Heyy guys. New story…hope you all like!

Read this: IMPORTANT: my email is if you have ANY stories, ideas, whatever…juss hit me. I'll write them for you. ANY CHALLENGES. Well..haha. I lied. I have three conditions. 1) it has to be Alexander/hephaistion. 2) I'm not writing a graphic nc-17. 3) it can't be very AU or weird…like "omg I want Alexander and Hephaistion to be riding on purple elephants in a Babylon made of Legos!" nope. Not doing it. :P

TROY challenges are also welcome…Achilles/Patroclus only! (okay. Who totally laughed every time they said cousin in the movie J so funny.) ok. I'm done. Enjoy the story.

Unwavering Fire

Rating:PG-13

Slash: Alexander/Hephaistion

Unwavering Fire

The sound of hooves pounding and voices shouting rose, along with massive clouds of billowing dust, from the racetrack at Pella. Hephaistion rearranged his long tanned legs on the stone bench and continued to read the section of the Iliad he had started earlier in the morning. He had waved off the Companions' insistence that he join them at the racetrack to watch Alexander race Ptolemy. After all, he remembered himself saying with a grin, the winner of the race was obvious. So he was reading Homer in the stands above the track while Alexander, below him, was living Homer. The dismounters' race was a recent hobby of Alexander's- a chance for the newly pronounced Regent to exercise without leaving Pella.

"Alexander! Alexander!"Shouts drew his brilliant blue eyes back to the track, and he saw his prediction was true. Alexander, in the beginning had seized the lead and stayed there throughout all three laps around the track. Ptolemy was making a merry fool of himself; laughing wildly, shouting to his friends, good naturedly cursing at Alexander, and steering his horses all at once. But Alexander—Alexander seemed in a completely different world. His eyes were fixed forward, his mouth was set in a firm line, and his face was flushed. I know that look, mused Hephaistion. As he continued to study his friend, it came to him with a jolt. It was the face Alexander put on in battle…

He watched curiously as Alexander rounded the last lap, leaping off at the finish. Shouts of congratulations- and accusation-filled the air.

"Do you never let anyone even come close to winning?" cried a clearly exasperated Ptolemy. "By the gods, man- you were going so fast I thought I would run my horses into the dirt trying to catch you!"

"That was splendid, Alexander," complimented Harpalos wistfully, for his lame leg kept him permanently on the sidelines, whether it be the gymnasium or the racing track.

Though immersed in a throng of jostling Companions, Alexander lifted his head and looked at Hephaistion still up in the stands. They locked gazes for a moment, and Hephaistion saw the glimmer in the gray eyes. Then Alexander turned back to his socializing, and Hephaistion back to his Iliad. After a few minutes Ptolemy loudly announced he was going to have a cup or three of wine to celebrate his loss. The Companions laughingly joined him and swaggered out the stone arches of the stadium.

As the last of them disappeared Hephaistion dropped his book and ran down the stone steps to where Alexander stood, waiting. He was clothed a chiton that was so dirt and sweat streaked the white was hardly visible. Track dust plastered the sides of his legs like a second skin.

" 'Phai." He stepped forward to embrace his friend but was quickly fended off.

Hephaistion smirked and jestingly said, "Don't touch me, Alexander. This," he pointed to his shirt, " is a very fine chiton and I don't want to be caked with dirt as you obviously are."

"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" A mischievous flash of the gray eyes accompanied the words.

"Now you are going too far!" But his actions betrayed his words as Hephaistion pulled Alexander against him in a fiery kiss. It was rough and insistent and filled with raw passion- the way they always kissed. Unaware of the dirt that was now settling-permanently- on his new chiton, he pressed closer to Alexander's bare chest. He began to feel the old, familiar desire of wanting to almost consume Alexander, to merge their bones into one. But soon Alexander remembered something and reluctantly pulled away.

"Mother- she might have spies here. This isn't a campaign- we can't do whatever we wish at any given time."

"True."

Now aware, but not caring, of the dirt transmitted to his freshly cleaned clothes, Hephaistion gestured Alexander to sit against a stone bench; then settled into his arms. They sat there in silence for a while, enjoying just the other's presence and studying the piercing blue of the Macedonian sky. Alexander's roughened fingers entwined themselves subconsciously into the other's fine bronze hair. Finally Hephaistion spoke up.

"Tell me something, " 'Xandros."

"Anything. True friends share everything."Hephaistion smiled as he heard the often-said phrase.

"Just before- in the chariot race. Ptolemy was making a fool of himself and laughing like he' d drunk a jug or three, but you. You were so…"he struggled to find the right word. "Intense. Concentrated. Driven."

Alexander, while he listened, had again tipped his head back to study the sky. He scanned it now, but it seemed to Hephaistion that he wasn't really looking at the vast blue expanse but something beyond. Something far away only he could see. The gray eyes sparked with an intense fire that seemed to come from within.

" The chariot race. Ptolemy. Yes." Suddenly he seemed distant. "When I stepped into that chariot today, it seemed like I became someone else. As if the world had suddenly turned on its axis and changed. As I went around the track, I looked into the sky and the sun seemed to come closer and burn more brightly than I have ever seen it. As I drove faster it came closer and seemed to set me alight. Then I became Achilles, 'Phai. It felt like his blood coursing through my veins, and the track appeared the plain in front of the walls of Troy. I felt his armor cover my arms, chariot grind beneath me, his sweat pour off me. I felt his fire."

Hephaistion was used to this- Alexander' s drifting off into a world beyond a mortal's wildest dreams. But he did not begrudge Alexander, because how could he? He was the son of a god. So he merely answered, "And where was Patroclus?"

"By my side." Alexander now slipped his hand down to Hephaistion's and entwined their fingers.

"As I will always be by yours."

"Yes, and I thank the gods for that, 'Phai. How I deserved to have you is beyond me."

Blue eyes locked with gray. "You are more deserving than anyone on this earth, 'Xandros. If you only knew- do you know, 'Xandros, that you can transmit imagination like others can transmit lust? When you spoke of what you saw during your race with Ptolemy, I could almost see it. Not how you saw it, of course. But I thought that I could almost catch a glimpse of the divine."

Alexander cupped Hephaistion's face. "Truly?" His whole face seemed to quiver with emotion.

"Never doubt it."

"Then tell me something, 'Phai."Alexander ran a finger over Hephaistion's cheekbones, down in face and traced the perfect jaw line. "If you say I can transmit imagination like others can transmit lust- well- do you think I can transmit lust also?"

Hephaistion's only answer was to grasp Alexander's golden head and haul it downwards. Their mouths crashed together. Alexander felt his lips being forced apart and tasted with such vigor that he was left breathless. Rough fingers slid themselves under his chiton and he quickly tried to gather his scattering senses. His mother's spies could still be around, and the gods knew that she wouldn't be too happy hearing about her son and Hephaistion going at it right in the stadium. But before he could protest Hephaistion broke away, causing Alexander to moan in frustration. (to his surprise.)

"Now how do you like that answer to your foolish question?"

Alexander was outraged at first. But then he remembered what had just happened- the rough hands, the lips- and he grinned wickedly.

"I think you should finish answering my foolish question."

And after dragging Alexander into his room, Hephaistion did.

--------May be continued!!!!------- Okay, assuming that you have read the story above, please tell me (IN A REVIEW!!) if you would like a second chapter on…hmmmm…maybe Olympias finding out about the above???!!! evil grin