How I Can Prove I'm The One For Your Fire, an atlantis fanfic

Pythagoras woke up when the sun – that was playing hide and seek between the trees – cast a ray on his face. His eyes opened on Icarus, fast asleep, a few feet away. Though in the peaceful forest, in the wee hours of the morning, one could forget the dangers awaiting them on the outskirts, it didn't take Pythagoras more than a second to remember where he was, and why. He lay calm and rested, but the horror of Icarus's actions in the past few days came back at once, a terrible burden on his heart. He turned away on his makeshift bed – the sight of his friend sleeping with a smile stretching his lips made him uncomfortable.

He had kissed those plump lips the day before and had elicited the same expression on Icarus's face: happy, dreamy, and hopeful all at once. The man didn't deserve such feelings; so many people could have died because of his betrayal. He rubbed his eyes in the hope the image of his friend would vanish from his mind. He didn't know how to deal with... all of this.

The night before, Deadalus had joined them as the moon rose shyly upon the forest. A ragged bunch of outlaws, they were: a king without a throne, a crownless queen, a mathematician, a drunk, an oracle, an inventor... and a traitor. Pythagoras had eyed his friend from afar when he reunited with his father, his gorgeous face half hidden in the darkness of the night. Pythagoras had reached out. When he had realized, he had taken his hand back as if he had burned himself on a bright fire. Maybe Icarus was nothing but that: an intense blaze of passion, and love, and carelessness. Pythagoras feared that his friend would burn too fast and disappear in smoke. His mouth had curved up in a brief and tight-lipped smile. His head full of Icarus, he had fallen asleep. Since then, a battle between conflicting feelings had been raging in Pythagoras's heart.

He lay awake for a while, thinking about the decision he had to make, until he heard someone move behind him. He turned around and watched as Cassandra escaped their camp to go further into the forest, alone. He was about to go with her, to make sure she was safe, when he saw Jason follow the young oracle. Soon, the others would wake up too. It was time to get up, he supposed, and to find some breakfast. He went the opposite way of Cassandra and Jason, to look for roots and berries for the group.

As he strolled between the tall trees, Pythagoras reflected on his doubts. Sure, Icarus had risked his life to help them. Pythagoras even thought he was dead for a moment, after his fall – the most terrible moment in his life. His friend had also spied on them though, and reported to Pasiphae's minions. Pythagoras hadn't lied: he did understand why Icarus had betrayed them. He'd have probably done the same if, say, Hercules or Jason had been in danger. Deadalus was a good friend and Pythagoras would have hated it if their plans had cost him his life. However, Pythagoras's logical mind – the one interested in triangles and the mysteries of science – had studied the figures. The life of one man, no matter how exceptional this man was, wasn't worth much compared to the lives of all the citizens of Atlantis.

He sighed as he plucked dark berries out of a bush. A couple of them exploded between his fingers and tainted his palms with juice red as blood. Blood, like the one Deadalus had spilled for them. For him. Desperate, Pythagoras stared at the fruits. Was he better than Icarus? With a joyless grin, he answered: "At least, I bring food," while he filled his pockets with edible plants.

When he came back, everyone had gathered around their small campfire. Jason was back and had a serious expression on his face. Some bad news about a Golden Fleece and Colchis, that Cassandra had prophesied. When he heard, Pythagoras's blood froze in his heart and a shiver ran along his spine. More dangers were to come. For him, and for his friends. For Icarus.

Icarus, who was packing his meager possessions, as well as his father's. The young man looked up at Pythagoras, expectations creating sparkles in his dark eyes. Did he think he had already won Pythagoras's forgiveness? Or did he have doubts, like the ones that pierced the mathematician's heart? He didn't know how to answer to Icarus's silent questions, and Pythagoras turned away. He had his own belongings to pack, and he could help Ariadne with hers. Anything to avoid Icarus.

They soon were ready to leave. Hercules put out the fire with his foot, and they departed.

They traveled mostly in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Except Pythagoras, who was watching over his companions. He noticed Deadalus's worsening limp. The man still suffered from his days in a cell and the terrible tortures inflected to him, although he did his best to hide his winces and groans. Pythagoras asked Jason if they could stop every hour or so as Deadalus needed to rest. To Pythagoras's surprise, he agreed right away. He even helped Deadalus find a nice spot to sit under the trees during their first break. Pythagoras had a hard time remembering that, not long ago, Jason's heart was so corrupted by his mother's deeds that he would have refused and maybe abandoned the old inventor. So much had happened in such a short span that Pythagoras felt dizzy thinking about it.

At each break, Icarus tried to approach Pythagoras, and, every time, Pythagoras found a way to avoid him. He looked for water, made sure they weren't followed... When he took a look at Icarus afterward, the utter dejection on his friend's face hurt Pythagoras. He needed to find a way to mend their broken relationship – to forgive. But not now. He had too much on his plate already, what with the journey they started, and Atlantis being under the command of a fanatic witch.

They weren't gone for more than half a day when, during one of those breaks, Pythagoras offered to tend to Deadalus's needs. Once again, Icarus turned away and found something else to do with himself. Pythagoras stared at his back as he retreated, with a frown on his brow, as he sat next to the old man on a rock covered with moss. "How do you feel, Deadalus?" Pythagoras asked as he held out a goatskin of fresh water to him.

"Better than you two," Deadalus answered without looking at Pythagoras. He checked his swollen ankles with a groan and accepted the drink. "Thank you."

Pythagoras shifted his eyes downward and blinked nervously, as light pink colored his cheeks. "What are you talking about?"

With the look of a disappointed father, Deadalus sighed. "I know what my son did is despicable, and I scolded him for it. Only scolded because you and your friends survived. Would you have died – would you have been as much as wounded – it would have been more than just a lecture. Believe me."

Pythagoras smiled knowingly. In all the years he had known Deadalus and his son, he had witnessed first hand the man's hot temper. It came with the genius, he supposed. With a mind running miles ahead of everybody's, Deadalus didn't have time for shit.

Deadalus took Pythagoras's hand in his own, forcing him to look right into his eyes. "But I forgive him. Do you know why?"

Though Pythagoras shook his head, his eyes never left Deadalus's face.

"Because I love him."

Pythagoras couldn't stand looking at Deadalus's eyes anymore and he turned away.

Deadalus wrapped an arm around Pythagoras's shoulders. "I know you're about the same age, but Icarus is but a child here" – he tapped Pythagoras's temple – "and here" – he put a hand on Pythagoras's chest. "He didn't think of the consequences, or he would have let me die in my cell before risking your life. He acted without thinking."

Deadalus's description of Icarus was so spot on that Pythagoras smiled reluctantly, only one corner of his mouth curving up. How many times had he seen Icarus hurt himself because of his thoughtlessness? Too many to count, he was afraid. If he hadn't himself been put in danger, and if he hadn't thought Icarus didn't care about him, he would have probably brushed off his actions as typical Icarus behavior. But, in the end, Icarus did care for him, didn't he? And Pythagoras was alive.

Pythagoras kept staring at his feet. "I still need time to think."

"Of course. But know that he loves you, more than anything."

Pythagoras blushed furiously at Deadalus's confession.

"And he's truly sorry. Give the kid a chance, please."

"I will," Pythagoras answered before leaving the old man. It was time to go back on the road.

At the next break, Pythagoras let Icarus come to him, but he couldn't bear being touched by him yet: he stepped back when his friend reached for his hand. The pitiful look on Icarus's face hurt nonetheless.

"Pythagoras, I..." Icarus started.

Pythagoras interrupted him. "Not now. We'll talk tonight, when we set up camp."

Hope made Icarus's dark eyes shine. He nodded and left Pythagoras alone.

They reached the sea way before nightfall, but Jason decided to set up camp on the beach anyway and to wait the next morning to find a ship that would take them to Colchis. So far from the nearest forest, they needed to send an expedition to find firewood – the night by the sea was chilly at this time of the year.

"I'll go," Pythagoras offered.

Jason barely glanced at him. "You can't go alone. We don't know if the news of our escape has reached the harbor yet. The lands could be swarming with soldiers."

Pythagoras expected such an answer. "Maybe Icarus can come with me."

At the mention of his name, the young man looked up at him, bewildered and excited both.

Pythagoras caught Deadalus grinning and winking at him. Hercules walked past him and whispered: "You sneaky bastard. You'll have all the fun while we're freezing to death on the beach."

"That's not what you think, Hercules!" Pythagoras denied as he turned around to follow Hercules – but he knew very well that he was lying through his teeth.

Hercules stopped and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nevermind. Make peace with your friend, that's all that's important." Hercules stared at him, eyes shining with happiness.

The mathematician mouthed 'thank you' before he made a sign to Icarus. "Come on, we need to be back before nightfall." They both attached a sword to their side and took off.

They were far away into the land, just outside a small forest that would provide the necessary firewood, when Icarus, who had seemed nervous since they left the camp, grabbed Pythagoras's arm, unable to wait any longer. "Stop! That's as far as I go with a silent friend by my side. I feel like I'm walking with a corpse."

"Just a few more yards. We'll be safer under the canopy," Pythagoras replied as he shook his wrist to force Icarus to let go of him.

The man tightened his grip. "I don't care. We'll be safe once we've talked."

Pythagoras breathed through his teeth as a frown wrinkled his brow. "That's exactly the problem. You never care about the consequences. You're impatient and thoughtless." He seized Icarus's fist and squeezed it between his fingers. "Now let go."

Icarus did and, looking like a puppy that had been kicked in the ass, he followed Pythagoras inside the woods.

Pythagoras found a nice spot under an old oak, a thick layer of leaves providing a soft cushion for their tired bodies. "Sit. I promised we would talk."

Icarus obeyed and waited for the dreaded conversation to start while looking at his feet. When he realized that Pythagoras was struggling with putting his feelings in words, he decided to help. "You haven't forgiven me yet, that much I know."

Pythagoras didn't have any answer to this statement and remained silent. No approval, but no denial either.

Icarus tilted down his head. As tears welled up, he sighed. "Why the kiss then?"

Why indeed. Pythagoras had several excuses: being afraid of losing his friend; the relief of finding Icarus unharmed; and above all, an inconvenient slip of judgment. They all went done to the real reason. To the words that had been stuck behind his teeth for so many years he had almost forgotten they were true. "Because I love you."

Icarus's head snapped around, surprise and pleasure written all over his young face though his eyes still shone with unshed tears. "Truly?" He reached for Pythagoras's hands and, this time, the mathematician didn't step back. He welcomed the warm palms in his, and the strength of Icarus's feelings flowing between them. "I said it before, and I'll say it as many times as needed for you to believe me: you mean everything to me, Pythagoras." He then leaned toward Pythagoras as his eyes slowly closed and his lips parted, hoping for a kiss.

Pythagoras freed one of his hand and stopped Icarus by putting his fingers on his friend's mouth. "Not yet. You haven't deserved my forgiveness. It still hurts to know that I could be dead and you would have been responsible for my demise."

Tears rolled down Icarus's cheeks as fear darkened his brown pupils. "I hadn't been able to stop thinking about that since you kissed me." He wiped his face with the back of his hand. "At that time, all I could see was my father lying in a pool of his own blood. I couldn't let it happen. I'm sorry." He put a hand on each of Pythagoras's cheeks. "But would you have died because of my actions, I would have taken my own life right away. I cannot live without you, Pythagoras. Please, believe me."

Staring in the dark pool of Icarus's eyes, Pythagoras replied: "I believe you."

His voice barely more than a whisper, Icarus added: "I'd do anything to gain your forgiveness. Anything."

Pythagoras studied Icarus's hopeful face. "You don't have to do anything. Just give me time."

"How long?" Pythagoras's answer seemed not to be enough for Icarus. "When Jason turned against you, nearly bringing the fall of Atlantis, you still helped him. I don't know that you ever had to forgive him because there was no grudge on your part. Am I wrong?" The anger blazing in Icarus's eyes frightened Pythagoras. "Am I less important than Jason? Do you care about him?" A mean smile stretched his lips. "Maybe you love him too," he added, his words snarky.

Pythagoras would never have guessed that there was so much jealousy in his friend's heart. Without thinking – and maybe because Icarus wasn't as wrong as Pythagoras wished – he slapped Icarus, the noise resounding in the vast and empty forest. Icarus brought a hand to his face. Pythagoras's bright red hand-print was clearly visible; it must hurt. But more than his cheek, it was Icarus's feelings that were bruised. Pain darkened his eyes, that he soon lowered to the ground. "I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn."

Pythagoras wanted nothing more than reach for Icarus's face and heal the sting, heal the pain in Icarus's heart, with a gentle touch. His hand was already half way when resolution hardened Icarus's expression. "That's it, I know how I can atone for my sins," he said. He got up and removed his leather armor as well as his tunic, discarding them on a nearby rock. He searched around for a solid wooden stick and gave it to Pythagoras, who stared at it in confusion. Icarus turned around and showed his back to Pythagoras. "I must be punished. Maybe you can forgive me then."

Pythagoras had never witnessed such an amount of bare skin from Icarus. Tanned and smooth, it made Pythagoras's mouth water. A thin line of dark hair ran down to the low hanging pants, drawing Pythagoras's eyes to the firm bottom of his friend. All the fantasies he had through the years about Icarus came back and assailed his mind with images of Icarus in the throes of ecstasy, lips parted in a silent scream. He should be willing them away, but in the face of Icarus's unmarred back, it was nearly impossible. Feeling like in a dream, he walked to Icarus, letting go of the wooden stick on his way. A fresh palm brushed against a shoulder blade, hesitant. "I can't. Don't ask this from me."

Icarus's shoulders sagged. "You will never forgive me."

Pythagoras put his forehead on Icarus's shoulder and reached for Icarus's hands. "Your feeling of guilt is enough of a punishment. I don't wish for anything else. I love you too much for that." Icarus's skin was hot against his face. His blood boiled in his veins, and arousal swept away his questions and doubts.

Icarus's hold on Pythagoras's hands tightened. He crossed them on his stomach and forced them open, to touch more of his skin. He nestled against Pythagoras's chest, eyes closed, and his mouth turned instinctively toward Pythagoras's temple, where they brushed a kiss, nothing more than the feel of a butterfly's wing. "Pythagoras..." he whispered, a prayer as well as a call.

That low murmuring voice erased Pythagoras's last reticence. He brought his lips to Icarus's shoulder and grazed his flesh with blunt teeth. He closed the distance between them and pressed his evident arousal against Icarus's butt. His hands now roamed Icarus's torso, feeding on the soft skin like ravenous birds, flying from one nipple to a hip back to the thick hair on Icarus's chest, his friend's grunts a pleasant music to his ears. Icarus tilted his head back, giving free reign to Pythagoras to explore more of his body. He raised a hand to Pythagoras's tousled mop of blond hair and tangled his fingers in his short curls. A series of 'please' tumbled from between his lips, more air than sound.

Pythagoras's logical and rational mind chose this moment to come back with some lingering doubts, explaining to him what they were doing and what it would come to – not forgiving Icarus wouldn't be an option anymore, and grudges weren't a good addition to a blooming relationship. Was a fleeting moment of pleasure worth it? Or did their coupling mean more than that? Maybe they were on their path to reconciliation. Then Icarus rubbed his perfect bottom against Pythagoras's erection, and all his questions disappeared in an burst of ecstasy. Except one. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Icarus took one of his hands and pressed it against his own arousal. "Do you need another answer?"

Pythagoras didn't. Seeing that he was already there, he started fondling Icarus's crotch while planting more kisses along his spine.

Icarus became a mess of trembling flesh under Pythagoras's ministrations. He let go of the man's hair just long enough to untie his breeches and discard them. Once completely naked, he put his hands behind on Pythagoras's backside, showing him that he wanted more of him. "Your turn," he breathed.

Pythagoras had now more places to visit and he couldn't get enough of Icarus's skin. He explored his strong thighs and his pert bottom with curious fingers, delaying the moment he'd have to be naked too. He knew what he looked like, pale flesh and skinny arms and bony hips; nothing like the god-like body of Icarus.

The friction of Pythagoras's clothes on his naked skin became too much for Icarus. He spun round and grabbed the man's sleeveless shirt, sliding it over his shoulders until it hit the ground. The wild open tunic's neck showed Pythagoras's collar bone, and a large surface of alabaster skin. Entranced with the view, Icarus raised a tentative hand and brushed Pythagoras's chest. But Icarus's stare made Pythagoras uncomfortable. He stared at him as if he'd never seen anything as beautiful before. No one had ever looked at him like that. He seized Icarus's hand mid-air, forcing his friend to look at his face. "Don't, please." He stepped back. "There's nothing pleasant to see under my clothes." Conscious of his gangly body, he tried to hide as much of it as he could, a hand on his tunic's collar, the other on his midriff.

Icarus, an incredulous smile on his lips, tilted his head. "Are you messing with me?" Pythagoras's serious expression – as well as his wet eyes – wiped his doubts. He frowned and sadness filled his dark eyes. "You're beautiful, Pythagoras. More than I could ever dream to be."

Pythagoras shook his head, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "Look at me! I'm..."

"Perfect," Icarus interrupted him. He moved forward, hands outstretched to cup Pythagoras's face tenderly. "Sometimes, I feel like I could drown into your eyes." His hands trailed down Pythagoras's neck to his shoulders then his arms. "You look like a marble statue, pure and precious." He brought a hand to his mouth and kissed Pythagoras's knuckles. "Your hands are so soft," he added while he rubbed it against his stubble.

A naked Icarus – tanned skin and muscles and gorgeous hair – was worshiping him; Pythagoras couldn't believe it. A dark red blush colored his face. Embarrassed, he looked at his feet. "You're much too kind."

Mischief sparkled in Icarus's eyes. And... was it lust? "Let me show you how beautiful I think you are." His hands went to Pythagoras's belt and got rid of it in a second. Icarus bent down to reach the hem of the now loose tunic and pulled the cloth over Pythagoras's head.

Half naked, Pythagoras's instincts took over and he covered his torso as best as he could. But Icarus would have none of that. He pushed away Pythagoras's arms and grinned before pressing his palm against Pythagoras's chest. His smile vanished, replaced with something akin to awe. Pythagoras was thin, with long limbs, but there were muscles under the pale flesh – earned through several encounters with swords, no doubts. Pythagoras's body told the story of a man who had overcome his limits to fight against the evil of the world. Icarus's hand slid down his ribcage to the flat stomach. He finally looked up at Pythagoras's face, wonder in his eyes. "So beautiful." He brushed a thumb on Pythagoras's soft lips before he kissed him tenderly.

Pythagoras relaxed into the kiss, pressing closer to Icarus until they were feverish skin against feverish skin. If the air in the forest was chilly, they didn't feel, enclosed as they were in a bubble of their own heat. Boldly, Pythagoras slipped his tongue between Icarus's lips and the grunt the man made went straight to his cock. He explored Icarus's mouth as he had his body, with curiosity and admiration. At the feel of Pythagoras's tongue against his own, Icarus wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders and pushed his hips forward to let Pythagoras know of his renewed arousal. Then he proceeded to untie Pythagoras's pants and let them fall on the ground. Without leaving Icarus's embrace, Pythagoras stepped out of them. Now as naked as Icarus, he felt aware once again of his shortcomings and distanced himself from Icarus without breaking their kiss.

Icarus did break it. He stared into Pythagoras's eyes and saw the doubts. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

Pythagoras, breathless, answered "yes", eliciting a confident smile on Icarus's lovely face.

Icarus knelt slowly, his hands sliding on Pythagoras's soft skin, staring right into his friend's eyes. When his knees touched the ground, he broke their eye-contact after one last smile. Gently, he took Pythagoras's cock between his fingers and give it a tentative lick – Pythagoras gasped loudly. Satisfied with the reaction, he wrapped his wet lips around his member.

Pythagoras closed his eyes at the sight of Icarus on his knees and his cock in his mouth, afraid of coming right away. He tangled his fingers in Icarus's dark curls and made Icarus groan. It sent delicious vibrations on his erection. Wanting more of it, his other hand joined the first; Icarus's hair, silky soft, felt like a cloud in his palms and he couldn't resist it. He grabbed a handful of strands and pulled slightly on them until Icarus let go of his cock with a loud plop. "Stop."

Pythagoras's order sent shivers through Icarus's body. The man, flushed and excited, nodded. "As you wish." Pythagoras pulled a bit more on his hair and Icarus stood up, passion blazing in the dark pool of his eyes.

Without a word, Pythagoras handled him, turning him around and pressing him against the old oak. Hands on Icarus's hips, he rubbed himself against his pert bottom as he whispered sweet nothings in his ears. "So wanton. Do you want it that much?"

"Oh Gods yes!" Icarus breathed. Fingers like claws on the tree, he pushed away from the painful friction of the bark and he pressed his butt against Pythagoras's cock, asking for more.

Pythagoras wet two of his fingers with saliva and pushed one of them in Icarus's hole while he kissed the man's neck like he wanted to devour him. Icarus gasped, from surprise and slight pain altogether. Breathing in and out slowly, he relaxed a bit around Pythagoras's intimate touch.

"Are you okay?" Pythagoras asked, worried. He knew the mechanics and was confident in his method due to his extended studies on male anatomy, but nothing prepared him for dealing with another human being and their reaction.

Icarus smiled reassuringly through the pain, turning his head to show it to Pythagoras. "I'm fine. Just... just a moment, please."

Pythagoras waited until he felt Icarus was completely relaxed. He pushed more, searching for the spot he had read about. At Icarus's loud moan and the clenching of his hole, Pythagoras knew he had found it, and kept hitting at it with a deft finger.

Icarus's usually deep voice was suddenly high pitched and breathless. "Pythagoras? What is that?"

Pressing one more kiss on Icarus's shoulder, he avoid answering by adding a second finger. With is other hand, he grabbed Icarus's erection to distract him from the pain and gently pulled at it.

Icarus hid his face in his elbow, panting loudly from the assault on his senses. It wasn't long before he pleaded mercy. "I can't take much more," he whispered.

Pythagoras removed his fingers but kept jerking him. He enveloped his free arm around Icarus's midriff, as much a support as it was an embrace. What he was about to do – it would change their relationship forever. There was no turning back; they were an item. They loved each other, and in a few minutes, they'd have expressed their love in the most human way. Moved to tears, he put his head in the hollow of Icarus's neck and kissed the soft skin here before he whispered: "You'll have to endure a bit more, my love."

The word melt Icarus's heart. He braced himself. "I love you so much," he said.

Pythagoras stepped away, licked his palm and coated his cock with saliva. He aligned himself and, in a swift push of his hips, he penetrated Icarus. He couldn't help but groan at the feeling. His arms embraced Icarus as if he was drowning and the man was his lifeguard. A hot wave ran through his body, that boiled the blood in his veins. Icarus stopped breathing for a second but soon adjusted to the sensation. It wasn't long before he moved in rhythm with Pythagoras, sobbing as he pushed against him. His hand went to his cock – he was so close.

Pythagoras wasn't far either. His mathematician mind had shut off, his head full of one thing only: Icarus. A couple more thrusts and he came hard inside the man. He froze in ecstasy, groaning his release right in Icarus's ear. Icarus felt it – Pythagoras giving him all. It brought him even closer to his orgasm, but he wasn't there yet. "Don't move," he said. Still full of Pythagoras, he quickened his up and down movements, his release a hot point of light just in front of him – closer and closer... until he came with a scream, his semen splashing on the tree, white droplets on dark bark. Exhausted and satisfied, he felt his knees give up, but Pythagoras caught him in his tight embrace.

"I got you," he whispered, though he felt as drained of energy as Icarus was.

They waited like that for a moment, being one for as long as they could. Their breathing evened and some motivation to move again came back to them, although reluctantly. Icarus was the first to break their embrace. He gathered their clothes and gave Pythagoras his, all along avoiding Pythagoras's eyes. He dressed himself without a word.

Pythagoras worried about Icarus's reaction. He put a gentle hand on the man's arm and forced him to look at him. "Icarus?"

Icarus looked up with tears in his eyes.

The pang in Pythagoras's heart took his breath away. "Are you okay?"

Icarus shook his head, his hair floating around like a halo. "I don't know." He clutched his arm with a tensed hand. "Don't get me wrong, it was amazing." One corner of his mouth curved up nervously, as his eyes looked at anything but Pythagoras. "But where does it take our relationship?"

Touched by Icarus's naivety, Pythagoras smiled tenderly and cupped Icarus's face. "Wherever you want. I've forgiven you."

The last speckle of incredulity vanished from Icarus's eyes as he beamed. Icarus jumped in Pythagoras's arms and hugged him like they always had.

Pythagoras enjoyed the embrace, but the sun wouldn't be up much longer and they had something to do. "We should gather firewood and go back to the camp. They'll be waiting for us, and I wouldn't like for them to freeze to death." He held out his hand. "Come on."

Icarus took it gladly, and hand in hand, they went further into the forest, looking for firewood.

When they arrived at the camp, the sun was sinking behind the horizon. Hercules had build a campfire with rocks, but it looked pitiful without wood – or fire. He saw them come down the dune, arms full of firewood. "Never too late," he shouted while he walked to them. He took Pythagoras's fagot first, then Icarus's, and strode back to the camp. As soon as their arms were free, Pythagoras and Icarus joined hands. Deadalus was the first to see it. He smiled at Pythagoras and nodded.

Hercules built the fire, piling wood and dry grass before lighting them. He rubbed his hands together, satisfied. "Finally warm." He looked up at Pythagoras and Icarus, glanced at their joined hands, and looked back at the fire with the ghost of a smile. "Thank Gods, the pining is over", Hercules rejoiced.

They all laughed, and if, at first, Pythagoras and Icarus looked embarrassed, they joined them in their mirth. They would soon face many dangers but, just for this night, they could be happy. Finally.