WHO: Briseis & Achilles WHEN: Late Thursday night WHERE: Achilles' apartment WHAT: Time for the love arrow to wear off.. WARNINGS: Other than Briseis' big time embarrassment, not much.
Aphrodite had decreed that Briseis would be cursed for thirty hours and not a moment longer. All that time she had spent at Achilles' house, alternately behaving herself but begging at his feet, or trying to tempt him to sleep with her.
Thirty hours of throwing herself at Achilles in a way that Briseis had never thrown herself at anyone in her life. Forget dignity, forget pride. Briseis was willing to do anything at all to get the man she loved.
Then late Thursday night Eros' arrow suddenly wore off.
One minute Briseis was perched on the end of Achilles' bed while he watched her with frustration and annoyance and the next it felt as though her entire world swirled and she closed her eyes, steadying herself on the bed. She groaned, dizzy and nauseated, and then it passed and she remembered - with perfect horror - every single moment of the last thirty hours.
She looked up at Achilles, her jaw dropping. "Oh god," she moaned. "Oh my god."
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-11 07:31 pm (local) (link) Track This His computer was perched in his lap for more than just to keep himself busy while Briseis wrestled her clothes on and off, but to keep her from fondling whatever she could get her hands on. The last thirty hours were spent in total frustration, growling and forcing her from committing an act she would regret. Even moreso an act that would wedge them apart forever.
Without looking up from the screen, Achilles felt her shift on the bed followed by the gasp of horror. "Are you quite done?" he asked finally looking up, his fingers stopping their angry typing.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2010-12-11 07:33 pm (local) (link) Track This Briseis remember all of it with a clarity she really wished she didn't. She'd been throwing herself at Achilles and begging him to make love to her. What had she'd even be thinking!
"Oh god, Oh Achilles, I am so sorry," she told him, covering her face with her hands as the embarrassment and horror just grew stronger. "Jesus Christ!"
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-11 07:51 pm (local) (link) Track This At that he shut the laptop closed with a heavy sigh, sliding it to the nightstand. He watched her as she hung her head in shock, apologizing over and over again. Achilles pushed himself forward, letting his legs spread on either side of her when he grabbed her wrists gently and pulled her hands from her face.
He could have stayed angry, but it was hardly her fault. The entire time hadn't been a complete hell, but it was far from pleasant for him. After what he'd put her and Patroclus through, he'd deserved some wrath from the gods.
"Stop blaming yourself." He hadnt meant to be demanding, but she needed to believe that. "You can't trust me remember?" there was some jest in his voice, as he had been very capable of taking advantage of the situation and hadn't.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2010-12-11 07:57 pm (local) (link) Track This Briseis sighed heavily. "Thank you," she told him quietly as she squeezed his hands, the both of them knowing exactly what she meant. Thank you for not taking advantage of me, even though you might have wanted to.
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-11 09:10 pm (local) (link) Track This "I'm stronger than you think," he said releasing her hands and kissing her on the forehead. Though his past record said otherwise. It wasn't easy holding back when she'd made the offer so tantalizing. If she'd been any other woman he could have walked away, but this was Briseis.
"I did want to," he whispered, hands massaging the side of her face, then sliding into those soft locks of hair, "but I care for you more than that." I love you more than that. "I want you to come to me on your own terms."
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[info]spoil_of_war 2010-12-11 11:46 pm (local) (link) Track This The idea that he was still waiting made her slightly uncomfortable but it didn't surprise her. But of course she was going to let it go after what she'd just put him through. "Thank you," she just said again.
She sighed in frustration. "It was Eros. He showed up when I was taking photos in Bryant Park. He did his thing, the little bastard!"
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-12 04:57 am (local) (link) Track This He'd always want her, but he'd never push her again. Achilles dropped his hands from her face, flopping back on the bed with a groan at her explanation. "Sounds about right." There had been some uncomfortableness in more than just her hands all over him, her throwing herself at his feet more than once, pronouncing her undying love like she needed it to breath.
He looked up to the ceiling for a moment just as he tossed a pillow at her. "He must have been feeling generous, because that was some dose. I suppose despite it all I deserved that," he said with a heavy sigh.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2010-12-12 01:05 pm (local) (link) Track This Briseis took the pillow with a small and bitter smile. "I really did make an idiot of myself," she agreed. "This was my fault though. I yelled at one of Aphrodite's kids for being involved with making you crazy and she wasn't exactly thrilled. I'd put money on motherly pride playing a part in this curse."
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-12 05:29 pm (local) (link) Track This "It wasn't all terrible," Achilles reassured her. Had he not gotten her to put her clothes back on she may have panicked more. At the thought this had been brought on still by his own actions, that headache returned and he laid an arm over his eyes. "You shouldn't have been burdened by this to begin with," he sighed before sitting back up, all the blood rushing to his head.
"I'll take you home," he stated, "after I take a shower. A cold one." At that he got up off the bed, letting his hand slide over hers as he did.
He would return after at least fifteen or so minutes with a semi-wet head of blonde hair and track pants, searching a drawer for a clean tank top.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2010-12-12 10:12 pm (local) (link) Track This She laughed softly at his comment about cold showers and let him go before dropping her head with a sigh. She felt wretched. For the cruelty of it to Achilles, but also because she felt in some way defiled. Even though Achilles hadn't done what Aphrodite had obviously wanted - because why else would the goddess do that? - Briseis had still had to sit in the backseat of her own brain and have something else control her. It didn't feel okay to be used like that.
Gods. Gods were always fucking with people and Briseis was supposed to be safe and far away from them. Seems like no matter how many miles she put between herself and Olympus, she'd still have to fear the petty and cruel Gods.
When Achilles finished his shower, Briseis was in the kitchen with a glass of water and dressed now in her own clothes. She gave him a smile.
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[info]chink_in_armor 2010-12-13 06:53 am (local) (link) Track This He'd found a tank top, able to de-stress his body in that shower, for now at least. The image of a near naked Briseis with traveling hands would be stuck in his mind for a little while at least.
She knew now what it was to be controlled, something he was coming to terms with himself. It was a tough realization. He was a master of his own control and yet he'd listened to a goddesses deception. Though he was still building his stamina since, this was a situation to show him he could still have some control, otherwise Briseis would be gone and he'd have another guilty deed on his hands.
He walked back into the kitchen giving her a soft smile in return. "How do you fare, Briseis?" he asked, getting a glass of water himself. A few minutes later he'd give her a friendly hug and find his coat, shoes and keys.
"Let's go," he instructed.
The ride would seem longer than usual, they talked until he pulled the car in park by the apartment building. A part of him didn't want to let her go home, selfishly he wanted her to keep staying with him. Patroclus had not taken anymore of his messages and no doubt because of the build up rage, Patroclus could assume the worst of him. Considering what he'd put him through before, Achilles couldn't blame him.