Chapter Text
Odysseus was convinced that the sound of his alarm was what would greet him at the gates of Tartarus, should he ever have the great misfortune of finding himself down there. Groaning, he reached around blindly for his phone, not even bothering to lift his head up. He lay there for a moment, face-first into his pillow, before his fingertips brushed the familiar surface of his phone. Finally, Odysseus’ eyes cracked open, heavy and crusty with sleep, and he peered at the blindingly bright screen in front of him.
6:00 AM.
With a sleepy scowl, Odysseus turned off his alarm, tempted to just let his head fall back against the pillow, but he resisted the urge. He had an exam that morning and he wasn’t about to miss it, no matter how much he wanted to. Midterms were no joke, and Odysseus was convinced that his professors had gotten together to come up with some horrific scheme to make his life absolutely miserable that semester. He hadn’t had a real break since the very first week of classes.
Odysseus immediately noticed the slew of messages he had received from Diomedes at around—2 in the morning?
“What the hell?” he grumbled as he opened up the messages. “Why was he up so late?”
DIOMEDES:
[2:01 AM] diomedes: holy shit bro
[2:01 AM] diomedes: bro
[2:01 AM] diomedes: i lwk forgot the physics exam tmr is at 7???? in the fucking morning????
[2:01 AM] diomedes: gonna kms wtf who decided that was a good idea
[2:02 AM] diomedes: like its wtv im gonna ace it but i dont wanna take a fuckass exam that early brooooo
[2:05 AM] diomedes: nah are u fr asleep???
[2:11 AM] diomedes: fuck u too
[2:11 AM] diomedes: leaving me to wallow in my misery alone like this smh
[2:12 AM] diomedes: i’ll pick u up at like 630 or smth dude dont be late
Odysseus let out a low, sleepy huff of laughter as he rolled out of bed, shutting off his phone as he struggled to untangle himself from his sheets.
It didn’t take long for him to get dressed—a quick sniff test confirmed that the jeans he had worn yesterday and his favorite hoodie were clean enough to wear. After Odysseus pulled the hoodie over his head, he grabbed his phone and began to make his way to the bathroom. He did his best to be quiet. Menelaus was definitely still asleep. Before he left his bedroom, he made sure to snag the wine-red beanie resting on his nightstand and jammed it onto his head.
DIOMEDES:
[6:06 AM] odysseus: mf how tf did u not know abt the exam
[6:06 AM] odysseus: i was literally complaining about it all night
[6:07 AM] odysseus: r u fucking deaf?????
[6:07 AM] odysseus: oh wait ur just an idiot nvm
[6:09 AM] diomedes: wow good morning to u too sunshine
[6:09 AM] diomedes: really feeling the love this fine fine morning
[6:09 AM] odysseus: fuck off
[6:10 AM] odysseus: did u even get any sleep
[6:12 AM] diomedes: no
[6:12 AM] diomedes: well like mb 2 hrs or smth idk
[6:12 AM] diomedes: its chill
[6:13 AM] diomedes: im gonna just take a nap or some shit after the exam fr
[6:13 AM] odysseus: dont u have another class this morning?
[6:13 AM] diomedes: yeah but i can skip its wtv
[6:14 AM] diomedes: btw u better be out the door no later than 630 or im leaving ur ass
Odysseus glanced up and took a quick scan of his appearance in the bathroom mirror, frowning at how streaky the reflective surface was. Both he and Menelaus had been annoyingly busy lately—far too busy to put much thought into things like making sure that the mirror was clean enough to serve its purpose.
He tried not to let his gaze linger on the dark bags underneath his eyes, nor the way his whole body seemed to sag with the weight of exhaustion. Odysseus ran a weary hand over his face, his beard scratching the skin on his palm and fingers. He would have to trim it soon.
Standing there and staring absentmindedly at his own reflection, Odysseus’ thoughts wandered off to a rather familiar subject—one that always left him feeling unsteady on his feet, which wasn’t a feeling he was accustomed to. Odysseus was a relatively self-assured individual, and there was little that could truly shake him.
People told him it was because he had a big ego. Was he a little egotistical? Maybe. Well, probably. But it was only because Odysseus knew he was better—in a myriad of ways—than a majority of his peers. What was wrong with that?
Huge ego or not, Odysseus would always, without fail, fall to his knees when faced with his greatest weakness—Penelope.
Gods, Penelope.
Odysseus had been madly in love with her for over a year and a half now—which, wow, that was a little pathetic, wasn’t it? His friends were annoyingly pushy about the whole matter, constantly giving him a hard time for not having the balls to properly ask Penelope out. And it wasn’t that Odysseus didn’t want to—Gods, he really, really did—he was just… scared? The word “scared” settled unpleasantly in his thoughts, like the word itself was made of sandpaper. It clung to his brain with a scratchy, irritating persistence that he couldn’t ignore.
Was he scared?
No—there was no way. Odysseus wasn’t scared of anything. He just didn’t want to mess up what he already had with Penelope. She was an amazing friend, and one of the few people who could match Odysseus when it came to a battle of wits. She had a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind, and—by the Gods, Odysseus had been doomed from the very start, hadn’t he? He never stood a chance.
Odysseus took off his beanie and placed it on the edge of the sink before he turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold water, hoping that it would wake him up.
It didn’t. It was just really cold.
He ran a wet hand through his hair, thoughtlessly attempting to neaten his bedhead, before giving up with another heavy sigh. The beanie would cover it up, anyways. Odysseus put the beanie back on, this time taking more care to make sure it was on straight.
The familiar chime of an incoming text pulled Odysseus out of his thoughts as he turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom. He lifted his phone and glanced down at the screen with a small, tired frown settled deeply between his brows. Gods, he wanted to go back to bed so bad.
DIOMEDES:
[6:21 AM] diomedes: be there in like 5
[6:21 AM] odysseus: k
Odysseus tossed his phone on the kitchen counter with a yawn, fumbling with the coffee maker. The thing was fucking ancient—it was all covered in water spots, which made it look way worse off than it was—but it hadn’t failed him yet. His movements were slow, but methodical: put a filter in, scoop some grounds into the filter, fill the reservoir with water, press the button, and wait. Odysseus stood there with droopy eyes, leaning against the counter as the coffee maker began to hiss and sputter.
The edge of the counter dug uncomfortably into Odysseus’ hip, but he didn’t move. He was too tired to give a shit, frankly.
It was so early out, the sun hadn't even come up yet. Odysseus groaned, rubbing at his temples with a twisted look on his face. “Too fuckin’ early,” he grumbled to himself, giving the coffee maker a glare edged with a hatred that was rather misplaced. When the coffee maker beeped loudly—finally—signaling that it was done, Odysseus opened up one of the cupboards and pulled out a travel mug. It belonged to Menelaus, and had the words “World’s Sexiest Ginger” plastered on the metal surface in large, white letters. Odysseus, blinking blearily, filled it with as much coffee as he possibly could.
DIOMEDES:
[6:27 AM] diomedes: here
Odysseus didn’t even bother responding. Now, with his coffee acquired, he slowly lumbered over to the pile of shoes left scattered about near the front door. Most of them belonged to Menelaus, but there had to be a pair or two that belonged to Odysseus in there somewhere. He spotted a pair of Adidas sneakers that his sister, Ctimene, had given him for his birthday last year, and he slipped them on without taking the time to tie them properly.
He grabbed his backpack—sighing heavily again, just for good measure—and shuffled out the door, like a reluctant man being dragged off to a dreadful war in some far, distant land.
The music pumping from Diomedes’ car was loud and heavy and thumping with bass. Odysseus reached for the door handle on the passenger side, gritting his teeth with effort as he tried to pry it open. The stupid thing had been broken long before Odysseus and Diomedes met their freshman year a few years ago. Finally, the door opened, and—
“Holy fuck, dude,” Odysseus had to practically shout to make sure Diomedes could hear him. “This shit is way too loud.”
Diomedes rolled his eyes, exaggerating the gesture just to get on Odysseus’ nerves, before reaching for the center console and turning the volume down. The car stopped shaking. The music wasn't quiet, by any means, but Odysseus’ brain had stopped vibrating in his skull.
“No, it's not,” Diomedes said through a playful smirk, watching with those sharp, dark eyes of his as Odysseus tumbled unceremoniously into the car. Odysseus tossed his bag on the floor in front of the passenger seat, ignoring his water bottle as it fell out of the side pocket he had shoved it in. He grunted as he slammed the door shut, shooting a tired glare in Diomedes’ direction—who was grinning at Odysseus with a mischievous kind of gleam in his gaze. Odysseus’ skin prickled. That look never meant anything good.
“What,” Odysseus said flatly, narrowing his eyes with suspicion as Diomedes shifted the car into reverse.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit,” Odysseus grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he slumped against the seat, still scowling. “You're a shit liar.”
“Am not,” Diomedes said through a snort, sounding all too pleased for someone who had gotten no more than two hours of sleep the night before. “You just know me so well,” he said with a sickly saccharine tone, his words lilting up with thinly veiled mockery.
“Fuck you,” Odysseus scoffed, not sparing Diomedes another glance, opting to stare out the windshield with a sullen look on his face.
Diomedes stayed silent for about four seconds before he started to fidget, his fingers drumming off-beat on the surface of the steering wheel. Odysseus had to bite back a self-satisfied smirk. He knew Diomedes wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut for long.
“Y’know, apparently Penelope’s gonna be at the party tomorrow night.”
Odysseus immediately sat up ramrod straight in his seat, like he had been electrocuted, as he turned to face Diomedes with wide, disbelieving eyes. “What? No, she isn't. Right? Who the fuck told you that?”
Diomedes just laughed, smirking to himself. He looked over and caught a glimpse of Odysseus’ face and started howling with laughter as he accelerated on the road that would take them to campus.
“I got my sources, man.”
Odysseus briefly considered strangling Diomedes. His hands twitched and he lifted his arms, his fingers curled into something like claws as he reached for Diomedes, before he lowered them with a knowing groan of frustration.
“It was Helen, wasn't it?”
Diomedes just continued to grin. “Nah. I asked Penelope, and she said that she’d probably stop by at some point.”
Odysseus just stared at Diomedes for a few moments, dead silent. “You're the worst,” he said, his voice low and serious. It only made the smile on Diomedes’ face sharpen, the sheer glee on his face as plain as day. If Diomedes hadn’t been behind the wheel, Odysseus would have wrapped his hands around Diomedes’ traitorous neck and squeezed.
“Hey, dude,” Diomedes said through another bark of laughter, “You could've asked her yourself.”
Odysseus knew he was sulking like a child, but he didn't particularly care. Diomedes was an insufferable dick.
“I always ask her,” Odysseus mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest again. “And she usually says no. Which, like, I totally get.” A dour expression twisted the corners of Odysseus’ lips down in a frown. He might have frequented the parties hosted by the frat that a majority of his teammates were in, but they did kind of suck. Odysseus would take a house party over one of those janky frat parties any day. “I just didn’t wanna push her or anything.” He leaned back into the seat, slouching as a concerned look made its way onto his face. “The last thing I wanna do is make her feel pressured or uncomfortable, y’know?”
“I don’t think you could make her uncomfortable, dude,” Diomedes said with a shrug, glancing away from the road for a brief moment to give Odysseus a bemused look. “Seriously. You’re, like, crazy considerate and shit when it comes to her.”
Odysseus shrugged. “Whatever, man.”
“So, you gonna go?”
“Obviously.”
PENELOPE:
[6:39 AM] penelope: good luck on your exam!
[6:39 AM] penelope: you’re going to kill it!!
[6:39 AM] odysseus: thanks
[6:39 AM] odysseus: its too early for this bs tho
[6:40 AM] odysseus: like im barely awake
[6:40 AM] odysseus: how do they expect our brains to work this early like???
[6:40 AM] odysseus: wait why r u awake??
[6:40 AM] odysseus: isnt ur first class at like 9 or smth???
[6:41 AM] penelope: oh yeah it is lol
[6:41 AM] penelope: i just woke up early and i couldn’t go back to sleep and i remembered you mentioned that you had a super early exam today so
[6:41 AM] odysseus: damn that lwk sucks lmao
[6:41 AM] odysseus: thanks tho i appreciate it
[6:42 AM] odysseus: kinda wanna kms but its wtv fuck it we ball ig
[6:42 AM] penelope: lol please
[6:42 AM] penelope: you’ll be fine
[6:42 AM] penelope: i believe in you
The sound of Diomedes getting out of the car pulled Odysseus’ attention away from his phone, and he hastily tucked it away in the pocket of his hoodie before he scrambled to get out. They had a good 10 minute walk to get to the lecture hall where they would be taking their exam—and it was uphill the entire way. They could make it in 8 if they booked it, though.
“Fuck this shit, man,” Odysseus grumbled, shutting the door with more force than necessary. He tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in his gut, mostly because he knew it wasn’t from pre-exam nerves or anything like that. No—it was because of what Penelope had just sent.
“I believe in you.”
Odysseus swore under his breath again, cursing the fact that he could feel his cheeks warm up. Normally, he might have been mortified by how affected he was by such a simple sentiment, but when it came to Penelope, reason just flew completely out the window. Odysseus could care less. Nothing about being around Penelope—or how he felt about her—was embarrassing. Not really.
Diomedes—the fucking bastard—immediately noticed. “Why are you so red?”
“Shut the fuck up.” Odysseus hissed as he slung his bag over his shoulder and began to walk up the hill towards the lecture hall.
Odysseus didn’t even have to look at Diomedes to hear the smile in his voice. “Is it Penelope?”
“I swear, I’m gonna gut you if you don’t stop talking.”
“What did she say?”
“Nothing.”
Diomedes scoffed with disbelief. “Oh, sure, yeah. Totally. Absolutely nothing. That’s why your hat’s got nothing on your face right now, dude. You look like you’re gonna explode.”
Odysseus swung, his fist colliding solidly with Diomedes’ shoulder, who just threw his head back and laughed loudly.
When Diomedes’ laughter had faded into a quiet chuckle, he nudged Odysseus with an elbow, easily falling in stride with Odysseus as they hurried up the steep hill. “When are you finally gonna ask her out, huh?”
Odysseus glared at Diomedes, loathing the fact that he had to look up at the fucker. He should be looking down on the vermin, for Gods’ sake.
“I’m not,” Odysseus said sharply. If he was a better person—or if he thought that his tone offended Diomedes—he might have felt a little bad. But neither of those things were true, so, he didn't. Not in the slightest.
Diomedes snorted. “Just saying—”
“Don’t.”
“She’d totally say yes.”
“Yeah, well,” Odysseus grumbled with a displeased expression as he put his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “You don’t know that, now do you?”
“Actually, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Hey,” Diomedes said, raising his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Your loss, bro. I’m just sayin’ it as I see it.”
Odysseus lowered his head and stared at the sidewalk underneath his feet, not responding to Diomedes’ comment. He knew that his own insecurities were holding him back when it came to his relationship with Penelope—both what it currently was and what it had the potential to be—and he hated it. If anyone knew that he, Odysseus Laertiades, was insecure, it would be the end of the world as he knew it. Diomedes knew all about it, of course, but he didn’t count. He was like an extension of Odysseus, or something. Odysseus knew he could trust Diomedes—he was one of the few people that Odysseus really, truly trusted.
It didn’t mean that Odysseus liked talking about it, or being reminded of one of his very few shortcomings.
“I wonder what’s gonna be on the exam,” Odysseus finally said, looking up. He turned to face Diomedes, who was already looking at him with unimpressed expression, like he couldn’t believe what was coming out of Odysseus’ mouth.
“Like I have any clue. Bet I’m gonna get a higher grade than you, though.”
“Fuck off,” Odysseus said through a smug scoff, rolling his eyes. “No, you’re not.”
Diomedes grinned toothily. “50 bucks I do, motherfucker.”
“Oh, you’re so on.”
THE FRONT LINES:
[9:01 AM] idomeneus: yo anyone know what time practice is today?
[9:04 AM] menelaus: warm ups start at 4 i think
[9:05 AM] antilochus: wait what tf i thought it was 430?
[9:05 AM] menelaus: yeah but coach wants to do more drills or smth idk
[9:05 AM] lil ajax: fuck that
[9:05 AM] lil ajax: coach is a fucking sadist bro
[9:06 AM] idomeneus: no ur just a little bitch
[9:06 AM] lil ajax: kys
[9:09 AM] sthenelus: yo im fr gonna need a ride
[9:09 AM] diomedes: i gotchu bro
[9:09 AM] sthenelus: bet
By the time Odysseus and Diomedes made it to the student center, it was well into the morning, and there were plenty of students milling about. Truthfully, Odysseus just wanted to go home and go right back to bed—which had been the initial plan—but the sweet, sweet temptation of caffeine and fancy plush couches called to him, and he couldn’t resist. Plus, he didn’t really want to walk all the way back down the hill to where Diomedes had parked. The student center was closer to the lecture hall, anyway. Odysseus could take a nap in there if he wanted.
“Man, I’m so fuckin’ beat,” Diomedes grumbled, shouldering open one of the large, double doors leading to the student center and stopping to smile politely at a pair of girls as he held the door open for them, too.
“I need a Red Bull,” Odysseus yawned, wincing as the bright lights in the student center assaulted his senses. A dull, throbbing headache had made itself at home near his temples.
“Same.”
Odysseus groaned loudly as he scanned the student center, a pit forming in his stomach as it took it all in. “All the couches are taken,” he said with a heavy sigh, turning to look forlornly at Diomedes. “I just wanna take a nap, dude, is that seriously too much to ask?”
“Red Bull lowkey sounds fire right now,” Diomedes declared with a firm nod. He pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen a few times, then looked over at Odysseus. “Find us a spot? I can go grab some in the bookstore.”
“Sure, but can you gimme one of the real big ones—the sugar free one.”
“Aye, aye, captain.”
Odysseus scowled at Diomedes, who wandered off with a lazy smirk. “I’ll Venmo you,” Odysseus called out after him.
Diomedes raised a hand in acknowledgement, but didn’t turn around. As he watched Diomedes’ retreating back, Odysseus rubbed at his temples again, trying to find a spot with two free chairs—hopefully tucked away in a somewhat quiet corner. His head was killing him.
THE FRONT LINES:
[9:17 AM] big ajax: hey achilles r u gonna b at practice today or nah?
[9:20 AM] big ajax: achilles
[9:20 AM] big ajax: dude
[9:20 AM] big ajax: ik ur ass is reading these dont ignore me
[9:21 AM] odysseus: hes not going
[9:21 AM] odysseus: i alr tried talking to him
[9:21 AM] odysseus: asshole didnt even answer
[9:21 AM] odysseus: achilles if u read this i hope u fucking die
[9:22 AM] odysseus: we all hate agamemnon ur not special
[9:22 AM] diomedes: lmaoooo
[9:27 AM] agamemnon: fuck off odysseus
[9:31 AM] odysseus: oh wow look he lives
[9:31 AM] odysseus: what a shame
[9:33 AM] teucer: yo patroclus antilochus please u gotta talk to achilles bro we r so fucked without him
[9:35 AM] antilochus: i can try again bro
[9:35 AM] antilochus: idk tho hes been in a really shitty mood
[9:35 AM] antilochus: well like way more than usual
[9:36 AM] antilochus: i thought he was gonna kill me yesterday when i forgot to empty the fucking dishwasher
[9:36 AM] antilochus: i felt the chill of the mf grave dude
[9:39 AM] patroclus: i’ll talk to him too
[9:39 AM] patroclus: he’s been avoiding antilochus and i whenever we're home but i’ll make sure to talk to him tonight
[9:40 AM] big ajax: patroclus ty bro i am going to kiss you on the mouth
[9:40 AM] patroclus: please don't
[9:40 AM] meriones: can we go back to the fact that practice starts at 4?????
[9:41 AM] meriones: wtf
[9:41 AM] meriones: some of us got shit to do
[9:41 AM] diomedes: stop whining dude ik u dont have anything more important to do
[9:42 AM] meriones: yeah i fucking do?????
[9:42 AM] diomedes: like what
[9:42 AM] meriones: like going out with my girl which u wouldnt know shit abt now would u dickwad
[9:43 AM] diomedes: stfu
[9:43 AM] meriones: thats what i fucking thought
Odysseus groaned as he shut off his phone and looked over at Diomedes, who lifted his head and met Odysseus’ gaze with an equally grim expression.
“Coach is gonna run us to the ground,” Diomedes grumbled, practically slamming his phone down on the table and shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants with a glare.
“I know,” Odysseus said with a heavy sigh, leaning back and resting his head against the brick wall behind him. He let his eyes close for a few seconds—one, two, three—before he opened them again. “I mean, the Trojan War is coming up in a few weeks, so,” he shrugged, reaching for his Red Bull.
The Trojan War—the annual matchup between Achaean University and the University of Troy—was easily the biggest game of the entire football season. It was the kind of rivalry that garnered national attention and brought school alumni back to campus to celebrate a good old fashioned brawl. The animosity between the two schools was of near cosmic proportions. Odysseus was honestly surprised there hadn’t been a fatality here and there over the years, given the violent nature of the game.
A few years ago, however, shit had gotten personal.
When Helen and Menelaus broke up freshman year—which was not a time Odysseus looked back on fondly—she had gone and dated some guy on the Trojans’ team for about a year. So, naturally, the Achaeans took that personally. They had immediately deemed the Trojans their mortal enemies and declared the complete and utter defeat of the Trojans for as long as the current roster remained.
It was real serious stuff, apparently. Odysseus didn’t particularly care about the bad blood between the two schools. He just hated losing, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to start losing now.
Plus, Achaean University hadn’t lost the Trojan War in 9 years, and the current team wasn’t planning on ending that streak any time soon. But, given their predicament, Odysseus knew that their chances of bringing home the win were reduced substantially. He didn’t like it, of course, but Odysseus wasn’t an idiot. He knew how important Achilles was to the team’s success, even if it irked him to no end.
Diomedes made a frustrated sound, rocking back and forth in the chair he was sitting on. It made an awful scratching sound as the front legs lifted off the ground. A few people glared in their direction, but Diomedes ignored them. “Yeah, and fuckin’ Achilles is on strike,” he said through gritted teeth, looking out the window with a scowl. “We’re so screwed if he doesn’t get his head out of his ass.”
Odysseus hummed. “Probably.”
“Dude, you gotta try talking to him again.”
“He’s not gonna listen,” Odysseus said, shaking his head.
“If anyone can make him come back, it’s you.”
Odysseus gave Diomedes a pointed look, arching a disapproving brow. “Seriously? Dude, c’mon. The only one with any hopes of talking some sense into that thick skull of his is Patroclus, and you know it.”
Diomedes hummed thoughtfully, both legs of the chair now in their proper spot on the ground. “Yeah, true. He’s pretty fucking serious about beating the Trojans, too.” Diomedes grinned, eyes flashing. “I saw him ragging on Meriones the other day. Something about how he’d be a better DB if he put as much effort into practice as he does complaining about useless shit.”
Odysseus snorted. “He’s not wrong.”
MENELAUS:
[9:48 AM] menelaus: dude did you take my fucking mug??
[9:48 AM] menelaus: i’ve been looking for it for like 10 minutes
[9:51 AM] odysseus: mb
[9:51 AM] menelaus: bro
[9:52 AM] menelaus: seriously?
[9:52 AM] odysseus: ill make it up to u bby im so sorry
[9:52 AM] menelaus: you’re the worst
[9:52 AM] odysseus: love u too boo
[9:52 AM] menelaus: whatever can you pick up some beer on your way home?
[9:53 AM] menelaus: we ran out last night
[9:53 AM] odysseus: oh yeah i saw sure
[9:53 AM] odysseus: u cool w busch??
[9:53 AM] menelaus: ugh yeah fine
[9:53 AM] menelaus: thanks bro
[9:54 AM] odysseus: np
“Why’s Achilles all worked up anyway?” Diomedes muttered, tapping away at his phone with a scowl. “Agamemnon pisses everyone off, and it sure isn't news that he and Achilles fucking hate each other.”
Odysseus chugged his Red Bull, barely managing to suppress a wince as the carbonation burned and bubbled on the way down. “I think Agamemnon said something about Briseis. I’m not entirely sure, though.”
That got Diomedes’ attention. “What? What’d he say?”
“No clue,” Odysseus said with a shrug, bouncing his knee restlessly as he glanced out the window and watched the students passing by outside. “When I asked Menelaus, he just said that Agamemnon and Achilles had another fight after practice a few days ago and her name came up.”
Diomedes sank back into his chair, a thoughtful look crossing over his features. “Huh,” he frowned, “I thought Achilles and Briseis weren’t on good terms after they broke up?”
Odysseus snorted. “Yeah, she fucking hates him. I would too, lowkey. He was a shit boyfriend.” Odysseus scratched at his right brow, his expression morphing into a contemplative look that matched the one on Diomedes’ face. “She’s still friends with Patroclus, though. Maybe that’s why Achilles got so mad.”
“Shit,” Diomedes said through a chortle, “Of course Achilles would defend Patroclus’ honor, though. I doubt he actually gives a shit about Briseis.”
“Right?”
“Is that seriously why he’s not going to practice?”
“I mean, maybe?”
“Seems a little extreme,” Diomedes grumbled morosely, sinking further into his seat. “I wonder if he was just looking for an excuse to fucking dip on us.”
Odysseus sat there for a second, mulling over Diomedes’ words. “I don’t think so,” he finally said, voice low. “Like, if he didn’t want to play, he’d just quit, y’know?”
It was no secret to the rest of the team that Achilles was on the team largely because Patroclus was, but he did put in the effort. Sure, it was a whole lot less time and effort than most of the other starters, but he was just good. Achilles didn’t need to put in a shit ton of effort to keep up with the rest of the team. If anything, the team struggled to keep up with him.
Diomedes groaned, leaning his head back and staring up at the ceiling with a defeated, worn-out look on his face. “You’re probably right.” He sat up straighter, meeting Odysseus’ gaze with a lifted brow. “Still doesn’t make any sense. There’s gotta be something more going on.”
“Who knows,” Odysseus took another sip of his Red Bull, “Achilles is fucking weird. I haven’t the faintest clue as to how his brain works.”
There was a part of Odysseus that was genuinely curious as to what had gone down between Achilles and Agamemnon, but another part of him didn’t give a hoot. He was mostly concerned with the matter as it directly affected their chances of winning the Trojan War, but, on a more personal level, Odysseus didn’t really care. Odysseus was nosy, sure, and some might argue that he was a bit of a gossip, but that was just because he liked staying in the loop. He hated not knowing things.
ACHILLES:
[10:22 AM] achilles: will you stop fucking texting me
[10:22 AM] achilles: its annoying as shit and im not gonna play
[10:22 AM] achilles: so stop asking
[10:23 AM] odysseus: wtf why
[10:23 AM] odysseus: is it bc of what agamemnon said abt briseis
[10:23 AM] achilles: who fucking told you that?
[10:23 AM] odysseus: nobody
[10:23 AM] achilles: bullshit
[10:24 AM] odysseus: dude seriously i just figured yk
[10:24 AM] achilles: wtv
[10:24 AM] achilles: it doesnt matter
[10:24 AM] achilles: im not playing
[10:25 AM] odysseus: r u being fr rn???
[10:25 AM] odysseus: dude wtf did agamemnon say??
[10:25 AM] odysseus: plus i thought u and briseis were like not chill or smth??
[10:27 AM] achilles: thats none of your fucking business
[10:27 AM] odysseus: dude cmon
[10:28 AM] odysseus: talk to me
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] odysseus: achilles
[10:28 AM] achilles: odysseus i swear i will fucking block you
[10:29 AM] achilles: im not playing and nothings changing that
[10:29 AM] achilles: i could fucking care less
[10:29 AM] odysseus: then why did u text me
[10:29 AM] odysseus: u couldve just ignored me
[10:30 AM] odysseus: u clearly care
[10:30 AM] odysseus: just admit it
[10:49 AM] odysseus: look idk whats going on between u and agamemnon but its kinda shitty of u to dump the team like this
[10:49 AM] odysseus: like i get it hes a dick
[10:50 AM] odysseus: but if ur not gonna talk to me talk to patroclus or smth
[10:50 AM] odysseus: hes pretty serious abt winning the trojan war this year and u know it
[10:50 AM] odysseus: trust me i dont like saying it but we need u dude
[10:51 AM] odysseus: just think abt it
[11:26 AM] odysseus: sorry i said i hope u die btw
[11:26 AM] odysseus: i only kinda meant it