[closed/incomplete]

[theprizeofwar]

Characters: Achilles & Briseis
Date/Time: Just after this.
Location: Lobby.
Rating: PG13?
Warnings: Possible/probable language.
Summary: They needed to talk--and properly this time.

Comments

[the_swiftest]

If this had been last week, Achilles would be walking towards Briseis with a wounded heart. With raw emotions that would likely get the better of him, as they had when he talked Polyxena. That conversation could have gone a lot better but when both his temper and ego were wounded, his temper was explosive and there was no filter on his mouth

[theprizeofwar]

The swallowing was nerves. The way she automatically sat up straighter was respect. Indeed, she would have stood were it not for the fact her shoe did not allow for it. Offering a fleeting smile--how much it gave away, she didn't know--Briseis was mildly horrified to realise she no longer knew where she stood with Achilles. She did not really know exactly what had transpired between them; and when all you have to judge by is words on a screen, that was not surprising.

Unsure whether she should hide the fact she still wore her wedding ring or leave it on display, she simply locked her fingers over her knee and shrugged slightly in response to his remark. Any attempt at appearing casual was falling short. The proximity was... Well, he was right there and it was both confusing and, if she was honest, a little intimidating

[the_swiftest]

If Briseis took the time to look at his hand, she would notice that his wedding ring was still on his finger. On more than one occasion he had thought about taking it off. But every time he went to do it, something always held him back. There was a small nag in the back of his head that kept it on him. It was trouble for him but in time he figured that he would sort it out and make a decision

[theprizeofwar]

The benefit of him sitting beside her meant that she could avoid eye contact without it necessarily looking like she was avoiding it. It was natural for her to stare ahead at the wall. Achilles need not see the pain that flashed behind her eyes as she remembered what had been said, what she had intended to say and what she may have said--but couldn't necessarily remember--during a time when she was not herself

[the_swiftest]

While she looked him over, he looked her over in turn. Much like the conversation he had with Patroclus, while he heard what she said and it was partially being taken in (though she wasn't saying a whole lot), his mind was on something else. That something else being how attractive she was and how the conversations they had had since his return, reminded him of how they use to talk before all the drama. It was something he missed. More and more he realized how much he missed what they had.

However, there was also Polyxena now. And the more he thought about her, the more he wanted her as well. It appeared that his heart was equally divined and held love for both women. This choice was much more difficult than the choice he was presented back in the war. The glory he had was not something he had to share. It was not something he could only have in one place. Why was his heart being so fickle? He was silent for a few moments, his eyes resting on hers, as he chewed his thoughts over.

Then it dawned on him.

He wanted the both of them,

[theprizeofwar]

Briseis, somehow expecting him to make a statement rather than ask a question, blinked. Out of sheer confusion, her reaction was slow, though the process of her mind connecting the dots was a visible one. Her brow furrowed, somewhere between frustrated and insulted--Why that specific question? Why? What had she done to--then smoothed again. In answer, one hand reached down, pulled the broken shoe off her foot and hit him with it, leaving it in his lap, completely destroyed.

But no, it did not make her feel any better, and the expression on her face said as much. She was not in the habit of directly lying to Achilles, though the colour in her cheeks gave her away regardless.

"You had to ask, Achilles? Really? You--" The sentence was cut off with the closest thing Briseis would ever get to a frustrated growl while she was sound of mind, and her eyes snapped to the wall opposite her. She wanted to hit him again. Maybe with the heel of the other shoe. Or one of the bricks

[the_swiftest]

Alas, poor shoe, we knew you well. Achilles eyed his shoulder where he was just nailed, looking surprised. If she had smacked him in the face with her shoe, that would have made him angry. Not that he would ever hit Briseis, but having a nasty gash on his face would definitely trigger some rage

[theprizeofwar]

With a fixed frown--it simply wasn't going away--Briseis looked at the hand over knee, then turned sharply to raise an eyebrow at Achilles when she caught him grinning. This wasn't funny. Being reminded of Electra's very existence, however, turned her gaze back to the wall. There would be holes burned into it before this conversation was over.

"She was just pushing my buttons," the words barely made it past clenched teeth, "Quite successfully." The woman was a--no, Briseis did not have a word for her, and her hands curled into fists. No one could get a rise out of her like that venomous bitch could. Achilles has succeeded many times, but she was never at a loss for names to call him when he did--not that she made a habit of saying them to his face.

"Achilles, I--" She deflated slightly, the anger knocked out of her at least in part by the misinterpretation of her own statement. "I didn't--don't--think that you really thought of me that way, it--It was just how I felt at the time." There was a moment's pause. "Made worse by my own

[the_swiftest]

It was a relief to know what she didn't think he felt that way. At the time it sounded like she meant it and that was partially what caused her so much grief and anger. One of these days he would have his revenge on Electa. That would be a truly glorious day. However, that was on the back burner for now. There were more important things to focus on; Briseis and Polyxena

[theprizeofwar]

Yes, that direction. And it was something Briseis had extremely mixed feelings over. Where Achilles saw the prospect of having both women, she saw more ammunition for others. She saw a young woman--however old in wisdom--being subjected to the same torment she had gone through and was doubtlessly not rid of. And for all intents and purposes, she did feel a little protective of Polyxena--especially when it came to the General and his daughter. None of which even began to cover potential domestic issues--she had yet to work out how comfortable she was sharing a man (though she had shared him with Patroclus for years), let alone how the idea would affect Polyxena, but at the moment this was about Achilles. But the ring she wore was binding and marriage was something she took seriously. As much as she may have sometimes wanted to drop Achilles on his head (a laughable notion, really), she could not just let him go. And she probably couldn't begin to try unless the demand came straight from him