Chapter Text
"Mr Pelides, you've been selected for the BHBS program, Myrmid1 section. Phoenix here will be your personal trainer, and during these six months you'll train, you're supposed to master your dýnami and prepare to get down to serve and make a name for yourself. Here's the key to your room in the Campus hostel, which you'll be sharing with another student from your school."
_
Achilles' first thought when he entered the room was that it was large. Like really large, the size of two normal bedrooms. There were two beds, pushed aside on opposite sides, a table on the side of each. The yellow wallpaper was peeling off at places, and there was dust on the tabletops and the bedposts, but otherwise the room was neat.
Achilles shudders at the thought that he'd have to be super careful from now on. Whoever his roommate was could be from the other side, that would mean trouble. Although, he thought, do they recruit or hire trainees at the young age of seventeen, like the BHBS had, that remains the question. Achilles was an exception, he had been told, he was scouted while he was running away from some hounds in the streets ( What ? They were scary )But there were other positions, if not as the hero, they could still work as decoders or unit controllers. There were also many underage trainees like him, but they often had to wait until they were older to get fame.
He hoped that it wasn't the case. Or he would have to beat up the other side before officially joining the fight. Which wouldn't be too bad, if he thought about it. He threw his bags aside and jumped into the bed. Lumpy, he thought to himself. His body however, was too tired to care, and before he knew it, Achilles was drifting off to sleep.
He woke up to find a pair of chocolate eyes staring back at him.
"Woa- aah", he started awake. The other person, he moved away with a jolt too.
"I- uh, I'm sorry."
The stranger, his roommate probably, muttered out, while rubbing his neck while blushing profusely. Awkward. Achilles paused to notice the stranger. Or his roommate. Whatever. This guy was tall, Achilles was tall too, but this person, he was like almost a head taller. His curly, deep brown hair was spilling, unruly, all over his forehead, and he looked down, not meeting Achilles' gaze. Achilles didn't want to make this even more weird, but he was nothing if not impulsive and loud, so-
"Would you mind me asking, er, why were you watching me sleep ?"
"I- you, you're on my bed." He pointed out at the number pasted on top of the bedpost, and then to a slip in his hands. Oh, the information slip he was supposed to collect before coming to the room, which he forgot. Duh. Achilles scrambled out of the bed,
"I didn't know, I thought we could choose any of the beds."
"Oh no, it's fine really. Although if you want, you can take that bed. I don't think they'll mind."
"No I'll take my own, thanks."
Achilles staggered to his own bed and fell face first into it. Way to have a perfect first meeting with the person you're supposed to split your room with. That wouldn't do. He took a deep breath and turned to face him.
"I'm uh, Achilles." Say something else, something cooler. "I'm in the Grecan High." Great, so we're stating the obvious now. So original.
"Me too. I'm Patroclus." The guy said.
Now that Achilles noticed properly, the guy- Patroclus- had a string of freckles dotting the area on and around his nose, and that he was kinda, cute ? Ohmygod, shut up Achilles.
"Patroclus." Achilles liked how the name sounded on his tongue.
"Yeah." He was still standing there awkwardly.
"So uh, I'll see you around." Achilles ran out of the door.
After collecting his info slip, Achilles decided to take a stroll on the campus. The students were all moving their stuff into their respective rooms, nervous faces all around. Achilles wondered how many of them were secretly under one of the sides, how many of them were only in highschool as a distraction, a place to lie low after the events in the hero world. Achilles had received his training schedule and it was matched to fit the timings of the school.
Achilles had always wanted to be a superhero, ones that he would spot flying over the city, or blasting other heroes from the rival teams. They were so cool to watch, so dangerous, yet so thrilling. All his life, his mother had tried to guide him to do something less reckless, something that would ensure he wouldn't die before he crossed his thirties.
She was wrong, heroes don't die, not really. Metaphors apart, he hadn't heard of many heroes dying in their city. Broken limbs ? Yes. Serious injuries that lasted an entire lifetime ? Totally. But deaths, the tally was countable.
The truth is, Achilles loved the uncertainty of it all. His mother knew he had a strong dýnami, she had one herself, and he had shown more than once that it was speed. It was speed that had earned him a spot in one of the most reputed sides, one that had been up on the tele all week. It was spicy, with the theft and everything, and Achilles couldn't wait to join in the fight.
When he walked back into the room, it looked better than the last time he was there. Things had been rearranged, (except for his bed which was just as he had left it), his luggage had been pushed to his side of the room, and there was a strong smell of coffee wafting throughout the room. Patroclus was stacking his clothes in the wardrobe, and had a hairband keep his hair from falling into his eyes. He was wearing a large, grey hoodie, had his sleeves pulled back, and was swaying slighty to the music that was on.
Should he say something ? Maybe, but what ?
Achilles decided to just go take a shower. They would have other times to talk, and making small talk was not one of his greatest strengths. Or you could say, not his dýnami.
He came out of the shower, expecting to find Patroclus still cleaning. He wasn't. Achilles was hungry, so he decided to make some of those instant ramen cups he always had in his bag. He was talking a big helping onto his fork when Patroclus entered, carrying two bags of takeout. Not really looking at Achilles, as he closed the door, Patroclus started saying,
"I got us food, that is, if you want to have something ?"
When he finally did look at Achilles in all his glory, ramen sauce on his chin, he let out a small Oh.
"No, it's okay, I already have some uh, food with me." Achilles said. "You can have it all I guess."
With a small nod, Patroclus crossed to the other side of the room, kept the packets, and went inside the bathroom. Achilles quickly finished his cup, and scurried out of the room so that Patroclus could eat without feeling weird. Because honestly though, could it get any more awkward ?
His phone rang.
"Hi mum."
"Hi sweetheart. How's the place ?"
"'S fine really, just a few adjustments and it would feel more homely ?"
"How's your roommate ? Who's your roommate ? Do you want me to look him up ?"
"No, it's okay. He's okay I guess." He's tall, cute and caring because did he just order food for him after Achilles only sulking and doing absolutely nothing to help him all day, leaving behind an even more sulking and if possible, guilty Achilles behind. "Nothing too off about him."
"Be careful. When's the training ?"
"Tomorrow."
"Be prepared, don't mess around, don't let anything else mess around with you."
"Yeah I know mom."
"Good."
Silence.
"I'll leave you to it then"
Beep.
Achilles sighed. No love you's, take care's, as always. The thing that annoys him is that even after so many years, he never stopped expecting. A small sign, that yes, the brilliant Thetis, all powerful hero back in the day, she was also human when it came to her son. It didn't come, and it never will.
Move on, Achilles.
Maybe he really should.