Chapter 9: Only Headaches?
"Hello? Anyone home?" Icarus asked when he entered. No reply came. "Hercules?" He asked but instead he found Pythagoras cloak on the floor, again. "Pythagoras?" He asked again and as reply he only heard a soft moan. Icarus walked in to their bedroom where he found Pythagoras who was restless asleep. "Pythagoras? Wake up please, and tell me what is wrong." Icarus softly shook his shoulder and watched Pythagoras who abruptly awoke from his slumber.
"Icarus?" Pythagoras asked confused.
"Yes, it is me." Icarus said while he caressed Pythagoras red cheek.
"What time is it?" He asked while rubbing his eyes.
"Time for dinner. Have you seen Hercules?"
"No, he was already gone when I came here, just after noon."
"Shall I go and make dinner, and you will join me?" Icarus asked as softly as he could.
"I am not hungry. Hercules probably will show up in the end. It is most likely that he would be in the tavern or something like that. Maybe he went to the temple or to the oracle." Pythagoras said while he lay down again.
"Those are indeed the most logical places for him to go, but first, let me get you something to drink." Icarus said and stood again to return moments later with two cups and a pitcher of water.
"You still need to eat yourself." Pythagoras said while he accepted the cup with water.
"We still have some left over bread and grapes, I take that as dinner." Icarus smiled.
"If you say so." Pythagoras said and held his empty cup out for Icarus. "Mind filling it again?"
"No." Icarus said and refilled the cup. When Pythagoras emptied the cup again he handed it again to Icarus before he lay down. Icarus put the cups down next to the pitcher and stood. "I will be back soon." He said before he left Pythagoras alone. Icarus quickly ate his bread and grapes before he joined Pythagoras again.
"How was your day?" Pythagoras asked softly.
"Not too bad. Hopefully soon enough Allessandro will let me watch and let me learn about strategies. That will be much more interesting than only having to polish armour."
"Good." Pythagoras smiled.
"And how about your day?" Icarus asked while he caressed his fingers through Pytagoras curls.
"I started out fine, but halfway through the morning my head started to hurt again, and it only got worse. They sent me home."
"And so you decided to take a nap?" Icarus guessed.
"Yes." Pythagoras whispered having the urge to cry.
"Do you want me to keep you company? Or do you want me to leave you alone to let you sleep?"
"I will be fine alone. I wanted to go to the market if Hercules is not had been there already."
"Then I think I will need to go to the market, knowing Hercules, he will not go to the market."
"I will be in here when you return." Pythagoras said with a little grin. The two lovers hugged each other before Icarus took off to the market and Pythagoras curled up on his left side, with his back to the door.
It was about an hour later when Icarus returned from the market with fresh bread and some fruit. He also brought some milk, in the hope Pythagoras would like it. "I am home." Icarus softly but clearly called, receiving no response. He put all the groceries down on the table and made his way over the Pythagoras bedroom. He was there, still, and again restlessly asleep. Pouring a cup of water, Icarus sat down on the edge of the bed and started to awaken Pythagoras again. With a soft moan Pythagoras awoke and blinked against the light of the setting sun.
"Here I am again." Icarus said softly with a little smile.
"Hi." Pythagoras greeted and looked up to him.
"Shall we go and have some dinner?" Icarus asked. He knew he had eaten something earlier, but Pythagoras still had to eat.
"If you want me too." Pythagoras said and slowly sat up. Icarus outstretched his hand and Pythagoras took it. He sat down opposite of Icarus at the table, where the groceries still stood.
"How was your day?" Pythagoras asked trying to make conversation. I am sure I told him already what I did today. Icarus mused but decided to tell him again, for it is rude to ignore a question, right?
"Not too bad, I waxed a parts of the leather under armour. When I came home I saw that we were low on food so I decided to go to the market." Pythagoras nodded while he slowly munched on a piece fruit.
"Thank you for the milk." Pythagoras said after he emptied his cup. "I think I will go back to bed now." Said Pythagoras after a while, while he rubbed his eyes like a tired toddler.
"I will come and join you when I have cleaned up everything." Icarus nodded and watched while Pythagoras stood and went back to bed. Pythagoras was just done with washing his face when Icarus walked into the bedroom. Icarus took his turn with washing his face before he joined Pythagoras in their bed.
"Are you already tired that you join me?" Pythagoras asked when he scooted over so he would be almost lying against Icarus.
"I am not that tired, but I like to join you and cuddle with you." Icarus whispered in his ear and laid his arm over Pythagoras side and back and softly pressed his against himself. With a little sigh Pythagoras threw his right arm over Icarus to return the embrace. "I hope you feel better tomorrow." Icarus softly kissed Pythagoras, who gave him a little grin back.
"I do hope so. Sleep tight." Pythagoras smiled as he half buried his face in Icarus chest.
"Sleep tight." Icarus replied and buried his nose in Pythagoras' curls. He stayed awake for a little while, while he rubbed small circles on Pythagoras' back, who was now blissfully asleep.
When Icarus awoke next morning, he noted that it was still some early to get up and go to the armoury. He simply relaxed and watched Pythagoras sleep for a while. When he thought he had spent enough time watching his lover, which actually would never be enough, He softly got up and redressed himself. Icarus softly smiled a Pythagoras moved on their bed, taking up all the space in the bed now that Icarus was not lying next to him anymore, and went to the next room to have some breakfast.
"Icarus?" Pythagoras asked softly.
"Yes?" Icarus answered while eating and watched while his lover appeared from their room.
"Could you go to the family that I teach to tell them I feel too unwell to go and teach."
"What is wrong then?" Icarus asked, getting worried.
"I am just too tired to go."
"You look like you are feeling sick." Icarus gut up and walked over to Pythagoras. He softly placed his hand against Pythagoras' forehead before he moved it to caress his cheek. "It feels like you have fever." Icarus softly got hold of Pythagoras' arm and lead him back to their bed. Pythagoras sat down, not knowing what to do or how he actually felt. Icarus quickly returned with a cup of water which he handed over.
"Thank you." Pythagoras whispered before he emptied the cup.
"Do you want some more?" Icarus asked when he took the empty cup back.
"Please." Pythagoras replied. Icarus returned to the bedroom moments later with a full carafe of water. Pythagoras drank two more cups of water before having enough.
"Take it easy today. Try to sleep some, then I am sure you feel better tomorrow." Icarus smiled while Pythagoras slowly lay down again. "I will tell them that you felt too unwell to come."
"Thank you." Pythagoras said and after a small kiss Icarus left Pythagoras.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Icarus knocked on the door where he knew that Thasos and Kalista were living. After a moment the door opened with an angry looking man. "What do you want?" The man Icarus assumed had to be Thasos barked.
"I am here on behalf of Pythagoras." Icarus started, and took another deep breath. "He is ill, so he won't be coming at least for today, and maybe tomorrow." He said, looking the man square in the eye. Thasos was about to say something when a woman, probably Thasos's wife pushed him lightly but firmly aside before he could say anything and stepped forward.
"What is going on?" She asked looking from her husband to the man at the door.
"I am here on behalf of Pythagoras. He felt too unwell to come. He was running a fever when I left, and he asked me to come and tell you that he would not be coming today, and probably not tomorrow." Icarus explained. Kalista nodded.
"He has not been feeling very well lately. Maybe it is good that he gets some rest. Do not worry about Thasos. Pythagoras will be more than welcome to return when he feels well again. It is no problem he stays away for a few more days so you are sure that he is well again." Kalista said softly. "Wish him well from me and his pupils." She said while she handed him two silver coins.
"I do not know what to say." Icarus said looking from the coins to Kalista.
"Then don't say anything. Go to your work yourself." She smiled before she stepped inside again and softly closed the door. Just when the door closed Icarus could hear the man yelling at his wife, probably because of the silver coins she just gave away, and that his teacher would not be coming in the next few days.
Icarus quickly walked through the streets of Atlantis, for he was running late for his own job now.
Kalista let out a little sigh before she walked over to her children.
"Is Pythagoras coming?" Karissa asked when she saw her mother approach, but Pythagoras was not where in sight.
"I am afraid not." Kalista said. "A friend of Pythagoras came by, telling me that Pythagoras felt too unwell his morning to come and teach you. So you can decide for yourself what to do, as long as you do not disturb your father." Kalista said and walked away.
"What should we go and do then?" Angelo asked looking at his brother and sister.
"We could go and practice the things he already learned us, so we can make him proud when he feels better again." Karissa said.
"Or we can just go and play." Damien shrugged.
"Can't we do both then?" Angelo mused. "Then we will practice that thing with the strips of cloth in the morning and after we have eaten we will go and play."
"We can do that yes." Karissa agreed while she nodded.
"I have no other choice do I?" Damien asked while his brother and sister already agreed on the plan, it was two against one. "All right then, let's fetch the cloth strips."
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Daedalus was quite surprised when he heard a knock on the door, so he stood and opened the door to find Icarus standing there. "Good evening, Icarus. What can I do for you?"
"I came to see how you were doing. I also wanted to ask if you wanted to come and dine with us."
"I would love to come." Daedalus said with a little smile and quickly went inside and fetched his cloak. Soon enough, they had arrived back at Pythagoras and Hercules' place.
"I am home." Icarus announced when he walked inside. Daedalus followed and closed the door behind him. "Pythagoras?"
"Good evening." Pythagoras replied softly when he looked up from the parchment from where he sat huddled in a blanket, at the table. "How was your day?"
"It was well." Icarus replied and sat down oposite of Pythagoras.
"It is good to see you, Pythagoras." Daedalus greeted.
"It is good to see you too, sir." Pythagoras said with a nod.
"Is Hercules around?" Icarus wondered after he noticed there were no sounds coming from their friends room.
"I do not know, though he is not gone for that long." Pythagoras answered. "Though the water pitchers are gone." He added after a moment of thinking. Daedalus looked with a frown from his son to Pythagoras.
"It was not your only purpose to invite me for dinner, was it?" Daedalus softly said. Icarus shot him a glance, where the worry dripped from.
"How are you feeling, Pythagoras?" Icarus asked.
"Hmm?" Pythagoras hummed and looked up from the parchment again.
"How do you feel?" Icarus asked again but more gently.
"I think that I still have fever…" Pythagoras shivered. "But my headache was about gone when I woke up, though I could not find you."
"So you though you felt good enough to sit up and do mathematics?" Icarus asked. Pythagoras nodded.
"Shall I start cooking supper?" Daedalus asled after a moment of silence.
"That would be great, father." Icarus said with a little smile.
"Would you mind giving me a hand?" Daedalus asked when he get up to make a little fire.
"Not at all." Icarus replied and noticed Pythagoras attention was again back to the parchment. Daedalus set up the last bit of water and added some dried herbs from a small ceramic pot. Icarus chopped some greens and added them to the water when it was about to boil. Daedalus turned around to see that Pythagoras was still focused on the parchment.
"So, will you answer me?" He whispered while he slowly stirred.
"Yes, it is. You have now seen for yourself that Pythagoras is getting ill." Icarus started and Daedalus nodded.
"You want me to see if I can make something for him?"
"You may try, but I would also wish to have someone here while I am off to the armoury. I suppose."
"Can't Hercules stay here for Pythagoras?" Daedalus asked and nodded. He took a small sip from the soup and added some more herbs.
"He could, but if there were something to happen, I can't say if he will be a good help."
"He does not seem too unwell that he needs constant assistance." Daedalus said after he studied Pythagoras for a moment.
"Then will you stay if I asked you, when, if it ever would happen?"
"Everything for my boy." Daedalus spoke with a little smile. "I think dinner is ready." He announced. Pythagoras put his parchment away as Daedalus and Icarus put three bowls on the table. As they started eating, Pythagoras picked up his spoon clumsily, holding the spoon oddly. He acted like there was nothing, though Daedalus and Icarus probably though otherwise.
"I am done." Icarus announced after a while. Pythagoras and Daedalus were done as well.
"Pythagoras, if you feel up to it, would you like to help me with a calculation I need to make?" Daedalus asked. Sure, he could do such calculations himself, but he needed to investigate.
"I would like to help." Pythagoras replied. Soon the bowls and spoons were clean, and Daedalus settled next to Pythagoras with a new piece of parchment and a small piece of coal. He wrote a part of the calculation down. "This is as far as I have managed to come." Daedalus explained and put the piece of coal in from of Pythagoras.
"That is not too hard." Pythagoras said and went to pick up the piece of coal, only to drop it every time he thought he had it between his fingers. After a few more times, Pythagoras got frustrated. "I think I am too tired to do this now." He sighed.
"Pythagoras?" Daedalus asked softly. "Are you in pain?"
"No, I am not hurt." Pythagoras shook his head, not daring to look up.
"Pythagoras?" Icarus asked when he kneeled down next to him. "Tell me what is wrong." When Pythagoras looked up to Icarus, he saw deep worry edged on his face. Before anyone knew what was happening thick salty tears ran down Pythagoras' cheeks.
"I don't know." Pythagoras choked out as he sobbed.
- Hey guys! I hope you liked the chapter, I wanted to post it earlier, but I thought it was not quite finished, so that is why the chapter is a bit longer, but also took me some longer to get it to you. Thank you for the review! I hope it is a bit what you asked for?! Please let me know!-