his knees close to his chest and
wrapped his arms around them. He rested his chin on his knees and stared
longingly at the moon.
Jared
wondered if he should return to the cottage. He had no business coming out here
as he barely knew Bagoas, but his curiosity proved stronger and he walked onto
the beach.
So
far, Bagoas hadn't realized he had company yet. He was still staring at the
waves, which crashed onto the shore, and tilted his head. Although he was
sleepy, his worries didn't allow him to sleep. Jared's arrival had stirred
unknown feelings in him and he didn't know what to do with them.
"Do
you want to be alone? Or do you want some company?"
Jared's
voice startled Bagoas, who flinched when he recognized the voice. Looking up at
Jared's form, he gasped. The eyes sparkled and they appeared as silver-blue as
the sea. Realizing Jared had slipped into his morning robe before coming out
there, Bagoas blushed as he found himself naked. Fortunately he had chosen a
position to sit in which didn't reveal any private parts. "What are you
doing out here?" He had loved Jared's scent right from the start and the
soft, gentle expression in those eyes called to him.
Taking
Bagoas' question as an invitation to talk, Jared seated himself on the sand
next to Bagoas. "I saw you leave and became curious. Why are you out
here?" Calling him Bagoas felt awkward and Jared didn't do that yet.
Calling him that would mean admitting he believed their claim to be those
ancient souls to be true.
"I
couldn't sleep. Alexander was snoring…" It was a half-truth of course.
Yes, Alexander had been snoring, but that had never kept him awake before.
"I felt like I needed to break free and watching the sea always calms me
down."
"It's
chilly out here," Jared remarked. "Do you want my morning robe? I
still have a T-shirt on beneath it, but you're naked."
"I
didn't think of the cold when I left." Bagoas blushed as Jared draped the
morning robe across his shoulders. He was about to suggest Jared moved closer,
because then they could share the garment, when he became aware of how heavy Jared's
scent lingered inside his morning robe. He pulled it close and deeply inhaled
it.
"It's
a beautiful night." Jared suspected that something troubled Bagoas, but
had no idea what it was.
"There
weren't many nights like this in my first life." Bagoas had no idea what
had made him say that.
"So
you believe that you were Bagoas in another life time?" Their conviction
stunned Jared.
"I
know who I was, Jared… and I know what I was."
"Will
you tell me?"
"Why
should I? Don't you know enough about me anyway? They researched my past when
they made the film, didn't they?"
"Much
of what was put into that film was speculation, but if you're the real thing,
you have a chance to set some things straight now." Jared patiently waited
for Bagoas to realize he was being looked at and when the younger man did,
those dark eyes met his. "What was your life like, Bagoas?" Hearing
him speak that name hopefully convinced Bagoas that he was being sincere.
Bagoas
swallowed in an effort to do away with his growing nervousness. Jared was the
last one he wanted to share any intimate details concerning his first life
with. He liked Jared and was worried that hearing his tale would have a
negative effect on the actor. But how could he deny Jared?
"Imagine
being a small boy and seeing your family killed. Imagine seeing your father's
body impact nearby and see his head shatter into pieces. Imagine what it feels
like to be strapped to a chair and having your testicles cut out. Imagine being
sold to customers and being raped, being trained to become a professional whore
and for the rapes to continue… Imagine how you would react when you finally
meet someone who demands nothing from you… who offers you freedom and love.
Alexander did that for me. He set me free and I clung to him – possessively. I
wanted him and I had him. I wanted to own him. I was such a brat back
then."
Jared
had been sucked in by Bagoas' words and momentarily forgot to breathe.
"I
made many mistakes in my first life. I made the mistake to want to own Alexander.
Another mistake was that I hated Hephaestion the way I did. He never deserved
my loathing."
"And
that changed in this life?" Jared was by now convinced that Bagoas truly
believed the things he was telling him. Not even the most talented actor would
be able to put so much conviction in his words. Tears slid down Bagoas' face,
but the younger man made no effort to wipe them away. Bagoas seemed lost in the
past.
"I
changed many things in this life. I stopped trying to own Alexander and I
allowed Hephaestion's love to heal me. I found paradise here." Bagoas
nervously moistened his lips and swallowed, as he tried to rid himself of the
obstructive lump that had formed in his throat. "They love me in a way I
didn't think anyone was capable of. They don't need me – or my love – but they
cherish me and love me back, which is a first. It took me a long time to accept
that they really love me."
Jared
knew he had to tread carefully, but he still wanted to know. "How do you
feel about me coming here? Do you think Alexander made the right decision in
contacting me?"
Bagoas
shrugged his shoulders once. "I don’t know." He finally wiped away
his tears and managed a weak smile. Peeking at Jared's face, he saw compassion
in the actor's eyes. "I like you… I like your music… I liked the way you
played Hephaestion in the film… For what it’s worth, I am glad you're
here."
Jared
tilted his head and studied Bagoas' eyes, seeing something there he had seen
many times before – Bagoas found him attractive. He had learned to read those
signs a long time ago. "Are you happy here with Alexander and
Hephaestion?"
Bagoas
resolutely nodded his head. "I am… I am very happy. They didn't have to
take me in when they found me, but they did."
"When
they found you?" Jared frowned and noticed that Bagoas was trembling.
"What
happened to me in my first life repeated itself in this life. I was forced into
prostitution and lived like a whore for years… I didn't think Alexander and
Hephaestion would take me in and accept me, but they did. Hephaestion's love
and patience helped me heal." Bagoas was beginning to panic – he had
revealed too many painful, personal details to Jared, who now knew that he had
been a whore in this life as well. Old shame snuck back into his mind and he
jumped to his feet. Pulling the morning robe tightly around his frame, he
sprinted off before Jared had a chance to stop him.
"Let
him go."
Jared,
who had jumped to his feet, was stopped by Hephaestion. /Where did he come
from?/ He hadn't heard Hephaestion approach – and neither had he noticed
Alexander's arrival. The blond man had caught Bagoas by wrapping an arm around
the younger man’s shoulder and had managed to stop him from running. Jared
could hear Alexander talk softly, but since they were speaking in Greek, he had
no idea what they were saying. "I didn't mean to upset him."
"It
wasn't your fault." Hephaestion had overheard most of their conversation.
Alexander and he had woken up and had found Bagoas gone. Guessing that Bagoas
would head for the beach, which he often did, they had gone there and found
Bagoas talking to Jared. "Bagoas has come a long way since we were
reunited, but he's still busy working through his past."
"Is
it true what he said? That he was…"
"Forced
to work in a brothel as a whore? Yes, that's true for his first life and for
this one as well. We found him after he had escaped his pimps and we took him
in."
Jared
knew Hephaestion was holding back. "Help me understand. From what I gather
Alexander and you are lovers… Alexander called you the other half of his soul.
But it's two halves that make one whole, not three, so where does Bagoas fit
in?"
Hephaestion
drew in a deep breath. "That's not an easy question to answer, but I will
try. I love Alexander – he is my soul – and the same goes for the way Alexander
feels about me. We are only complete when we are together, but we have enough
love to include Bagoas. We love him and we want him to be happy. Our love
completes each other. There's no jealousy – not like there was in our first
life."
Jared
stopped following Bagoas with his eyes and looked into Hephaestion's instead.
They radiated wisdom and age. "Should I apologize to Bagoas or will that
only make things worse?"
"Let
Alexander calm Bagoas down. Once Bagoas has composed himself, he'll regret his
emotional outburst and he'll probably come to you to apologize. The best thing
you can do then is to assure him that there's nothing he needs to apologize
for."
Jared
nodded his head; Hephaestion's advice made sense. "I don't really know
what to make of any of this, but the three of you seem to be very caring and
understanding. You might be reincarnations of Alexander, Hephaestion, and
Bagoas or not. I'm not sure if it matters." Now that he was getting to
know them, he could imagine befriending them.
"We
are who we say we are, Jared. I am Hephaestion. I commanded armies, built
cities, and had Alexander's love. That is the truth – and it matters little if
you believe me or not because *I* know it’s the truth."
Jared
looked at Hephaestion with new respect. /I like him – I like all three of
them./ "Thanks for inviting me."
Hephaestion's
smile grew radiant as he saw new understanding in Jared's eyes. "It's a
pleasure to have you, my friend."
TBC
Part 8
"Bagoas,
stop! Calm down! Please, Bagoas, please..." Alexander didn't like using
force to keep Bagoas in place, but he had no other choice. He didn't want
Bagoas to run away from them and needed to keep him in place. Bagoas was
trembling, his dark hair was flying, and the brown eyes revealed panic and
stress.
"All
is well, Bagoas. I've got you." Alexander pulled Bagoas close and ignored
his younger lover's feeble attempts at freeing himself. Had he been under the
impression that Bagoas really wanted to get away from him, Alexander would have
let him go, but the expression in those brown eyes told him that Bagoas needed
him.
"I
told you that I would catch you should you fall and I'm here – you've been
caught." He phrased his reassurances in that way on purpose to make it
sound that it wasn't Bagoas' responsibility to come running to him for comfort
and that Alexander was freely offering whatever his lover might need at the
moment.
Bagoas
stared at Alexander and felt at a loss. "I told him… I told him
about…" He couldn't say the words again.
Bagoas
didn't have to, as Alexander had overheard the conversation as well.
"You're allowed to fall, you know." Alexander released a relieved
sigh as Bagoas moved into his arms. He embraced Bagoas tightly and smiled
ruefully the moment Bagoas rested his head against his right shoulder.
"You're much stronger than you think, Bagoas. Telling Jared took courage
and strength. Don't beat yourself up now for panicking. You've already come
such a long way."
Alexander
began to walk Bagoas back to their cottage and his lover went willingly. One
look from over his shoulder told him that Hephaestion and Jared were still
talking and that they were also making their way to the cottage, but at some
distance. "You feel cold," he commented in order to make some
conversation. "I'll tuck you right into bed."
Bagoas
chuckled softly and doing so allowed his panic a way out. "That's because
I *am* cold."
Alexander
gathered that Jared wouldn't mind having his morning robe returned in the
morning. Bagoas continued to pull the fabric close to his frame and it seemed
like he didn't want to part from it.
They
had reached their room and Alexander kept his promise: he piled the pillows at
the head, told Bagoas to lie down, and then tucked him in. Alexander sat down
at the foot end and pulled Bagoas' right foot onto his lap. The appendage was
cold and Bagoas was still shivering, so Alexander started to massage the foot,
like he had done when they had been in
Alexander
kept a close eye on Bagoas and noticed the exact moment when the younger man
began to relax. He reckoned that the massage was helping and he now pulled the
left foot into his lap as well. While rubbing Bagoas' feet, Alexander continued
to study Bagoas' expression, which had softened and grown calmer.
"Better?"
"Better."
Having his feet rubbed did the trick. Bagoas was still aware of the fact that
he was wearing Jared's morning robe and wondered if their guest wanted it back
right now – it smelled so good. He liked Jared's scent a lot.
"Jared
will understand. He strikes me as a very understanding person." Alexander
chuckled. "He even put up with my raving when I tried to explain our
situation to him."
Bagoas'
eyes had closed and they remained close when he spoke again. "Why did I
tell him? Why couldn't I just stay quiet?"
Alexander
shrugged his shoulders and kept up the massage. "It needed a way
out." And maybe Bagoas had hoped that Jared would understand. "Do you
think that you can go back to sleep again?"
"I
haven't slept tonight yet." Bagoas' eyes opened and fastened on Alexander.
"Do you want to have sex?"
The
question struck Alexander as odd and even more importantly, as dangerous. Where
had that question come from? Hephaestion had taught him to tread carefully in
such a situation and he trusted on his newly found ability to talk things
through instead of locking them out. "Sex? Why
are you asking me that?" The way Bagoas' eyes widened warned him that
something was *really* wrong.
"Isn't
that all I'm good for?"
Alexander's
heart contracted painfully in his chest. "I thought we had been through
this before?" As he was focused on dealing with Bagoas' anguish, Alexander
didn't notice that Hephaestion had joined them and was now standing near the
doorway.
Hephaestion
had closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. He didn't interfere
yet, hoping and maybe even trusting that Alexander could handle this.
"That's
not true and deep down, you know it." Alexander had moved forward, having
released one foot, and placed a hand on Bagoas' chest. "I don't know why
you feel the need to say that, but in your heart, you know it's not true.
Hephaestion and I love you unconditionally."
Bagoas'
features relaxed and the trembling that had rocked the younger man's body a
moment ago subsided. "And when we do decide to get intimate, I want us to
make love, not to have sex. I trust you know the difference by now?"
Alexander patiently waited for his words to register with Bagoas.
The
dam broke a second time and tears flowed from Bagoas' eyes. "I know… I
know that, but sometimes…"
"Sometimes
you need to hear it." Alexander had learned his lesson well and felt
eternally grateful that Hephaestion had helped him grow emotionally. He shifted
his position, knelt on the bed, and Bagoas promptly moved into his arms again.
Alexander held Bagoas close and rocked him gently. The next moment, the
mattress dipped under Hephaestion's weight. Alexander felt how Hephaestion's
arms snuck around his waist, not only including him in his lover's embrace, but
Bagoas as well.
"What
Alexander said, is true, Bagoas. Our love is unconditional. We love
*you*." Hephaestion felt proud of the way Alexander had handled Bagoas'
emotional outburst. His lover had done well.
~~~
Jared
was unable to fall asleep again and, in the end, he uncovered the letter Laeta
had translated for him the other day. He pulled his knees close to his chest
and began to read.
My beloved
Hephaestion, how much I miss you! You don't know how hard it is to be apart
from you for such a long time. I dream of you at night. I dream of holding you
in my arms and of kissing you. I dream of making love to you and in my dreams
you move so beautifully beneath me that the image alone is enough to make me
find release.
I know that they need
you to rebuild this city, but I am envious because they have your presence and
I don't. Hephaestion, will you hurry back to my side? I can't live without you.
It's so hard to maintain control when you are not around to guide me.
Everyone thinks that I
rule this kingdom, but the truth is that I could never do it without you. You
are Alexander too, and don't start laughing now that you are reading these
words for they are true.
My Companions don't
understand why you are so important to me and they never will. So be it. But I
know how much I love you – how much I need you.
Please, Hephaestion,
hurry home to me. My heart feels lonely and my soul needs yours to be complete.
Your Alexander
Jared
couldn't help smiling at the letter. Alexander's words spoke of a devoted and
unconditional love – the same which he had just witnessed being given to
Bagoas. No matter how hard it might be to believe that he was actually dealing
with the incarnations of those three historical figures, Jared realized that he
could learn a lot from the way they interacted and loved each other.
He
tucked the letter back into a pocket and stretched out on the bed. He folded
his arms beneath his head and stared at the ceiling, wondering what tomorrow
would bring.
~~~
"Bagoas,
where are you going?" Even half asleep, Hephaestion had noticed Bagoas'
attempts to leave their warm bed and he opened one eye to check on his lover.
"I
can't sleep anymore," Bagoas replied, "I have been awake for one hour
now and I need to do something… I'll make breakfast and then I'll wake you, how
about that?" He had slept peacefully for a few hours, but had woken up
when the sun had started to rise and now he felt energized.
Hephaestion
opened the other eye as well and gave Bagoas a long, hard look. He searched the
brown eyes until he was convinced that his lover felt all right and wasn't
running away from his feelings again. "Then go, my love."
Impulsively,
Bagoas leaned in closer and placed a kiss on Hephaestion's brow. "You
should try to sleep some more."
"I
will…" Hephaestion mumbled, already dozing off again.
Bagoas
snuck out of the bed. Once he was on his feet again, he realized that he was
still wearing Jared's morning robe. He should probably return the garment to their
guest, but was he ready yet to face Jared? Bagoas vividly remembered the scene
he had made last night. What did Jared think of him now? Last night must have
confirmed that the three of them had lost their minds long age – and even if
Jared thought Hephaestion and Alexander were for real, the actor must think him
mad at the very least.
Dressed
in Jared's morning robe and, lost in thought, Bagoas made his way into the
kitchen. It wasn't until he stood near the kitchen table that he realized that
he wasn't alone. Jared was already there, soundlessly opening and closing the
kitchen cupboards in search of something. Bagoas began to panic and wanted to
turn around so he could hide in his lovers' room again, but at exactly that
moment Jared turned around and smiled at him.
"Good
morning. You're an early riser too?" Jared had also woken at first sunrise
and, although he had tried to stay in bed, he had finally crumbled and given
in, climbing out of it. He had gone into the kitchen in search of some strong coffee,
but so far, he hadn't found any.
"Good
morning, Jared." Bagoas swallowed hard and directed his gaze to the floor
so he didn't have to look Jared in the eye. "Are you looking for
something?"
"Yeah, coffee."
Bagoas
opened one of the cupboards Jared hadn't reached yet and handed him the tin.
"Thank
you." Jared had suspected that his first talk with Bagoas after the
younger man's outburst would be tricky and he was trying to find the right
words to reassure Bagoas. "How do you feel today?" He put water into
the coffee maker, added the coffee, and switched it on. He walked up to the
table, pulled back a chair, and sat down straddling it.
Bagoas
peeked at Jared and found that their guest was still wearing the oversized
T-shirt. The blue eyes looked awake and alert. It was obvious that Jared wanted
to talk. Bagoas shuffled his feet, painfully aware of the fact that he was
naked beneath Jared's morning robe. "I'll return this to you in a
bit." He pointed at the morning robe and continued to stare at the floor.
"Bagoas,
sit down? Please?" Jared pushed a chair away from the table to indicate
that Bagoas should seat himself.
Bagoas
did. He sat down, wrung his hands beneath the table, and tried to hide behind
the black curtain of his hair.
But
Jared wouldn't have it and reached for Bagoas' hair so he could push it behind
the younger man's ear. "Bagoas?"
Bagoas
forced himself to face Jared. He couldn't keep postponing the confrontation.
"I am sorry," he murmured, hesitantly making eye contact. "I am
sorry for telling you all that and then running away from you."
"There's
nothing to feel sorry about," Jared interjected quickly. "You decided
to trust me and I understand that opening up to me was hard on you."
Bagoas
shrugged his shoulders. "But this will change everything between us,"
he said, voicing his concerns.
"And
why is that?" Jared frowned.
"You
now know what I am – what I was. You will act differently toward me now."
Bagoas decided to be completely honest with Jared and he peeked at the blue
eyes, which looked at him with encouragement and faith. "I wanted to
befriend you. I like you, Jared, and…" It was more than 'like' but Bagoas
was realistic enough to realize that nothing would happen between them.
"I
like you too, Bagoas," Jared responded in a soft voice. He ran his fingers
down Bagoas' hair until no more strands obscured the handsome features from his
view. "I hope we'll become friends too." Jared then took a risk and
added, "I hope that you'll dance for me one day and maybe we can hit the
city during one of my last days here? Do some shopping or go to a night
club?" He reckoned that what Bagoas needed the most was a friend, not
another lover. He already had Hephaestion and Alexander as his lovers.
Bagoas
swallowed convulsively. "You still want to spend time with me?"
"But
of course!" Jared briefly caressed Bagoas' face, instinctively knowing
that the younger man needed the touch. "The past shapes us, that much is
true, but the future is ours to create. If you’re determined to beat this, you
will. You need to have some faith in yourself, Bagoas. I have faith in
you." He did and that was taking in the fact that he had only been here
for a day.
On
Bagoas' face, a smile formed and his eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank
you!" He hadn't thought this conversation would be so easy!
"Is
that coffee I smell? By Zeus, I need some!" Alexander, still busy wiping
sleep from his half-closed eyes, stumbled into the kitchen. He normally was a
morning person, but today was different as Bagoas' emotional outburst had
disturbed his sleep.
Bagoas
quickly checked the coffee maker, found the coffee ready, and got up to pour
Alexander a cup.
"Make
that a mug," Alexander said as he seated himself at the table next to
Jared. "Big mug, lots of sugar and no milk."
Bagoas
grinned, carried out Alexander's request, and placed the hot coffee in front of
his lover, who was smart enough to wait for it to cool down before sipping it.
"Is Hephaestion still asleep?"
"No,
he's already awake. He'll join us in a moment." Alexander's sleepy
expression changed into a leer. Hephaestion probably needed to clean himself up
after their lovemaking. Alexander actually felt rather proud to have taken
Hephaestion without making much noise. The two men in the kitchen hadn't
noticed their morning activity.
Hephaestion
appeared a moment later, looking the opposite of the still sleep-tousled
Alexander. His long hair was damp from the quick shower and he had already
dressed for the day in jeans and a blue shirt. His eyes shone with mirth and he
gave Alexander a conspiring smile before setting about making breakfast.
"I
said I would do that!" Instead of making the breakfast which he had
promised his lovers, Bagoas had spent his time talking to Jared.
"I
will do it." Hephaestion sensed the relaxed atmosphere and realized Bagoas
and Jared had talked. "Why don't the two of you clean up and get dressed?
Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."
Jared
rose from his chair and began to walk toward his room. "I'll be back in
five." Hephaestion was right; taking that shower would do him good.
Bagoas
remained seated as he had to wait for Jared to vacate the bathroom before he
could take his shower. Alexander was trying to catch his attention by giving
him odd looks and, in the end, Bagoas satisfied his lover's curiosity by
saying, "Yes, we talked and he promised not to treat me any
different."
"Did
you think he would shun you for what happened to you in your past?"
Alexander sipped more of his now cooled down coffee.
"I
was afraid he might," Bagoas admitted softly. "I thought I had dealt
with it, and then it comes back and bites me in the butt."
In
an attempt to draw Bagoas from his still somewhat depressed mood, Alexander
said, "I'd bite your ass any time you want me to. It's a delicious ass,
with perfectly shaped buttocks…"
"Alexander!"
Hephaestion chuckled and shook his head. "We didn't even have breakfast
yet, so behave a little longer."
"We
didn't behave in bed just now," Alexander replied, reminding Hephaestion
on their recent morning ‘activities’. "You didn't behave when you told me
to take you faster and harder…"
Hephaestion
gave up; it was going to be one of *those* days.
~~~
Jared
stayed close to Bagoas for the rest of the day, giving Hephaestion and
Alexander a chance to spend time together in turn. He asked Bagoas to dance,
which the younger man did, and they took long strolls along the beach. They
talked about the past, the present, and the future. Bagoas began to relax
around him and seemed to feel comfortable in his presence.
Jared
continued to encourage Bagoas to spend time with him for the next few days and
the more they talked, the more Bagoas opened up to him, telling him even more
painful details of his past. At the same time, Bagoas also managed to explain
the unique love the three of them shared.
Hephaestion
and Alexander also talked. They had realized that Bagoas had developed a crush
where Jared was concerned and wondered if their lover would end up hurt because
of it. They decided to address the matter halfway during Jared's stay.
~~~
"Jared,
can we talk to you?" Hephaestion had waited for Bagoas to take his bath.
That way, they would have some privacy and didn't have to worry about Bagoas
walking in on them unexpectedly.
Jared
was sitting on the couch in the living room and had borrowed Hephaestion's
laptop to send some messages to his family and band members. He had just sent
the last one and looked up at Hephaestion and Alexander, who were in the
process of seating themselves opposite of him. He had a feeling he knew what
this was about.
"We
want to talk to you about Bagoas." Hephaestion would do the talking for
now. Alexander had asked him to do so.
"I
think I know what worries you." Jared closed the laptop and placed it onto
the coffee table. "It's in his eyes each time he looks at me."
"He
has a crush on you," Hephaestion confirmed Jared's suspicions. "And
we are worried because we don't know how you will react to that. We don't want
to see him hurt."
"What
are your intentions where Bagoas is concerned?" Alexander asked.
Jared
leaned back into the comfort of the couch. "I'm not planning on acting on
it, if that's what you want to know. I've seen the love between the three of
you and I don't want to mess that up."
Hephaestion
felt relieved. "We had hoped you would say that."
"But…"
Jared's
but worried Alexander. "But what?"
"Have
you considered how Bagoas feels under the rejection? He has shared his past
with me and he has told me that he's worried about me treating him different
because of it. He might chalk up this rejection to the fact that he's 'damaged
goods' as he phrases it."
Hephaestion
and Alexander exchanged a look; that thought hadn't occurred to them yet.
"The thing is," Hephaestion started, "that it won't work out.
Bagoas isn't someone for a one-night-stand. He needs love, unconditional love,
and the three of us know that you can't give him that."
Jared
nodded his head once. "I know that, but I do think I need to show him that
I accept him the way he is and that his past isn't the reason why I choose not
to be with him."
"Just
out of curiosity, are you gay? Or bi?" Alexander
had wanted to know for a while now.
Jared
chuckled. "I had a crush on Colin during the filming of Alexander, so that
makes me bi, I guess."
"I
knew it!" Alexander sounded triumphant, which earned him a displeased look
from Hephaestion. "What? I am not inviting him into our bed, am I?"
"Oh,
but you thought about it. I know you, Alexander."
Hephaestion's
words brought a blush to Alexander's face. "Stop reading my mind!"
Hephaestion
grinned and then turned his attention back to Jared, who was watching them with
amused eyes. "What are your plans then?"
"I
want to talk to Bagoas about this… and maybe I can do something that will show
him how much I like him."
"Do
something?" Hephaestion's worries returned.
"Nothing physical!" Jared
shook his head. "Guys, get your minds out of the gutter!"
"This
is because of all the slash we have been reading and writing," Alexander
whispered the words so Jared wouldn't catch them. "We really need to stop
doing that."
Hephaestion
let the remark go. "Jared?"
"Maybe
something like a kiss? A kiss can say many things." Jared noticed the
relief and approval in Alexander's eyes. Apparently Alexander understood.
Alexander
nodded once. "A kiss might do the trick."
"And
maybe you'd let me take Bagoas to a gig? Or we could go out? Do some shopping?
Something tells me he would like that." Jared had been thinking about
this. "Once we sorted everything out and I'm back on the road again,
Bagoas could stay with me for a while. Maybe he would like to travel and see
the world? The band wouldn't mind."
"That's
something for Bagoas to decide." Hephaestion had known that they couldn't
keep Bagoas at their cottage forever. Bagoas was still so very young and needed
to make something out of his life. "But we are getting ahead of
things."
"You're
right." Jared watched them closely and realized that sometime during last
week, the two – no, three of them – had somehow convinced him that they were
for real.
~~~
"Can't
you stay longer? I don't want you to leave tomorrow." Bagoas gave Jared a
pleading look. Alexander would drive Jared to the airport late tomorrow evening
so their guest would make it onto his flight back to the
"I
can't. I have obligations, appointments…" Jared didn't want to leave, but
his life continued. "If it were up to me, I'd stay."
Bagoas
smiled weakly at hearing those words. "Do you think we will ever see each
other again?" He was trying to be strong, but on the inside, he was
crying. Jared had offered him his friendship, and Bagoas had taken it, not
trying to go a step further and see if Jared was willing to become intimate
with him. Jared's friendship had to do.
"Of
course we will! I'll fly you in for one of our concerts and we'll hit the town
after the gig." Jared realized the time had come to be completely honest
with Bagoas. "You're a very special person, Bagoas, and you're very
fortunate to have Alexander and Hephaestion's love, you know that, don't
you?"
Bagoas
nodded his head and stared as if entranced into Jared's eyes.
"Bagoas,
you like me a little too much, don’t you?" Bringing this up now wasn't
easy, but Jared knew it had to be done.
"Am
I that obvious?" Bagoas lowered his gaze now that he realized he had
revealed too much of his feelings.
"Yeah,
it's hard to miss." Jared placed a finger beneath Bagoas' chin, raised the
handsome face, and reestablished eye contact. "I want you to know
something, Bagoas. Had we met under different circumstances, we might have
worked out."
Bagoas
swallowed hard. "This is because of my past, isn’t it? You don't want to
be with a whore."
"No!"
Jared insistently shook his head. "That has nothing to do with it!"
Bagoas
blinked and searched Jared's eyes for the lie, but didn't find it. Jared was
being honest. "Then why…?"
"You
have something very precious here – something most people only dream of. You
have two lovers who adore you – who love you unconditionally. I can't let you
throw that away for one night."
Bagoas
blinked; that wasn't what he had expected to hear.
"At
first, I didn't get it. I've never seen a threesome work out before, but the
three of you were made for each other. You have a crush on me, yes, but those
feelings will go away again. What you feel for Alexander and Hephaestion is
different though and those feelings will last."
Bagoas
was willing to accept this explanation, but needed to ask one more time. "Are
you sure this isn't because of…" Jared suddenly leaned in closer and
Bagoas' breath caught as those soft lips pressed against his in a gentle kiss.
Jared's hand rested at the back of his neck, drawing him into the kiss and
Bagoas parted his lips and teeth to allow Jared in.
It
was a good kiss – a kiss that made Bagoas' toes curl, but it also made him
realize that Jared's words had been true. These feelings didn't compare to what
he felt for Hephaestion and Alexander.
Jared
slowly released Bagoas' lips, licked the bottom lip as a goodbye, and then
studied the stunned eyes. "Would I do that if your past mattered that much
to me?"
A
gentle and sparkling smile radiated from Bagoas' face. "I think I
understand."
"Very good." Jared
caressed Bagoas' hair and then pulled away. "Always remember what you have
instead of what you think you want."
Bagoas
nodded again. "I understand…"
Jared
gave Bagoas a look filled with proud adoration. His plan had worked.
"Jared?
Get your ass in the car. We are leaving."
Hearing
Alexander's voice so unexpectedly made Jared, as well as Bagoas, jump.
"We
are making one last stop before I take you back to
"Going?
Is it because of the kiss?" Bagoas, panicking, pleadingly raised his
hands. "Alexander…"
Alexander
quickly placed his hands on Bagoas' shoulders and calmed his lover. "No,
this has nothing to do with that kiss." Turning his head, he looked Jared
in the eye. "It is time for us to rock the world on her foundations,
Jared. I am taking you to
Jared
blinked in surprise. "
Bagoas
caught on and his eyes widened. "Alexander, you can't…"
"I
can. Hephaestion is right, you see. We don't have the right to hide this from
the world. I want the world to know how much you loved me, Bagoas, and how much
I loved Hephaestion."
"Can
someone *please* tell me what this is about?" Jared felt lost and he didn't
particularly like that feeling.
"Alexander
will take you to his tomb," Hephaestion explained as he stepped out of the
shadows and took up his position at Alexander's side. "Through you, he
wants to tell the world that Alexander the Great's
remains survived the test of time. That's the main reason why he brought you
here, Jared."
TBC
Part 9
Jared
found himself in the backseat of the car with Bagoas sitting next to him.
Hephaestion had grown quiet since Alexander had voiced his intentions to take
him to
Hephaestion
drew in a deep breath before answering Jared. "I don't want to go back
there, that's all."
"He
didn't react very well to seeing my corpse for the very first time."
Alexander, who usually sounded cheerful, was now serious and even sounded
concerned. "Actually, he suffered a nervous breakdown."
"You
did?" Surprised, Jared moved forward on his seat and rested his chin on
Hephaestion's back rest.
"Yes,
I did, and I don't want to go through that again." Hephaestion gritted his
teeth. It had been his suggestion to share this discovery with the world that
had put him in this situation. "Did you get through to your friend?"
Jared
nodded. "Laeta will meet me there in three hours. That leaves the three of
you plenty of time to leave undetected." He had thought about a game plan
after Alexander had announced his attentions and he had come up with something
that might work. He had called Laeta on the phone and asked him to come to
"And
your friend asked no questions?" Alexander studied Jared in the mirror.
"He
translated that letter you gave me for me, so he knows something is going on.
He just doesn't know *what*." Laeta had given in quickly once his friend
had learned that this news concerned Alexander the Great. "I guess this
means that we're about to split up and go our separate ways?"
Alexander
nodded. "But you are always welcome to visit. All you need to do is give
me a call and I will pick you up at the airport."
There
was something else though that made Jared feel guilty. "Bagoas, I really
wanted to hit
Bagoas
shrugged. He had made his peace since they had shared that kiss. "You
already did enough for me."
"No,
I want to do this," Jared said determinedly. Then, he had an idea.
"We'll be touring
"I
would like that." Bagoas smiled and nodded once. "I really like that
idea."
In
the front, Hephaestion and Alexander smiled at each other. Things had worked
out just fine.
~~~
"This
is it. This is where the entrance to my tomb is situated." This was it; he
had done it. He had told Jared where to find his tomb. "If you can, try to
make sure they treat our remains with respect. My body should be fine, it is
embalmed and safe inside the sarcophagus, and Hephaestion's ashes are safe too,
locked inside the bust. But I worry about Bagoas. If they aren't careful, his
skeleton will collapse."
"I
will tell Laeta to be careful." Jared eyed Alexander closely and saw a
distant look in those eyes, which had seen so much in their first life time.
"You *do* realize that Laeta will have to apply for permits and funding?
This will take time. This won't happen today or tomorrow. This might take
months, maybe even years."
"I
don't mind that, Jared, as long as they don't destroy anything in there."
Alexander had noticed Hephaestion's troubled expression and now made his way
over to his lover, who had preferred to stay inside the car. "Not feeling
too well?"
Hephaestion
focused on Alexander and placed his hands in the blond hair, as he had to feel
his lover close and alive. He still hadn't dealt with the nervous breakdown
completely. Now that they were back here, visions of the past attacked him.
"Take me away from here, Alexander. I can't stay."
Alexander
considered his lover's request and looked at Jared, who was still talking to
Bagoas. "We will leave in a few minutes. Can you hold on for that
long?"
Hephaestion
nodded his head once. "Make it quick, Alexander."
Alexander
pressed a kiss onto Hephaestion's lips and then rose from the ground. He made
his way over to Bagoas and curled an arm around his younger lover's waist.
"The time has come to go home, Bagoas. Jared's friend will arrive any
moment now and Hephaestion isn't doing well."
Bagoas
understood; he still recalled the way Hephaestion had reacted the first time
they had visited Alexander's tomb. "May I have a moment in private?"
Alexander
removed his arm and nodded his head. Bagoas wanted some privacy and his lover
would get it. "Jared, have a safe trip home and I count on you to contact
Bagoas in the fall." He was still worried that Jared might disappoint
Bagoas one way or the other.
"Don't
worry! I will. We already agreed to stay in touch. We even exchanged our email
addresses!" Jared squeezed Alexander's shoulder in a playful way.
"For what it's worth," he added after a moment's thought, "I
believe the three of you are for real."
Alexander
smiled a little and then turned around to return to Hephaestion's side, which
left Jared alone with Bagoas.
"We'll
be in touch, I promise," Jared said as he clasped Bagoas' right hand in
between his. "I won't forget you."
"I
won't blame you if you do," Bagoas murmured. "You have a life out
there, while my life is concentrated here."
"Always
remember that what you have is valuable, Bagoas. The love the three of you
share is precious." Jared pulled Bagoas in for hug and embraced him
tightly. "I have your email address and Alexander's cell phone number.
Trust me, I won't forget about my promise."
Bagoas
closed his eyes for one long moment and deeply inhaled Jared's scent – which
reminded him – "I haven't returned your morning robe to you yet."
"Keep
it, if it means that much to you."
Bagoas
raised his head from where it had been resting on Jared's shoulder and
chuckled.
"This
is only a temporary goodbye, Bagoas."
"I
believe you," Bagoas replied. He began to untangle himself from Jared's
embrace and took a step away from the other man. "We will meet
again." Resolutely, he turned around and started to walk toward the car.
He had to be strong now.
~~~
"Jared,
what is this all about?" Laeta had cancelled his appointments, had hopped
into his car, and had driven out to
Jared
had been staring at the distance and had been so lost in thought that he hadn't
heard his friend's car approach. He felt strangely alone now that Alexander,
Hephaestion, and Bagoas had left. He had come to care for them in the two weeks
he had spent in their company.
"Jared?"
Laeta had reached Jared's side and wanted to shake his friend now that Jared
seemed to ignore him. "Why did you tell me to drive out here? Is this about
the letter you gave me?" He had published the letter, had drawn the
attention of the academic world, and had begun rewriting parts of the books
concerning about Alexander the Great and Hephaestion. Jared's letter had
gathered him even more fame and recognition in the academic world.
Jared
forced himself to stop thinking of the three men and turned to face Laeta. If
what Alexander had told him was true, the academic world was about to be shaken
on its foundation.
~~~
Eight months later, the
discovery of Alexander's tomb was the most important news on TV and the
internet. Jared had fed Laeta all the information the professor had needed and
Laeta in turn had vowed to protect the remains of the three historical figures
locked inside the tomb. Jared had requested to be kept out of it and Laeta was
credited for the find, just like Jared had wanted it. He had no intention of
explaining to the press why he had known where to find Alexander's tomb. Laeta
did so instead and told the press he had made this discovery after researching
all possible burial sites.
Creating an exhibit at the
museum that would credit the find took another two months, but in the end,
Laeta was satisfied with the way the find would be presented to the public.
Little did he know that he
was about to have two very important visitors.
~~~
Alexander felt pleased,
and relieved, now that he had a chance to see for himself what had happened to
their remains. Laeta had managed to recreate the inside of the tomb and had
taken great care in transporting Bagoas' remains. Once everything had arrived
at the museum, the experts had recreated the same setting as in the tomb and
Bagoas was once more sitting guard next to Alexander's sarcophagus.
"Is that what you
wanted?" Bagoas had slipped a hand into Alexander's, as he didn’t want
them to get separated in the crowd. It was also his way of showing his support.
"Yes, this will
do." Alexander managed a weak smile. The letter, which his corpse had held
in his hand, had been removed and given a place of honor, its translation was
being projected beneath the glass cylinder which showcased the letter.
"They finally know the truth about Hephaestion and me." Alexander
listened to what the people circling around the sarcophagus were saying and
found that they spoke with the greatest respect of their lives and their
remains.
"It was hard on some
of the scholars to accept that you were gay," Bagoas commented as he
studied Alexander's embalmed corpse through the bullet-proof glass. The
curators had taken every possible precaution to ensure their remains were safe
and protected.
"I don’t understand
why," Alexander admitted. "Why do they need to label me? I loved
Hephaestion; it's as simple as that." He squeezed Bagoas' hand and added,
"And I loved you – I still do."
Bagoas smiled. "I
know you do, Alexander." The crowd was already forcing them to move toward
the exit and Bagoas got one last look at Hephaestion's bust, which stood at the
head end of Alexander's sarcophagus. /You changed my life, Hephaestion. If only
I hadn't been that blind back then./ But he had made his peace with the past.
~~~
Hephaestion had refused to
visit the exhibit and had stayed behind at their hotel. Alexander and Bagoas found
him nursing a cup of mint tea in the lobby and seated themselves close to him.
Hephaestion blinked, as he hadn't expected them to return so quickly.
"What is it like?"
Alexander ordered coffee,
while Bagoas opted for a glass of tea as well. Alexander's brown eyes fastened
on his lover's hesitant ones. "They did well. They recreated the setting
inside the tomb." Alexander lacked the right words to describe the
experience. "I am glad I told Jared where to find it."
"Speaking of
Jared…" Hephaestion quickly changed their subject, as he wanted to get
away from discussing the exhibit. "Did you make any decisions concerning
his invitation?" Jared's invitation for Bagoas to visit him in
Bagoas shrugged his
shoulders. "I know that, it's just…" Alexander rested a hand on his
knee and the gesture made Bagoas smile fondly. "I haven't been apart from
you for the last two years."
"And that is exactly
why you should do this, Bagoas." Hephaestion felt very determined about
this undertaking. "You need to be on your own for a while. You need to
find out if you can do this alone."
"But I don't want to
be alone. I want to be with the two of you!"
Bagoas sounded just as
determined as Hephaestion felt and it was up to Alexander to take the lead.
"Bagoas, we will still be here when you get back! It is only for four
days!" Like Hephaestion, Alexander felt that it was important for Bagoas
to do this. "Go…"
Bagoas gave Alexander a
look filled with disbelief. "But I thought…"
"Bagoas, we love you.
We will love you when you are in
"It triumphed over
death," Alexander added as he squeezed Bagoas' knee. "Go to
Bagoas peeked at his
lovers' faces and saw genuine concern on them. They wanted him to do this and
to grow – to become more independent. "All right then, I will go. But only
for four days."
"Don't worry. Just
have a good time and we will be at the airport when you get back. We will still
love you then." Ignoring any curious looks he was attracting, Hephaestion
leaned in closer and kissed Bagoas on the lips. "Our love will never
fade."
~~~
"I still think you
lost your mind."
"It's his name, *
"I'll try."
"Bagoas!" Jared hurried toward Bagoas and closed his arms
around the younger man's form. "You're here."
"I hate flying,"
were Bagoas' first words. "We had lots of turbulence."
"But you made
it!" Jared smiled reassuringly at Bagoas. Bagoas had told him that he
hated to fly and that he was really not looking forward to flying on his own.
"You're here now!" Bagoas pressed against him in the embrace and
Jared hugged him tighter. "I'm glad you're here. I've missed you!"
Jared pulled away from
Bagoas to present his younger brother to his friend. "Bagoas, this is
"Hello, it's nice to
meet you." Bagoas felt way more nervous than he looked. He was still
anxious about meeting new people, and Jared had told him that
Not wanting to be rude,
"Well, there isn't
much to tell." Bagoas allowed Jared to handle his suit case and followed
the two brothers to their car. "Except that I am a dancer."
"A
dancer?"
Bagoas seated himself in
the back, while
"I am up for it,
thank you, Jared." Bagoas felt
"And after the show,
we'll go clubbing!" Jared had thought everything through, as he wanted to
make the most of the time Bagoas would spend with him. /And tomorrow, I'll have
a surprise for you./ Oh, he really hoped Bagoas would like his surprise!
~~~
The band rocked the stage
and Bagoas applauded after they had given their last encore. Jared handed his guitar
to one of the roadies and gestured for Bagoas to follow him into his dressing
room. "Give me twenty minutes and we'll hit the nightclubs."
"Aren't you
tired?" Bagoas seated himself and made a point of staring into the
opposite direction when Jared started to take his clothes off. A moment later,
Jared disappeared into the small bathroom.
"No, I am all psyched
up! Bagoas, would you mind if
"No, I don't mind at
all." After all,
"It was the least I
could do." Jared's hair had reached his shoulders by now and washing it
took more time than washing his short hair would. Jared was glad to have his
hair back though. He hadn't really liked his bald look. "So, what's new
with Alexander and Hephaestion? Did they approve of Laeta's decisions? I told
him to treat the tomb and their remains with respect."
"Yes, they approved.
Alexander and I went to see the exhibit."
"Hephaestion
didn't?"
"He was worried he
wouldn't handle it so well."
Jared had finished drying
his hair and skin and stepped into the dressing room. Within minutes he had
slipped into a pair of stone-washed jeans, a black turtle necked shirt, jacket,
and leather boots. "I only need to blow-dry my hair and then we can
leave."
"Jared?" Bagoas
made his way over to the mirror, where Jared was styling his hair.
"Yes?"
"Do you believe
us?"
Jared smiled. "Yeah,
I believe you – all three of you. You convinced me that you're Bagoas."
Uncertain if he was
overstepping any boundaries, Bagoas curled his arms around Jared's waist and
rested his upper body against Jared's back. "I still like you a lot,
Jared."
Jared turned in the embrace
and placed his hands on either side of Bagoas' head. "And I'm still
telling you not to throw away what you have for a one-night-stand."
"Can it not be more? More than a one-night-stand?"
Jared sighed and let his
fingers travel down Bagoas' jaw line. "You belong with Alexander and
Hephaestion. Don't you know that?"
"I do," Bagoas
said in a rueful tone. He started to pull away, but this time it was Jared who
pulled him close.
"I promise you this,
Bagoas, we'll always be friends, and you can visit with me whenever you want.
And I, in turn, will come and visit with you in
Realizing this was the
best Jared could offer, Bagoas leaned in closer and returned the kiss Jared had
given him almost a year ago. It was a sensual kiss, but one that didn't push
for entry or demand Jared to respond to it. "Friends?"
Bagoas said eventually.
Jared gave him a grateful
smile. "Yes, friends…"
~~~
Bagoas had enjoyed himself
at first. Jared had suggested they went to this particular club because of
their open-minded view where gays were concerned and Bagoas had approved of the
choice – until now. For the past few minutes, a rather bulky fellow had been
trying to feel him up and push him into a dark corner. Bagoas was doing his
best to move out of the way, but no matter what he did, the hands appeared
again and tried to grab his ass.
"Hey, man, back
off!"
Bagoas blinked; he hadn't
thought someone would tell the buffoon off. His eyes widened further as he saw
that it was Shannon who had positioned himself between the two of them,
effectively blocking his pursuer's path.
"Can't you take the
hint? He isn't interested!"
The other man reluctantly
backed off and then headed in the opposite direction, finally leaving Bagoas
alone.
"Thank you,"
Bagoas said, realizing this incident could bridge the distance between them. He
wasn't quite certain if he could have driven the other man off, but he liked to
believe so. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to find out;
"You should be
careful, you know. A lot of guys dig your type."
"They do? I didn't
know that." Bagoas cast a look around and wondered where Jared had
disappeared to. He hadn't seen Jared for some minutes now.
"Maybe you should
stay close to me tonight…"
~~~
Jared had watched his
brother rescue Bagoas with a huge grin on his face. He had counted on
TBC
Part 10
"So, what's the big
surprise?" Jared had been teasing him all morning, but had refused to tell
him any details. All Jared had said was that he believed Bagoas would love this
surprise.
"Not yet!" Jared
was practically bouncing when he led the way into the hotel's restaurant. He
had booked Bagoas a room in the same hotel the band was staying in, so he would
always be close. "You're going to soooooooo like
this one!"
Bagoas rolled his eyes.
"Jared, just tell me." He was about to insist Jared told him when his
friend turned him around so he was staring at the back of the restaurant.
"Look familiar?"
Jared could barely maintain his mirth now that Bagoas' eyebrows were inching
higher. "Seen him before?"
Bagoas blinked. "He
looks familiar." At the back of the restaurant partly hidden by large
plants sat a dark-haired young man. His hair was short, but not too short, and
the large dark eyes were directed at them and indicated the other man had
noticed their arrival.
"Francisco! We're
over here!" Jared steered Bagoas in the right direction and waved at
Francisco Bosch, who had risen from behind the table.
Bagoas blinked again.
"Francisco? Jared, are you telling me that…?" He didn’t get a chance
to finish his question as, due to Jared's pushing him, they had reached
Francisco's table.
"Hello, Jared, so
this is the friend you mentioned?" Francisco smiled at the stranger. Jared
had called him a few days ago with the request to meet him for a lunch, as a
friend who was visiting would love to meet him. Apparently this friend had seen
him dance in 'Alexander' and was a fellow-dancer. "Hello, I am
Francisco." No matter how much he practiced his English, he always
maintained some sort of accent that betrayed he originally hailed from
Bagoas cringed; he
couldn't really tell Francisco his name, now could he? And Francisco looked
good, wearing black slacks, a white-button down shirt and a black, velvet
jacket. A huge smile seemed plastered to the handsome face and the eyes
radiated life and energy.
Realizing Bagoas' dilemma,
Jared took charge. "Now, don't laugh, Francisco, but his name is Bagoas,
and he is a bit shy."
Francisco managed to hide
his surprise, as he didn't want Bagoas to feel uncomfortable. "Now that is
a name I don't think many parents are still giving their children."
Francisco seated himself again and so did Jared and Bagoas.
The waiter arrived and
Bagoas used that moment to draw in a deep and hopefully steadying breath.
"I would like some tea please."
Francisco studied Bagoas
and liked what he saw. The long, raven hair rested on his shoulders and then
danced its way down to the narrow hips. Bagoas had dressed in grey slacks, a
white shirt, and a black pullover and the look suited him. Francisco had never
tried to keep the fact that he was gay a secret and openly admired Bagoas'
handsome features. "Jared told me that you are a dancer too?"
The waiter arrived and
served high tea. Bagoas watched with surprise how the waiter placed scones,
marmalade, biscuits, and muffins onto their table. After pouring the tea, the
waiter left and returned them to their privacy. "Yes, I dance. But I am
not trained like you are. I never took classes."
Francisco tilted his head.
"Not everyone needs classes. Some are naturals." Bagoas was tall,
slender, and possessed a natural grace which made Francisco wonder just what
kind of dancer the other man was. "Maybe you would like to get together
and dance? I know a studio downtown where we can meet and try some moves."
Seeing the surprise in Bagoas' dark eyes, he added, "But only if you want
to, of course."
"I want to,"
Bagoas answered quickly, hoping he hadn't made the wrong impression. "I
want that."
Francisco uncovered a pen
and pulled a paper napkin close. He scribbled down the address of the studio he
used to rehearse in and pushed it in Bagoas' direction. "How about
"I will be
there." Bagoas tucked the napkin into a pocket. Francisco's invitation had
surprised him and he gave Jared a thankful look for getting them together.
Jared was nibbling on a
scone, which he had topped with marmalade and gave Bagoas a wink to show he
understood.
"Jared told me that
you liked my performance in the film? It was the first film I did, and probably
the last as well. I am a dancer, not a movie actor." Francisco blew onto
the hot surface of his tea and waited for Bagoas to reply.
"You did well,
especially considering the fact that you didn't have any lines." Bagoas
smiled at Francisco and found that smile returned. "You captured your
character's essence."
"Thank you." Francisco
felt pleased to hear that. For some reason Bagoas' opinion mattered to him –
maybe it was due to his name… maybe it was more. The other man possessed
something that intrigued him and Francisco hoped he would get to know him
better.
~~~
"Thank you for
allowing me to meet him." Bagoas had followed Jared into the lobby after
Francisco had left.
"He's a very sweet
guy," Jared replied. "I think the two of you'll get along just
fine!"
"Ah, there you are!
I've been looking for you!"
"I got tickets for
‘Les Miserables’ for tonight." Jared uncovered
the tickets from a pocket. "Wanna go,
"Sure, why not?"
He was always open for new experiences.
~~~
The evening had been fun.
Bagoas had enjoyed the musical and after saying goodnight to Jared and Shannon,
he had stripped and slipped between the covers. Reaching for his cell phone –
which Alexander had gotten him before he had left
"So do you like
"
"And
what?"
"I met Francisco
Bosch! You know… The actor who played me in the film! He seems like a really
nice guy and Jared assured me he is good company. Francisco invited me into his
studio tomorrow and I can't wait to see him dance!"
Hephaestion's eyes had
warmed with love as he had listened to Bagoas' enthusiastic update. "I am
glad you like him."
"But I miss you… And
I miss Alexander." Bagoas hadn't missed them as badly as he had thought he
would though, and much of that had to do with the fact that Jared kept him
busy. He didn't have much time to brood. "Where's Alexander?"
Hephaestion looked out of
the kitchen window. "It is a good thing that we live out here and not in
the city – he is practicing his sword play."
Bagoas giggled. "I
can imagine what that looks like."
"Alexander misses you
and so do I… And we still love you."
Bagoas sighed deeply. A
part of him had indeed been afraid that they would like things better without
him having around. "I will return to you shortly." He only had two
days of his stay left.
~~~
Francisco had already
started his work out. Dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, he whirled around and
didn't notice Bagoas' arrival at first. He tended to lose himself in the music
and would forget about his surroundings. But not this time – this time he
noticed he had a spectator. "You made it!" He came to a halt and walked
toward Bagoas, who was dressed in a similar way. Bagoas was also wearing sweats
and a T-shirt, but contrary to Francisco, Bagoas wasn't wearing any footwear.
"You dance barefooted?"
"That's the way I
always dance. Is that a problem?" Bagoas placed his rucksack on the floor
and walked toward Francisco. "As I said before, I am not classically
trained. I don't know any ballet."
"That is not a
problem." Francisco had selected some songs for their session and pushed
the play button. The melody that echoed through the studio sounded oriental.
"Why don't you stretch and warm up and then show me what you can do?"
He seated himself on the floor, stretched his legs, and watched Bagoas closely.
He had been right that first time around – the other man possessed a natural
grace which made all his movements look easy.
Bagoas stretched, warmed
up his muscles, and then considered what to do. "My dancing is nothing
like yours."
"I don't mind."
Francisco took a moment to admire the grace and elegance that flowed through
Bagoas' frame. "Just show me."
The dance which Bagoas
carried out took his breath away. Not because it was technically perfect, but
because of the sheer sensuality of the movements. This wasn't dancing – this
was seduction – and he couldn't help growing hard during Bagoas' performance.
Bagoas finally came to a
halt and, as he panted softly, his eyes sought out Francisco's, to find out if
the other dancer had liked his performance.
"You are
talented," Francisco said once he trusted his vocal cords to cooperate.
"It is a shame that you are too old to be trained, though." Most
dancers started at a tender age and, sadly enough, Bagoas was already too old.
No one would take him in and train him.
"My dancing is good
enough for me and for my lovers. I don't need any special training." With
satisfaction, Bagoas registered the surprise in Francisco's eyes at hearing his
words.
"Your
lovers?" Had he heard
correctly?
"Didn't Jared tell
you? I have two male lovers." Bagoas decided to tease Francisco just a
little and gave him a wink.
Francisco wasn't certain
if Bagoas was pulling his leg or telling him the truth – he would ask Jared the
next time they met. "Your dancing actually reminds me of the way I danced
during 'Alexander'."
/That dance was probably
inspired on one I did over two thousand years ago./ But Bagoas didn't speak the
words out loud; he didn't need Francisco to know who he was or to convince the
dancer that he was dealing with the real Bagoas. He had found his place in the
world and was happy being Bagoas, Alexander and Hephaestion's lover.
~~~
After practicing his
dancing with Francisco, he had said goodbye and Bagoas had headed into
After returning to the
hotel,
And so
ended the third day of his stay in
~~~
"We'll take you to
Heathrow,"
Before he could do
anything to stop
"I'm sorry to see you
go,"
"Why don't you give
me a call when you are touring in
"Thank you, I
think." Bagoas returned the teasing look.
The doors opened and they stepped
out of the elevator. Jared was already waiting for them in the lobby and the
three of them made their way into the parking lot. The drive to