I watch Patroclus, eyes closed listening to the lyre. My fingers move methodically to the melody of the music. I still have yet to tell Patroclus about the meeting I had with my mother. The afternoon I spent with him at the creek was incredible. And I now have courage to speak what I must say.

"Chiron are you weary?" I ask after playing the last cord.

"Yes I am." Says Chiron

"Patroclus and I will leave you to rest." I know that it's not my place to speak for Patroclus but I feel like my mouth is going to burst with what I must say to him. I reach the cave before Patroclus and wash my face and get into bed before he does.

Once he is washing his face I ask:

"Patroclus you have not asked about my mother."

"Oh, is she well?" Patroclus asks

"Yes she is." He nods

After a little silence I continue.

"She can't see us here." I say quietly

With this information he dries his face and looks me deeply in the eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asks

"She can't see us on Mount Pelion because it is out of her realm." I venture

He nods and gets into bed. Silence stretches before us.

"Are you pleased, pleased with the answer." I say my words fumbling in my mouth.

"Yes I am." He says quietly face looking at the stars painted on the celling.

Silence stretches longer than the one before and I feel Patroclus roll over on his side. I'm not sure what to say. This afternoon I thought that I saw the same feelings of desire in his eyes but I may have been wrong. I turn to face his back, the silence stretches so long that I think Patroclus might have fallen asleep, until he turns over to face me.

We look at each other like we did at the creek: a hunger in our eyes. But one that we both understand. His deep brown eyes are drawing me in. Finally, when I can't handle the small space between us I lean in. I kiss his lips softly and slowly Patroclus deepens it. His lips are warm, wet and sweet like honey. Finally when our lungs need breath we break away. When we do, Patroclus smiles widely and I do the same. I remove the rest of the blankets off us so I can admire Patroclus, we have seen each other naked before but it is different now. I kiss his forehead, both his cheeks, his chin and his lips. I linger on each one, savoring the first time I get to explore and touch Patroclus' body.

"You are beautiful Patroclus." I say breathlessly in between each kiss. I kiss his lips again feeling him smile against me. I lean out to admire Patroclus' deep brown eyes and put my fingers through his curly dark hair. I pull a curl behind his ear.

I trace his cheek bone and jaw bone, lightly kissing it. When I finish, I trace his neck, lightly brushing across his Adam's apple. When I kiss his neck he moans softly so I begin to kiss harder. When I am finished I inspect the dark red and blue marks I made on his tanned skin, I smile. I put the palm of my hand to his heart and feel it beating quickly.

"Are you nervous Patroclus?" I ask quietly. He nods. I grab his hand and put the palm of it against my chest. "I am nervous as well." I say quietly and in response he leans in to kiss me again. I trace his chest feeling the warmth emanating off of him.

His body is so beautiful, glorious and I can't believe he is mine to touch. I begin to kiss his chest and when I reach his nipples he moans. I lean back and brush them with my finger tips, feeling them harden at my touch. I begin sucking on them, the noises of pleasure coming from Patroclus are like all the beautiful sounds of the world combined.

I begin to trace the outline of his body with my finger tips. When I brush both the indents in his sides he giggles softly. He stops suddenly when he realizes the mistake he has made. I sit up to face him and cross my arms.

"Patroclus, you never told me you were ticklish."

Patroclus feigns a look of innocence and just shrugs his shoulders.

"Achilles I don't know what you are talking about."

I brush his sides again and sneak a look at Patroclus, attempting to keep his face neutral.

"So you don't feel anything when I do that."

"No I do not."

"Not even when I do this?" I say caressing his sides in a forward and backwards motion.

He responds by giggling, his smile as bright at the sun, irresistible. I lean up and kiss him hard on the lips. The motion nocking us both down on the bed. We both laugh, me on top of him.

"Achilles I am in love with you." Patroclus says under me, once we have finished giggling. I look into his deep brown eyes and kiss him, exposing my deep rotted desire and passion.

"Tell me again." I say breathlessly when we break apart for breath.

"I love you Achilles." When we kiss again he opens his mouth, I put tongue though the gap and brush it against the inside of his mouth and teeth.

"Tell me again." I say for the second time looking at his wet swollen lips.

"I love you Achilles." When he says this, he gently rolls my body off of him, switching positions so he is on top of me.

He kisses me hungrily, moving to my neck, to my stomach down to my hip bones. When he reaches my thighs, he sucks on the inside of them. Leaving love marks like the ones I made on his neck. When he is done I sit up to face him.

"I love you Patroclus, I always have and I always will." I tell him softly, kissing his cheek. When I lean out we share a look of understanding. I silently ask him the question and he nods his head.

"Do you know what to do?" I ask him almost in a whisper. He nods again. Hesitantly, he reaches down and starts stroking me, I do the same. The sensation is breathtaking.

Not a short time after, we are laying in the bed facing each other. The blankets tangled between us. Our stomachs are wet with the remnants of our love. Our voices horse from calling each others names. I push a brown curl behind his ear and kiss his forehead.

"Do you regret anything." I say quietly searching his brown eyes.

"No." He says, eyes soft.

"I do not either." I tell him.

We lay there facing each other, breathing in one another's beauty and warmth.

"I love you like the poets say." Patroclus says eyes heavy.

"You are half of my soul." I reply.

He yawns and kisses my lips.

Patroclus closes his eyes and before his breaths become even he whispers

"And you are half of mine."

I stay awake longer than Patroclus, watching him sleep, his long dark lashes and relaxed jaw. I love Patroclus more than words can even express. I am his and he is mine, are souls are interwoven.