Obsession

By Ronan

Iolaus stirred and moaned, trying to wake up. He had a brief glimpse of the shadowy room, before exhaustion pulled him under again.

Iolaus thrashed, moaning, struggling to break free of the dreams.

"NO!" Iolaus bolted upright, his heart racing. The sound of his own shout mingled with Theia's screams in his ears. Horror shook him as the images and emotions from the last dream played over in his mind. He wouldn't … he couldn't … He wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his forehead against them as he shook with reaction.

Where had that come from? The idea of rape had always been anathema to him. He had never understood how a man could do such a thing. Even now the thoughts and emotions behind the act in his dream were abhorrent to him. He felt sick to his stomach. How could he face Theia in the morning? How could he face anyone? The dream had been sick, perverted. He felt unclean just thinking about it.

With a moan, Iolaus forced himself to his feet. Clean, he had to get clean. He forced his trembling limbs to work. Doggedly he made his way to the well in the yard. Ignoring the chill in the night air, he stripped and began to scrub himself. He nearly rubbed his skin raw, trying to remove the dirty feeling. It wasn't working. No matter how hard he scrubbed, it didn't make him feel any cleaner. He sobbed in frustration at the realization.

He kicked the bucket he'd been using, sending the water spilling across the hard packed ground. He wanted to rage, scream, cry. It wasn't him! He wasn't like that! He wouldn't do that!! He crumpled to the earth, the force of his emotions shaking him. Sobs wracked his body as he beat his fists against the uncaring dirt. No more, he begged silently, please no more.

How long Iolaus lay in the dirt he didn't know and didn't care. At last the force of his reaction spent itself, leaving him blessedly numb. With a weary sigh, he forced himself to move. Retrieving the bucket, he refilled it and rinsed the dirt from his skin; wincing slightly as he encountered areas rubbed raw. Finished, he rinsed his clothes as well. The musky smell permeating his pants and breech clout made him nauseous. That chore completed, he pulled the wet clothing on, ignoring the clammy feel, then reluctantly headed back inside. He needed to check on Theia. He prayed he hadn't disturbed her. He couldn't bear to face her yet.

To his relief the main room was empty. He picked his way quietly across the room and pressed his ear to the bedroom door. There were no sounds from within and he decided not to open the door. Ignoring the tangled pile of blankets, he made his way to the table and sat down. He didn't want to go back to sleep. He couldn't bear another dream. He rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. Somehow he had to find the strength to face Theia in the morning. The dreams were not her fault.

As Iolaus stubbornly fought the exhaustion that threatened to drag him down into sleep the watching goddess sighed. She liked to keep an eye on this mortal so when she heard his silent pleas she had decided to check out the situation. What she had found disturbed her and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. Iolaus started to nod off and jerked himself upright. The utter exhaustion on his face was terrible but he was still fighting sleep. With a sigh, Aphrodite gently stroked his hair. "Sleep," she whispered, using her powers to send him into a deep slumber. As he slowly lowered his head to the table, she promised, "No more dreams for you tonight." She watched for a few more moments, then satisfied, she vanished.

Hercules knocked on the door and was surprised when Theia opened it. "Good morning. Where's … "

"Shsh," she motioned him to be quieter. "He's asleep."

She stepped back and Hercules spotted his friend. "What's he doing there?" he asked puzzled. Signs of exhaustion and strain were clearly visible on the hunter's face. 'What in the world was going on with Iolaus?' he wondered. He wouldn't have thought having Theia around would put that much strain on the hunter. As far as he could tell, Theia seemed as worried about the blond as he was.

Theia shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "I found him there this morning." She gazed at Iolaus in concern. "He looked so tired that I couldn't bear to wake him."

Hercules touched her arm, trying to reassure her. "He'll be fine, Theia," the demi-god told her. Privately he determined that he was going to get Iolaus alone soon and make the hunter tell him what was going on. Something was obviously bothering his friend badly.

Theia nodded, her face still reflecting concern. "I've made tea." She stepped back to allow Hercules to enter. "Let me fix you a cup."

The sound of soft voices reached Iolaus. Absently he identified the speakers as Theia and Hercules. The two people he most did not want to face right now, he thought with a silent groan. He was tempted to let himself drift back to sleep. No, if he did that he might dream again. Iolaus suppressed a shudder. He couldn't handle another dream. Better to face the two of them. At least Hercules was here if … He couldn't bear to finish the thought.

With a sound that was half moan, half groan he lifted his head and blinked sleepily at his friend. "Morning, Herc," he mumbled.

"Good morning, Iolaus," Hercules replied. "Theia and I were wondering if you were going to sleep all day."

Iolaus rubbed his face, hiding his expression from his friend as he replied, "Had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Sorry."

"Are you sure that's all that's wrong?" Hercules asked softly as Theia rose to start serving breakfast.

Iolaus stared at the table. He couldn't, he just couldn't tell his friend about the dreams. What would Hercules think of him? "Yeah, sure," he finally replied. He looked up and tried to grin at his friend. "What else would it be?" He could tell Hercules wasn't totally convinced and was relieved when Theia set breakfast in front of them. He really wasn't hungry but he tried to pretend he was starving.

Theia offered Hercules breakfast as well, but the demi-god declined, though he did accept more tea. In order to distract his friend, Iolaus began to talk about what he wanted to get done that day. "I noticed a couple more spots on the roof that need fixing, Herc," he tried to speak casually. "I thought we could tackle those today."

"I've got a better idea," Hercules replied, eyeing him speculatively. "You go take a nap and I'll get started on the roof."

"No," Iolaus snapped. He realized he'd spoken more sharply than he intended as the demi-god looked at him in surprise. "I mean, it wouldn't be right," he hastily amended. "It's my house," he added stubbornly.

"Why don't you clean out the extra room?" Theia suggested quietly. As both men turned to her in surprise, she told Hercules ruefully, "He won't let me give him back his bed."

"That sounds like Iolaus," Hercules agreed smiling. "Too stubborn for his own good."

"Hey," Iolaus protested. "Stop talking about me like I’m not here!"

"Well, it's true," Theia told him. "You need to start sleeping in your own bed. It's not right."

Iolaus shook his head stubbornly. "I won't have a guest sleeping on the floor."

Hercules laughed as Theia turned to him. "You see?"

"Alright! Alright!" Iolaus gave up arguing. "We'll clean out the extra room first." He stood up and took his plate to the counter to hide the fact that he hadn't eaten much. Hercules was worried enough, without adding Iolaus' lack of appetite to make him even more suspicious. "Let's get started."

"Just waiting on you, buddy." Hercules stood up and headed for the spare bedroom. He'd seen Iolaus' plate despite the blond's attempt to hide it. He was now positive something was wrong.

The two men set to work moving the odds and ends Iolaus had stored in the room. Hercules shaking his head and occasionally teasing his friend about the strange and mainly useless items the hunter had collected. He'd never thought of the blond as a packrat before. The man's lifestyle had always seemed totally incompatible with the concept. It was obvious though, that each object held a special memory for his friend and that a few of those memories were still very painful to him.

As they carried the last of the items from the room, Theia entered it, broom and dust rag in hand. Hercules grinned at Iolaus. "Good thing we're finished in there," he joked. "Theia looked just like Mother does when she's planning to turn the house inside out."

Iolaus grinned back at him. "My house hasn't been this clean in years." He looked down at the cradle he'd just set in the barn. "Makes a nice change," he said softly. He felt Hercules' hand on his shoulder. His friend understood how hard it was to come home.

He turned to look at his friend. "Now about that roof … " His voice trailed off as he spotted Theia pushing back the shutters on the window of the room. He fought to suppress his body's reaction to the sight.

Hercules watched as Iolaus froze in mid-sentence. He caught the flash of longing on Iolaus' face before his friend could hide it. Curious about the hunter's reaction, he turned and followed his friend's gaze. 'Could that be part of his problem?' Hercules wondered. He knew his friend was a romantic. Theia was sweet and pretty enough to catch the hunter's eye at any time. Add the fact that the young woman was dependant on Iolaus, needed the hunter's help, it was no wonder his friend was having trouble sleeping. Knowing the source of Iolaus' problems didn't ease his concern though, it just brought a new set of worries.

"Herc! Hey, Herc! Earth to Hercules!"

Hercules blinked, startled out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Iolaus grinning at him. "Sorry," he told Iolaus. "I was just thinking … "

"Well how about thinking of giving me a hand with this stuff?" Iolaus pointed to the tools. "We haven't got all day, you know."

Shaking his head, Hercules picked up the ladder and followed Iolaus back towards the house. The two of them had to have a long talk soon and the roof seemed as good a place as any.

Two holes and some time later, Hercules was still trying to figure out how to broach the subject with Iolaus when he heard the hunter cry out. He turned in time to see Iolaus slip and start to tumble off the roof. Reacting quickly, he scrambled to his friend and managed to snag the hunter's wrist and haul him back to safety. Once he was sure Iolaus was safe, Hercules collapsed on the roof, trying to get his racing heart to calm down. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Iolaus shrugged, not meeting his gaze. "I guess I wasn't paying attention," he explained. "I almost stepped on a bad patch. I slipped trying to avoid it." He shrugged again. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Hercules questioned incredulously. "You almost broke your neck because you weren't paying attention and all you can say is you're sorry?" Enough was enough, Iolaus was going to start talking now. "Iolaus, what is going on?" As the hunter opened his mouth to reply, Hercules interrupted. "And don't tell me nothing is wrong."

Iolaus glared at him stubbornly for a long moment, but Hercules caught the flash of guilt in the back of the blond's eyes before the hunter turned away. He sighed. "It's Theia, isn't it?"

"How … " Iolaus stared at him startled.

Hercules grinned back at him. "I know you, Iolaus." He held up his hands and started to tick off the reasons behind his guess. "One, you have a pretty girl sharing your home. Two, you're not sleeping well. Three, you've stopped eating. Want me to go on?"

Iolaus shook his head ruefully. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he stared off into the distance. "It's not … We're not … " He glanced at Hercules. "Well, you know … "

Hercules hid a smile. "I didn't think you were."

Iolaus nodded and looked away again. "It's just … I can't stop thinking about her, Herc." Iolaus shifted uneasily. "I've even been dreaming about her. About what it would be like to … " He trailed off blushing. He couldn't talk about his dreams. Once again he felt shame at that last dream. It wasn't me, he told himself fiercely.

"Are you falling in love with her?" Hercules asked cautiously.

Iolaus sighed. He remained silent for a long moment. "I don't know," he answered at last. He looked at Hercules, his confusion clear in his eyes. "It feels so right, having her here. Like a part of me that's been missing is back … "

It was Hercules' turn to sigh. "What about Theia?" he asked slowly. "Have you thought about what might happen when she gets her memory back?"

"I know." Iolaus rubbed a hand across his face. "I can't stop thinking about it. What if she's married? Or engaged or something?" He turned to Hercules. "But there's a part of me that keeps saying what if she isn't? Or what if she never gets her memory back? I just don't know, Herc." He shook his head. "Sometimes I think it's going to drive me insane."

Hercules wished he had the answers. There were times that not even being a half god could help. "I don't know what to tell you, Iolaus," he finally responded. "We're doing everything we can to find out about her past … " The demi-god shrugged.

"Yeah, I know, Herc." Iolaus smiled quietly. "Just sometimes it doesn't help, you know?"

Hercules grasped Iolaus' shoulder, trying to impart some measure of comfort to his friend. "I know."

"Yeah, well." Iolaus touched his hand and smiled at him, then bounced to his feet. "Sitting here talking isn't getting my roof fixed."

"Slave driver," Hercules muttered, grinning.

Iolaus giggled. "That's 'master', to you."

"We'll just see who's boss around here." Hercules grinned evilly at his friend and started towards the hunter.

"Herc! The roof!" Iolaus' warning came a split second too late as Hercules' foot plunged through the bad section. Iolaus steadied him as he caught his balance and carefully removed his foot. "Are you all right?" the hunter asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Iolaus." Hercules shook his head, then grinned. "Guess that will teach us not to horse around on the roof."

Iolaus snorted and fetched the things they'd need to fix this newest hole and the two men went back to work.

By mid afternoon they had finished the roof on the house and begun some of the other needed repairs. This day Theia had brought lunch out to them, since neither seemed inclined to stop what they were doing long enough to come in. Several times Hercules caught Iolaus watching Theia with longing. He promised himself he would do everything he could to find some answers for his friend soon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Iolaus smother a yawn and it gave him an idea.

"Iolaus, we've got the house done. Why don't we take tomorrow off?" he suggested tentatively.

"What? The mighty Hercules getting tired?" Iolaus asked grinning.

Hercules laughed and shook his head. "We are supposed to be taking a break," he reminded the hunter. "Besides, I'm not the one who's having trouble sleeping."

Iolaus turned away, his smile fading. "A day off won't help that."

"Iolaus." Hercules caught his friend's arm. "You need to rest," he told the blond seriously. He caught a flash of something unidentifiable in Iolaus' eyes, before the hunter set his jaw stubbornly. Before his friend could voice the protest he knew was coming, he continued, "Take the day off. Go into Thebes and look for answers, go fishing, I don't care. Just get some rest before you make yourself sick!" Iolaus glared at him but Hercules was not about to back down. It was for Iolaus' good.

Finally Iolaus looked away. "Alright, I guess we can take a trip into Thebes again."

"It's only one day, Iolaus," Hercules told him, smiling at the blond's grudging capitulation.

"We better get as much done as we can today then." Iolaus turned to lead the way to the next project.

"Oh, no," Hercules stopped him. "We've done plenty for today." He grinned as Iolaus frowned at him. "Besides, Mother wanted me home early today. I think she wanted to be sure I was presentable for tonight." He winked.

Hercules saw a look of puzzlement cross the hunter's face as he echoed, "Tonight?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already?" Hercules laughed. "Mother's expecting you and Theia for dinner, remember?"

Iolaus groaned. "I'd totally forgotten." Glancing at the position of the sun he sighed. "I guess we'd better stop so I have time to clean up." He smiled at Hercules. "Alcmene'd have a fit if I didn't."

Hercules grinned back at him. "She probably wouldn't let you in the house," he teased.

"In that case I'd better get busy." Iolaus laughed. "Wouldn't want to miss one of Alcmene's meals."

Pleased that he'd managed to cheer his friend up a bit, Hercules told Iolaus he'd see him later and headed home.

By the time he'd gotten half way home, Hercules had a mental list of half a dozen villages in the area and was trying to decide which to visit the next day. He wondered if he could talk Jason into helping him out, then they could cover twice as much territory.

"Hey, bro!"

He looked up, startled out of his thoughts by the call, then groaned. Just the person he didn't want to see. "Aphrodite."

"What's wrong with Curly?" Aphrodite demanded.

Hercules snorted. "As if you didn't know," he retorted. He should have guessed the Goddess of Love would have something to do with his friend's trouble.

To his surprise, Aphrodite frowned. "Hey, I'm a goddess, not a mind reader," she protested. "What gives?"

Hercules stared at her in astonishment. She really didn't know. He sighed and with a few quick sentences filled her in on the problem. "Iolaus thinks he's falling in love with the girl," he concluded.

"Nuh uh, no way, Jose," Aphrodite protested. "I know about these things. Whatever is bothering Sweetcheeks, it isn't love." She chewed on a fingernail, frowning thoughtfully. Before Hercules could ask what she meant, she looked up. "Thanks, bro," she called as she vanished.

"Aphrodite! Wait!" Hercules called after her but the goddess didn't respond. "Great, just great." She had left him even more confused and worried. If Iolaus wasn't falling in love, then what was going on? The questions ate at him as he finished his journey.

As Hercules left, Iolaus went looking for Theia. He reminded her of their promise to visit Alcmene's that night, then gathered some things and headed for the river. If he was going to pass Alcmene's inspection, he needed a real bath. As he cleaned himself up, his mind kept worrying at the problem of his own reactions to Theia.

After last night could he even trust himself alone with her? He tried to tell himself that it had only been a dream, that he wouldn't really do something like that but how could he be sure? As long as he was awake, he was able to control the desire that coursed through his veins like fire whenever he caught a glimpse of her but he couldn't stay awake forever.

The strength of his longing seemed to be growing with each passing day. Even Hercules had noticed it. Iolaus wished he'd been able to really tell Herc about his dreams but shame had choked him. He knew how Hercules would react to the idea of rape and he couldn't bear to see the disgust in his friend's eyes if the demi-god knew what he'd been dreaming.

A thought occurred to him. Perhaps it would be better if Theia went to stay with Alcmene? Iolaus ignored the tiny voice in the back of his mind that protested violently at the idea. Theia would be safe from him there, he told himself. And maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get control of his emotions as well.

Satisfied with his plan, he finished his bath, pulled on his clothing and headed back for the house to talk to Theia.

Theia smiled as he entered the house and Iolaus felt a wave of lust sweep over him. He swallowed hard, fighting to control his reaction. The speech he had prepared flew right out of his mind and he fumbled for a way to bring the subject up. Before he could begin, Theia handed him a wrapped bundle.

"What's this?" he asked, surprised.

Theia blushed and stammered a bit as she answered. "It's for you," she told him shyly. "A thank you gift for being so kind to me."

"You don't have to thank me," he protested.

"But I wanted to," she answered, smiling. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"Oh, yeah … " Iolaus set the package on the table and carefully removed the wrappings. He stared in surprise at the shirt within. "Where … ?"

Theia smiled. "I made it. I hope you like it."

"It's beautiful." He held the shirt up, admiring it. The fabric felt smooth and soft to the touch.

Theia blushed. "The color matches your eyes," she told him nervously.

Iolaus stared at her in shock. Was it possible she was beginning to feel something for him? He hardly dared hope. His mind whirled as he tried to assimilate the idea. To cover his confusion, he said the first thing that popped into his head. "You made this from the material I bought for you … "

Theia nodded. "Don't be mad," she pleaded. "I still have enough left for a skirt."

Iolaus shook his head. "I'm not mad," he assured her. "Just surprised." He smiled reassuringly at her. "It's a very nice shirt. Thank you." He slipped his vest off and pulled the shirt over his head. "See, it fits perfectly," he told her. He finally coaxed a smile from her as he modeled the shirt. Her smile got bigger as he promised to wear it to Alcmene's for dinner.

"I'm almost ready," Theia told him as she slipped back into the bedroom.

Iolaus stared after her for a moment, then picked up his things and headed into the spare bedroom to finish getting ready himself. He'd talk to her about his idea on the way.

The distance to Alcmene's wasn't great and though they walked slowly, it wasn't long before Iolaus spotted the house. He still hadn't found a way to bring up the idea of Theia staying there and he was running out of time. Finally he stopped. Taking Theia's hand, he led her to the side of the road. As she stared at him puzzled, he cleared his throat. "I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something before we get to Alcmene's," he finally told her.

"What is it, Iolaus?" she asked curiously.

"I thought … well, if you wanted … I mean, you don't have to come back with me tonight," he finally blurted out.

Theia looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

Iolaus sighed. This was harder than he'd thought it would be. "I thought that you might want to stay with Alcmene," he explained. "I'm sure you two will get along great."

"Oh." Theia stared at the ground. "I see," she said softly. "If … If that's what you want."

Iolaus tilted her head up so he could see her face. "I want to do what's best for you," he told her quietly. "I thought you might like to have another woman around."

She pulled away from him. "I understand," she told him in a small voice. "I'm sorry if I've been an inconvenience to you. I'll stay with Alcmene from now on and you won't be bothered." She turned away and started down the road again.

"I didn't mean that!" Iolaus quickly caught up to her and turned her to face him. He was surprised to see tears on her cheeks. His heart melted as she hurriedly brushed them away. "I just thought that, well, you might be tired of me by now," he said softly. "I'm sorry." He smiled coaxingly at her as she glanced up at him. "I'm an idiot. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. Forgive me?"

Theia sniffed. "I don't want to be a bother to you."

"You aren't a bother," he assured her. "Just forget the whole idea, OK?" As she slowly nodded, he took her hand. He decided to drop the subject for now. "Come on, they're waiting for us." Maybe after she met Alcmene, Theia would change her mind. He hoped so for both their sakes.

Iolaus settled back, sipping the ale Jason had poured for him. His eyes followed Theia as she helped Alcmene. He caught Jason giving Hercules a significant look. "What?" he asked.

"Nice shirt," Jason commented with a grin.

"Thanks." Iolaus smiled, blushing slightly. "Theia made it for me."

Jason's grin got bigger. "She cooks, cleans, sews … what more could a man want?" he asked nudging Hercules.

Hercules smiled. "Not much, I guess." He was still concerned about his encounter with Aphrodite. He'd been watching his friend closely ever since Iolaus arrived. He'd seen the way the hunter's eyes constantly returned to Theia; the quick flashes of desire the blond tried to hide; Iolaus' silly grin every time Theia had smiled in Iolaus' direction.

He could tell by the tone of Jason's teasing that the other man had picked up on the same clues he had. To all appearances, Iolaus seemed to be falling in love with Theia, but how could the Goddess of Love be wrong? He listened quietly as Jason continued to tease Iolaus.

Alcmene smiled as she caught pieces of the men's conversation. It was so nice to have all of her men in the house. She spared a glance for the girl at her side. Theia had been shy and nervous when the two first arrived and Alcmene had gone out of her way to put the girl at ease. She had seen the way Iolaus looked after her and immediately suspected the reason. She'd been pleased when Theia volunteered to help her finish preparing dinner. She wanted to get to know this girl who seemed to have captured the hunter's wayward heart. As the two women worked, Alcmene carefully began trying to draw the girl out.

Dinner had been wonderful and Iolaus had managed to do justice to Alcmene's cooking in spite of everything. When Alcmene rose and began to clear the table, he grabbed some plates and followed her. He shifted nervously as he handed her the dishes, trying to think of how to ask her about Theia.

Alcmene smiled. "She's a lovely girl, Iolaus," she told him as she took the plates from him.

Her smile got bigger as he blinked in astonishment. "How did you … "

"Know what you wanted to ask?" she finished his sentence. "Mother's intuition."

Iolaus giggled. "Thanks, Alcmene." He started to ask another question and yawned instead. "Sorry," he apologized quickly.

"You're doing too much," Alcmene scolded him. "You need to rest more."

Iolaus shrugged sheepishly. "I haven't been sleeping well lately," he admitted reluctantly.

"I can see that," Alcmene commented. "You and Hercules, you're both the same," she continued in exasperation. "You'll run yourselves into the ground trying to help others." She glared at him. "You have to take care of yourself, Iolaus," she scolded. "Or you won't be able to help anyone."

"Yes, Alcmene. I know," Iolaus grinned at her as she lectured him. "I promise I'll try to do better." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Scamp!" Alcmene laughed. She swatted his rear with her dishrag. "Take that girl of yours and go home. You need a good night's sleep."

"Yes, Ma'am," Iolaus laughed backing away from her and raising his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say!" He quickly scooted out of the room before she could swat him again.

Hercules stood with Alcmene watching as Iolaus and Theia walked down the road to Iolaus' farm. He was still worried and confused about what was happening to his friend but he didn't know what to do about it. He looked down as he heard Alcmene sigh. There was a troubled frown on her face. "What's wrong, Mother?" he asked.

Alcmene sighed again, then smiled up at him. "It's silly," she replied. "Theia seems like such a nice girl … " her voice trailed off. She shook her head. "Never mind." Alcmene hugged him quickly then turned to leave. "I'm probably being a silly old woman," she said, kissing his check before turning to leave. "Good night, Hercules."

"Good night," Hercules responded absently. He turned once more to stare into the deepening night. First Aphrodite and now his mother … what was going on?

Iolaus was torn. One part of him wished that Theia had remained with Alcmene but another was glad that she hadn't. The cool night breeze brought the scent of her hair to his nostrils; provided a sharp contrast to the warmth of her beside him. He felt his manhood swelling; his codpiece becoming uncomfortably tight. He smothered a groan. This had to stop.

Theia moved closer to him. Without thinking, he stepped away from her. He didn't think he could control himself if she were too close.

"Iolaus, is something wrong?" she questioned tentatively.

"No." He glanced down at her curiously. It suddenly dawned on him why she'd moved closer, she was shivering. "You're cold," he stated. 'Geez, Iolaus, that was a smart thing to say,' he chided himself. Before she could respond, he pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He silenced her protests, telling her it wasn't far and he would be fine.

By the time they reached his home, Iolaus found himself grateful for the cold. It had certainly given him something to think about besides the girl at his side. Yawning, he accepted his shirt back and wished Theia good night before heading to the spare room without bothering to build up the fire. Maybe the cold would help to keep the dreams at bay. He knew he was too tired to fight off sleep for long, so he could only hope.