A Brother's Fury
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the television series Atlantis and I'm not making any money from this fic
Summary: Set after the events of episode eight - The Furies. Pythagoras and Arcas have a necessary conversation after the Furies are banished
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers up to and including episode eight of season one; some mentions of violence
Pythagoras sat in silence for a few moments before looking at his brother. Although he knew that Arcas had been honest in his forgiveness - the Furies would never have stopped if his brother had tried faking it - he was concerned about the reasons Arcas had for wanting to stay away. "I know you might not want to see me for a while, but you should know that you're always welcome to come and visit me in Atlantis."
"You never seem to want me there when I do visit you."
"It's not that I don't want you to come to Atlantis." Pythagoras paused, not wanting to continue that thought.
Arcas did it for him. "You thought I'd find out what you did."
"Maybe that was wrong, but I didn't want you to have to learn the truth."
Arcas glanced over towards Jason and Hercules, who looked involved in a conversation a short distance away - though Pythagoras thought they were probably just trying to give him and his brother some privacy.
"I'm sorry."
Surprised, Pythagoras looked at Arcas. "For what?"
"For summoning the Furies and nearly letting them kill you." Arcas didn't seem able to hold eye contact with Pythagoras.
"I know you wanted revenge. I don't blame you for summoning them. Or for hesitating in saving me." Pythagoras spoke honestly. He was just happy to be alive - and that his brother didn't hate him. "You decided to eventually and that's good enough for me."
"I should have known there was a reason behind it."
"How could you? I didn't tell you anything. Mother didn't, either."
Arcas sighed and shifted slightly so that he was sitting closer to Pythagoras, his arm brushing against his brother's. "They were right about you. You are kind."
Pythagoras shrugged, relaxing subconsciously at the physical contact with his brother. "I'm not a warrior." He knew how to fight, of course, but he'd never had the stomach for killing people. "Jason is biased. Our first meeting was me having to hide him from the soldiers in Atlantis."
"But you didn't know him?"
"He seemed like a good person. And he's done nothing since then to dissuade me of that notion." Though Pythagoras did think that Jason needed to let go of the feelings he had for Princess Ariadne. "Where are you planning to go?"
"I haven't decided yet." Arcas watched Hercules and Jason for a few more moments before he seemed to come to a decision. "I don't want to leave while I'm still feeling like this. I know you don't blame me for what I did, but I can't just forget that I nearly got you killed. You're not the only one who needs to be forgiven."
Pythagoras wanted to reassure his brother that he'd already forgiven him, but he suspected it wouldn't help Arcas. After giving it a bit of thought, Pythagoras stood and offered Arcas a hand to help him up.
Arcas looked at Pythagoras for a moment or two before slowly putting his hand in his brother's and allowing Pythagoras to help him to his feet. "Are we going somewhere more private?" He sounded more resigned than anything else.
"That would probably be best - unless you'd rather this was handled differently." Pythagoras waited a moment or two and, when his brother didn't say anything, he began walking towards one of the abandoned houses, knowing that Arcas would follow him - and that was confirmed when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
Pythagoras didn't speak until they were inside the house and the door was closed behind them. He then turned to Arcas and opened his mouth - but before he could say anything, his brother spoke. "You're going to punish me, aren't you?"
This wasn't the first time Pythagoras had had to punish his brother. After their father's accident, Pythagoras had found himself taking on that role for Arcas on more than one occasion. "I don't want you to leave while you're still struggling with those feelings of guilt. This isn't about me, Arcas."
Arcas nodded, but didn't say anything.
Pythagoras wasn't sure if his brother believed him or not, but he knew there was nothing to be gained from hesitating. He walked through to one of the rooms, making sure it was far enough from the street that no one would be able to overhear anything. Although there was no furniture in the room, he sat on the floor and held a hand out to his brother.
Taking a deep breath, Arcas put his hand into Pythagoras'.
Pythagoras squeezed Arcas' hand gently and then used that grip to tug his brother forward and across his lap, careful to make sure that Arcas didn't hurt himself on the stone floor. He wrapped an arm around his brother's waist and pulled him in gently against his stomach, feeling his brother tense slightly. He took a moment to rub Arcas' back gently before he lifted his hand and brought it down in a hard swat right in the centre of his backside.
Arcas jerked, slightly, a soft whimper escaping him.
Pythagoras landed a matching swat on the other side and then moved his hand slightly lower to deliver a matching pair of swats just below the first. He continued swatting hard and in silence, knowing that he didn't need to scold his brother through the spanking as he had sometimes in the past.
When Pythagoras reached Arcas' thighs, his brother's legs jerked, as if he was trying to stop himself from kicking. Rubbing Arcas' back a moment, Pythagoras turned his attention to the crest of his bottom. Knowing that his brother needed this release - needed to be able to forgive himself - the next circuit of swats was harder than the first and by the time he completed the third circuit, Pythagoras could feel the heat radiating through Arcas' leggings every time he brought his hand down.
Although Arcas was sniffling quietly, Pythagoras knew that his brother hadn't yet found the release he needed. Holding back a sigh, he shifted Arcas forward slightly, exposing the creases between his bottom and thighs, and began to address harder swats there, alternating sides. Within moments, he could see the effect those had on his brother. Arcas stiffened, then began squirming, trying to shift away from Pythagoras' hand.
After several more hard swats to the more sensitive areas, Pythagoras heard the sound of Arcas' tears. He stopped immediately and lifted Arcas into his arms, holding him close and patiently waiting out the storm.
It took a long time for Arcas' tears to die away, but he didn't pull away from Pythagoras. Pythagoras didn't release him, either, suddenly feeling unprepared to let his brother leave and hoping to postpone it for as long as possible.
Arcas spoke finally, his voice soft and a little husky after his tears. "I should let you go back to your friends."
"There's no hurry if you'd like to stay and talk for a bit longer."
Arcas hesitated and then relaxed against his brother, nodding slightly against Pythagoras' shoulder.
The End