![]() Sleep comes for him eventually and it is mercifully a deep and dreamless thing. They were friends, and that was more than enough. He hadn’t ruined things with Achilles because he couldn’t keep his feelings in check. Once he is sure Achilles is gone, Zagreus flops back on his bed and lets the tears come. If you happen to see Pat on your run, please tell him hello.” There are many things Zagreus wants to say to that. “Of course I’ll have you.” Is what he manages with a little more hysteria to his voice than he would have liked, “I missed you.”Īchilles smiles, which is another things Zagreus has missed terribly. “I missed you too lad.” He says, “Unfortunately though, I have to get back to work. While I cannot be your lover, I am glad to be your friend if you’ll still have me.” I’m hardly worth such affections but they’re yours to give to whomever you please. My heart still aches for Patroclus, and a Shade - well - you’re a god Zagreus. While it’s true that my heart is his, I shouldn’t have pushed you away like that.” He takes a deep breath to steady himself, “I care for you Zagreus, I do, but I can’t love you that way. “I wanted to apologize.” Achilles holds up his hand when Zagreus tries to protest, “I was unfair to you, and Patroclus really. Neither one of them are the sort to relax for long. He’s pretty sure this is the first time either piece of furniture have seen use in a very long time. Zagreus takes a seat on the edge of his bed. “Of course.” He says, “Get comfortable first though, I think things will go better that way.”Īchilles nods and moves through the room to the recliner. I just wasn’t expecting to see that poster. “I’m sorry.” Achilles says eventually, and somewhere in Elysium Zagreus imagines Patroclus is rolling his eyes as he is known to do in the face of unnecessary apologies, “This isn’t how I wanted this to go. “While I’m honored to be up there with the likenesses of Dionysus and Lady Aphrodite, I think there are better heroes to have up on your wall than me.” He says into the heavy quiet and Zagreus’s heart breaks a little, “Especially after the way I’ve treated you.” Just when he thought things couldn’t get anymore awkward. Zagreus has a moment of confusion until he follows his mentor’s line of sight to the poster of him that Zagreus forgot to take down. He is stood in the doorway and looks almost surprised. He doesn’t hear Achilles come in, but sees him when he turns around. So he passes the time between pacing a burnt trail into the floor of his room and making vain attempt to clean the space. Once he’s there though he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. Whatever it was that held Zagreus in place, fear probably, finally lets him go and he runs to his room. Meet me in my room on your break?”Īchilles nods and then returns to his place in the hall like nothing happened at all. Zagreus panics for a moment, or five, “Uh, yeah. “I would prefer somewhere away from prying eyes, if that’s alright by you.” He suggests. “Uh, yeah, sure.” He fumbles over his words, “We could - could meet in the lounge on your next break. “Lad - Zagreus.” It’s the first time he’s ever heard Achilles sound so unsure of himself in a situation that didn’t involve Patroclus, “Could we, ah, have a word privately?” Achilles is polite enough to leave space between them, and Zagreus is aware of every inch of it. He can’t move despite every instinct telling him to run. For what it’s worth, Zagreus may as well have melted the stone of the floor with how stuck in place he felt. He steps away from his post toward Zagreus. A step back, and he could flee into the rush of adrenaline and distraction of the Underworld and get killed, again.Īchilles makes the decision for him. If he could gather his courage and step forward he could finally say something to Achilles, or more likely, just stare at him until things got even more uncomfortable. It leads him to stand awkwardly in the archway between the Great Hall and the West Hall. “Right.” He steps forward, away from Hypnos and out of the line, “Sorry about that.” The feeling of Hypnos’s hand on his shoulder made him jump. “I hate to interrupt your thoughts Zag, but you’re holding up the line.” He said it gently, but Zagreus still flinches. Would Achilles even want to talk? What could Zagreus even say? Was there anything to be said at this point? Between the lack of sleep and the head trauma, it felt like forever. Zagreus couldn’t actively remember just how long it has been since his mentor had been standing there when he got back. When the Great Hall stopped spinning he made his way toward Hypnos and then froze in his tracks.Īchilles was standing at his post. He shook his head to get the water out of his hair, it didn’t help his disorientation, but he was used to that now. As it turned out, getting his head cleaved open by Asterius still hurt just as much the hundredth time as it had the first one. His ears were still ringing when he stepped out of the Pool of Styx. ![]()
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