A/N: I think I will let this go on just a bit longer, I'm enjoying myself too much...grin...
It was too still, too silent. It scared her. A while ago she had been terrified of the noise, but now she was equally terrified of the stillness. The shaking had stopped as abruptly as it had started, at least for the moment. She was far from reassured though. They were trapped in a cave and might be buried alive any moment from the landslides on top of them. Not exactly the most comforting thought.
"Are you hurt?" Achilles' voice rang in the tiny space.
"No, I don't think," she answered. It was dark, all she could see was his outline. "How is she?" She gestured to Helen, who was resting on the ground beside them.
As if hearing her name being mentioned, Helen stirred and let out a little involuntary cry. Briseis knelt down beside her cousin, laying a hand on her forehead. It was damp with sweat and she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it, just a bit feverish. It was too dim for her to notice the slight flush on the woman's face.
"Helen," Briseis gripped her shoulder and shook urgently, calling her name. Helen groaned but did not open her eyes.
"Helen." Briseis squeezed tightly, brushing her forehead.
"Briseis," Helen whispered, coming around finally. Her head throbbed.
"How are you feeling?" Achilles edged over and asked quietly.
Helen jumped.
Briseis held her hand firmly. "It's all right, Helen," she whispered calmly, "He's here to help us."
Achilles smiled, although he was pretty sure she couldn't see it.
"Who? Who-" Helen looked to Briseis in confusion.
"It doesn't matter, I won't hurt you," Achilles replied before Briseis had a chance to. In the darkness he could feel Briseis' questioning eyes on him, but he shook his head slightly. It was better that Helen doesn't find out who he was just yet. It might confuse the already rattled woman, and his presence would also be hard to explain.
"It's all right," Briseis repeated, "Just lie back and rest for a little while longer. Don't think about anything."
Helen, not having to strength to do anything more than to keep breathing, closed her eyes obediently.
Briseis gave her hand a final squeeze then took Achilles aside.
"Just where are we?" Then before Achillescould openhis mouth to reply, she held up a hand, "Never mind, I know where we are. The question is, how do we get out of here?" She felt the jaggy but solid walls around her in doubt.
Achilles had to smile, "Well, we have to wait until your friend there feels better."
"By the way, why didn't you tell Helen who you were?"
"Didn't want to stress her while she's carrying baby Paris there." He allowed himself another smile. Briseis huffed in annoyance, watching out of the corner of her eye at Helen. The woman was lying contently with a hand on her stomach, probably falling asleep. Forone enviousmoment she wished that she too could ignore their situation and just fade into the oblivion. Shaking her head she looked back at Achilles.
"I don't find this very amusing." She swore his eyes danced merrily in the dark.
"Neither do I." He cocked his head lazily.
Briseis glared at him in annoyance, "Look, we are in some little cave which nobody knows about, and it mightcrumble down on us any moment, or the shaking might come back. We are trapped, brilliant."
He liked the feistiness in her, and the sarcasm did indeed amused him. Now that they were together, and she was probably as safe as she could be. Or if not the safest she was right here beside him so it didn't matter very much. He was happy right where he was,happy that she was with him.As for the other matters, like what to do about Helen when they got out of here, he would think about later.
When he didn't answer immediately, Briseis crossed her arms and turned away from him. His lips curled. After a moment, he moved over and wrapped his arms around her, holding her elbows from the front.
Briseis was surprised at the gentleness of the gesture. As the little bubble of passion fought its way to the surface, she felt the calm beating of his heart, comfortingly against his back. And she felt reassured and safe despite herself.
Achilles buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the sweet scents of her. Then he subtly shifted and kissed her neck, working his way up her cheek, nibbling lightly on her earlobe while running his hands up and down her arms
Now she could hear the quickening of her own heart, thudding against her ribcage. She relaxed in response, laying her head on his shoulder. When his hands began to slither down to her hips she turned to face him.
"Achilles," she said in a low whisper, throwing a look over his shoulder at the sleeping figure on the ground.
"What?" he murmured against her cheek, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Her stomach tingled in anticipation but she ignored it.
"Uh, this isn't the time." But she made no move to disentangle herself from his embrace.
"No? Oh but I think it is." Teasingly he brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, then working his way in, he rubbed them softly against her lips. Briseis couldn't think clearly. It was like a haze entered her brain, clouding her judgment. At the very moment all she could focus on was the roughness of his chin tickling her cheek, the firmness of his hands exploring her body, and the softness of his lips locked upon hers. Briseis felt her own lips part in reflex.
Achilles took his time. He pulled her even closer and let his hands wander.
Then something crashed outside and made the walls around them tremble. Briseis started and pulled herself away. Achilles ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. Briseis ignored it.
"Just wait one moment, are you forgetting something? Like we are still shut away in this horrible place?"
"Sweetie," he began, noting the strange look Briseis shot him, but then again he had never called her something like this. He decided that he liked the ring of it. "Are you forgetting something else? I'm Achilles," he said simply.
Briseis looked up in annoyance. "So?"
Achilles sighed again, then reached over and lightly played with her hair. Briseis stared. Letting out another sigh, he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she was facing opposite the way they'd came.
"Look here, this cave doesn't go in very deep, instead it turns and leads out." Briseis lifted her eyebrows at the word "out".
"It might be blocked at certain areas but I think we can get out. Happy?" Now it was her turn to be amused. He sounded exasperated. Something she didn't associate with him normally, but then he didn't call her a sweetie on a daily basis either.
She smiled, "I will be when we get out of here."
Then after standing on her tiptoes for a quick kiss, she turned towards Helen.