Timotheus, Tim, clutches a scroll to his chest as he watches Iason with large group of people surrounding him. That's the way he always was, surrounded by people. Not that he could have expected anything different. Iason's smile shined brighter than the sun, and when he laughed even the most stoic people looked up and laughed along.
There was always also the group off to the side though. The group that scolded when they saw girls giggling at the mention of Iason's name, the group that whispered of all the trouble he's started over the years and looked at him with suspicion. They hated his attitude and meager background. They hated that they weren't him.
Tim was never a part of either group, but he was always there in the shadows. Not that he was stalking him or anything. Goodness no. Iason was just always there when he would exit the library after studying.
Tim would stop after exiting and turn his head drawn to his voice, and would stand there watching in a trance. No matter how much he willed his feet to move or his eyes to look away, he couldn't. Each time he would stand there and watch. Watch him roughhouse with the men. Watch him flirt with the girls. Watch him joke and laugh seemingly unaware of the hisses of anger from the other group each time they got loud. Tim would watch as a smile graced his face. And he would watch as it didn't quite reach his eyes. He would watch his every movement and he never missed a thing.
But, as he finally got his feet to move and he turned walking away, he missed the way Iason's eyes would look up and watch him.
Athena always loved it when Timotheus came to visit her. She would watch from her home as he would walk in to her temple and kneel at her alter. She would listen as he whispered to her, asking for protection, for advice, and sometimes he would just tell her how his day went.
She listened as he told her of how there was whispers of war and how he wished he was stronger so he could go off and fight. He would twist the scrolls he usually carried with him around in his hand and tell her what he had learned that day in the library. And she listened as he'd tell her about the boy he'd always see. He'd tell her of his jokes, his smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes and his little brother that would follow him around. He'd tell her about all the times he'd see him, and then he'd ask about the feelings he felt.
He didn't understand them. The way his stomach felt strange, how his heart would beat faster and his face heat up. "Am I getting sick?" He'd ask her. Then he's question as to why it was always around Iason.
Then he'd say good-bye, gather up his scrolls and thank her for listening. He'd leave and return the next day.
And each time he'd tell her more and more of this strange man who'd confuse his mind.
And she would smile because she knew.
As Tim walked out the door he rammed into something that certainly was never there before. He looked up to see Iason's face.
"Well, hello there."
"How long have you been here?" Tim demanded taking a step back.
Iason smiled a sly smiled that told him he'd been here long enough to have heard everything. "You know, if you liked me so much why didn't you just say something?"
It had been three months since Iason showed up at the temple and listened to Tim speak to Athena.
After that Iason would sneak Tim away from his studies and show him all the spots in Athens he never knew existed. He'd take him to Gladiator fights and introduced him to the scholars. At night he'd show him where the stars shined the brightest and they would sit and talk for hours.
Every day Tim would go to Athena's temple and tell her of all the things they did and how he thought he just maybe he was falling in love. Tim would ask her to bless them, and then he would rush out to meet Iason for another day together.
It had been two months since Iason would reach out and take Tim's hand in his own. Sometimes he would kiss it and others he would just hold it as if it was the only thing holding him to the Earth.
And every day Tim would go to Athena's temple. He would tell her he was falling in love. He would ask her to bless them, and then he would rush out to meet Iason.
It had been four weeks since Tim found Iason's lips with his own while looking at the stars one night.
And every day Tim would go to Athena's temple. He would tell her he was in love. He would thank her for blessing them, and then he would rush out to find his world.
"No." Tim begged. "We can find another way! You don't have to go fight!"
"Yes I do." He tells him, brushing Tim's hair from his face. "I must fight. I must go to protect the things most precious to me. I must go for Damianos. I must fight for you. For both of you! How could I live with myself if I do not go and protect the very things I love?"
"Then I'll go with you!"
"No. Who would protect Damianos while I'm gone? I need you here little one. I need to know you're safe."
Tim knew he wouldn't win. They have had this argument multiple times, and each ending with Iason determined to go to war, and Tim wishing it had turned out differently.
Tim buried his face in Iason's shoulder. No, he couldn't just let Iason leave. Not without having a piece of him to tied him over till he got back.
Tim's eyes slid to Athena's temple just behind Iason. Yes. A promise must be made.
Tim attacked Iason's lips and pushed him back inside the doors. "Do you love me?"
"Of course I do."
"Then can we make it official? Right here in front of Athena."
"You want us to declare our love in front of the Goddess?" he raised an eyebrow smirking.
"No," he whispered against Iason's lips. "I want us to show our love to her."
Iason smiled as he pulled Tim's face closer to his. His kiss was slow, painfully slow, but it burned through Tim's veins setting his skin on fire.
Lying naked in front of Athena's alter; Tim took comfort in Iason's arms. Reaching his own arm out, he ran his fingers through the odd light surrounding them.
It was then he knew. Their love was a gift from Athena herself. Iason would return to him. He knew the Goddess wouldn't give him such a gift just to take it away from them.
Feeling as if he had drank ambrosia, Tim turned and pressed his lips against Iason's once again laughing.
Athena screamed as a sword went through Iason's chest.
No, she thought, this cannot happen. Not Tim's love. Not now. Not when they're just getting started! Not now, when they've had so little time.
No. She would not let this happen.
Rushing to Earth she disguised herself and grabbed Iason from the Battle field. It wasn't hard with all the chaos surrounding her.
His eye's fluttered open as she flung his arm around her shoulder and began dragging him away.
"N-no, leave me. I won't make it. Get yourself out of here."
"Of course you'll make it my dear Iason. Of course you will." She told him. "I won't let you die here. This is not your time."
He didn't argue as they continued to walk away from the battle.
A few miles down the road she hoisted Iason back up after he fell for the fifth time.
"Get up Iason." She would whisper in his ear. "This is not the time to fall. You must walk. You must get back to your Timotheus. You must continue walking so you can whisper in his ear how much you love him. We must continue Iason."
Iason would always find the strength to go just a little bit farther after those words. He would breathe Timotheus name over and over again. With each step he'd call out his name, and with each fall he would say that he loved him and cursed himself for not being strong enough to get to him faster.
And little by little they got just a little bit closer to a house.
And little by little the world around Iason would get just a bit dimmer.
Until everything went black.
Tim rushed through the crowd pushing people out of his way.
They were back, the soldiers were back!
Tim couldn't contain his smile as he searched the crowd for his Iason. Every day he had prayed to Athena for his protection, and he knew she would never let him get hurt.
Tim's head swerved around look for Iason's dark hair and bright green eyes. His tan skin and his bright smile. Tim listened for Iason's laugher and hoped he find him soon.
But as the crowd began to clear, Tim's heart began speeding up. Where was he?
Suddenly there was a hand inside Tim's.
Turning around he found Damianos, Iason's little brother, tears streaming down his face.
"He's not here."
Tim bent down and hugged Damianos to his chest.
"Yes he is. We just have to look a bit harder is all."
He felt something wet fall down his cheeks.
"He's here. Don't worry. I know he is."
Tim stared up at the stars, his hand reaching out for a person he knew was not there, would never be there again.
Iason was dead.
And it was his fault.
If he hadn't been so foolish.
If he hadn't been so stupid!
If he hadn't gotten the Gods angry at them.
If he hadn't asked Iason to prove his love in front of Athena.
How could he have ever thought Athena had blessed them? How could he have ever believed Athena had cared?
How could he have ever believed in Athena?
Damianos clutched Iason's hand as they searched for Tim. His brother was home! He hadn't died.
An unknown person had helped him walk miles to an ally home where they had treated his wounds until he was able to walk again.
As soon as he was able Iason began walking towards Athens, toward his beloved.
His chest still burned and he could barely breathe as he speed through Athens, but he was here now and that was all that mattered.
Tim stood at Athena's alter, a dagger clutched in his hand.
"How could you be so cruel Athena? So cruel as the curse love?"
He stood pressing the dagger to his heart.
"What kind of goddess are you?"
He closed his eyes and swallowed.
"If you're even real. How could you be? If Iason isn't here with me, then how could you possibly be real? E-Even if you were, why would I want to love you? You sicken me. You're nothing but death and hatred."
As tears ran down his face, his hand tightened around the dagger. Taking one last breathe he shoved the dagger into his heart that had stopped beating long ago.
"NO!" A scream erupted as Tim fell to the ground.
Iason rushed to Tim's side. "No, no, no." He whispered. "Don't you fucking die on me little one."
Tim's hand reached out to touch Jason's face not believing he was truly there. "What a cruel joke Athena has decided to play on me."
As a tear from Iason's face fell on Tim's hand, it fell as the first snowflake of winter. Clutching Tim's body, Iason screamed.
A scream not made by a voice, but a scream made from pure rage. A rage made from devastation and lost love.
He continued to hold him tears streaming down his face, either not realizing his wound had ripped open or not caring.
It was the end for them.
No, Athena thought, never the end.
She had failed them once, but never again.
Death was never the end, just the start of a new beginning.