Patroclus moved closer to Achilles, burying his face into his lover's neck. He closed his eyes and breathed Achilles in, thinking of how their lives could have been
In Phthia
Ruling over the Myrmidons
Eating figs and playing the lyre
Laughing into the evening
And in the darkness of his shuttered eyes he could almost pretend that things were as they had always been. The hard Trojan ground beneath them turning into the cold hard stone of Chiron's cave. The sound of the water against the shore turning into the gentle lapping of Phthian waves. The grating of rocks walked over by thousands of greek sandles turning into the gentle and terrifying grating of Thetis's voice proclaiming Achilles the greatest of all warriors. Nothing had changed. He still had his Achilles and he was happy for this one moment.
"Patroclus, I beg of you," Achilles murmered. "Please do not do this. You are a great warrior, but I fear if I let you fight in my place, I shall never see you again among the living."
"I promise you, Achilles, I will return. I will always return for you."
Achilles turned to Patroclus and looked into his sad eyes. "Oh Patroclus, how I wish to the gods that every Greek and Trojan alike were dead and only you and I were left. And then, just the two of us together, we could rip down the walls of Troy, stone by sacred stone."
Patroclus smiled wearily and pulled Achilles into him. "Do you think I don't wish the same? Every day, I want nothing more than the end of this war, and for you to be standing by my side, victorious and honored throughout the years."
Achilles kissed Patroclus, and Patroclus sighed into him. "All right, I shall let you go in my place. But you must come back to me. Do not think of honor or killing after you have driven them off. Only think of me and of the life we could lead after this war."
"I promise you, with all my heart, we will be together again." Patroclus drew Achilles' head down to his chest so that his beloved could hear the sacred promise beat beat beating deep in his chest.