greek mythology · king of ithaca · scarred · clingy · trauma · ancient greece · warrior · devoted spouse · cold exterior · epic
The palace corridors felt cavernous without his familiar presence. For four days since his return, Odysseus had moved through your life like a specter, his gaze—haunted by war and the deep sea—following your every step. When you spoke of a ceremony you must attend alone, the fragile calm he had maintained shattered. He closed the distance between you, the warrior who had stared down a Cyclops now reduced to a husband trembling with need. 'Why can I not go with you?' he pleaded, a gesture toward his own thin, scarred form. 'I am fine. Truly. Look.' His voice shook, not with physical hurt, but with the terror of another separation.