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The arrow moved through his heel and in an instant. Achilles knew his string had been cut. It was a strange feeling being separated from his body. He relied so heavily on his divine blood running through his veins for so long it was strange to be stripped of it so quickly. It felt almost like a relief.
Finally he was dead. He could see his Patroclus.
He looked up from where he saw his collapsed body, saw the soldiers, Trojan and Greek, all around him stopped to stare at how Aristos Achaion had fallen. Then, he saw him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Patroclus saw him fall. Of course he did. Since he died, he has never left Achilles' side. Watching closely as the death god Thanatos struggled to keep up with the waves of souls Achilles was wasting away on the battlefield. The winged god tried to take Patroclus, but he wouldn’t leave. At first it was because he wasn’t given his proper funerary rights. But since his funeral games and his body was turned to ashes, Patroclus still refused to leave Achilles' side. His poor Achilles was suffering without him. Patroclus did not know his death would be the cause of so much pain for his lover.
Now Achilles was shot down by Paris of all people. Aided by the god, Apollo, but still. It hurt Patroclus to know that his great shining Achilles was taken down by the cowardly prince of Troy.
Patroclus saw the body collapse and only to his eyes could he see the soul of Achilles spring up from his corpse in the wave of Greeks and Trojans staring in awe of the lion finally being brought down.
Green eyes met his and it was like everything else disappeared. It had been so long since they saw each other. Patroclus didn’t hesitate. He ran to his love. “Achilles!” He called.
Achilles got to his feet and ran to Patroclus.
They came together on the fields of Troy grasping each other tightly. They were only souls, but it was like they had never felt so grounded together, like their whole world was filled with light and they have become one.
Patroclus hugged Achilles tightly, sobbing with joy. It had been so long. Achilles himself practically collapsed into Patroclus’ embrace. He was so tired. He had finally returned to his love. Days and nights of fighting, not sleeping, not eating. It had not only been hard on his body, but the grief had worn down his soul.
Their reunion was cut short though with a cheerful hello that seemed to cut right through the distant calamity of the living fighting over Achilles body and armor.
The pair looked up from each other to see a glowing young man, short in stature but gleaming with authority, looking right at them even though he clearly was not dead. On his dark curls he wore a winged cap, on his feet winged sandals, and in his hand he had a staff intertwined with a twin pair of snakes. Hermes. Messenger of the gods.
Immediately Patroclus got on his knees in reverence, but Achilles remained standing. The god did not seem slighted by the hero in the slightest. He just smiled, looking between the two.
“Achilles, son of Thetis. You fought bravely against the Trojans, bringing the Greeks the closest ever to victory. The feats you have accomplished truly exceed what the fates have weaved for your destiny.” He leaned in closely. “I particularly liked the part where you chased Apollo himself through the battlefield.” He laughed to himself, but Achilles just looked on.
Patroclus looked between the two. This was it. This was Achilles' moment. He wasn’t meant for death. He was meant to keep shining. Forever. Above in Olympus with the gods themselves. Anyone else would have been awestruck by an Olympian praising them, but Achilles just looked on in silence. His face was flat, and did not betray any emotion to what Hermes was saying. Of course he had been expecting this moment since he was a child. His mother raised him for this.
Hermes paused when Achilles did not respond, but kept his air of lightness about him. “The gods on both sides of this war were so impressed with you. It got a little sticky at the end there when you were dragging Hector about, but uh… feats of rage. Happens to the best of us. Don’t really see or want that from mortals, but that’s why I’m here.” He spread out his hands and suddenly the clouds parted and Achilles and Patroclus could see before them the kingdom of the gods in the sky. “We are offering you godhood. From what you’ve done here at Troy, your name will be remembered forever and with us you can forever represent heroes on the battlefield.”
Patroclus held his breath. Seconds, maybe minutes passed. Before Patroclus realized Achilles didn’t say anything. Then. “Can Patroclus come with me?”
Patroclus’ eyes went wide as he looked at Achilles in shock. That’s when the smile did not meet Hermes' eyes. “...Maybe. We can talk about it when you get there. Hercules himself got himself a new wife when he reached godhood.”
“But Dionysus got Ariadne.”
“He is an Olympian.” And you are not, is what he left unsaid.
Achilles grabbed Patroclus’ hand and held it tightly. “I do not think- I do not think I could accept godhood without Patroclus.”
Patrolcus’ mouth fell open as the smile dimmed just so on Hermes face. “Achilles! What are you saying? You cannot…” He didn’t know what to say. What was going on? What was Achilles doing?
That’s when he noticed Thanatos. The tall dark winged god was looming on the other side of them before he spoke up, almost impatiently. “Well, there is always the alternative. Something that your friend here has been evading me for for the longest time. Instead choosing to follow around and look after you.”
Achilles looked in Patroclus’ eyes, ignoring the gods. “I think I felt your presence. Looking over me I mean. It wasn’t close enough. You were gone, I still missed you. You were somewhere I could not go, until now.”
Hermes tried to regain their attention. “Achilles, if you turn down our offer, you cannot go back. Us gods do not take well being turned down.”
Thanatos’ wings twitched. “I and my master Hades do not care either way. I have a lot of other souls to attend to. You did quite a number on me through the years and especially these recent past months, lots of souls to clean up. Something Hermes here, a fellow psychopomp, should be helping with, but whatever.”
Achilles looked between the two. “Hermes cannot guarantee that Patroclus would stay with me, what say you Thanatos?”
Thanatos sighed, “That is not my job. I can take you together, to Charon, but your souls would be judged individually under Hades to see whether you go to the fields of punishment, Asphodol, or Elysium, et cetera.”
Achilles' golden eyebrows furrowed as he turned to Patroclus, “What do you want Patroclus? What should I do?”
Patroclus could not believe Achilles was asking him this. “I-I want you to get your glory. The thing you have been fighting for your whole life.”
Achilles held Patroclus’ arms. “That is not what I have been fighting my whole life for. What do you really want?”
Patroclus broke away from Achilles. “What do you mean you haven’t been fighting for this your whole life? From before birth you have had this prophecy and your mother fighting for this for you!”
Achilles stepped closer. “Yes, but ever since I fell in love with you, my goal has been to have you with me by my side. I have not been fighting for godhood and glory. That was guaranteed to me through prophecy. I have been fighting to be glorious enough for the both of us. So that I can take you with me to Olympus.” Achilles closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t good enough. You died and I lost myself. If only I had been better…”
Patroclus shook his head, “Achilles…”
Patroclus was aware of the two gods staring down at them, waiting for an answer from Achilles, but he did not care right now. Now it was only them. He pulled Achilles close and hugged him tight.
Achilles melted into his embrace, burying his face in Patroclus’ neck, breathing in the scent of his hair. “What do you really want, Patroclus? This has been about you. It always has, since I first saw you.”
Patroclus couldn’t stop the tears from running down his cheeks. “To- To selfishly be loved by you and to- to be with you. But I love you. I cannot take your glory” he sobbed.
Achilles pulled back and wiped away Patroclus’ tears, his own eyes glassy. “Patroclus, I do not want immortality if I cannot have it with you. I love you.”
Patroclus took a breath. “I love you too.”
Achilles nodded. “Then I would go to Hades for you. No matter where we end up. It will be Elysium if I am with you.”
Patroclus couldn’t help himself. He kissed his love. For the first time in a long time. They were back and they were never leaving each other again.
Hermes for his part remained somewhat composed, besides the fact that his jaw would not shut from the shock of what just happened.
Thanatos did not look swayed in any way. “Alright then,” he said. “Time to go.”
Achilles looked back at Hermes. “Tell my mother that I’m sorry.”
Then he grabbed Patroclus’ hand and Patroclus held onto him tight. Together they walked on to their new forever.