Tempus Fugit
I know it's latin not greek but it fits well so i'm keeping it.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters- they belong to the ancient greeks- and the BBC are free to interpret them as they wish, i shall take the same liberties.
It was the kind of question you would get in a school test as a child, or in one of those inane interviews from a girly magazine (Take A Break and the like):
If you were stuck in the past, what piece of technology would you miss the most?
Jason just never could have imagined this would be his answer;
"I miss being able to tell the time."
Pythagoras looked up at his friend, uncertain those words were meant for him, before turning his gaze towards the cloudless, blue sky.
"I know you can tell it using the position of the sun or whatever but i don't know how to do that."
"Did they not teach you that? Surely it is one of the first things you learn as a child"
"I know that midday is when the sun's directly over you but beyond that- no." Jason turned to face him "Where i'm from we don't do that, we have...things." he smiled ruefully and attempted to clarify, "Devices that measure time for you."
"Calenders? We have them too you know."
"No, not months. I mean they measure time; hours, minutes, seconds. I probably shouldn't be saying any of this to you."
Pythagoras stood up as Jason returned his eyes skyward; immediately missing the warmth of them upon him and desperate to continue this conversation. Jason spoke of his old life so rarely and he tended to clam up whenever he let something slip- Pythagoras had been collecting all the information he could get, trying to piece together the mystery that was his new friend- fascinated by this man who had crashed so spectacularly into his life.
"How do they do that?"
"It's... it doesn't matter."
"But it does!" Jason looked down as Pythagoras grabbed his arm "i'm interested, i am a scholar."
"Well-" Jason still wasn't sure he should be discussing this kind of thing with Pythagoras but looking into those big blue eyes he found himself helpless to resist, "They're kind of like sundials only they don't need the sun and they're portable."
"Portable sundials?"
"No, not sundials, they don't use the shadows, they have hands."
"hands?"
"That point to the right time."
"How do they work?"
Jason turned around to fully face him, not dislodging the hand that still gripped his wrist firmly, "So many questions?" he teased.
"Questions are how we learn Jason."
"Oh really? Then teach me." His grin was almost feral and Pythagoras knew he was doomed, swallowing convulsively and completely unable to break eye contact.
The moment was ruined when Jason slumped to the ground, dragging Pythagoras with him (and a very manly noise he made at that sudden movement too) so they were leaning against the cool wall with a clear view of the sky above.
"Show me how to read the skies."