Chapter Text
There was no power in the world that could have stopped Pythagoras from jerking off the moment he drew the curtains of his room and collapsed on the bed. It creaked under his weight as he pulled his legs up, dragging his breeches lower with clumsy, trembling fingers. As soon as he had a hand around his hard shaft, he bit his lip and turned to bury his head into the pillow. His moan came out muffled.
He'd spent half the morning walking around the marketplace like a loony (dazed and flushed and completely unaware of the world) but it hardly did anything to ease his desire. His erection stopped being an issue in the crisp morning air, but as soon as Pythagoras came home and stepped inside, facing the wall which Jason had kissed him senseless against, arousal sprang back with full force, knocking the breath out of him.
Hercules and Jason had been chatting in Hercules' room when he arrived home, and that was all Pythagoras needed. Usually, he refrained from touching himself like this unless the house was empty or it was late at night, but right then, he was at the end of his limit.
He stroked his cock with rough, short jerks, biting into the pillow to stifle the sounds that wanted to spill from his mouth. He swallowed back curses, confessions and pleas - and even though the words sliced his throat up from the inside, he didn't let them out.
Jason had kissed him. Jason had kissed him, and it was nothing like Pythagoras had ever experienced before. He had no idea that a mere kiss could awake such an overwhelming torrent of pleasure inside him, setting his body on fire. His thoughts had been reduced to nothing but a whirlwind of chaos and he got lost in the storm.
Jason had kissed him. Had kissed him (wanted to kiss him, gods!) and pulled him close and made him feel wanted and worthy and lov-
Pythagoras whimpered and accidentally bit his tongue. The sharp tang of blood filled his mouth, but he cared not for it.
The most mind-blowing fact was that Jason had done all that by himself, without Hekate's curse affecting him. There was a small, ugly voice in the back of Pythagoras' head telling him that it could have still been the curse - that Jason wasn't thinking straight, he just wanted to cheer Pythagoras up - but Pythagoras shoved the voice aside. The sun had already been up when it happened. Jason had explicitly stated that it was something he wanted to do - very much. And… and he'd got hard, too…
Pythagoras' strokes quickened, his heart swelled to at least twice its size and he could feel the heated blood drumming all along his body. As if there was not enough air in the room; he was short of breath, gasping and panting raggedly into the bedding.
He called himself stupid a hundred ways for letting it happen… but for the love of Aphrodite, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He hadn't experienced this much pleasure in forever, if ever at all.
And it was not just physical pleasure, either. That was just a bonus. The most amazing thing was the all-consuming heat that curled and coiled in his chest smugly, like a purring cat. It made Pythagoras want to leap and whoop and sing. It made him want to cradle the feeling up and put it away in a safe place where he wouldn't ever lose sight of it again. Come hunger, cold, sickness or else - he would survive anything as long as he had it.
Because Jason had not only stayed by him but considered giving him a chance. He had kissed him with something Pythagoras didn't dare to name, told him that 'it was fantastic', that he considered what was between them a 'budding relationship' and assured Pythagoras with a gentle smile that 'they would work things out'. It was more than Pythagoras had ever hoped to have.
He could have wept from joy.
Frustrated by how he couldn't move freely, Pythagoras turned onto his back and spread his legs just a little bit wider. He had to concentrate hard on keeping quiet, and even though it was something he had great experience in, this time he was struggling. Just a mere flash of the memory of Jason's warm, insistent lips against his mouth sent Pythagoras' pulse skyrocketing. He recalled how those fingers cupped his face and stroked his cheeks, how that firm chest pressed so tight against his own, how Jason had backed him against the wall and pushed a slick tongue into his mouth with a groan that made Pythagoras' mind blank out from the shock of it…
Pythagoras' back arched as he spilled all over his hand, tasting copper on his tongue. When the spurts stopped, he let go of his wet cock and slumped down into the bed, boneless and utterly spent.
He couldn't move an inch for several long minutes, during which he tried to draw as much air into his lungs as possible, his breathing harsh and deafening in the silence of the room. After a while, he forced himself to turn around so he could grab a linen rag and clean himself up. When he was finished, he lay down once again and just stared at the ceiling.
Himeros had not granted him such an intense relief in years, and Pythagoras couldn't help but wonder if Eros had something to do with it. The god of love had shot him in the heart a long time ago, but so far, Pythagoras' feelings had remained unrequited. If there was even the slightest chance that this might not have been the case anymore…
He knew he shouldn't start blindly hoping, but the truth was, he felt much lighter than before. This is what being tipsy must be like. He still had doubts and fears and all kind of issues he didn't want to deal with, but all in all, he was considerably better than a few days ago.
Jason had not left him, and he was trying to give Pythagoras a chance. He was willing to question his preferences to try returning what Pythagoras was feeling for him. That in itself spoke volumes about Jason's affection for Pythagoras - and even if the strength of their feelings were vastly different, knowing that something was there meant the world to Pythagoras.
For the first time in a while, he closed his eyes and let himself bask in the warm waves of hope.
*
The happy feeling didn't last long.
Midday found Pythagoras walking the streets with a small basket dangling on his arm, half a dozen vials jingling softly at his every step. Turning around a corner, he could already see the house of his friend, Aiolos, so he quickened his pace. He hadn't seen the man in a long time (not since Jason had arrived in Atlantis, at least) so Pythagoras was delighted when Aiolos had turned up on their doorstep earlier that morning - even if it was only so he could ask a favour.
Not that the mathematician minded. He was always happy to help, and Aiolos had been a good friend for him during the time he'd been struggling with work in the tavern. The man had been the only thing that made working there bearable, and Aiolos had kept on visiting Pythagoras long after he'd stopped working there. As the years went on, they ceased keeping in contact but whenever they ran into each other in the marketplace, they still stopped to chat for a while.
This day was the first time in forever that his friend had actively sought out Pythagoras. It had been a good time to do so; the morning had been awkward, not that Jason had ignored Pythagoras. At the same time he couldn't seem to meet his eyes - which was just as well because Pythagoras felt his face warm up whenever he so much as looked at Jason. They had both stared pointedly at the table while addressing each other. Really, it was little wonder that Hercules had been unusually quick to catch up on their issues.
"Something happen last night?" he had asked, gently grabbing Pythagoras' arm the moment Jason had disappeared behind the door to take out the trash.
"No." But Hercules had shot such a disbelieving look at Pythagoras that he'd ended up cringing and amending. "Uh… maybe something this morning."
Hercules' raised eyebrow had clearly shown that he wanted some kind of elaboration; Pythagoras however couldn't bring himself to say any more. In the end, he'd been saved by the tentative knocking on the main door.
"Pythagoras? It's, um, it's Aiolos."
Mouth dropping open is surprise, Pythagoras had pulled himself free of Hercules' grasp and dashed for the door.
Aiolos had not beat around the bush and explained that his daughter was down with an illness and he'd been hoping that Pythagoras could help her. Pythagoras was well-known for his knowledge of herbs and medical tinctures, after all, and people paid him for these qualities more often than for his excess knowledge of mathematics.
Pythagoras hadn't hesitated in saying yes. He would have helped Aiolos either way, but the request had also given him a good excuse to get away from his friends and those awkward conversations while busying himself with brewing a tonic. He'd had a vague suspicion that Hercules had simply moved onto interrogating Jason, but at least Pythagoras was left alone.
Pythagoras barely needed to knock twice on the door and Aiolos was already ushering him in with a look of immense relief on his face.
"Thank you for coming so quickly," he said, gesturing toward a room on the left side of the small house. "Kharis has tried everything she could think of, but the temperature still hasn't broken."
The tiny room was unusually warm and heavy with the smell of sweat. The small girl in the bed was sleeping restlessly, a furrow on her forehead, cheeks fever-red. She couldn't have been more than six. Beside her sat Kharis, Aiolos' wife. Pythagoras had never met her before though he'd heard much of her from Aiolos. She had a kind face, even when it was clouded over with worry.
Kharis stood up the moment she noticed Pythagoras and bowed, long black braid falling over her shoulders. Pythagoras' eyes fell to her middle instantly. She was with a child.
"Thank you so much for coming, Pythagoras! We are grateful for your help. The physician… he turned us away when he learnt that we couldn't pay for his services right now." She coloured slightly in embarrassment. "We are in your debt."
"Not at all. No physician should concern themselves with payment but with the gratitude and regained health of their patients" Pythagoras said easily. He leant down and touched the little girl's forehead. It was hot, but not dangerously so. "Her name is Sarra, right? How long has she been sick?"
"Two days. Her fever's started early last night."
After inspecting Sarra closely, Pythagoras put the basket in his lap and pulled out three vials. Starting with the tonic that would bring down her temperature, he carefully poured the liquid into the girl's mouth. Then, he grabbed a mixture of oil and rubbed it onto her temples and into the skin of her chest. Finally, he made her take a big gulp of the contents of the third vial.
"You have caught it in time," he said to the parents in the meantime. "A few more days and her lungs would have caught the sickness, too. But if you care for her with the tinctures I've made, I believe she'll be fine."
Pythagoras gave Aiolos a handful of vials and a small jar containing more of the ointment, explaining how often they should use the latter and make Sarra drink from the tonics. The tonics would not last for more than two days, but Pythagoras still had plenty of herbs at home so he reassured them that he would make more the next day.
By the time he finished with the explanations, Kharis was on the verge of crying. "Will she truly be fine?"
"We have every reason to believe so, yes," Pythagoras said, looking down at the girl with a soft smile. "She seems like a tough kid. Give her a week and she'll be running around the place like before." He stood up and then turned to Kharis again, dropping his gaze pointedly to her large belly. "When Aiolos visits me to pick up the tonics, I will give him some herbal leaves. Make tea from them and drink a cup once a day for easier delivery."
Aiolos stepped forward and squeezed the blond man's shoulder.
"Words cannot convey how grateful we are, Pythagoras," he said in a serious tone. "Thank you. As soon as I am able to, I will settle my debt to you."
"There is no need." A couple of days before he might have not been able to say it, but with twenty drachmas in their pockets, Pythagoras was not taking any money from them. "Leave an offering on Asclepius' altar, and as far as I am concerned, we are settled."
"You are too kind." Kharis took Pythagoras' hand and kissed it, making him flustered. "At least let us give you a present. It's… it's not much, but I have just baked a pie. It should still be warm. Please accept it."
"I mean it, there is no need to-" But Kharis already hurried away, only to came back a few minutes later with a wrapped bundle which she promptly gave to Pythagoras. It was warm against Pythagoras' hand, and smelled sweet even through the wrapping. "Thank you."
Aiolos smiled warmly at him as he walked Pythagoras to the door. "When Sarra gets better and I don't have to work so much, I would like to spend time with you. It's been too long since we last had enough time to talk without rushing."
"Indeed," Pythagoras said with a nod. "These are busy times for both of us."
"I can tell. You name comes up around the city rather often nowadays. Hercules, you could always hear about him in the taverns - but you? Word never really got around about you until that stranger started hanging out with you."
"Jason? Are you talking about Jason?"
"That one," Aiolos confirmed with a nod. "I remember everyone talking about him when he slayed the Minotaur. He's become a sensation, hasn't he? Imagine my surprise when I first heard your name along with his! Is it true that you were there when he killed the monster?"
"I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I was there in the caves, yes. Jason actually went there in my place. He is… He's become a good friend."
Aiolos smiled again. "Yes, I heard about that, too. He lives with you and Hercules, doesn't he?" At Pythagoras' slightly flustered nod, he scratched his jaw and grinned. "I'm sure you three have been up to much. I would really love to hear about your adventures."
Pythagoras was not used to being the centre of attention. He hadn't even known that townspeople still talked about them! But Aiolos' apparent desire to spend time with Pythagoras just to enjoy his company warmed his heart like a sip from the richest wine. It had been so long since he'd spent any considerable time with someone who wasn't Hercules or Jason, and suddenly he had a craving to say yes.
So he returned Aiolos' smile and grasped his outstretched hand. "We'll definitely make time for that."
"I'm looking forward to it." Aiolos squeezed his hand before letting Pythagoras go. "I will drop by your house the day after tomorrow to pick up the tonics, then. And thank you for everything; I can't say that enough."
"You've already said that enough," Pythagoras teased. "Take care, my friend."
"You, too."
Pythagoras hadn't felt this light in a while. Helping out others had always brought him pleasure but this - this was something else. He was proud of his actions, especially because it had nothing to do with either Hercules or Jason. It was his alone, and he treasured it.
He looked down into the basket hanging on his arm, and could already picture the wide grin Hercules would give him when Pythagoras presented the pie for his friends. They had enough money now that they could easily make their own, but this was a gift, and it would no doubt be sweeter than anything else.
Pythagoras was so preoccupied with his happy thoughts that he didn't notice the person approaching him until he suddenly had an arm wrapped around his hip.
"Hello." Unpleasant breath gushed over his face as Pythagoras jumped in surprise, jerking his head sideways to gape at the man pressed against him. "Don't jump, boy, it's me. Yeah?"
"I don't know you," he said darkly, trying to get away from the man and failing. "Let me go!"
"Why, you wound me, Pythagoras. Don't you remember? It's only been a year." He suddenly leant forward and fit his nose to Pythagoras' neck, dragging a stubble-heavy cheek over the sensitive skin. His voice dropped low and filthy. "You spread your thighs for me and moaned as I fucked you raw. You were so sweet, Pythagoras. Good as any whore. I praised you."
All the blood drained from Pythagoras' face.
Something churned in his stomach, and he felt sick. Mouth falling open, he turned to look at the smirking man… and in that moment, he recognised him. A year ago this man had been well-clad, charming and clean-shaven. He hadn't reeked of alcohol and certainly hadn't looked like a dirty homeless person. They'd met in the library and the man had showed an immense knowledge of history, so they'd talked for hours. When he had subtly hinted at wanting to spend a few hours alone with Pythagoras, the mathematician hadn't said no.
The man grinned at him.
"Ah, yes. I don't suppose you remember my name, do you? But it doesn't matter. It's good enough if you remember my cock. Filled you up good and nice, yeah?" He leant forward again, voice slurring as he touched his mouth to Pythagoras' neck. "Say, why don't you come home with me again? The wench is gone and I find myself rather lonely."
Pythagoras was so numb with shock that he could barely force his mouth to work.
"S-stay away from me," he managed, but his voice sounded ridiculously weak even to his own ears. "I'm not… in-interested."
He wanted to scream when the man's hold on his hip only turned stronger. "Don't say that, darling. I'm not buying it."
Bile flooded his mouth. Oh merciful gods, let this be a nightmare. Let this be a hallucination. Pythagoras pressed his eyes closed but could still feel the disgusting closeness of the man. He wanted to get away from him but couldn't move, didn't dare to bring attention to themselves. The streets were busy with people - what if they all saw them? What if they could hear them? Maybe they've already heard what he'd said… and they'd already known how pathetic and shameful Pythagoras was…
Heart drumming crazily in his chest, breath catching in his throat, Pythagoras knew that panic took over his body. It was stupid; he should've shoved the man away and make a run if necessary. But he was paralysed. Just like the old times - his father beating up his mother and Pythagoras just standing there, unable to do a damn thing to stop it from happening…
His chest heaved and his throat felt like splitting open as he swallowed around the hard lump in it.
You can't have a panic attack, you CAN'T HAVE A PANIC ATTACK. Pull yourself together, Pythagoras, you can panic later. Come on! COME ON!
The sheer force of that inner voice made his head spin, but it wasn't until he recognised it as Jason's voice that Pythagoras managed to overcome his shock and shove the man aside. "Leave me alone!"
The grin fell from the man's face, and now he just looked affronted. "What the fuck is your problem?"
Instead of replying, Pythagoras just turned on his heels and started for the market as quickly as he could. Maybe the man would get lost if there were even more people around them… but he barely took three steps when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
"Don't you act all high and mighty on me, you cunt!" the man growled loudly. His face was red and promised murder. "You all look down on me now, eh? I was good enough when I had money, eh? Well, I'm still worth way more than a fucking degenerate like you! You think anyone else would care for you cock-begging whore? You're nothing! You should be damn grateful I'm taking pity on you! You're spreading your legs for anyone who's got a prick to fuck you with after all, don't you, Pythagoras?"
no no no no no no no no no no no no no-
The words plunged into Pythagoras like a dagger and ripped his insides open, leaving him bleeding out in his own body.
He's never hurt this much. All the punches and kicks of his father couldn't come close to this pain. He was vaguely aware of people stopping in their tracks to gape at them, and it made him all the more sick in the stomach. And the man just grinned, all dirty teeth, triumphant.
"Or you're getting it from that pretty new friend of yours? I've seen him around. Gotta give it to you, he looks much better than the fat drunkard you've been hooking up with. I wonder if they can stretch you enough to fit both of their cocks in your arse. I'd bet they can. I'd bet you love i-"
Pythagoras didn't think as he grabbed the basket in his fist and threw it into the man's face with all the strength he could muster. Even if it didn't much damage, it took the man by surprise and allowed Pythagoras to pick up a fist-sized stone from the ground before launching toward the filthy-mouthed bastard.
He could only hit the man once before his wrist got grabbed with so much force that his bones gave out a naughty crunch. The stone fell from his palm, and then there was a loud smash… and Pythagoras saw stars.
Next he knew, he lay on the ground with his back to a wall, the back of his head and the right side of his face aching terribly. He raised his arm to his cheek and realised that his wrist was aching, too. Something trickled down onto his mouth and when he let his tongue peek out, he tasted blood. Damnation.
The man towered above him, grabbed the front of his tunic and jerked him up from the ground.
"Don't think for a second that you're better than me," he spit. The stench of his foul breath made Pythagoras dry-heave. "You belong in a brothel - except you're no boy and certainly no woman. Just a pathetic excuse of a-"
"Enough now! Let him go!"
Pythagoras was promptly dropped to the ground. Straining his neck, he looked around and was mortified to notice the huge crowd of people that had gathered around them. Some of them were watching his attacker who now took a few steps back… but most of them were just eyeing Pythagoras with a wide range of emotions: pity, contempt, indignation… Some looked outright disgusted, while a few others just seemed worried.
Pythagoras closed his eyes. He couldn't bear the weight of their stares.
"You know nothi-" The man started in rage, but the other voice cut him off.
"And I don't need to. You are harassing someone and disrupting the peace of this place. The guards are on their way." His voice suddenly came from much closer. "If I were you, I'd get lost."
Pythagoras heard a muffle curse and then the noise of retreating steps. There was silence after that, until he felt a touch on his shoulder. It made him flinch.
"It's alright. Can you stand up?" It was the same voice who told his attacker to get lost.
Pythagoras opened his eyes and was met with an older face. The man had short brown hair and several deep lines crossing his face, and he didn't smile as he helped Pythagoras up on his feet.
"What are you all staring at?" he barked, turning back to the crowd. "Got nothing better to do? Get back to your business!"
Pythagoras fixed his gaze on the ground, not daring to look up, but he couldn't close his ears against the waves of whisperings that erupted a second later. His eyes were stinging and he felt like throwing up.
Even so, he managed to force out: "Thank you."
The man turned to look at him but Pythagoras couldn't bring himself to make eye-contact. After the man had spoken, Pythagoras was glad he didn't do so.
"Nobody deserves to be stalked and get beaten up, especially by a drunk bastard who's a disgrace to the entire city. But kid, if you have really shared his bed before…" He trailed off, shaking his head with a sigh. In the end, he only said, "In your place, I'd make myself scarce for a while."
He patted Pythagoras' shoulder and left without another word.
Pythagoras couldn't move. He hurt all over, and the worst of the ache came from the inside: shame crept up his limbs, clutched and tugged and his heart with sharp spikes, pulling it down into the pit of his stomach and leaving an empty void in his chest.
They hadn't said anything he hadn't known already. At one point or another, those thoughts had crossed his mind… even though he'd tried to crawl them out of his head every time, scraping with mental fingers until he felt like bleeding.
And yet…
As he turned around, he spotted his discarded basket on the ground. It was intact, but the pie was now nothing more but a disgusting mess in the dirt.
The memory of being happy for the gift - of enjoying his friend's company, the family's gratitude - seemed so far away like it'd happened in another lifetime. Pythagoras couldn't feel an ounce of warmth in his body.
He felt tainted… and stupid for allowing himself to believe even for a second that he and Jason could work. He should have known all along that this - this is what he would be dragging Jason down to. He'd lost sight of this fact.
It was not going to happen again. Not anymore.
"Hey. You've been gone for lo-" As soon as he raised his eyes, Jason's voice died off. For a second, he couldn't do anything but stare at his friend in dread… and then he sprang up from the chair. "Jesus Christ, Pythagoras! What happened to you?"
Jason sprinted to the mathematician and raised his arm to help, but Pythagoras batted his hand away. He walked to the table without saying a word, dropped onto the chair and just stared at the ground with a face that gave nothing away.
"Pythagoras?"
Jason went back to sit in front of him. Something pulled at his stomach painfully as he got a closer look at his friend. Pythagoras was pale as a ghost, had dried blood under his nose and on the corner of his mouth, the right side of his cheek was swollen and red, and there was a bruise forming under his right eye. But his expression was the most terrifying: cold and hard, like a robot, mouth set in a thin line, eyes icy and soulless.
Whatever happened to him, it wasn't just a punch in the face.
"Pythagoras, please," Jason repeated, now almost sick with worry. "What happened?"
The mathematician opened his mouth, but for a couple of moments no sound came out. When he did speak, it was with a voice so dead and distant it was terrifying… and his answer made Jason wish he hadn't asked in the first place.
"A past fling of mine deemed it was high time to remind me just how pathetic of a manwhore I am."
Jason flinched, the words snapping against him like a whip. "Pythagoras…"
"He reminded me just how much I loved getting fucked by him," the man continued dryly, ignoring the way Jason cringed at the demeaning, mercilessly spat-out words. "How I, the degenerate that I am, spread my legs and begged for his cock."
"Pythagoras, stop it."
"Because obviously, I should be locked up in a brothel. No one would ever care for someone like me, anyway.
"Stop it!"
"After all, I am nothing but a cock-begging whor-"
"Goddamnit, Pythagoras, SHUT UP!"
Jason slammed his fist into the wall so hard his knuckles gave out a nasty crunch but he barely registered it. His roar finally made Pythagoras shut his mouth and meet Jason's gaze, but to Jason's utter horror, there was not a hint of remorse on his friend's face. On the contrary: his expression was colder than ever before, and his gaze made sickening chills run down Jason's spine.
It was heart-breaking to see.
"Don't say that," Jason begged on a whisper.
"Why not?" Pythagoras bowed his head and stared at his clenched fists absently. "It's the truth."
"No, it's not!" Jason crossed the distance to Pythagoras in two steps, dropped to his knees on the ground so they could be at face-level and took the man's hands, not letting go even when the mathematician tried tugging them free. "It's could not be further away from the truth. Why would you listen to what a fucking asshole says? You're not…" He couldn't repeat those vile words. He couldn't. Even unsaid, they burnt the inside of his mouth like acid. "You're not any of those things."
"I desire men, even though I am an adult man myself. And I enjoy submitting myself. I do like getting fucked and don't have an ounce of want for women." Pythagoras swallowed hard; a small crack on the hard, unflinching mask he wore. "In the eyes of the society, that makes me worse than any whores working in a pleasure house."
"Fuck them. Fuck them all. They don't know you." Jason let go of Pythagoras' then, only to be able to cup his face in both hands and force him to meet his eyes. "I don't care what anyone thinks. You shouldn't, either. Because there is nothing wrong with you."
Something broke visibly in Pythagoras' eyes. In one second, he just stared unblinking at Jason… but then his gaze shattered to pieces, his forehead wrinkling up with the rawest expression of pain Jason had ever seen on his face. He snapped his eyes shut and sucked his lower lip in, biting on it so hard it turned almost white. Jason watched helplessly as the blond lashes fluttered and darkened from dampness, and he wanted to kill someone.
"You keep saying that," Pythagoras choked out in a raspy voice, "but even I know how messed-up I am. Jason, there are places where wanting what I want is punishable by death! Even if Atlantis is more tolerant than that… I am not a warrior having an epic romance with my brother-in-arms. Nor am I a boy being taken up by a patron. Whatever relationship I will ever have, people will condemn me for it for the rest of my life. Me and whomever's poor soul I end up dragging down with myself." Opening his eyes, now wet, shiny and red, he pinned Jason down with his gaze. "Don't you understand what I am saying?"
When understanding did dawn on Jason, it wiped every expression clean off his face, replacing them with shock… and then white-hot anger.
His hands fell from Pythagoras' cheeks to his shoulders to squeeze them hard.
"Damn it, Pythagoras, you can't do this," Jason hissed. "You can't! I told you, I told you that you can't make decisions in my place. You don't get to decide if you're worth it or not, do you understand? Only I do!"
"I don't want to be your downfall!"
"You won't be!'
"How would you know?!" Pythagoras cried. "Even after all this time, you've just begun to grasp the ways of Atlantis! You could… you could be so much more, Jason! You have it in you; a bright future where everyone respects you… I will not take that away from you! I will not!"
"When will you get that you don't get to decide that?!"
His voice echoed in the room with the force of an unforgiving thunder. Jason and Pythagoras stared at each other from mere inches, panting, their faces twisted in rage and eyes throwing daggers. Jason's heart was drumming like crazy, threatening to crush his ribs from the inside, his throat so tight it hurt to swallow, and he belatedly noticed that he was clutching at Pythagoras so much his knuckles were turning white.
Yet Pythagoras didn't make a sound. He returned Jason's gaze with the stubbornness of a man firmly believing himself to be right, only his rapidly falling chest and clenched fists betraying the storm raving inside.
This was the first time they have really fought with each other, Jason realised. They'd had a few disagreements, sure, but nothing like this. Never like this.
He understood what Pythagoras was trying to accomplish. He really did: the man wanted to scare Jason off by shoving the cruel reality hard in his face. He wanted to protect him, deeming himself unworthy of whatever Jason had to offer.
It was so utterly Pythagoras that it actually hurt. This stupid act of selflessness made Jason see red.
Why couldn't Pythagoras grasp that he had no right to make these decisions for Jason? Especially concerning whatever was between them. And it was rather demeaning that Pythagoras believed Jason to be so shallow that he would stop caring for him because of the vile words of an asshole. (Who, by the way, Jason needed to hunt down and skin alive. Fucking hell.)
Pythagoras never took anything for himself. Even if he wanted something, he'd rather give it up without trying than to risk breaking it. This knowledge made Jason's heart ache.
He pulled back a few inches, breathed in, then slowly let it out. When he spoke after that, his voice was quiet, if a bit hoarse. "I'm sorry for shouting."
Pythagoras' gaze lost its sharp edge. He let his eyes drop after a second. "Yeah. Me, too."
"I understand that you are trying to protect me," Jason stated firmly. "I really do. But if you think you are doing me a favour… let me tell you that you aren't. I'm not flattered, nor happy, nor relieved. Look, I don't care how fucked up the people of Atlantis are. I don't care if they think you preferring men is wrong, or that they would look down on me if I were to start a relationship with you. Neither is any of their goddamn business."
"You say that now, but you don't know what it's like to be hated," Pythagoras murmured quietly. "My preferences were common knowledge in Samos but people didn't really care back then because I was young. Still, my brother never made his dislike of it a secret. And in Atlantis… I, I've always made myself scarce and didn't really have that many sexual encounters… but still, word would travel fast among certain groups. And though never stated as explicitly as today, they never held back what they thought about me. Whenever I have... slept with someone, they would made it obvious that they were doing me a favour. Never out loud, never into my face. But I could see it in their eyes."
Jason's hands slid down so he could cup Pythagoras' hands again. His fingers were cold, and they trembled slightly in his palm.
"I slept with women, too. Just a couple of times. But it was…" Pythagoras took a shaky breath and kept silent for a long moment. "It was Hercules' idea. A month or so into our acquaintance, he decided it was a good idea for us to visit a brothel. I didn't want to… I mean, I… But I couldn't tell him. About me. I couldn't - I was scared he would send me away the moment he knew about it."
"I was so nervous I couldn't do anything, but she was really understanding. She thought I was a virgin and had been tricked by friends to go there, so she pretended I bedded her." Pythagoras closed his eyes. "Hercules took me back a few times and I… well, I could do it, but I always felt terrible. Then the… incident happened with the men from the tavern. I don't know what Hercules had heard from them, but after that night he never suggested me going with him to the brothel again. I assume that was when he learnt about my preferences."
"Jason." Blue eyes bore into Jason's own, dark and pleading. "No matter how discreet I tried to be, being like this has always been hard on me. And when you… when you said you were thinking about it, it made me insanely happy. I felt like floating. But now… Now, I just don't want this for you. I don't want you to bear the same stigma that I do."
Jason couldn't deny that the society's apparent rejection over homosexual relationships, unless applied to special individuals under defined circumstances, made him uncertain, but it wasn't getting in the way of his feelings for the mathematician. He'd been telling the truth when he said that he didn't care for what others thought about him. Maybe his life would be more difficult. And? It was difficult enough already. He wouldn't want Pythagoras to hold himself back if it concerned some other guy, and he certainly didn't want him do that when it concerned Jason himself.
He just wanted Pythagoras to be happy. And to make him see that whatever his asshole father or other bastards had claimed, there really was nothing wrong with him.
"You know," he started quietly, "where I came from, there are queer… I mean, people with your preferences, too. And there are always those who hate them at spit spiteful words whenever they have the chance, sure, but smart people accept it as personal preference that has got nothing to do with either 'wrong' or 'right'. It's just the way you are. And nobody has the right to make you feel ashamed of yourself."
Jason's thumb stroked the back of Pythagoras' hand, and he could feel his blood thrumming under the thin skin of his wrist. He leant close and made sure that his voice was firm and confident when saying, "I don't care about any of it. I only care about you."
Pythagoras breath hitched, and it didn't escape Jason's notice.
"If I decide to start a relationship with you and you are on board with that, then that will be it - 'social stigma' or anything else be damned. I don't care about my public image. I won't let it affect what I feel for you. And I sure as hell won't let them make you feel ashamed of yourself ever again."
Raising his arms, he gently cradled Pythagoras' face and watched as the man's shoulders sagged, his eyes falling closed. Jason stroked his cheek and Pythagoras leant into the touch instinctively, so he kept doing it to give his friend comfort.
"Please don't believe a word those assholes say. Believe me. Believe Hercules. Believe your friends who accept you as you are."
Pythagoras' throat was working, Jason could see it, but the words wouldn't come out. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and even though he shut them, Jason could see the small pearls of liquid seeping through and settling on his damp lashes.
After long, silent minutes with only their harsh breathing serving as noise, Pythagoras finally found his voice.
"It was so horrible," he whispered brokenly.
Jason swallowed hard, wondering what to say. But Pythagoras wasn't finished.
"I was shocked and numb. I couldn't move an inch as he kept spitting those things when I said I won't go with him… but then he started badmouthing you and Hercules, and I c-couldn't walk away after that, I couldn't, I just, I lost it. I couldn't bear him saying filth about you."
Oh Pythagoras.
Jason wrapped his arms around the mathematician. It didn't take a second to feel Pythagoras' fingers tangle in the front of his tunic, clutching at Jason like he was a life belt. He seemed raw and exposed, and Jason would've given anything to be able to take his pain away.
"I couldn't listen to it," Pythagoras choked out. "They can say whatever they want about me but not you two. I won't allow for that."
Jason put the rest together. "You hit him?"
Pythagoras nodded. "But I couldn't do much before he grabbed and punched me. I'm sure he'd have beaten me up were it not for that other man who came to help me. Everyone was watching us, Jason. They just stood there… watching and listening…" He pressed his forehead onto Jason's chest as if he wanted to disappear. "And even that one man condemned me for sleeping with the guy in the first place. And he was right to. I… I feel sick for ever letting him… wanting him to…"
He trailed off and never finished.
When he next spook after another couple of minutes, the longing in his voice made Jason's heart ache again. "I don't want any of this. Why can't I just be like normal people?"
"Normal people don't get to be world-known mathematicians. It's only going to be you."
He could hear Pythagoras snicker and knew that the man didn't believe a word.
Pythagoras didn't say more after that and Jason let him. His knees hurt like bitch from kneeling on the ground and he was really uncomfortable in this position, but he wouldn't have moved if someone plunged a sword in his side. He kept one hand on Pythagoras' waist and stroked his soft hair with the other, resting his jaw on the crown of the blond head. Pythagoras was still breathing harshly, but after a while, his shaking slowly started to subside, breathe evening out. His fingers however stayed tangled firmly in Jason's tunic.
Jason didn't realise he had started dropping small kisses onto Pythagoras' head until his friend let out a soft, quiet hum. For a moment, he froze, but then pressed another, longer kiss to Pythagoras' forehead.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," he mumbled quietly into the messy curls of hair. "But if they can't see how amazing you are, it's their loss."
Pythagoras let out a small huff of air. He hummed again when Jason's fingers brushed against his ear, and then raised his head to look at Jason. Finally, there was warmth in his eyes. "Thank you."
Jason stroked Pythagoras' cheek once more before leaning forward to kiss him softly on the lips.
Pythagoras made a startled noise and pulled back instantly - and though Jason wanted to chase and reclaim his lips, he stopped himself and met his friend's eyes evenly. Pythagoras' expression held a million questions and Jason answered each and every one of those with his own, the need to actually voice them never surfacing at all.
After what felt like an hour's worth of time, Pythagoras finally seemed to relax and his gaze darted down to Jason's mouth. His lips parted lightly, fingers suddenly clenching Jason's tunic tighter. He met Jason's eyes again, as if to double-check, and this time he was the one who leant forward and tentatively fitted their mouths together.
The first gentle drag of their lips was like a honeyed balm caressing through Jason's soul. For a long while it was nothing but slow, close-mouthed kisses pressed deeper and deeper each time, and it was good, it was perfect - nothing short of a right wonder. Jason kept stroking Pythagoras' cheeks, careful of the bruise under his right eye, and after a while, the mathematician started returning the gentle exploration. His fingertips brushed along Jason's cheek and jaw, leaving a warm, tingling trail behind, then cradled his neck and pushed into the dark mess of hair. When he teased the seam of Jason's mouth with his tongue, Jason opened up for him without hesitation - and the shiver that washed through him as Pythagoras licked into his mouth was all sorts of amazing. He couldn't suppress a tiny moan.
Pythagoras pressed in deep, kissing him slow and delicate. It was nothing like the frantic make-out from before but just as good - so good, in fact, that Jason didn't even care about the coppery taste of dried blood he could feel seeping in from the corner of Pythagoras' mouth.
When Pythagoras pulled back a bit to gasp against Jason's wet mouth, the sound he made filled Jason's limbs with liquid fire. It wasn't the fiery arousal from the day before, but something equally powerful; hot, deep and all-consuming on its own.
Dragging Pythagoras back, he resumed kissing him with slow-burning passion, enjoying the sensation of their swollen lips sliding wetly against each other, searching, finding and exploring. His nerve endings felt raw along his entire body, exposed to something Jason wasn't used to experiencing - but he found himself wanting it, craving it… needing it like air.
Jason had no idea how much time have passed until they parted reluctantly.
Pythagoras' eyes were shut close, his breathing finally slow and steady. A pink tongue peeked out to trace his lips as if to savour the lingering taste of Jason, and the sight made funny things to Jason's stomach.
He needed a second or two to clear his throat and rasp out, "We should probably get you cleaned up."
"Yes."
Jason stood up and winced immediately, almost falling back to the ground. Damn, his knees felt awful and he could barely stand straight. Pythagoras noticed it, too, and opened his mouth, but Jason waved a hand before his friend could have gotten out what was no doubt an apology.
He collected a bowl of water and some linen rags before going back to Pythagoras and settling down next to him by the table (this time on a chair, for which his knees were eternally grateful). He dipped the tip of the cloth into the cool water and started to clean off the dried remains of blood from the mathematician's face. Pythagoras was silent through it, though he winced a bit when Jason accidentally touched the bruise under his eye.
"Sorry," Jason muttered. "Do you have something for that? Your cheek is swollen, too."
"There is a salve on the second shelf in my room. The one I used for Hercules' arm last month. That should do it."
Jason retrieved said salve and worked it into Pythagoras's skin as gently as he could. His fingertips tingled pleasantly from the intimate touch, and if the fluttering of Pythagoras' closed eyelashes or his soft humming was anything to go by, his friend enjoyed the administrations, too.
After he was finished, Jason pressed a small kiss onto Pythagoras' mouth. He only intended it to be a peck, really, but Pythagoras clearly had other ideas: he threaded his fingers into Jason's hair, grasped his nape and fixed him in place, so they ended up making out leisurely for another couple of minutes. Jason had no complaints at all about this turn of events.
After pulling away, Pythagoras' piercing blue eyes watched Jason like he was afraid that what he was seeing was merely an apparition. "I keep wondering-"
"Don't," Jason cut in, shaking his head. "Have some faith in me, would you."
The smile Pythagoras graced him with in response was tiny - no more than a curl of lips, really - but so amazingly soft and warm that Jason wanted to snatch it up and shove it to a place in his body where he would always feel the tingling heat radiating from it.
"Since you have entered my life, I have done little else."
*
Originally, Jason had wanted to visit the Oracle after lunch, but what happened to Pythagoras had changed his plans. He didn't leave his friend's side all afternoon, keeping him company - which in the end resulted in Jason receiving an elaborate lesson about the wonders of unique angles and special geometrical shapes. Jason did not mind it in the least. It was a sign that Pythagoras was feeling better and it made Jason relieved beyond words.
They also shared some more kisses, and those, too, seemed to be getting better each time. Jason seriously wondered if he was developing an addiction… until he decided that whatever, it mattered nothing. Making out with Pythagoras was easily the best thing he'd discovered since coming to Atlantis - and okay, he might have been a bit drunk on the novelty of it, but there was no harm in that.
When Hercules came home hours later, his appearance abruptly popped their little balloon of serenity.
"What the hell happened to you?!"
Pythagoras froze in place, the smirk on his face (he'd been teaching Jason how to play a board game he had recently acquired, named Diagramismos, and obviously, he was winning) disappearing in a blink of a second. Even Jason couldn't help but tense up.
There had been no blood on the mathematician's face by then and he'd lost the ghostly paleness, but the tell-tale bruise and swell of his cheek were still rather prominent.
Pythagoras dropped his eyes and fell silent, and Jason could almost see him putting the mental walls back up around himself. He had no doubt that the last thing Pythagoras wanted was to go through talking about what had happened to him all over again.
But still… Hercules was clearly shocked to find Pythagoras in this state, and the sight made him worried beyond words. Jason knew better than to come between them (they needed to talk this out, just the two of them) so he squeezed Pythagoras's hand reassuringly before excusing himself and leaving the house.
Figuring that the Oracle probably wasn't accepting visitors at this hour but still feeling the need to see her, Jason set out for the Temple of Poseidon.
The sun was setting soon, so he didn't except to find many prayers in the building. And he was right: a few priests were standing by the altar, but them aside, only a couple of citizens were kneeling there in silence. Jason looked up at the enormous statue of the bull that stood so majestically in the centre of the chamber… and almost missed the woman who suddenly turned around to face him in surprise.
"Jason?"
Jason snapped his head in the direction of the voice… and his stomach sank to the bottom of his body.
After finding that yes, it was indeed Jason, a relieved smile broke out on Ariadne's face. She composed herself shortly after and didn't let her delight at seeing Jason slip out in the open again, but it was still obvious that she was pleased to see him.
She looked around once before walking to Jason and stopping just half a metre short of him. Her smile was small but shone like a brilliant star just hung up from the night sky. She was… beautiful. Breathtakingly so.
Jason stomach did a strange flip that left him breathless. He wanted to turn around and back out of the temple without looking back. I don't want to talk with her. I am not ready to talk with her. I…
But he knew that he owed her that much. And more.
So he stayed.
"Hello, Ariadne."