Alexander: Two Kisses
Two Kisses
Author: Qaddafi the Ripper
Fandom: Alexander (original)
Summary: For alexandria_47. In Karmania, Bagoas receives a public kiss from Alexander, but nothing more than a kiss. AKA, the Bagoas shut-down fic.
Notes: Orsines probably wasn't present at this event, but I thought I'd put him in anyway.
Bagoas walked up where Alexander was seated, a distinct swagger to his step for anyone to see. The light of triumph was bright in his eyes, and not undeservedly. He had thoroughly defeated his opponents in the dance competition, and done so in a way that no one could claim his being made winner as a favor to the king.
Hephaistion, who sat near Alexander in his position as Grand Vizier, watched the boy's smug expression. He fingered his untouched wine and wondered if Alexander would sleep with the boy tonight. Alexander, as was sometimes the case during these competitions, had been deep in his wine, and was watching Bagoas with sharp, hungry eyes. He was in one of his rare moods when he was eager for love. Hephaistion wondered if Bagoas had yet learned to recognize that mood.
When he reached Alexander, Bagoas bowed his head modestly, and awaited his victory crown. Alexander smiled at him proudly and fondly, and carefully placed the wreathe on the eunuch's head. His hands lingered on Bagoas's long, fine hair, and he smiled as Bagoas lowered his gaze in fake modesty.
Beside Hephaistion was Orsines, satrap of Persis. During the competition, he and Hephaistion had been discussing matters of some importance. The Persian was as deeply in his cups as Alexander, and Hephaistion had let the conversation turn to less important matters. Orsines, too, was watching as Alexander's hands lingered on Bagoas's head.
"Just kiss him already, Great King!" Orsines called out jovially. Alexander glanced over at him. Orsines grinned broadly, saluted with his wine cup, and took another long dreg.
"Yes!" exclaimed a few other Persians who were seated nearby. "Kiss him!"
Laughter came from the Macedonian troops. "Kiss him! Kiss him!" they took up the cheer.
Hephaistion frowned. The Macedonians never before had agreed with anything the Persians said, and this new unity shook him more than a little. Perhaps they were all so thoroughly drunk that they had not yet realized with whom they were agreeing. Perhaps, still recently escaped from the endless burning rock of Gedrosia, they were in such fine spirits that they did not care so much about agreeing with Persians. Perhaps they just wanted to see Alexander smile and laugh.
As the cheers continued on, Hephaistion turned back to Orsines. "You cheer for one that you slighted earlier?" he asked through an interpreter. His Persian was mediocre at best.
Orsines laughed, his cup again empty. "That's what a eunuch is for!" he chuckled. "Our king should keep his harem in the harem, and his generals and advisers out of the harem."
Hephaistion turned away from him. This wasn't the first time a Persian had made a comment like that. None were quite willing to come out and say it directly, Persian evasions be damned, but it was always clear what they meant. It offended their sensibilities that two men should sleep together, he knew, and felt much more comfortable knowing Alexander had Bagoas and Roxanne. It disturbed them more than anything, to know that their Great King and Grand Vizier were lovers and had never tried to hide that fact.
"Kiss him! Kiss him!" the cheer continued, growing louder and louder.
Alexander smiled out at his troops fondly, laughed at their excitement, than leaned down and kissed Bagoas, as they had requested. He let the kiss go on for a few heartbeats as the man laughed and cheered. He finally pulled back and the men cheered harder.
As for Bagoas, there was no longer any attempt on his part to disguise his naked triumph. He turned, looking directly at Hephaistion, and smirked.
Hephaistion looked away first, picking up his wine cup and taking a long gulp.
The celebrations continued, and Hephaistion quietly got up and left. He went to his room in Karmenia and busied himself there, taking care of small matters that he hadn't had time for earlier. He was distracted, some time later, by more loud cheering, coming from the festivities. He wandered out of his room and back outside.
Coming up towards the house where Alexander, Hephaistion, and most of the generals were staying was Bagoas. Further away but clearly going in the same direction was Alexander. Bagoas's strut from earlier had turned into a graceful, leaping dance, similar to the dance that had won him the prize. His face was upturned in joy and anticipated pleasure.
When he drew closer to where Hephaistion was standing, he turned to Hephaistion with the same look of triumph that he'd given him earlier.
"How did you like my dance, Vizier?" he asked. His voice was mostly devoid of bragging, at least as much as could be reasonably expected.
"It was very well done," Hephaistion replied truthfully. "Far better than any of the other dancers."
"Thank you, my lord." Bagoas glanced back towards the party, and towards the path Alexander was walking. Hephaistion frowned, and noticed that Alexander was walking unusually slow. Was the wound from Mallia bothering him again? "I would have preferred to stay longer, and watch the other competitions," Bagoas said, drawing Hephaistion back out of his thoughts. "But--" here he shrugged, helplessly "--the king wanted to retire for the night."
"Of course. He is very tired," Hephaistion murmured, still studying Alexander. Alexander had nearly reached where he and Bagoas were standing.
Bagoas frowned. "Tried?" He too turned to watch Alexander as he approached, and, from his expression, Hephaistion knew that he too could tell that Alexander was walking unusually slowly.
"Hephaistion!" Alexander said as he reached them. "I didn't notice you'd left the celebration."
Hephaistion shrugged. "There were a few things that I needed to take care of."
Alexander made a face. "Working? During a celebration? Ah, Hephaistion, whatever am I to do with you?" He shook his head in exasperation.
"Orsines wasn't the best of company," Hephaistion admitted.
Bagoas, standing between them, was frowning and glancing back and forth. His lip was twisted slightly, and he was frowning.
"Well, I left early too, so I shouldn't say anything," Alexander allowed. "Would you help me to my room? I fear I've had too much to drink again." His step, while slow, had been perfectly steady. It had been a long time since Alexander drank until he had trouble walking.
"Of course," Hephaistion agreed, not arguing against Alexander's stated reason for needing help. If he didn't want to mention in front of Bagoas that he was in pain, or admit it even to himself, then Hephaistion wouldn't make him.
He got an arm around Alexander's middle and slowly helped him inside. Bagoas, as if trying to make up for the fact that he was too slight to help Alexander walk, scurried ahead and held doors open for them. When they reached Alexander's rooms, Bagoas helped Hephaistion undress Alexander and put him in bed.
"Thank you for the help, Bagoas," Alexander smiled.
"Of course, my lord," Bagoas murmured humbly. There was a long silence before Bagoas bowed to Alexander and scurried out of the room. Hephaistion caught one last look at his face before he vanished, and he looked like he was berating himself, doubtless for not steering Alexander away before he saw Hephaistion.
Hephaistion pushed the boy from his mind, and sat down on the bed next to Alexander. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
"Tired, but well," Alexander said. And, demonstrating that he was well enough, and perhaps not that tired, he pulled Hephaistion down next to him. He had that same look he'd had earlier: sharp and hungry and eager.
Hephaistion smiled. "That's good to hear." And he pulled Alexander into a slow, passionate kiss.