Title: Consequences
Author: Qaddafi the Ripper
Summary: With all good things comes a price. Alexander and Hephaistion face the difficulties of being young and in love. Rated NC-17 for graphic sex.

Part Two: Conflict

Dawn came far too early for Hephaistion's taste as loud birds outside the window woke him before the sun was properly up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes blearily, and finally noticed that Alexander was sleeping next to him. The past day's events came back to him in a rush, both the good and the bad, but mostly the good. Although he was upset they'd been found out, he'd been wanting Alexander for far too long to take everything back. If teasing from the friends, knowing smirks from the other boys, and anger from Alexander's parents was the cost of being together, then Hephaistion was willing to pay that price. Alexander was worth it.

He remembered how he'd sometimes dreamed of waking up Alexander and smiled, deciding he wanted to do it. He leaned forward just little and pressed his lips against Alexander's. After a moment, Alexander was kissing him back slowly. Hephaistion pulled back and smiled. "No one will be awake yet," he said softly. "If we're quiet, no one will know." He shifted his hips forward, pressing his morning erection into Alexander's hip.

Alexander pulled him back down, kissing him heatedly. "Then why are you waiting?" he asked into Hephaistion's mouth.

"I'm not," Hephaistion said and rubbed himself against Alexander. They shifted until their cocks were grinding together. Hephaistion started to moan in pleasure, but slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling the sound. Alexander pushed his hand aside and kissed him hard.

Rubbing their erections together felt different then when they'd used their hands, but no less wonderful. Fighting to keep silent throughout it gave an extra heady feeling to it. Hephaistion rubbed himself against Alexander harder, faster, holding onto Alexander tightly, panting into his mouth.

It didn't take long for them to finish, gasping into the other's mouth in order to keep quiet. Hephaistion smiled softly in relief. Last night, between Aristotle and Harpalos, he'd been worried that Alexander wouldn't be interested in a second time. But Alexander, who had always been hesitant about intimacy before, was willing enough to indulge in it, having experienced it and found it enjoyable.

They lingered in bed for a while, kissing, lightly touching, and talking. Hephaistion thought that if ever a morning in his life had been perfect, this was it. Eventually they could hear the commotion of the other boys waking up. "Since everyone will know by now anyway, shall we go to breakfast late and horrify them?" Hephaistion suggested archly. "We can give back some of what we'll get."

Alexander laughed. "I love you," he said.

Hephaistion stared in awe, before pulling Alexander into a long, hard kiss that made him get hard again. He'd said it so calmly, so naturally. In that moment, Hephaistion could have flown for joy. "I love you too," he gasped into Alexander's mouth.

They might not have had to force themselves to be late for breakfast, but Harpalos's voice called from the other side of the door, "Get up, lovebirds! Or you'll be late and we'll all know why!" They heard his feet running clumsily down the hallway.

"I'm going to kill him," Hephaistion growled in frustration. That was twice now that he'd interrupted them. He let out an explosive breath, trying to be less upset. "We might as well go now," he said. "I am hungry."

"Well, we did work up an appetite," Alexander said in a low voice that made Hephaistion's blood burn. Alexander slipped out of bed and started pulling on his clothes, so Hephaistion followed suite, trying not to stare as Alexander dressed. With what they'd done, why was he getting interested from just watching Alexander dress? He bent to put on his sandals, forcing the images of Alexander's naked body as far from his mind as he could.

As composed as they were likely to get any time soon, they headed out together. When they reached the common area in which meals were taken, they entered side by side, not quite touching. Immediately Hephaistion felt all eyes upon them. Some were encouraging, like Ptolemy and Nearchus. Some were teasing and overly curious. Some were disapproving and frowning, like Philotas and Kassander. Hephaistion's stomach did a nervous flip when he saw those; mockery they could deal with easy enough, but what if someone had something darker in mind? He didn't really think Philotas would do anything to antagonize Alexander, for despite his own reservations about Parmenion's son, Philotas had always been loyal to Alexander; but Kassander was a different matter entirely.

Acting as though they didn't notice the stares they were receiving, Hephaistion and Alexander made their way to where Ptolemy, Harpalos, Nearchus, and Philotas were, sitting down with them. "Well finally," Ptolemy said approvingly.

Hephaistion glowered. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" he demanded.

"Because we're tired of watching you two mooning over each other but never doing anything about it," Nearchus told him.

"We weren't that bad," Hephaistion protested weakly. He'd been that bad, he knew, but he'd hoped they'd been more discrete about it.

"Yes, actually, you were that bad," Harpalos said smugly. Ptolemy and Nearchus nodded in agreement. Hephaistion glanced briefly at Philotas, who still hadn't said anything. He stayed silent throughout breakfast, even though their other friends couldn't get enough of teasing them. Hephaistion found that Philotas's lack of comments bothered him far more than the rest. Was he angry about it? If so, why? And, perhaps most important, what was he planning to do about it?

The rest of the day passed in a blur, though Hephaistion heard two exceptionally nasty comments about the newest gossip that he dearly hoped Alexander never heard. Add to that Philotas's unnerving behavior, and Kassander's vicious smirks, and Hephaistion was desperately glad when the day was finally over.

He climbed into Alexander's bed that night and didn't try to start anything. They lay quietly side by side, both lost in their own thoughts. Hephaistion wondered why he felt so uneasy, little knowing that in other rooms that night, two letters were being written. The first was a routine letter, though the news it contained was anything but. The intent was confused and hesitant, but nevertheless dutiful. Philotas finished his letter addressed to both his father and the king with a heavy heart, hoping he wasn't ruining anything, but also thinking that maybe ruining it might be for the best. Either way, it was now out of his control and he breathed easier for it.

The other letter was the very first, and a very unnatural correspondence. The writer had thought about it for a long time before deciding whom to write to, and could easily guess the result of this epistle. The intent was jealous, angry, resentful; the product of many fruitless years. Kassander finished his letter to the queen with a certain zeal, imaging all the trouble it would inevitably cause, and how much it would end up hurting both Alexander and Hephaistion. He'd been ordered many years ago to become friends with the prince, but he could never quite manage it. Whether from a lack on his part, a lack on Alexander's part, or a little of both, he wasn't sure and didn't want to know. Either way, friendship was out of the question now, with far too many years of discord between them. What hurt most of all was that Alexander didn't seem hurt that Kassander wasn't his friend, surrounded as he now was by all those other boys. When they'd been young, Kassander was frequently the only one around, and he'd perhaps taken some measure of glee in being the only one near Alexander, despite the animosity. With this letter, he could ruin Alexander's best friendship, and show the prince what it was like to be alone. He finished his letter and put it aside, whatever remaining doubts he might have had pushed firmly out of his mind.

Come morning, both letters were sent to Pella, with none but the senders aware of them. Two days later, in the early morning when most of the residents of Mieza were still asleep, Queen Olympias arrived in a huff. Aristotle, who'd been awake already studying a new specimen he'd received the day before, heard her arrival with dread. He rushed to meet her, attempting to straighten his clothes and his hair, dismayed to see the Queen was at her royal finest. Even her attendants and guards were better groomed and more presentable than he was. He gave her a sketchy bow. "Queen Olympias. I wasn't aware that you planned on visiting." Indeed, it was very unplanned. The main reason he was teaching here in Mieza instead of Pella was solely so that she couldn't interfere.

"I am here to see my son," she told him frigidly. "Something unexpected has come up, and it can't wait. You will have him come down at once."

Carefully maintaining a neutral expressed, Aristotle agreed, "Of course. I'll go wake him up. Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

She glared at him. "I want my son," she bit out. "Now."

"Of course. Right away." He offered another quick bow before retreating from the room, inwardly cursing the need to deal with courts and royal tempers. He knew with absolute certainty what had brought her here so quickly and so noisily. He wondered briefly if he should have forbidden the relationship between Alexander and Hephaistion. But no, that wouldn't have done. He could still remember being a boy himself, and the lure of the forbidden. Well, he could at least wish it had taken the queen longer to hear of it, like when the boys were twenty and no longer under his tutelage, for instance. Then none of this could be blamed on him.

On his way to Alexander's room, he ran into Ptolemy. Relieved, he told the young man wake up Alexander for him and went to hide in his study until the inevitable storm was past. Ptolemy, curious about what had gotten the philosopher so worked up, peeked downstairs and immediately recognized the queen. He also guessed right away what had brought her here and that she wasn't happy about it. He hesitated in front of Alexander's door before opening it without knocking.

From the look of things, Alexander and Hephaistion had just woken up, which relieved him somewhat. He had no desire to interrupt anything as Harpalos had. "Alexander, your mother is here," he said quickly.

Alexander sat up, surprised. "Here? Now?" he demanded.

Ptolemy nodded grimly. "And she doesn't look happy. You'd better not make her wait." Alexander nodded and hopped out of bed and quickly starting pulling his clothes on. Hephaistion hesitated before following suite. Alexander ran a hand through his hair, straightening it somewhat, before heading out the door, face set. Hephaistion made to follow him, but Ptolemy grabbed his elbow, stopping him. Hephaistion stared in astonishment. "She's here because she heard about the two of you," Ptolemy told him. "Seeing you with Alexander will only make things worse."

"I'm not leaving Alexander alone!" Hephaistion argued.

"I'm telling you it's a bad idea!" Ptolemy snapped back. He paused. "You can listen in where Olympias can't see you if you must, but don't confront her!"

Hephaistion took a deep breath. "You're right. I would make things worse by being there. Alright, I'll listen in." Ptolemy released a sigh of gratitude and followed Hephaistion down to find a good hiding place.

Alexander stood in front of Olympias proudly. "Mother," he said calmly. "It's good to see you. Are you well?"

She glared at him, face flushed with anger. "Don't mince words with me, Alexander," she said. She hadn't bothered to sit down, but confronted her son standing up, as equals. "Is what I hear about you taking up with some boy true?"

"Where did you hear that?" Alexander asked, stance rigid.

"That's not important," she brushed it off, refusing to be deterred from her goal. "I need to know. Are you sleeping with a boy?"

Alexander didn't let himself get backed down by her. "I don't see why you need to know, Mother, but yes. I am sleeping with Hephaistion."

Olympias let out a shriek of pure rage. From their hiding place nearby, Hephaistion and Ptolemy cringed. If any of the boys in Mieza had still been asleep, they were surely awake now. "How could you do this to me?" Olympias wailed.

"How could I do what?" Alexander said, raising his voice along with her. "I haven't done anything to hurt you."

"Nothing to hurt me? Nothing to hurt me! A curse upon all sons! They can never understand the pain they cause their mothers!" She took a step closer to Alexander, her manner menacing. "You have tried to keep this from me! You dare to love someone as much as me! You think that that this boy loves you back! How doesn't that hurt me?"

Alexander scowled back at her, not stepping back despite how close together they stood. "I kept this from you because I knew you'd react like this," he snapped. "Just because I love Hephaistion doesn't mean I love you any less. And he does love me back; you should be glad I found someone like that!"

"Glad? I curse the day you met him!" She reached out at grabbed his chiton, pulling him close so that their faces nearly touched. They were almost exactly of a height. "Listen to me, Alexander. You are still young, and so you make mistakes. You say you are in love with this boy, but you aren't." He stiffened and started to speak, but she talked over him. "You're in love with the person he acts like in front of you, but that's all. You are the prince of Macedon, and one day you will be king. And you will be a king like the world had never seen before! It's your destiny. I can see it, and don't think other people can't see it."

"What are you saying, Mother?" Alexander asked. His voice was soft. Hidden, Hephaistion wished he could see Alexander's face more clearly.

"He's merely pretending to love you," Olympias said, her voice gentle and soothing, speaking to Alexander as though he were still a child. "He says he loves you and acts like he loves you, but it's only an act. He's using you. When you become king, he will manipulate you to get what he wants."

"That's not true. Hephaistion isn't like that."

"Don't talk to me like that! I know! I've seen the men - yes, and women too! - that sleep with Philip. They're all the same! Conniving, plotting, and seductive. They sleep with him so they can become more powerful. You have the same weakness he has!"

"I do not--" Alexander began hotly, but Olympias continued.

"But in this at least, Philip is wiser than you! Yes, he sleeps with them, but he knows better than to fall in love with them. He knows that in the end each and every one of them will betray him. You haven't learned that yet, but you will. If you let yourself love this boy, you will be hurt worse than by anything else in your life." She stared at him, wild, half with passion on his behalf, half in anger and jealousy at the memory of all the people her husband had slept with.

"And what does that say about you, Mother?" Alexander demanded. "Do you only sleep with father for power too?"

"Of course," she answered, somewhat calmer. "It was a political marriage, everyone knew that. It made me a queen, and my brother a king in Epiros. I knew better than to love Philip. A king can't afford love, it will destroy him." She reached up and touched his cheek tenderly. "My marriage wasn't entirely without joy. I have you, and I love you more than anything else in the world. That's why I want to protect you."

Alexander trembled. "You want me to live my whole life without loving anyone? I can't do that, Mother."

"It's the only way to stay strong. If you let yourself have such a weakness as love, you'll never fulfill your destiny."

Alexander was quiet for a long time; Hephaistion shook, terrified of what he might be thinking. Ptolemy kept a close eye on him, to make sure he didn't do anything foolish. "You're wrong about Hephaistion," Alexander finally whispered. "He isn't just using me. He loves me. He'd never do anything to hurt me."

Olympias shook her head sadly. "My poor, naïve child. It can be hard to see the bad in the people you love. But you need to trust me in this. I've seen his type before, hundreds of times. You should give him up now, before he can hurt you. It's for the best." She reached up and tried to draw him into an embrace, but he backed up abruptly. He stood staring at her, and it was now his eyes, so like to hers, that flared wildly. She held her arms out to him again, but he turned aside and fled from the room and the building.

Hephaistion slowly began creeping out of his hiding place, making sure the queen didn't catch sight of him, intent on catching up with Alexander before he got too far. He didn't look back, but Ptolemy did. Olympias's face had been sad moments before, but now that Alexander was gone, she wore a soft smile of satisfaction. Ptolemy frowned, concerned, and went after Hephaistion. He found him in the stables, forlorn. Ptolemy glanced around quickly and saw that Bucephalus was gone. They'd missed Alexander.

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