Chapter X: Daedalus to the rescue.

"Pythagoras?" Icarus asked again. He did not quite understand what was going on. He brought up his hand and caressed Pythagoras' now wet and still red cheek. His thin and tall from shook as he sobbed his heart out. No chance of speaking, Pythagoras only softly shook his head. Daedalus softly placed his hand on Pythagoras back and started to rub half circles upon it. After a while Pythagoras sobs finally subsided, he had totally tired himself out. Icarus was about a loss what to do next, for he was afraid what if he would speak again, Pythagoras tears would appear again.

"Pythagoras? Are you tired?" Daedalus asked after a moment.

"Yes." Pythagoras replied as he shivered. Icarus stood, and got hold of Pythagoras hand.

"Then you should go and sleep." Icarus led Pythagoras back to their room. With a little bit of help, Pythagoras drank some water before he lay down. "I am going to help my father set up his sleeping place. Go and try to sleep, then I will be back soon."

"Thank you, sleep well." Pythagoras said, being too tired to fight back. The two lovers kissed, before Pythagoras fully settled and Icarus left the room.

"Let me help you with that." Icarus said and helped his father set up the extra bed.

"Thank you, Icarus. Tomorrow after dinner, I will go home to pick up a few things." Daedalus said as he slowly lowered himself on the bed. "Is Pythagoras asleep?"

"He probably is by now." Icarus nodded and fetched a blanket. Daedalus gave his son a light pat on his arm.

"He will be as right as rain, soon enough."

"Because it rains once every two months." Icarus frowned. He knew his father wanted to comfort him, though he did not know if it was working.

"Never mind. I just wanted to say that I will do my best, so Pythagoras will be well soon."

"Thank you. I am going to sleep too. Good night." Icarus said before he left Daedalus alone and joined Pythagoras. He was already asleep, while he slightly shivered underneath the blanket. When Icarus lay down next to him, Pythagoras scooted closer, as well as Icarus himself, so that Pythagoras relaxed in the added body warmth of Icarus.

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It was in the middle of the night when the door of the apartment opened again. A drunk Hercules stumbled inside and closed the door behind him. With a loud groan and muffled thump, ended Hercules on the stone floor.

"What?" Daedalus asked sleepily when he sat up and tried to see in the dark. Hercules had stumbled and fallen when there was out of the blue an obstacle in his path towards his room. With another loud groan, Hercules heaved himself up on his feet and continued to his room and let himself fall back at his bed, where he was snoring in a matter of seconds.

"What happened?" Icarus whispered as he stuck his head around the corner.

"I think that was a very drunk Hercules who stumbled." Daedalus whispered back and dismissed him.

"Sleep well." Icarus whispered before he disappeared again. It took a while for Daedalus to fall back to sleep, but he eventually managed to do so.

Soon enough the sky started to lighten in the east and Icarus awoke like he used to do now.

When Icarus got a good look at his lover, he had curled himself up, and he had pressed his back against Icarus to receive the most body warmth. His curls were slightly dampened and were sticking out oddly, where they had not been flattened. When Icarus got out of bed, Pythagoras shivered again and mumbled something under his breath. Icarus softly wiped the curls from Pythagoras' face and placed a light kiss upon his fore head, noting Pythagoras was still running a fever, if it was only a slight one. Icarus readied himself for his work and said Daedalus goodbye before he went out.

Pythagoras slowly awoke halfway through the morning. He looked around, finding it strange that Icarus was not beside him. He rubbed his eyes before he sat up. Pythagoras decided to get up and see if Hercules could tell him where Icarus was. When he walked in to the adjoining room and found, to his surprise, Daedalus instead of Icarus.

"Good morning, Pythagoras." Daedalus greeted as he saw Pythagoras enter the room.

"Good morning?" Pythagoras said and sat down at the table. He still did not have a clue why Daedalus was here.

"How do you feel?" Daedalus asked as he put the parchment aside and offered Pythagoras a cup of milk and some bread.

"I feel better than yesterday." Pythagoras said and started eating. Daedalus nodded, but kept observing Pythagoras. His cheeks were not that red anymore and his eyes did not seem to be glassy, but the clumsiness with his hands was still there.

"That is good to hear. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Can you tell me were Icarus is?"

"Icarus went to the armoury."

"To work." Pythagoras mused. "I have to go to work too." Pythagoras said after a moment in full panic. Pythagoras stood and almost tripped over the bench as he wanted to go back into their room to grab his shoes. Daedalus also had risen from his seat and managed to grab Pythagoras' shoulder before he fell. He gently pushed Pythagoras back on the bench and kept his hand on his shoulder to prevent him from getting up again.

"Pythagoras, listen carefully." Daedalus started softly. "Even if you are feeling better, you are not fully better. Icarus went to the family you teach yesterday and told them you were too ill to teach. That is why you do not need to go and teach now."

"Icarus visited them yesterday?" Pythagoras asked softly.

"Yes, and Icarus told me that the woman said it was a good thing you would stay home for a few days and get rest."

"Okay…" Pythagoras said thinking.

"Please eat and drink something. Then see if you feel good enough to sit up for a while or that you go and get some more rest." Daedalus said and released Pythagoras' shoulder from his hold and sat back down. Pythagoras held his cup and the bread with both of his hands in order to eat and drink. He managed to do so without spilling! He kept Daedalus company who continued with some mathematics. Occasionally Pythagoras tried to suggest something while he tried to help him. They had some fruit for lunch.

"I think it is good if you lie down to get some rest." Daedalus suggested after they were done eating.

"I am not tired." Pythagoras objected.

"I can imagine that you are not tired, but you still need to get some rest."

"I don't want to go and sleep."

"I did not say you have to go and sleep, I want you to just lay down." Pythagoras rubbed the front of his head and let out a soft sigh.

"Okay then." He said and retired himself. Daedalus watched him and continued with his mathematics. After about a half hour he put the parchment away and decided he would check Pythagoras before he would take a nap himself. When he walked into the bedroom, he saw Pythagoras who was softly snoring. Daedalus smiled to himself and lie down on his own bed where he was asleep himself in a matter of moments.

Hercules awoke somewhere after noon, being grumpy for he had a massive headache. He sat down at the table and started eating. After he was done eating he noticed Icarus father, who was asleep in the far corner, on a makeshift bed. He rubbed his face with his hands and got up with a grunt before he returned to his bed, in the hope he would sleep off his headache.

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When Icarus returned home in the evening, he found three sleeping men. He heard Hercules snores through the door before he even had entered, while Daedalus was just lightly asleep. He found Pythagoras curled up on one side with his hands over his ears, as to protect them from Hercules' snores. Icarus sat down at the edge of the bed and gently tried to remove Pythagoras' hand from his ear, but he would not budge. Icarus decided it would not matter if he joined Pythagoras for a few moments. He took of his shoes and spooned Pythagoras, hoping he would be as comfortable as he was.

Icarus felt something on his face. He wiggled with his nose, hoping it would stop. It only made it worse as it moved to his cheeks. Carefully He opened his eyes. First thing he saw were the sparkling blue eyes of Pythagoras.

"Good morning sleepyhead." Pythagoras said with a chuckle. "Time to get up." Pythagoras sat up, as well as Icarus.

"How do you feel?" Icarus asked while he rubbed his face.

"I think I feel well." Pythagoras said as he got up and poured some water in a basin, undressed himself and gave himself a quick rinse, before he redressed himself.

"Good morning." Daedalus greeted when Icarus walked in to adjoining room, when Daedalus just awakened. Pythagoras joined Icarus at the table, like it was any ordinary morning. "Pythagoras?" Daedalus asked.

"Good morning?" Pythagoras greeted, not quite sure why Icarus father was here again.

"How are you doing?" Daedalus asked as he sat down next to him and softly pressed the back of his hand against Pythagoras' forehead.

"I think I am doing okay. My headache is gone, and I am not tired anymore. I also think that my fever is gone."

"I must agree that your fever seems gone." Daedalus nodded, and they started eating. The clumsiness in his hands was still present, but Pythagoras did not seem very bothered with it.

"Where are you going?" Icarus asked when he was about to get out of the door, and Pythagoras followed him.

"Going to teach?" Pythagoras said with a frown.

"Are you sure?"

"I am." Pythagoras replied determined.

"If you are feeling well enough." Icarus agreed though she was not happy about this. "See you tonight, father." Icarus said before he closed the door.

"Good luck at work." Pythagoras said as they reached the house of Thasos and Kalista.

"I will come after work, so I can walk back with you." Icarus said.

"Okay, I will see you then." Pythagoras said. With a little kiss they parted. Kalista was rather surprised when she found Pythagoras at her doorstep.

"Come in, come in." She ushered him in. "How are you feeling."

"I feel much better than the past few days." Pythagoras said with a little smile and waved when he saw the children.

"You are back." Karissa exclaimed.

"I am. Shall we start?" Pythagoras agreed.

"I will get Damien and Angelo." Karissa said and went to fetch her brothers. Soon enough Pythagoras continued his lessons.

"We practiced." Angelo announced proudly.

"You did?" Pythagoras asked surprised. "Well, than you may show me." The three children sat down with the cloth strips and bound each other's arms, and when they were done, Pythagoras inspected them. "Very well. If we will practice this once in a while, we can take the next step in bounding limbs and body parts. Pythagoras showed them how they supposed to bind a leg when it was hurt, as well as he showed them again how to use herbs. He greatly enjoyed his teaching, even though he only could instruct his pupils when they started with the herbs, which greatly annoyed him, but all went still well.

"Good evening, is Pythagoras ready to get home?" Icarus asked when Kalista opened the door.

"Good evening." Kalista greeted back. "I am afraid Pythagoras had left about an hour ago."

"Oh…" Icarus said. "Thank you." Icarus said before he quickly made his way home.

"I am home, Pythagoras." Icarus called when he stepped inside.

"Good evening, Icarus." Daedalus greeted.

"Hello father." Icarus greeted as he looked around.

"I have not seen Pythagoras since he left with you this morning." Daedalus replied.