Sadiq awoke to a nightingale's song. He opened his eyes, only to have them assaulted by a full moon's radiance. It illuminated the guestroom's brown-and-eggshell color scheme to an eerily romantic blue, as if he'd been plunged into the ocean. He could see, vaguely through his post-start blurriness, that the stars were fully displayed. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, just as there wasn't a single doubt in his heart. How depressing.

He made to shift, to roll into his side a bit, and found that when he did, the tip of his nose came into contact with skin. Tanned skin, just like his own…smelled like violets…

Heracles was still in bed with him.

He was still in bed with him, and what's more, he'd woken during the late afternoon or so and shifted his position. He now lay beside Sadiq, with one arm thrown over the front of his shoulders and the other stroking his hair lovingly. His eyes were closed and his face rested close to Sadiq's, on the same pillow.

"H-hera…"

Heracles inhaled, a motion that could've been considered sharp, but didn't open his eyes or cease the grooming. He chuckled nearly inaudibly.

"That…might make…a nice pet name…"

"Heracles."

Sadiq forced his voice into being rough, angry-sounding again. He had to end this now; a delusion beyond this point would only rot his heart. Heracles' rebound should've been over by now; he should've just gotten up and left when he'd woken up. Why in God's name was he still here? Was he really the type to fiddle with someone's heart, even if it was someone he despised?

"Yes?"

He gulped, preparing for the tension to resume.

"Why're ya still here?"

Heracles opened his eyes-halfway- and frowned, pausing in his movements and leaving his hand to rest on the side of Sadiq's head.

"Don't you…want me to…"

"No, no I don't."

His tone was sharp, and Heracles reeled back as if he'd been struck. It nearly killed Sadiq to make him look like that, but god damn it all, his own heart had to come first on his priority list.

"Yer rebound is over, Heracles. We should go 'fore Arthur beats our asses out."

"Rebound…?"

What was he playing at?

"I know that…" he swallowed again, "I know that ya must'a seen Kiku doing something with Alfred and…and it must'a upset ya. I was just the handiest person available, right? Well…"

His voice rose; he could feel his confidence and strength returning, the strength to refuse those pleading eyes and that godlike face…

"Well, I did ya a favor and played rebound for ya, but now it's over and I know we're just going to go on with our lives pretending this never hap-"

Happened. What "happened" next took Sadiq's words away, literally.

Heracles was kissing him again. These kisses were different, though, from the ones he'd saturated Sadiq in hours ago. There was no aggression, no raw lust in his movements; these kisses were chaste and…strangely sweet, almost hesitant.

"You're…not my…rebound, Sadiq…"

He breathed the words, between the kisses.

"Wh-?"

Another kiss. The tip of Heracles' tongue brushed Sadiq's upper lip.

"I…I wanted you. Only you…"

Heracles took his face in his hands then, and Sadiq pitifully allowed their gazes to interlock. Heracles' eyes were strong and determined, as they'd always been. He was dead set on convincing Sadiq of…whatever he was talking about.

"I heard…Kiku and Alfred in….the closet and I ran…and you were there…when I saw you, I forgot…everything about Kiku…because…"

He gingerly licked the side of Sadiq's face, smiling at the deep blush that followed.

"…because…you and Kiku…you're opposites, the two of you…like the Poles…I realized it when I saw….your eyes….I knew I could never have snow…soft and calm like Kiku…and then I realized I didn't want snow…I wanted fire, and that's…what you are, Sadiq…"

His name. His human name, spoken through those lips, in that lazy voice…shivers ran up Sadiq's back, although that was partially due to the Greek's exploring hands.

"You're like fire…" he continued, "I needed…fire to break the spell…Kiku put a spell on me and you…melted it away….and for that…I…I think I…"

This kiss was far more certain and assertive than the others. He gripped Sadiq's shoulders more tightly as their tongues met once more.

"I think I…love you."

Sadiq snapped, and he threw both arms around Heracles' shoulders, pulling them even closer than they'd been. The war dance continued as they salivated out of the rims of their mouths, both heavily intent on memorizing every inch of the other's mouth.

"So," Sadiq panted as they pulled away, a tiny strand of saliva still connected their tongues, "ya wouldn'ta done the same thing with Gupta, if you'd seen him first in the hall."

Heracles pulled a face before nuzzling into Sadiq's neck, his hair warm and soft against the heated skin.

"And yer…yer not gonna leave me once we leave this room?"

He shook his head, his double-ended curl ticking the underside of Sadiq's chin. He laughed, securing his arms once more around his new lover.

Lover.

So, Heracles, Greece, was his lover now. He wasn't a rebound, he was a lover. The whole idea of it was still processing, and he shook his head rapidly to see if it was really all a dream.

"Sadiq…"

Lips brushed a particularly sensitive spot on his throat, and he went limp.

"…stop thinking…go to sleep…"

Fuck processing it all. Fuck logic. He was tired, he was naked, he was in Arthur's bed with an equally-naked Heracles, and he needed some more fucking sleep.