[It's too tight, but she doesn't care, because it feels half the time now as if she's falling apart, and at least in the circle of arms she knows that she physically cannot.

But she shakes her head against his shoulder, smearing her tears into his clothing, voice distorted by regret.]

It could have been my fault-

[Emotion leads her to want to say it was, wants to blame herself, as she is wont to, but even she knows that she could not account for what ifs.

But it could have been.]

Achilles was with me, because I am too weak to go out alone- If it were not for me, Patroclus might not have been alone-

[He might not have died. At least... not then. Not there. Not like that.]