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Amphitrite did not want to walk through that door. She knew if she did, the fallout would be catastrophic. No part of her wanted to weather the storm waiting for her on the other side.
Well, a small part did. There was an infernal piece of her that loved the manic, furious look in her husband’s eyes when something went wrong. A piece that loved how rough his hands became, how intense his stare, how violent his words. He never hurt her, which meant she could embrace and enjoy the storm when it blew in.
Most of the time. Sometimes, the anger in Poseidon ran so deep it terrified her - not for her own safety, never for that. But for his own peace of mind.
And the bruise on her wrist would spur a very violent storm indeed.
Taking a breath, she pushed open the door to their shared bedroom and found her husband waiting for her. He was watching something - a movie, maybe. She did not look at the screen, focused instead on keeping her posture relaxed. Poseidon smiled warmly up at her as she entered, rolling over onto his side to face her, propped upon his elbow.
“How was your night?” He asked.
Amphitrite sank onto the edge of the bed, keeping her wrist out of view. She offered him a small smile and tossed her wild locks over her shoulder. “It was good. Hekate always keeps me entertained. We went dancing.”
“Oh?” Poseidon prodded, grinning. “And?”
“Nothing happened in that regard, baby,” Amphitrite assured him. “The night took a somewhat… sour turn.”
His smile slipped, making way for that familiar, heartfelt concern. Poseidon was so genuine that way. When he felt something, it was deep and meaningful. Unfortunately for this evening, that included his anger.
“What does that mean?” Poseidon asked. “Did you argue?”
“No, nothing like that,” Amphitrite sighed. In one smooth motion, she brought her bruised wrist up into view, holding it out for him to see. “I am going to tell you what happened, and I need you to stay calm for me.”
That was a tall order. Poseidon’s eyes were already narrowing, his expression morphing to a scowl. He gripped her hand in a delicate grasp, so gentle and loving, but the rage was evident in his features.
“Did she do this?” Poseidon spoke in a hushed tone, low and deadly.
“No!” Amphitrite shook her head. “Hekate protected me from worse, I think. I am not kidding, Poseidon, I need you to keep a level head.”
“I’m trying,” He said through gritted teeth.
Another sigh, this one louder than its predecessor. “We danced together, and with others. One man was getting a bit handsy, so I told him to back off. I think he was… panicked that he had lost his shot, so he tried to drag me over for a drink. I resisted. He squeezed harder. Hekate came to my rescue. It was nothing serious, Poseidon, but I didn’t want to hide this from you either.”
Poseidon’s laboured breathing was audible. Slow breaths, his own attempt at keeping himself calm. It wasn’t working - Amphitrite knew it wouldn’t, the signs of the storm growing louder and more obvious with each passing second. “Was he still there when you left?”
“Poseidon, no.” Amphitrite placed her other hand against his chest. “You’re not doing this.”
He pulled away from her, rolling out of bed and up onto his feet. He stormed towards the door, and Amphitrite raced to stop him, gripping his arm as tightly as she could.
“He hurt you, Amphi.” Poseidon tugged open the door, scowling. “He’s marked you. No one gets away with that.”
“It will be gone by morning,” Amphitrite cried, exasperated. “It’s not worth it. I don’t need you to do this for me. I need you here, with me. Let it go, baby - please.”
Poseidon shrugged off her grip, shaking his head. “No way. If you won’t give me information, Hekate will.”
He disappeared in a flash of brilliant light, leaving her alone in their bedroom. The television still played, the quiet volume interrupting the racing thoughts in her mind. Poseidon was so obtuse. She loved him, she did, but this sort of behaviour drove her crazy. Not because she wanted him to change - not entirely. His violence was as much a part of him as her freedom was a part of her. She just wished he would listen when she asked him not to.
Huffing in annoyance, Amphitrite kicked off her shoes and slipped her dress down to the floor. Fine. If this was how he was going to be, she would certainly make him regret it.
~
He returned about an hour later.
Amphitrite laid in their bed, facing away from the door as he came in. His heavy footfalls and soft puffs of breath were the only noise that broke the silence. The light was off, but he seemed to navigate without issue. The bed dipped beneath his weight, and she knew he had sat down.
“Amphi,” He said into the quiet, his voice soft and remorseful. “I know you’re awake.”
No. No. She would not fall for that trick, the voice he took when he tried to sweet-talk her. If he wanted to do this, he would have to prove that he was worthy of her attention - or forgiveness - right now.
“Baby, please,” He murmured. “I really think we should talk about this.”
Amphitrite kept her lips sealed, and her eyes closed.
“Amphitrite, you were right.”
She shot up in annoyance, the light turning on as she went. Her glare was powerful, her scowl fierce. Folding her arms across her chest, Amphitrite regarded Poseidon like an enemy and not her beloved husband.
“Oh, was I? Did beating that man to a pulp fail to make you feel better? Did people stare at you and whisper in shock? Did you hear your wife’s voice in your head only after you ruined a man’s life? I don’t want to fucking hear it, Poseidon. I asked you not to go, and you went anyway. I told you it was fine, and you decided what I had to say wasn’t enough for you. You always do this. You lash out, and you hurt people, and I can forgive it all when I know it’s worth it, but this? Was it worth it?”
Her chest heaved, glare intensifying. Poseidon only bowed his head, hands fisting in the sheets where he sat.
“I didn’t do it.”
Amphitrite’s expression faltered, anger replaced by surprise. “What?”
Poseidon shrugged. “I talked to Hekate. She told me what he did, even pointed him out to me. I had him up against the wall, and I was going to do it. I wanted to. But I thought about what you would think, about how hard I’ve been trying not to do this kind of stuff, and I… I let him go. Cursed him out a little, I can’t lie about that part, but I let him go. He’s fine.”
“Oh.”
They stared at one another for a tense few moments, his expression one of regret, hers a dumbfounded one.
“I’m sorry,” Poseidon whispered. “I should have stayed. I should have trusted you.”
“Yeah, you should have.”
That was all she needed, the anger shifting to lust. Amphitrite lurched forward, throwing herself into Poseidon’s lap to capture him in a kiss. She fisted her fingers in his hair and tugged, holding him fast. He moaned into her mouth at the sharp sting of pain, but wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed. It was messy, passionate, brimming with pent up rage and aggression. When she bit at his lip hard enough to hurt, it was as much punishment as it was a need.
She had truly gotten the best of both worlds that night - a feral husband, willing to defend her with tooth and nail, unleashing hell upon those who would harm her; and the gentle, forgiving husband who heeded her council and did what he could to make her happy. Amphitrite lusted after the man who could destroy, but loved the man who cared about others so deeply it hurt.
“You’re infuriating, you know?” She breathed against his lips, fingernails raking through his hair. He chuckled, grinding up against her hips with reckless abandon.
“You love it, clearly,” Poseidon smirked.
“If you ever do this to me again, you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“Of course.”
“Fuck me now, talk about it later?”
“Deal.”
~
Morning came, though neither of them had done much sleeping. Amphitrite rested now with her head on Poseidon’s bare chest, his hands wandering mindlessly across the skin of her back. The sun - a diluted version of it, as was always the case in a palace beneath the waves - was beginning to shine upon them both.
It took a while for Amphitrite to work up the will to speak, not wishing to disturb the quiet. But it was necessary.
“I’m a grown woman, you know,” She murmured.
Poseidon’s voice came sleepily beside her, chest rumbling with each syllable. “I know.”
“A powerful grown woman.”
“I know.”
“And I am more than capable of fighting my own battles - if I can’t, I can advocate for it myself.”
A pause. “I know.”
Amphitrite sighed, rising up to her elbow with a frown. “So when I tell you that I don’t need your help with something like this, I need you to listen to me.”
Poseidon’s eyes were surprisingly calm. “I will.”
“I mean it, Sei. You can’t keep hurting people because your temper runs wild. This kind of thing is disrespectful to me, but it hurts you, too.”
Poseidon swallowed, and she traced the bob of his throat. “I… I know. It’s hard like that, when I see red. Nothing else ever seems to matter… But lately, if I think hard enough about you, or about the other people I care about, other colours start to shine through. It’s getting easier, I think.”
Amphitrite squeezed his arm, her smile growing as he spoke. The Poseidon she loved was not a tameable beast, and she would never dream of controlling him entirely - but she could ask him for some quiet every now and again.
“Good,” Amphitrite hummed, leaning in to kiss his nose. “You’re hot when you’re angry, but I like it best when you’re happy.”
“I’m trying, Amphi,” He murmured, fingers drawing indiscriminate patterns against her skin. “I’m really trying.”
“I know. Thank you.”
He smiled, and it only grew as she leaned back down to kiss him properly this time. Amphitrite trusted him wholeheartedly, hard as it was to trust a storm.
“So,” He spoke, more lighthearted than before. “When do I get to come dancing?”
Amphitrite giggled, collapsing back against his chest. “When you learn to dance in heels.”
“Really? I’m on it.”