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'Well, they say it's always darkest before the dawn.'

'Who say?'

'I dunno. Popsingers, philosophers....'

'Not my philosophers.'

'Not mine either.  Probably Alfred's.  But it's the thought that counts so just take it as a comforting gesture and I'll have done my good deed for the century.'

They sit in silence for a long moment, both awkward and not.  Awkward, because Sadik doesn't often do this comfort stuff and it's even harder and more embarrassing than he remembers.  Not, because Heracles must know he doesn't often do this, so it's ok, and anyway he looks like he's busy trying to overthink what really probably were the lyrics from some American pop song.  So whatever.  Oh, hang on.  Socrates 2.0 has got a conclusion.

'That's ridiculous,' Heracles says, like he's stating the solution to a maths problem.  'Have they never seen the dawn before?'

'Hm?'

'It doesn't get dark just before.  It gets steadily darker after sunset then steadily lighter towards dawn.'

They've seen enough of them, opposite sides of a field and still standing- breathing hard with most of their weight on the poles of their flags, but standing- to know.  He can't resist, though.

'Yeah?  You ever actually manage to catch the sunrise, then?  Sometime between Main Nighttime Sleep and Early Morning Nap #1?'

His reward is a haughty sneer that's apparently only on principle because it quickly upturns to an absent sort of smile.  'I always used to have to get up just before dawn, because the people- you know, the slaves and the goatherds and the soldiers and the fishermen and everyone- they were all up by then and I couldn't stay asleep with half my nation awake and running around. Now I just don't like wasting the sunlight.'

A startling bark of laughter that sounds a little too like Sadik at his most cynical for the Turk to not raise a brow.

'I probably don't have much of it left, you know?'

He wants to say something but Hera's too smart for empty platitudes, so he just sighs.  'You're a smart kid, brat.  You'll figure things out, I bet my mask on that.  But if you don't....'

Hera glances over.

'You know I'll be right there with you at the end of the world, yeah?'

That heavy-eyed half smile, the one that reminds him this kid practised swords with Achilles and used to dance with Dionysus himself.  'Fighting and yelling all the way down?'

He grins and puts an arm around Hera's shoulders, pulling him in to rest comfortably on his chest.  'Hell yeah, kid.  All the way down.'

*extra! (higher rated, turn away young eyes)

'So what's your favourite dawn?'

'Hm?  Oh...I dunno.'

'I think mine's Crete.'

'Crete?  I don't remember Crete.  Ooh, hang on- that one in ___ in where we _____ and the next morning you couldn't get out of the skirt on your own. Best dawn ever.'

'Hey!'

'Ow!  What?!'

'I meant your favourite place to watch the dawn!'

'Oh.  Anywhere, if it's got a view of your arse.'

'Hey!!'

'Ok, ok.  Anywhere, if it means you've slept the night in my arms.'

'Hey!-oh...that's actually really sweet, Sadik.'

'Well, yeah.  I'm a sweet guy.'

'You eat enough sugar, I 'spose you can't help it.'

'And if you're sleeping in my arms, so is your naked arse.'

'HEY!'

Description
'Well, they say it's always darkest before the dawn.'

'Who say?'

'I dunno. Popsingers, philosophers....'

'Not my philosophers.'

'Not mine either.  Probably Alfred's.  But it's the thought that counts so just take it as a comforting gesture and I'll have done my good deed for the century.'

They sit in silence for a long moment, both awkward and not.  Awkward, because Sadik doesn't often do this comfort stuff and it's even harder and more embarrassing than he remembers.  Not, because Heracles must know he doesn't often do this, so it's ok, and anyway he looks like he's busy trying to overthink what really probably were the lyrics from some American pop song.  So whatever.  Oh, hang on.  Socrates 2.0 has got a conclusion.

'That's ridiculous,' Heracles says, like he's stating the solution to a maths problem.  'Have they never seen the dawn before?'

'Hm?'

'It doesn't get dark just before.  It gets steadily darker after sunset then steadily lighter towards dawn.'

They've seen enough of them, opposite sides of a field and still standing- breathing hard with most of their weight on the poles of their flags, but standing- to know.  He can't resist, though.

'Yeah?  You ever actually manage to catch the sunrise, then?  Sometime between Main Nighttime Sleep and Early Morning Nap #1?'

His reward is a haughty sneer that's apparently only on principle because it quickly upturns to an absent sort of smile.  'I always used to have to get up just before dawn, because the people- you know, the slaves and the goatherds and the soldiers and the fishermen and everyone- they were all up by then and I couldn't stay asleep with half my nation awake and running around. Now I just don't like wasting the sunlight.'

A startling bark of laughter that sounds a little too like Sadik at his most cynical for the Turk to not raise a brow.

'I probably don't have much of it left, you know?'

He wants to say something but Hera's too smart for empty platitudes, so he just sighs.  'You're a smart kid, brat.  You'll figure things out, I bet my mask on that.  But if you don't....'

Hera glances over.

'You know I'll be right there with you at the end of the world, yeah?'

That heavy-eyed half smile, the one that reminds him this kid practised swords with Achilles and used to dance with Dionysus himself.  'Fighting and yelling all the way down?'

He grins and puts an arm around Hera's shoulders, pulling him in to rest comfortably on his chest.  'Hell yeah, kid.  All the way down.'

*extra! (higher rated, turn away young eyes)

'So what's your favourite dawn?'

'Hm?  Oh...I dunno.'

'I think mine's Crete.'

'Crete?  I don't remember Crete.  Ooh, hang on- that one in ___ in where we _____ and the next morning you couldn't get out of the skirt on your own. Best dawn ever.'

'Hey!'

'Ow!  What?!'

'I meant your favourite place to watch the dawn!'

'Oh.  Anywhere, if it's got a view of your arse.'

'Hey!!'

'Ok, ok.  Anywhere, if it means you've slept the night in my arms.'

'Hey!-oh...that's actually really sweet, Sadik.'

'Well, yeah.  I'm a sweet guy.'

'You eat enough sugar, I 'spose you can't help it.'

'And if you're sleeping in my arms, so is your naked arse.'

'HEY!'