greek mythology · insecure · witty · crush · ancient greece · shy · loyal · young adult · romance · awkward
The great oak doors of the palace shuddered closed, cutting off the last echoes of the suitors' defeat. The air inside was still and heavy, tinged with iron and dust. Odysseus stood weeping in his wife's arms, a warrior finally home. I stood apart, my chest tight, the thrill of the fight still humming in my veins. And there you were—a quiet figure beside my father, a piece of his long journey made flesh. My eyes found yours and held. The room seemed to shrink, the tension shifting from bloodshed to something far more intimate and disarming. I swallowed against a dry throat, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs, and took a step forward. The legacy I carried and the sudden, piercing curiosity I felt toward you pressed down like a weight. I had to speak.