Title: Kingdoms and Brothers

Author: philote_auctor

Fandom: Harry Potter

Characters/Pairing: Hercules, Iolaus, Jason

Rating: G

Word Count: 1300

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Young Hercules do not belong to me. I make no money from this story. Please don't sue.

Author's Notes: Written for Amethyst Shard for Yuletide 2011. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: Jason is soon to be king. So is it strange that he envies Hercules and Iolaus their future?

oOo

Jason disentangled a hand to reach up and swipe at his brow before the moisture could run into his eyes. Despite the cooling evening temperature and the unexpected swim he'd just taken, he was sweating. It wasn't easy lugging someone of Hercules' size around uneven, uphill terrain, especially with his friend only half-conscious and being more of a hindrance with his best attempts to help.

On Hercules' other side, Iolaus somehow seemed to be faring better than Jason—physically, at least. There was a barely discernable note of near-hysteria in the steady litany he kept up. Jason wasn't paying much attention to the actual words, devoting his focus to getting the three of them back to their campsite before nightfall. But the talking seemed to be keeping Hercules alert, eliciting snorts of laughter or grunts of disagreement every now and then.

"…if we didn't need to teach Jason to relax."

Jason tuned back in when he heard his name, realizing they were apparently rehashing the conversation that had brought them out here in the first place. He managed a huff. "Right. Are we relaxing yet?"

He felt a rush of relief when they finally entered the clearing where they'd set up camp. As carefully as they could manage, he and Iolaus lowered Hercules to the ground. Breathing heavily, Jason cast a narrowed gaze at the barely-winded Iolaus. "You're stronger than you look."

Iolaus feigned insult. "Why are you always surprised by that?" Then he looked down at Hercules and added, "Though, in your defense, I didn't jump into the river before the hike."

Jason considered teasing that he was glad, because he wasn't sure he could have rescued both of them. But he could sense the guilt behind the statement; he knew Iolaus was feeling responsible, though his only sin was his inability to swim. He settled for a clap on his friend's shoulder as he nodded towards Hercules, who was wincing and prodding at their makeshift bandage around his head. "I'll start the fire. We need to get him warm and dry."

He chose to leave the 'dry' to Iolaus as he went to gather firewood. When he returned, he was pleased to see Hercules was alert enough to make things difficult. He grinned as he turned his back to them, listening as he set to work on the kindling.

"I can dress myself, you know."

"Sure you can. You can also avoid falls into rivers and blows to the head on large rocks, but you didn't. So here we are."

"I'm fine."

"Right. So why are you and your trembling fingers trying to re-lace the boots we just took off?"

"…Oh."

"Yes, oh."

Jason finally got a spark, so he tuned the other two out for a few minutes as he carefully kindled the fire until they had a modest but steady blaze. When he turned back, Hercules was dressed in dry pants and in the process of having a dry shirt maneuvered carefully over his head. Jason grabbed a blanket and approached. "Iolaus won, I see."

Hercules gave him a dirty look, which Jason ignored as he shook out the blanket and wrapped it around his shivering friend.

"Jase." Iolaus nodded towards their packs. "You, too."

It was Jason's turn to frown as Hercules smirked. "Unless you need Iolaus' help, as well."

"This is the thanks I get for risking life and limb to pull you out of the rapids." Jason put a hand to his heart and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "I'm wounded."

"One of you is. The other easily could be," Iolaus said meaningfully.

Jason eyed him. "I can take you."

Iolaus scoffed. "You want to bet?"

"Uh, boys. Your best friend has a gushing head wound, here," Hercules put in.

"It's not gushing," Jason said.

"Not anymore," Iolaus muttered as he reached for the bandage with one last glare at Jason.

"All right, I'm going," he acquiesced, once more leaving Hercules in capable hands. He fished around until he found dry clothes and quickly changed. It made him feel far better than he would ever admit.

Iolaus had redone Hercules' bandage, set out his bedroll, and maneuvered their friend to a comfortable position beside the fire. Jason went to sit beside him, holding his hands out to the warmth. "Good nurse you've got there," he commented to Hercules.

Iolaus stuck his tongue out at him. Hercules smiled, but said seriously, "Yes I do." He then looked to Jason. "Pretty good lifeguard, too. Thanks, Jase."

Jason patted him on his blanket-covered foot. "Any time."

"By which he means, don't ever do it again," Iolaus said as he settled on Hercules' other side.

"Yes, mother," Hercules said as he lay back and closed his eyes.

Iolaus rolled his eyes. Jason watched him and smirked. "No, I don't see the resemblance. Your mother's far more attractive."

Iolaus eyebrows shot up and Hercules' eyes popped open as he struggled up onto his elbows. "Excuse me?"

Jason stared at them, thought about what he'd said, and felt a flush creep up his neck. "No, that's not—I was just trying to insult Iolaus!"

"Insulting his best friend, lusting after his mom…the poor guy has a head injury, you know."

Jason sputtered. "There's no lusting!"

Hercules groaned and lay back down. "You two are making my headache worse."

Iolaus had the decency to look a bit contrite. "Sorry, Herc." Still, he and Jason exchanged mock glares over Hercules as he drifted off to sleep.

Time passed; minutes stretched in silence as Hercules slept. But neither Jason nor Iolaus moved to retrieve their own bedrolls. After the third time Jason noticed Iolaus reaching over to check on his friend, Jason spoke up. "He's gonna be fine."

"I know. Just…Cheiron says head wounds are tricky, you know. I just wish we weren't out in the middle of nowhere."

Jason, however, suspected something else was still bothering him. After a moment he said casually, "You know, we could teach you to swim. If you want."

Iolaus looked over at him. Then he heaved the long-suffering sigh of a friend who knows he is known too well. "I know. Herc keeps offering. He seems to think we're likely to have dangerous adventures or something."

"And?"

"And I say that's great. As long as they're not sea adventures."

Jason laughed, and didn't push the issue. There was some story behind the swimming thing. He could sense some deep fear in his friend, something he expected came with a dark secret. He wasn't sure Iolaus had even confided it in Hercules yet.

Iolaus reached to stoke the fire. "I'm just glad you were here."

"Me too." Jason stared into the flames for a moment, and then adopted a lighter tone. "Ah, but soon I won't be. I'll be stuck in meetings and leading armies and whatnot."

"Don't forget the terribly taxing job of sitting on the throne," Iolaus ribbed good-naturedly. He studied Jason for a long moment before asking, "Are you nervous?"

"No, not exactly."

"Afraid of being bored?"

He didn't think that was it, but he considered it and tilted his head in acquiescence anyway. "Maybe."

"No need to worry. Herc and I will be around enough to prevent that."

"Maybe that's what I'm afraid of."

That earned him a laugh, true and deep, and he couldn't help smiling along with his friend.

Hercules stirred then, mumbling something, his brow creased as if caught in a bad dream. Jason started to move but Iolaus was quicker, placing a hand on Hercules' chest and leaning close to murmur something soothing. Hercules settled almost immediately without waking.

Jason watched the two of them, his chest aching just a little. These were his best friends, and there was no denying how much he cared for them or that the feeling was reciprocated. But the two of them were closer than brothers. He knew that wherever their future took them, it would be exciting and probably dangerous and certainly together.

Somewhere in that ache, he realized with a start, was the reason for his apprehension about his own future. He wasn't afraid of being bored, or of not being up to the job. He was afraid of being lonely. And he knew one thing for certain as he watched the two of them together—neither of them would ever have any cause for such a worry.

This was why he'd been so uptight; why his friends had picked up on it and suggested this trip; why Iolaus kept harping that he needed to learn to relax. He was afraid to leave this camaraderie behind and find himself the odd man out.

But as Iolaus caught his eye over Hercules' now peaceful form and grinned, Jason knew he had meant what he said. He could count on his friends to never forget about him. Sure, they wouldn't all be together near as much as they had at the Academy. But these two weren't going to disappear from his life. He had a feeling they'd somehow always show up when he needed them.

oOo