Fic: Zodiac
Pythagoras was staring up the sky absent-mindedly. Jason frowned, wondering what he was thinking about.
"Triangles again?"
Tearing his eyes from the sky, Pythagoras smiled at Jason, blushing in the dark. "There are other shapes besides triangles that I care about, Jason."
"Like what?" asked Jason.
"Look up at the sky," he said, looking up again at the stars. "What do you see?"
"A bunch of stars?"
"Not just stars. Really look," Pythagoras prompted him.
"Look at what?"
"They're not just stars up there. Look over there," he pointed to one constellation. "Imagine, if you link up these stars… with these…" he waved his finger in a fluid motion, "what does it become?"
"Oh my god…" said Jason. "Is that…?"
"It's a bull," said Pythagoras. "Just like the one you fought in the labyrinth."
"It's Taurus," said Jason, stunned.
"That's a good name," complimented Pythagoras.
"And I wasn't alone in that," he added, finally turning back to Pythagoras. "You were there in that labyrinth with me."
"You see?" Pythagoras smiled at him. "There are shapes and patterns in this world that we haven't yet even begun to comprehend. Just as in my triangles, and even in the stars, I believe even the study of numbers could hide the secrets of who we are…"
"Numbers?" asked Jason.
"When were you born, Jason? Perhaps if we could add together the individual numbers of your birth, and break it down into a single digit… if only I knew what each number meant…"
"You don't want to know when I was born," said Jason.
"Oh, come on," said Pythagoras, "this is no time to be vain where there is knowledge to be gained. I love you just as much no matter how old you are!"
Jason stared at him in shock. "You what?"
Pythagoras staggered. "What? Nothing --"
"You said you love me."
"No, it's nothing…" Pythagoras lifted his head. "Unless… you…?"
"No," said Jason, "no, how could I? You're…"
"--weak--"
"…a man."
Pythagoras stared at Jason in confusion. "What does being a man have to do with it?"
"Well… two men… you're not supposed to…"
"Not supposed to what?"
"I just…" Jason shifted his feet. "I just don't think I could."
"You could do anything you want, Jason, I've seen you," said Pythagoras. He stepped forward, inching closer as he spoke. "The only thing that's holding you back… is your own mind. If you truly love me, you'll tell me the truth. Do you really not… want me?" By now their chests were almost touching, the air between their faces hot.
Jason opened his mouth to speak, but instead he only collapsed against Pythagoras' mouth, holding him tight in his arms as he began to kiss the genius.
Pythagoras had seen right through him. He had felt comfortable, even intimate, with Pythagoras ever since they met, but the life he had led in the modern world had had too heavy an impact on him. It had suppressed these desires and made him feel inadequate. But this was his real world, this is where he came from. It might even be where he belonged, wrapped up in Pythagoras like this.
He could be happy here, if he only had Pythagoras by his side.
"Triangles again?"
Tearing his eyes from the sky, Pythagoras smiled at Jason, blushing in the dark. "There are other shapes besides triangles that I care about, Jason."
"Like what?" asked Jason.
"Look up at the sky," he said, looking up again at the stars. "What do you see?"
"A bunch of stars?"
"Not just stars. Really look," Pythagoras prompted him.
"Look at what?"
"They're not just stars up there. Look over there," he pointed to one constellation. "Imagine, if you link up these stars… with these…" he waved his finger in a fluid motion, "what does it become?"
"Oh my god…" said Jason. "Is that…?"
"It's a bull," said Pythagoras. "Just like the one you fought in the labyrinth."
"It's Taurus," said Jason, stunned.
"That's a good name," complimented Pythagoras.
"And I wasn't alone in that," he added, finally turning back to Pythagoras. "You were there in that labyrinth with me."
"You see?" Pythagoras smiled at him. "There are shapes and patterns in this world that we haven't yet even begun to comprehend. Just as in my triangles, and even in the stars, I believe even the study of numbers could hide the secrets of who we are…"
"Numbers?" asked Jason.
"When were you born, Jason? Perhaps if we could add together the individual numbers of your birth, and break it down into a single digit… if only I knew what each number meant…"
"You don't want to know when I was born," said Jason.
"Oh, come on," said Pythagoras, "this is no time to be vain where there is knowledge to be gained. I love you just as much no matter how old you are!"
Jason stared at him in shock. "You what?"
Pythagoras staggered. "What? Nothing --"
"You said you love me."
"No, it's nothing…" Pythagoras lifted his head. "Unless… you…?"
"No," said Jason, "no, how could I? You're…"
"--weak--"
"…a man."
Pythagoras stared at Jason in confusion. "What does being a man have to do with it?"
"Well… two men… you're not supposed to…"
"Not supposed to what?"
"I just…" Jason shifted his feet. "I just don't think I could."
"You could do anything you want, Jason, I've seen you," said Pythagoras. He stepped forward, inching closer as he spoke. "The only thing that's holding you back… is your own mind. If you truly love me, you'll tell me the truth. Do you really not… want me?" By now their chests were almost touching, the air between their faces hot.
Jason opened his mouth to speak, but instead he only collapsed against Pythagoras' mouth, holding him tight in his arms as he began to kiss the genius.
Pythagoras had seen right through him. He had felt comfortable, even intimate, with Pythagoras ever since they met, but the life he had led in the modern world had had too heavy an impact on him. It had suppressed these desires and made him feel inadequate. But this was his real world, this is where he came from. It might even be where he belonged, wrapped up in Pythagoras like this.
He could be happy here, if he only had Pythagoras by his side.