Chapter Text
Patroclus exited his highschool's clinic holding an icepack against his swollen temple, a nasty purplish bruise had started to form against his bronze colored skin, it stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of his unblemished face. He could still feel the phantom pains that spiked momentarily between intervals from the back of his head.
His first time going in the clinic in his 4 years of highschool was an embarrassing experience for sure. Falling down a flight of stairs and landing flat on the side of his head in the crowded hallways with people immediately surrounding him like moths to a flame. The nurse said he was lucky, concussion with only a skin injury to scath from his ever so dangerous fall. Maybe it was his thick skull that saved him, or maybe it was the sheer will of not graduating before death.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry-- please don't die , holy shit Oddessyus help--"
A voice like honey, raw and husky called out from his memories. He remembers a figure standing above him with hair that resembled hand spun golden wool, held in a small ponytail with wisps of hair that fell down on his chisled face. His clouded eyes wondered around his surroundings, blurry figures of his batchmates and the bright red jackets of the school varsity team caught his eyes. They stood behind the figure who was crouched over him and tending to the searing pain in his skull. It took Patroclus a momentary pause to try and make out the person who pushed him down the stairs in the first place.
He had bright green eyes.
Patroclus wondered how pretty would be if they weren't open so obscenely wide in panic. This is unfair, he thought. Slik woven hair that framed his perfectly angled jaw, skin that seemed luminescent in the brightly lit hallways. And stupidly beautiful green eyes that reminded Patroclus of the emeralds that his mother was so fond of. This is so unfair, he thought again, how is going to be mad at this man if he was too ridiculously hot. It felt as if the entire ocean was shoved into his ears, they felt clogged and watery, he was slowly growing numb.
But then again, the feeling of said man's hands cradling his head with such gentleness and the warmth that seeped into his hair almost made Patroclus forgive him for pushing him down 6 steps.
And then it hit him, blonde hair? Green eyes? Body of a greek god? Patroclus was being cradled in the hands of his highschool's most sought after guy, the Ace of the soccer team, the literal most wanted dick of the century. He's seen girls literally rip each other apart, brutal fights in classrooms and mutiple destroyed friendships due to this beauty of a man.
Patroclus may or may not have had a slight infatuation with said guy for the past 4 years.
Correction: Patroclus did not have an infatuation, he had an obsession for him since freshman year.
It was like one of his favourite daydreams come to reality. Being in the arms of the star athlete whislt being swept off his feet as they drove into the sunset, but with less of the driving into the sunset and literally getting swept of his feet and off the stairs and a mild concussion. He should say something, he thought. His bleary eyes tried to focus on the face in front of him that was asking if he was ok.
He tried to gather his composure and say something that wouldn't embarrass him and haunt him years after. He assembled his jumbled thoughts and pushed away the sharp pains that surged every time he attempted to life his head. The voices around him started to fade. He opened his mouth to give the absolutely ethereal person infront of him some reassurance, tell him that its going to be okay and he should probably head to the infirmary--
Is what he meant to say.
"You're really pretty"
And then he passed out.
Now that he remembered what he said Patroclus wanted to slam his head on the nearest wall and run infront of a moving train. He did not just tell his crush that he was pretty while falling unconscious in his arms in the middle of a crowded staircase, but yet he did.
He waited in front of a classroom still with an icepack on his head now metled. The bell rung a minute ago and now students were either exiting the building or heading to the cafeteria for their lunch break.
Peering his head to the side of the now almost empty classroom, a hand came out from the door to poke him right on his recently inflicted wound. He hissed out in pain as his head throbbed slightly, bringing up the almost completely melted icebag back onto his festering wound.
"Sorry Pat! I was aiming for your nose." The owner of the hand that poked him emerged from the door way. With skin darker than his and a mop of curly ringlets tied into two tight buns on her head, a messenger bag strapped across her petite frame. She made a sound of displeasure when her eyes landed on the ugly bruise on his temple."Do you want me to beat him up?"
"No Brie, please do not deck the Aristos Achaion." He muttered, they started walking towards the entrance of the school.
"Patroclus Chironides." She stopped in her tracks, a hardened scowl etched into her normally soft features. "I don't care if he has pretty eyes and a big dick, he pushed you down the stairs and scared your beautiful face!" She cried.
"I don't know if you caught up Brie, but I like his pretty eyes and questionable dick size." Patroclus sighed dramatically, draping himself on Briseis' small frame like a blanket. "Besides, I'm fine. It'll probably gone by the end of the day."
Briseis huffed, her arms crossed against her chest, cheeks puffed slightly in visible irritation. She quickened her pace so that she was ahead of him. Patroclus sighed , Briseis was usually calm snd aloof, only showing her anger when people purposely made her mad. That didn't apply to Patroclus, the dark skinned girl was very protective of him, like two peas in a pod, they were inseparable honor students and even more inseparable friends.
"You're the one who's parents wanted you to be a doctor, with a fall like that you could've been comatoized! Or worse!" She was greatly exaggerating the situation, but Patroclus could undedstand why, she was close as family to him. "If you had gotten the other end of the stick, Achilles Pelides wouldn't live to see graduation."
Patroclus laughed, he quickly jogged up to her. He threw the thawed icebag into a nearby trashcan, his headache had decreased into a slight cramp when he tilted his head, the bruise would probably dissapear in a few days but other than that he came out in decent condition.
"Don't worry, Chiron won't let me die before I graduate." His foster father was very admant about following a career in medicine. Being the one to save Patroclus from his formerly abusive household he felt like he was in debt to him. When he use to work with Chiron as an assistant nurse in the hospital, Chiron said he was a gifted healer and would make a fine Surgeon if he ever so chose.
"You're paying for lunch." She huffed, dropping her hands to the side.
"I'm the one who got hurt." He complained
They crossed the road from the school to the road that basically had all the fast food chains. Through the glass he could see a myriad of other students eating with friends. They passed a few joints before stopping at their usual cafè downtown.
The warm aroma of coffee beans and jasmine tea filled his nostrils. His body eased at the scent, his cramped neck felt a bit more bearable as they crossed the threshold to the counter.
"Ah, my favorites." Automendon, Highschool graduate and their normal barista greeted them with a broad grin. Briseis gave him a fist bump, as they made small talk over the counter. Patroclus spaced out, his mind still reminscent of Achilles' and his encounter at the stairwell. He internally cringed when he specifically remembered what he said before he blacked out.
"The usual. Tell your mom I said Hi."
The two sat down at a table by the entrance. Briseis overlooking her notes for the latest test and Patroclus, still regreting his life choices of that morning. Moments passed and Briseis' name was called by the counter. He stood up instead and treked over, he gave Automedon a smile. He wasn't as close with the staff here than Briseis, still, the barista gave them their drinks and food with a friendly smile.
They ate in relative silence, Patroclus taking his food in small picks and nibbles while Briseis only sipped her tea, eyes only glancing over worriedly at him
Halfway through his meal he remembered bright green eyes and his husky voice calling out for him in concern. The first time they ever really talked and he just had to make it memorable by passing out.
"Y'know. It was quite a sight when he carried you to the clinic, the way newlyweds do too."
Patroclus choked. Briesis let out something that sounded of a laugh and a snort. The heat rose to his face, he was carried? By the Aristos Achaion to the clinic, after calling him pretty. This is it, he thought, there is nothing I live for. He pushed aside the half eaten plate infront of him and buried his head into his arms.
Briseis wasn't done though, she let out a giggle and continued. "All the girls were snickering like rats. He didn't even care Pat, he just picked you up like you weighed nothing." She proclaimed loudly.
Patroclus groaned, his face a tomato. "He was just being nice." He muttered.
"Nice wouldn't mean holding you so delicatly like you were royalty." She sighed dreamily. "He's not my type but man, I wished I fell down some stairs too if it meant I can get someone to look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you were the most beautiful thing that ever graced this earth."
Patroclus let out something that resembled a choke. Briseis laughed agian to the point she doubled over. She was only feeding into his embarrassment, she did love her good natured teasing with him, just like a doting aunt.
He lost all his apitite, pushing aside his plate even farther, he ducked his head deeper into the crooks of his arms. Maybe he should just sleep until lunch break was over.
Maybe if he fell asleep he would dream of Achilles? No, that would be terrible honestly. The constant thought of his warm hands holding his head was all he could think of
Way to go for first impressions. Passing out in your crush's arms after saying he was hot and getting bridal carried to the clinic. This was something straight out of those shitty highschool romances that he and Briseis binged on the weekends on sophmore year. They obviously moved up to better, crime dramas normally on fridays. But the thought of him being in the position of the bug eyed nerd in love with the popular guy made him puke. It was so generic.
"By the way," Briseis perked up after a couple of minutes. Her eyes didn't the text she was reading on her phone. "Did you accept the college rec?"
Patroclus hummed, "I haven't decided yet." He peeked out his head from his crossed arms. "The moment I accept Chiron would immediately move me."
"After graduation?" She asked.
"Yeah, the offer is from Harvard, I could go to Stanford but its in California."
Moving to California would be a change. He would be a 6 hour flight away from the state he grew up in, away from his foster father, away from Briseis and the patients he befriended in the hospital shifts, away from his entire life.
"I can see how conflicted you are." Briseis said in between sips of her black coffee. "Change is hard Pat, but if would give you better opportunities."
Patroclus stayed silent, he probably couldn't give her a good reply if he tried, she was always right. But then again, he never really was one to make a decision this big, constantly staying safe and pushing himself to the sidelines, never brash nor bold.
"No matter how far you are, we'll always reach you." She smiled, it was soft and kind, her eyes crinkling around the edges, small dimples in her cheeks. "You need to take the risk sometimes."
He smiled back at her. Maybe he did need to take a risk sometimes.
"Thats so poetic Brie." He chuckled. He took out his phone from the pockets of his backpack, break was going to end in a few minutes. He strapped the bag over his shoulders and shoved his phone into his jeans. "I'll let you choose what we'll watch later."
She whipped her head up with a bright smile. "Sherlock baby! I need my monthly Benedict Cumberbatch." She sighed wistfully. Standing up with coffee in hand they made their way to the bussying streets with the same students from earlier.
Mingling with the crowd till they made their way back to the entrance of their highschool, Briseis and him departed from one another to their seprate classrooms.
Patroclus let out a deep and long sigh before collapsing in his assigned seat. This day was going terribly so far.
♡
Only one assignment, he thought with a smile. He fell asleep for half of most of his classes, not like the teachers cared though, it was the perks of being the top student. He anticipated the taste of hot cheetos and popcorn that he planned to eat later.
He made his way through the slightly bare corridors, students filtering themselves out to the exit. With a calm pace, he pulled out his phone to text Briseis, she would be picking him up with her car. Making his way to the double glass doors of the exit absentmindedly.
"Chironides! Yo!"
He let out a squeak of sorts, phone flinging out of his hands. Quickly scrambling to get it before it dropped to the ground he turned to the person who called him out. His face slightly scrunched with irritation.
Tall with a red jacket slung around his waist like a belt, a member of the sports team. Patroclus quickly remembered that the person who just called him out was Ajax, the bigger one. Momentarily freezing up on the spot in anxiety.
Holy shit what did I do? He panicked slightly. It was like one of those bullying scenes from movies where the big jock guy approaches the scrawny nerd, but it couldn't be, he was never targeted since freshman year, it only could've meant he eternally fucked up or something even worse.
As he approached closer, it dawned on Patroclus that it wasn't just Ajax, but the whole soccer team. Patroclus didn't know why or what he did. He considered running, he cranned her neck forward a bit to see that Ajax was actually giving off a friendly grin and wave, and beside him was the guy who pushed him off the stairs earlier.
"Sorry for startling you but Pelides wanted to say something to you." The giant's boisterous smile grew. He pushed the golden haired boy from earlier closer to Patroclus, he moved timidly, it was shoking to Patroclus. He took a couple steps closer till he was a good distance from the rest of the team and almost within breathing space to Patroclus.
"Uh--"
"I'm really sorry for pushing you!"
He ducked his head down to form some sort of bow. His golden hair trailing down, his scalp was directly infornt of him. Patroclus trembled, unsure of what to say.
"I-its ok!" He stuttered weakly. He mentally slapped himself for sounding so meek in front of his 4 year crush. "It was just an accident."
Achilles looked up, his bright green eyes scanning Patroclus' face like a laser printer. His eyes darted up to the swelling wound on the side of his head, his face instantly turned sour. Patroclus noticed and hastily brushed it off.
"It's fine! Its just a flesh wound!" His hands clasped harder around his phone. Achilles' eyes remained fixated on the purplish wound with such burning intensity it made Patroclus quiver.
"I still hurt you..." he said softly, almost like a whisper, his knuckles were white as he tightly clenched his fist. His eyes went to meet Patroclus' slightly heated gaze. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to forgive really, I promise." Patroclus gave a hesitant smile to prove his point. Achilles went silent, his eyes widening slightly, he quickly turned away from Patroclus' gaze to stare at an unintresting wall. They stood quiet for awhile, Achilles not wanting to meet his eyes. Patroclus' shifted uncomfortably, he could feel the gazes of the other soccer members as they held their breath watching the exchange between them. His phone rang, Briseis' contact displayed on the screen, she was outside the entrance.
"If theres nothing else to say then I have to--" his arm was immediately caught. He turned his head to see Achilles staring straight at him with his bright green eyes filled with a sort of desperation.
"Can you come to a house party I'm hosting tomorrow?" Patroclus could make out the smallest most tinest flush on his nose. "So I can apologize properly."
How could he refuse?
You need to take a risk. Briseis' voice rang in his ear.
"Yes."
It was in a moment that all the confidence that Patroclus had went into that one reply. Achilles smiled, he smiled so brightly that to him it resembled a sun, not the burning your back kind with how hot it was. It was a warm, comforting and ultimately a gorgeous smile that was so infectious that Patroclus' couldn't stop his own from gracing his lips.
Briseis' loud car horn broke the moment between them. It honked and beeped loudly, it startled both men. Achilles had released his grip from his arm, it suddenly felt empty without the kind touch of the golden haired boy.
"I'm sorry I have to go." Patroclus said in between car honks, he shoved his phone back into his jean pocket and turned away from Achilles. "I'll be there, at the party I mean."
Achilles grinned, it reached his eyes and shone with such giddiness.
"I'll see you there Patroclus."
Achilles dashed back to the soccer team that was watching everything unfold with teasing grins. Patroclus walked out the building, inhaling the fresh air that mixed with the smell of grass and engine smoke. He made his way to Briseis who rolled her window down, she jutted her thumb to the seat beside her. He opened the door and sat down gratefully, feeling the cold AC brush against his face. Then he realized--
He never gave Achilles his name.