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Chapter Text

It all started during the war. Back, when Odysseus was busy planning their victory, the huge wooden horse and their attack. It was no secret that through it all, Odysseus’s crew, then men from Ithaca, all came to him for advice. Not just strategic, but other advice as well. How should they approach another king? How should they deal with feelings? How should they deal with anxiety?

It was all thanks to Odysseus, that his crew was still alive and considering the war they were still in pretty good shape. With a few more scrapes and bandages than they came with, but in a good shape nonetheless.

And Odysseus thought, now that they had the easy job of just sailing home, all of that would stop. He could basically relax, his only job being to direct the twelve ships in his small fleet all the way home.

Or so he thought.

Because then came Eurylochus.

“Captain,” his second in command started. “It seems that the food we got isn’t gonna be enough for our journey home.”

“It has only been five days…” Odysseus sighed.

“It’s the war!” a crewmate close to the two shouted.

“Yeah, curse the war!”

“It depleted our supplies!”

The crew around him kept shouting their distaste.

“Okay, okay,” Odysseus sighed and put his hands up, the crew quieting. “Let’s watch and follow the birds. They always head for the nearest islands for rest and food,” he pointed at some seagulls that passed by above them.

“Men! You heard our captain! Everyone get ready, we’re off to the closest island!” Eurylochus shouted so the order could be heard by everyone. “There, we’ll get food!”

“Good,” Odysseus sighed, watching the distance.

The truth is, Odysseus wasn’t only happy about traveling home to see his son and wife. No, that was one thing, one huge thing. But the other reason for his happiness was the peace he was finally going to get. No more of his crew’s idiocies, their absurd questions and him having to deal with their questionable love lives… they’d all be gone. Done with. He wouldn’t have to… basically parent these grown men. Andー

“Captain!” a sweet, melodious voice called out to him.

“Polites!” Odysseus looked towards the man, who he often referred to as ‘his ray of sunshine’.

“Look!” an arm was slung around his shoulders, pulling him close, while the other pointed to a specific point on the horizon. “There’s the island!”

And sure it was. Small as it was, but growing bigger as they rowed for it.

“I can see some light as well,” Polites hummed. “Maybe there are some nice people there, they could lend us food!”

“I’m… not so sure about that…” Odysseus started, just to be interrupted by his second in command.

“We could strike first, take what we can,” Eurylochus stood by his other side, watching the island as well.

“We really shouldn’t! Why can’t we just ask?”

“We can’t risk it! Our men are hungry!”

“And? They might be hungry too!” Polites argued, pointing to the island which grew closer and closer.

“We just survived a war! We need to–”

“No,” Odysseus stopped him finally, sensing Polites’ worry and frustration rolling off of him. “We had enough bloodshed.”

“But sir–” Eurylochus started.

Odysseus pulled his sandal off in one quick movement, and hit Eurylochus on the back of his head.

“Ow!” he hissed.

“No,” Odysseus said, annoyed now. He could feel the crew watching the three of them. “Polites,” he turned toward the man with a much gentler look. “Grab anything that might be essential. We’ll take a look at the island.”

“Okay,” Polites smiled brightly, making Odysseus’ heart jump a tiny bit as he skipped away.

“What?!” Eurylochus, still rubbing at the back of his head, looked at them incredulously. “We don’t know what awaits there!”

“And we won’t if we don’t check it out,” Odysseus sighed.

“You could both die there!”

“Just give me some time!” Odysseus hit his arm this time. “We have an army to feed. I’ll make sure they’re fed, but I can’t do that, if you keep doubting me and my power!”

“But–” Odysseus lifted his sandal once more, which shut Eurylochus up. For a man his size, Odysseus’ strength was quite something. “Sorry,” he muttered instead.

“Thank you,” the Ithacan king sighed and pulled his sandal back on. “Now, full speed ahead, men!”

The crew, not daring to piss off the captain even more, said nothing and just propelled them forward until they were close to the island. Polites joined him soon and as they docked, the two got off the ship to explore, hoping to find something to gather or hunt.

Odysseus could only hope and pray to whichever god would listen that his crew wouldn’t do anything dumb while he was away. And with Polites by his side, his worries couldn’t cloud his head for long.

Chapter Text

After the island proved to be fruitless (at least for them definitely), they headed for a cave that the lotus eaters suggested. Odysseus wasn’t quite sure about this plan, but for the sake of his men and specifically Polites, who couldn’t stand the idea of harming the little creatures for substance, he headed there with most of his ship, leaving the other eleven at the beach to rest.

Odysseus was the first one to enter the cave, his bow in hand, his men behind him.

“Don’t shoot,” he warned them quietly. “We don’t know–”

But there was already the sound of an arrow flying by, heading toward a sheep that loitered around the cave. The poor creature was lucky that whoever shot that arrow was a lousy shot, otherwise it would’ve been dead.

“Which one of you was it?!” Odysseus turned around, annoyed by the crew’s inability to listen to his command.

Some of them just looked back at him with wide, innocent eyes, while others pointed to a certain person. Elpenor. The man in question quickly put his bow and arms behind his back, trying to look as innocent as he could. But it was too late.

Without saying another word, Odysseus took one of his sandals off and threw it at the young soldier. It flew in a beautiful arch and hit him straight in the forehead.

“Odysseus, I’m sorry, but look at those sheep! So plump and–” Elpenor was interrupted by the other sandal flying after the first, hitting his already aching forehead once more. “Ow, okay, sorry.”

The sandals bounced back towards Odysseus and Polites picked them up for him, giving them to him.

“Idiots,” Odysseus mumbled under his breath and looked around the cave while he slipped his footwear back on. “It doesn’t seem to be inhabited, but–”

“Who are you?” a deep, unnatural voice resounded in the cave.

Odysseus’ heart stopped for a second, his entire body freezing at the unexpected sound. From the darkness of the cave came a huge… something. The shadows prevented its form to be observed fully, he could only feel the ground shaking steps that the creature was taking. As it walked slowly, Odysseus’ mind raced.

Was this a friend? Or a foe? Is it going to harm them? What exactly was it?

The light from the mouth of the cave suddenly hit the creature, revealing a huge cyclops.Its body at least twice as big as his ship, the arms long and thin, claws the size of a man.

“Hello there,” he greeted it as kindly as he could, as he fought the anxiety down. “We’re just travelers. We mean no harm.”

“You tried to shoot my sheep…” the cyclops’ deep voice was etched with pain.

“I’m sorry… he’s an idiot,” Odysseus looked back at Elpenor, shooting the frightened man a slight glare. “I told them not to shoot. We’re very sorry about the disturbance.”

“You shot at my sheep…” the cyclops took large steps toward him, reaching for him. “For that, you’ll die!”

Odysseus sucked in a frightened breath as he was lifted up into the air, high above his crew. He could see their scared expressions and the way that Eurylochus held Polites back.

“Please, don’t eat me!” Odysseus looked back at the cyclops. “I have something that’s far more delicious than me!”

“What could you, tiny man, have for me?”

“The world’s best tasting wine!” with one hand, he reached under his cloak for his waterskin that held the wine. “Just take a sip and you’ll be so satisfied! You’ll never want to eat humans ever again!”

“Wine?” the cyclops looked like it was considering this offering, its one eye following his movements.

“Yes! Here, a gift from me, for our freedom!” Odysseus, though sad that he was going to give up his favorite wine, tilted the waterskin forward, the deep red liquid flowing right into the cyclops’ open mouth.

“Ah,” the cyclops hummed in satisfaction, lowering Odysseus back to the ground for which he was infinitely grateful. “Thank you, stranger. Who are you?”

As soon as Odysseus’ feet touched the ground, he scrambled back, his arm getting grabbed by Polites. He thought only for a second. He felt danger in the air, like nothing was solved by his offer. Like the peace he hoped for wasn’t given. It made his blood boil. It was the last of his favorite wine!

“My name is Nobody,” he introduced himself simply.

“Liar,” the cyclops’ voice was low, dangerous as it said this, standing to its full height.

“If you know, then why did you ask me?” Odysseus couldn’t help snapping at the cyclops.

“For the chance of honoring your name before you die,” it slowly lifted its arm high.

And that’s when Odysseus’ patience snapped. How dare this creature take his wine that he gave to it freely and still demand that they die?! Oh that is not going to happen.

The next second the creature stumbled back as a sandal hit its eye. It wailed, blinking hard to get the tears out, so it could look at its attacker.

“You–” it started, but then there was another sandal hitting it in the face.

“No, you! I came here with peace, didn’t take anything that was yours!” Odysseus yelled, irritated. “What’s more, I even gave you a gift! The best wine in the world!” Odysseus took the sandal that bounced close to him and pulled his arm back, launching it at the cyclops once more. “It was my favorite wine!”

“Stop” the cyclops cried out as it was struck again and again by the sandals. “Stop it!”

“Not until you let us go!” Odysseus, with his good aim, threw the sandal at its eye again.

“Go, go, leave!” the cyclops wailed. “Take what you want, just leave!”

“Good,” Odysseus took a breath and for good measure, threw the sandal in his hand one last time. It struck the creature and it crawled back to where it came from, wailing as it went. “Honestly, no manners…”

Odysseus shook his head, collecting his sandals and pulling them back on before turning around. The crew still looked frightened, though in a different manner than before. There was something in their looks. Something like… awe.

“Ody!” Polites was the first to utter anything, stumbling toward him quickly. “You saved us!”

Before Odysseus could react, Polites threw his arms around him, dragging him close and pressing his lips against Odysseus’ own. The king froze, not able to process what was happening. And the kiss was too short for him to even think about it, because the next second, Polites pulled back.

“I did what I needed to do,” he muttered the only coherent thought in his head. The rest was just screaming. So much screaming.

“Captain…” Eurylochus muttered.

“I–” Odysseus blinked, trying to come up with anything, but with Polites still so close, still looking at him with… with awe, he didn’t know what to say. He cleared his throat, focusing his mind on the task. “Right. You heard the cyclops, take what you can, gather as much as your arms allow. Don’t touch the sheep,” he told them, but couldn’t ignore… “Polites, stop looking at me like that,” he said with a red face.

“You saved us…” Polites whispered. “You were amazing.”

Odysseus didn’t know what else to say. His chest was tight… but this feeling didn’t feel like fear. It felt almost like… he was seen for the first time. And he did not know what to do with it all.

He adjusted his stance, trying to fix the way his sandals were on his feet. He looked back up at Polites, who stood so close and he just…

“You… are dangerously close to getting slapped with a sandal…” the king muttered.

“Promise?”

Odysseus choked on his own spit, coughing as his ears turned red as well. He turned around, just to not see the way Polites was looking at him and walked toward the closest chest in the cave.

“Come on,” he cleared his throat. “The rest wait at the beach, we need to get back to them.”

And unknown to him, Polites smiled and followed after, still looking like he had hung the stars with nothing but his leather footwear.

Chapter Text

On the next leg of their journey, they encountered a huge storm. It was in fact so big, they were afraid that the twelve ships, full of food, men, and armory, might capsize. Odysseus wasn’t sure if this storm was actually natural. He smelled something divine…

“Ody.”

…Oh, it’s just Polites.

“I don’t mean to judge your leadership, and I totally know that you have a plan,” Polites looked down at him. Curse him and the few centimeters that he has on Odysseus’ height. “But what is that plan?”

“We’ll beat the storm,” he said simply.

“Oh, yeah, great plan,” Polites hummed. “But how exactly?”

“Comrades!” Odysseus yelled instead of answering him, turning toward the rest of the ship. They were all drenched in the water, holding tightly onto the ship (or each other, considering Perimedes and Elpenor). “We’re going to beat the storm as long as we hold on and sail along the coast!”

“Yes sir!” some of them shouted.

Even Perimedes and Elpenor separated from each other as they went to grab at the ropes of the sails, trying to hold them steady as they strained in the wind. The men at the oars held on too, and Odysseus, after a look at Polites, headed for the wheel to help steer them in the right direction.

Polites stood beside him, eyes filled with something akin to awe. Through the days since the cyclops’ cave, his men and especially Polites followed his every move with a special kind of look. Like he was… he didn’t even know what.

But Polites… his look filled Odysseus with a deep sense of… home. And it terrified him. Because Odysseus had always believed home was something fixed… Ithaca, Penelope, Telemachus. It wasn’t supposed to look like Polites standing steady beside him in a storm.

And don’t get him wrong, he always had a deep love towards his two best friends. After all, they stood by him at every turn, keeping his spirits up. But with everything going on…

“Captain!” his thoughts were interrupted by a couple of his men shouting. “Look!”

Odysseus turned to where they pointed, his hand coming up to shield his eyes from the rain. And he immediately had to take a second look.

Because there, up in the sky was an island. It was hard to see from the constant rain and from the waves that kept tossing them around, but it was there. Like a beacon of hope.

“Eurylochus!” Odysseus shouted and with his second in command came Polites as well.

“Woah, an island in the sky!” Polites hummed next to his ear, but Odysseus didn’t have time to react to the other man’s closeness.

“Sir, what do you have in mind?” Eurylochus shouted over the storm.

“Grab all of the harpoons. We’re gonna moor our ships to the island!”

“That’s not a good–” Eurylochus started, not agreeing with the king’s plan.

“Just do what I say!” he shooed the other away.

He himself rotated the wheel, so they were heading right toward the island, trying to aim to be kind of underneath it as if to shield them from the rain a little. And once they were close enough…

“Everyone! Aim at the island!” he gave the command, hearing Eurylochus shout to the rest of the fleet.

The ships surrounded the island, and on his command, the harpoons took flight. Some of them missed, but thankfully, Odysseus’ crew had a lot of good throwers. Some of them even rivaled him in strength and aim.

And so, each of his ships had at least one harpoon hit the island and therefore moored the ships to it. Odysseus himself tied the rope with quick movements, making sure that it was tight enough to hold them there.

Their actions seemed to have an effect on the storm as well. The wind lessened and the waves didn’t affect them as much anymore. They stood somewhat still, though the rain still beat down at them.

Odysseus looked up at the island, his plan formulating in his mind.

“Please don’t tell me that you plan to go up there…” Eruylochus, ever the attentive one, approached him.

“Well… I could tell you that, but it would be a lie,” Odysseus turned to him. “I mean, just look at it! It’s an island in the sky!”

“What does that mean exactly?” Perimedes, who stalked up to them, with Elpenor hanging on his arm, asked.

“There’s a legend that says, somewhere above the ocean flies an island. This island is the home of the great wind god, Aeolus,” Polites answered his question.

“But we can’t be sure that this is it!” Eurylochus, ever the pessimist, interrupted.

Odysseus looked at Eurylochus. Then blinked. And blinked again.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes! I mean, what are the chances of us discovering the island of a god?”

“This is an island!” Odysseus pointed up. “In the sky!”

“Still, there’s just no way–”

“How many floating islands have you seen before?” the king was slowly losing his patience.

“Well, none, but–”

The sandal slapped down with a wet smack. The sound kind of echoed between them and Eurlyochus’ face was one of shock.

“So, now that we’ve established that this is the home of the wind god,” Odysseus pulled his sandal back on, “we can end this discussion and I can get going.”

“But captain,” Elpenor started, “what’s your plan exactly?”

“I’m going to ask for help with this storm. If anyone can help, it’s the wind god.”

“Do not!” Eurylochus, still rubbing at his head, exclaimed. “You know how dangerous the gods are! You don’t know what’s ahead!”

“I feel like we already had this conversation…” Polites murmured.

“You’re right, we did. And my answer is still the same: we won’t know what awaits us if we don’t go and see it,” Odysseus tried to end the argument.

“But captain, how much longer can we go on like this? We’ve already encountered a monster that wanted to kill us. We only just survived a war. What happens with the next foe that we come upon?” Elpenor asked timidly. “How much longer ‘til our… your luck runs out?”

“Where is this all coming from?” Odysseus took a step back, to look at his crew, who had been silently listening to the discussion.

Perimedes looked around before answering him. “We just don’t want to lose anyone.”

“We haven’t–”

“Yet!” Elpenor interrupted him.

Odysseus looked at him. He was tempted to slap him for the interruption and the constant questions. But he knew, he had to deal with this in a slightly… gentler way.

“Okay, everyone!” he yelled, though everyone was already paying attention to him. “We are not going to die. Nobody is dying today!”

“You’re dying?” a crew member, Erastos, bless his soft heart, asked with a sad expression.

“What?” he asked, the abrupt question confusing him for a second.

“Please don’t die!” Erastos started crying, not wanting his captain to die.

“No! I’m not dying! And no one here will be dying. We’ll all survive, just like we did the war and even the cyclops!”

“Even Larry?” someone asked.

“Wh–” Odysseus looked at the crew member, Pamphilos, confused. “Who is Larry?”

“Me!” a guy, who Odysseus could swear he never saw, stood next to his soldier.

“Who are you?!”

“He is my friend!” Pamphilos happily put his arm around the guy. “We met in Troy! He’s very nice!”

Odysseus watched as the crew all shouted facts about the random guy from Troy and he felt the vein at his forehead throb. And the next thing that the crew noticed was the sandal hitting one of them.

They all took a step back, quieting.

“Enough,” Odysseus massaged the bridge of his nose. “I… don’t even want to know how you managed to get someone from the war onto our ship. What matters is,” he looked at them, “we can get home if I go and ask for help. So if no one else has a question about this, then go, rest and I’ll be back soon. Is that okay with everyone?”

Eurylochus put his hand up, but the only answer was Odysseus’ other sandal flying at his head.

“Good.”

With that, Odysseus turned toward the rope and stood on top of it, ready to climb. Before he could though, there was a hand on his arm and a soft pressure on his cheek. He turned to the source and Polites looked back at him.

“Be careful.”

The kiss was brief (just a brush of lips against cheek), but it struck deeper than any wound he’d earned in war. Odysseus didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Not yet. He just nodded, turned, and began to climb.

Chapter Text

The wind god proved to be… interesting to say the least. All Odysseus got out of that encounter was a bag, filled with the winds of the storm, and his head filled with even more confusion.

Truly, Odysseus would need at least a month to sort through every thought that he had. Because there were too many things happening at once. There was the storm, his crew, what happened in the cyclops’ cave… the kiss.

Maybe the thing that Odysseus needed the most was sleep, because the gods knew he was going to have his hands full with his crew once he touched down on his ship.

“Captain!”

And there they were. With the help of the wind god, Odysseus gently landed on the salt-and-wind haze of the deck and looked at his crew.

“What did the wind god say?” Elpenor, the first to approach him, asked.

“Fuck that, what do you have there?” Perimedes, always close behind his… lover?, dismissed the earlier question.

“It’s something dangerous, so we mustn’t–”

“It’s treasure!” the little… wind… minions shouted in glee.

“You–” Odysseus was already reaching for his sandal to slap the creatures away.

“Bye bye!” they said quickly and escaped before Odysseus could whack them.

“Captain! You would hide treasure from us?”

“Yeah, captain, please!”

“Show it to us!” some men yelled.

“Let us see!”

More and more of his crew came to see the bag, crowding around Odysseus. There were eyes everywhere, watching him and the bag, all hopeful of something great. Even Eurylochus and Polites crept closer, trying to peek at the supposed treasure. Larry, the trojan, even tried to reach out for the bag, but Pamphilos pulled him back quickly.

“We thought you loved us!”

“I–” Odysseus’ brows furrowed. “Where did you get that from?”

“You don’t love us?” Erastos asked, eyes already watering.

“I–”

“The captain doesn’t love us!” he broke down, turning around to hide his face in one of his mates’ shoulders. The crew member just shook his head as he gently patted his back.

“How did you even survive the war?!” Perimedes frowned, scoffing at the man’s softness.

At that question, Erastos started crying even more and Pamphilos stepped between them.

“He’s sensitive, don’t patronize him!”

“Okay, enough!” Odysseus raised his voice a bit, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Seriously, like children, the lot of you,” he shook his head.

“Children you apparently don’t love?” Polites chimed in, appearing at his side.

“Not you too” Odysseus looked at him, but the other man just stared back at him with big, innocent eyes.

“Can we just see what’s inside the bag?” Elpenor stepped closer.

“No!” he hid the bag behind his back. “I’m serious about this. The bag contains something dangerous and if you open it, we’re never getting home.”

“We’ll never get home?” Erastos’ sobbing became even worse, but Odysseus, for the sake of his sanity, decided to ignore him.

“Do not open the bag! Does everyone understand?” he stressed the words, trying to get everyone to understand.

The crew mumbled some type of acknowledgement and Odysseus sighed. “Good.”

With that, he stepped off of the platform and weaved through the crowd, everyone slowly dispersing, going about their business. He approached the crew member, who still tried to calm a seemingly inconsolable Erastos.

“Can I see the bag?” Eurylochus stopped him.

“You won’t open it, right?” he looked up at the man.

“I won’t,” his second in command nodded.

“Promise?”

“Promise. I just want to see the bag’s design” Eurylochus put a calming hand on Odysseus’ shoulder. “You can trust me.”

“Okay. I trust you,” Odysseus nodded, giving his best friend the bag and focusing on his crying crew member.

The man comforting Erastos nodded and turned him toward the captain. The older man looked at him with sad eyes, the tears not seemingly wanting to stop. There was something akin to hurt in his eyes, making Odysseus’ own heart twist a bit.

“Why don’t you love us?” he asked, his voice small and fragile.

“You’re my men, my crew, I don’t–” he couldn’t really explain why ‘love’ wasn’t the first word that came to mind when he thought about his men. “I care about you.”

“You do?” Erastos straightened up a bit, his eyes hopeful.

“I do,” he admitted, fully honest.

“But you’re…” the older man gulped, still trying to stop his tears. “You’re like… like…”

“You’re like… our dad!” Elpenor walked by them.

“What?” Odysseus’ brows furrowed, but before anyone could explain what they meant by that, there was a shout and a sudden gust of wind. “What the–”

While Odysseus was busy talking to Erastos, Eurylochus and a few of the crew gathered around the wind bag. A smaller scuffle broke out and due to the tugging of the bag, it opened, releasing the wind, and along with it the storm.

“Oh my gods, you idiots!” was Odysseus’ first sentence when he could finally get words out.

They were suddenly thrown back, as the wind sent his fleet flying through the water, getting more and more distance between them and the island in the sky. Odysseus scrambled up to his feet, diving for the bag, trying to close it as quickly as he could. Polites, who saw what he was doing dived toward him. With both of their strength they managed to close the bag.

“You,” Odysseus stood up once they stopped moving so fast, the rain already beating down on them. “Had one job!” he yelled, his face flushing with anger. “One single job! Do NOT open the bag!”

The crew cowered at the sight of their captain, fearing his wrath.

“Who was it? Who did it?” he asked, looking around. Nobody dared to say a word. “Eurylochus,” he turned toward his second in command. “I gave you the bag. What happened?”

“I don’t–”

“We had this bag for only a few minutes!” he shouted, his eyes closing at the strength. “You couldn’t even last a day! I can’t believe you all! This was the easiest task I ever gave you! Do. Not. Open. The bag! That was it!” he looked around at his crew. “Did I ask you to win another war? No! Did I ask you to hunt for food? No! Did I ask you to fight the cyclops? NO!” he paced around, on the verge of a breakdown. “I can’t believe–”

“Odysseus,” a deep voice rumbled through the storm.

“Not now!” he didn’t even turn around, just kept looking at his crew, whose eyes were wide and scared. “You all are capable men and you couldn’t–”

“ODYSSEUS OF ITHACA!” the deep rumble, this time much louder and accompanied by a huge wave, came from behind him.

“WHAT?” he turned around, looking up at the sound, which turned out to be Poseidon, god of the sea. The god towered over them, giant and water-like. His hair floated in the air, even though there wasn’t anything to keep it up. “What do you want? What could be so important that you had to interrupt my scolding?!” he could feel the vein throbbing at his temple.

“How dare you talk to me like that?” Poseidon asked, getting angrier by the second.

“And how dare you interrupt me?” Odysseus put his hands on his hip. “But now that you have, speak up! What is so important that it couldn’t wait a few seconds?”

“You hurt my son!”

“Who?” Odysseus’ brows furrowed.

“My son!”

“Yeah and who is that?” he asked, still not understanding.

“Polyphemus!” when Poseidon saw that the name didn’t ring a bell, he clicked his tongue. “The cyclops!”

“Oh, that big baby was yours?” Odysseus frowned in slight disgust. “How?”

“That–” Poseidon was thrown out of his element, not expecting anyone to react to him that way. “It doesn’t matter! How dare you hurt my son?”

“He deserved it!” Odysseus, still not seeing the point, stated. “He was going to kill us.”

“You’ll die for that! I’ll make you bleed!” Poseidon, growing bigger thanks to the water surrounding him, lashed out with his arm, creating a strong wave, throwing them back.

Odysseus stayed standing, but only thanks to Polites’ strong arms that closed around his waist. He looked up at Poseidon, his expression morphing into one of fury. What Poseidon was doing was way too much. Even if he wanted to punish him for hurting his son (it was only a slap or two, not even a big deal), he was blowing it out of proportion.

“You better stop that right now!” he yelled.

“I will make sure you drown!” Poseidon’s next wave threw them to the ground, everyone holding onto each other and the mast to not fall into the water.

Odysseus had kicked off his sandals earlier in frustration (and thank the gods for that). He looked at his crew for only a moment. Then he didn’t even think, he just yeeted his sandal, aiming toward Poseidon’s face. He was preparing for the next wave… But then the sandal hit.

“What the–” his big wave turned into a small one as he staggered back a few paces out of shock.

“Do not,” Odysseus stood up, fuming and with his other sandal in his hand. “Hurt. My. Children!” and he sent the other sandal flying with all his power.

Poseidon saw the sandal flying toward him. Of course he did. But it flew at him in such speed, he couldn’t even bring his hand up to stop it. It hit him right in the middle of his forehead, bringing forth such pain, he never experienced before.

“Ow!” he yelped. “You little mortal–”

But by that moment, Odysseus took his first sandal (which thankfully rebounded to him) and yeeted it back at the god.

The third strike was just as big as the second one, if not bigger, hitting in the same place. Poseidon was close to tears, the pain tearing through his head with extreme force.

“Ow, you little–” he started, lifting his hand. “Go away!”

And with a final wave, he sent the fleet speeding toward a nearby island, annoyed and hurt. He didn’t even look at their journey, he just pulled back into the water and hid in his castle to lick his wounds.

On the ship though, Odysseus was still fuming, lying on the ground. Poseidon’s last wave threw him off his feet and their crash into the island nearly destroyed their ship. With a groan, he stood up, dusting himself off. Next to him, Polites turned from his stomach to his back, then after a second he sat up.

“Are you okay?” Odysseus crouched down in front of him, worried for his well-being.

“Yeah,” Polites blinked a couple times, trying to clear his dizzy spell. “I think so.”

“Good,” he reached out and gently pulled the other man up, then picked his glasses up. “I… think we’ll need to make you new ones.”

“Oh,” Polites blinked and grabbed the glasses, squinting at the broken lens. “Yeah, probably.”

“We’ll get on that,” Odysseus promised and then looked around. “Is everyone alright?”

The crew was lying on the floor, all over the place, but everyone seemed to be there and in one piece. There were a couple grumbles here and there, but most of them called out with an ‘okay’, so Odysseus calmed down a bit. He turned to look at his other ships and was glad to see all of them made it in one piece.

“Captain!” his only warning was the yell before a body crashed into him.

It was Erastos.

Of course it was Erastos. The dramatic, over-emotional man, who–

“You saved us again!” Erastos hugged him tightly. “Thank you, father!”

“Oh…” Odysseus’ face heated up. “Oh, you’re… welcome.”

“Alright, let him breathe,” Polites pushed the older man away, freeing Odysseus from his vice grip. “Go, make sure the others are alright. Take some men with you.”

Erastos nodded and Polites, slightly blind from his lack of functional glasses, led Odysseus down from the ship. He sat him down and took his arm. It was only now that Odysseus noticed that he scraped the skin on his arm off in a quite large area.

“Oh…” Odysseus blinked. “I didn’t even…”

“I know. But I did,” Polites smiled gently. “Even half blind.”

Odysseus chuckled softly and looked at the man, who was treating him.

“Thank you,” Odysseus said, his voice private and warm.

“Anything for you, Ody,” Polites’ smile grew brighter.

And this time, Odysseus didn’t think. He just reached up with his free hand and pulled the other man into a kiss.

Chapter Text

Polites positively melted into the kiss. His hands were quick to find their way into Odysseus’ hair, tangling his fingers into his locks, wanting to pull the man as close as he could.

And Odysseus… oh Odysseus couldn’t keep his hands off of the man, pulling him ever closer, right into his own lap, wanting to feel nothing else but Polites. He didn’t care about the pain in his arm, or the bruises that formed from being tossed around the ship.

No, the only thing that mattered was the man in his arms devouring his lips.

His heart pounded against his chest, his hands shaked if he didn’t hold Polites strong enough, he couldn’t breathe, but he also didn’t want to. Finally kissing Polites was everything he needed or wanted at the moment.

It was Polites who pushed him away after what felt like ages, but was likely only a few minutes.

“I…” the man started, licking his lips, when he couldn’t think of anything to say. Odysseus couldn’t help but follow the movement with his eyes.

Their faces were flushed, their hearts beating fast. They had so much to say, yet didn’t know where to start.

“I…” Odysseus started instead. “I’m sorry for…”

“No, don’t be!” Polites immediately stopped him, knowing the king was going to apologize for the sudden kiss. “Please, this was…” he didn’t know how to finish his sentence.

“Yeah…” Odysseus sighed and couldn’t help himself any longer, he pulled Polites in for a hug.

“Is this…” Polites whispered. “Is this going to be a problem? For you and…”

“No,” Odysseus shook his head and buried his face into Polites’ neck. “I’ll… it’ll all be okay.”

“Good,” Polites melted into his arms for a second, before pulling back. “So you’re… not mad for what happened at the cyclops’ cave?”

“Never was,” Odysseus shook his head again. “I was only confused.”

“Yeah…” Polites sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Odysseus smiled and put his hand on the other’s cheek.

Polites smiled and leaned in for another kiss, happy to be able to do that. And this time, their kiss was less desperate and more sweet, filled with all the affection they couldn’t and didn’t dare to share before. And though they would have to talk about everything that this new… relationship would entail, they were just happy to spend some time in each other’s company.

They stayed close, breath mingling, hands still tangled in each other’s hair and robes. The moment lingered, sweet and strange, as if neither dared to move too quickly and risk waking up from it.

Well… that is until they heard a voice behind them.

“Ewww.”

Separating from Polites, Odysseus looked behind him to see Perimedes and Elpenor standing there. Perimedes looked absolutely disgusted and Elpenor was just smiling at the two of them.

“Get a room, you two,” Perimedes added to his comment.

“You’re one to talk,” Polites commented, hinting towards the many times that Elpenor and Perimedes would just kiss in front of the crew.

“We always try to sneak off…” Elpenor said, his face heating up.

“Everyone can see you” Polites shook his head, smiling. “But it’s alright, we’re happy that you two are happy.”

“Except when you interrupt important things,” Odysseus grumbled.

“And what exactly was so important back there? You trying to inhale his soul?” Perimedes sneered.

“If I was, it's none of your business,” the captain replied in the same fashion.

“Actually,” Eurylochus, who seemed to have the perfect timing for when to show up, popped up behind the pair. “We should check out this island.”

“Then go check it out!”

“We need Polites.”

“Why?” Odysseus furrowed his brows.

“Because he’s nice to us,” Elpenor reasoned.

“Aw,” Polites smiled at the group.

“Can’t you just do it without him?” Odysseus asked, holding onto Polites’ chiton.

“Actually, no,” Eurylochus shook his head.

“I’ll be back soon,” Polites said immediately when he saw Odysseus’ face souring. “It’ll be no time.”

“Okay,” Odysseus sighed, pressing a quick peck on Polites’ lips, then standing up. “Make sure they stay in line, don’t let them do anything stupid.”

“I’ll look after them,” Polites smiled and just for the sake of it, pressed another kiss to his lips.

Odysseus watched Polites disappear into the trees, already missing the warmth of him. Behind him, his crew called for orders. Of course. There was never going to be peace for long. Not for a man like him.

“Captain!” he heard a sudden yell and the sound of footsteps fast approaching. “Captain!”

Odysseus turned around to see Eurylochus running toward him. “Eurylochus, why are you back? Where are the others?”

“An awful thing happened, captain!” he stumbled to a stop in front of his king. “It’s a tragedy, truly!”

“What happened? Tell me quickly!” Odysseus was starting to feel worried. A thousand things ran through his head.

“We found a true monster, something no one can defeat!”

“What do you mean? What happened, speak clearly!”

“It took them, it took them all!” Eurylochus cried out.

“What took them? What is this monster you speak of?” Odysseus was trying not to panic, but it was hard. There was a monster on this seemingly peaceful island, something that can’t be defeated. And it took his crew. It took his children. It hurt them? Are they dead now? How–

“A woman.”

Odysseus’ mind halted for a moment. “What?”

“We stumbled upon a palace, beautiful and large. There was a woman at the door, inviting us in, offering food and some rest. Everyone was tired from the events of the day, they were hungry and so they just went in…” Eurylochus was finally explaining everything, but Odysseus couldn’t help but interrupt him.

“Wait, wait. So you mean to say that you met a woman and you classified her as a ‘monster’ ?” He asked, more confused than mad for now.

“Because she turned them into pigs!”

“What?” Odysseus’ eyebrows furrowed. “So wait, this woman was a witch? And she turned the men into pigs? Why?”

“I don’t know!”

“Gods have mercy…” Odysseus murmured, massaging the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Okay, so… You head to sleep, we’ll talk about your opinion on women after I save those idiots.”

“You can’t!” Eurylochus grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “You could be killed!”

“I can’t just leave them like that! What would you say to their families? Sorry, your sons were idiots and got themselves turned into pigs, so we left them?”

“Well…”

“No, idiot!” Odysseus pushed Eurylochus’ hands off of himself. “You should be ashamed, your brothers are in danger and you turn your back to them?” he tsked, shaking his head.

Eurylochus hung his head low and the captain could see a pout on his lips. Truly, he couldn’t leave his men behind, he needed to save them.

“Alright, now please do as you were told and I’ll be back.”

“But–”

“No buts!” this time, Odysseus raised his sandal to show: he was serious about this. “And anyway, Polites is there as well. You can’t possibly expect me to leave him behind.”

Eurylochus seemed to think about this fact for a moment, then nodded. “No, you’re right. Sorry father.”

“Good.”

And with that, Odysseus was off to save his children. Again.

Chapter Text

“I must say,” a sing-song voice called from somewhere. “You were brilliant back there, darling.”

Odysseus looked around, not seeing the source of the voice. “Who is there?”

“Just a friend,” the voice hummed, suddenly sounding closer to him, but when he looked behind his back, there was no one. “I could help you, if you’re interested.”

“Who are you?”

“A certain god,” the voice giggled, “whose blessing could save your men.”

“Oh,” Odysseus looked around again, “are you like… Hermes?”

“Ha ha ha!” the chuckle, this time louder, came from above him. “And, the winner of the game is: Odysseus of Ithaca!”

The mentioned god flew down in an arch, circling him once and even Odysseus couldn’t contain a smile. Hermes landed in front of him with a flourish.

“Wow…” Odysseus breathed. “You… don’t look anything like I imagined you to be.”

That was true. The god was half wearing a fur coat, and his eyes weren’t hidden behind his helmet as Odysseus was told they were, no. The god wore darkened glasses, behind them, his glowing eyes. He also had a satchel with him, filled to the brim with different things.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Hermes grinned widely and winked at Odysseus, his tiny wings on his head fluttering as he did so. “So darling, I hear you’re going up against Circe, the queen of this island.”

“I… am,” Odysseus nodded. “But surely, everything will be fine. I’ll explain that my men are idiots and promise to not burden them while we gather strength.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Hermes shook his head, pulling his glasses down a little to look at the Ithacan without any barriers. “No, darling, that’s just… not possible. You see, Circe hates men. Therefore, she’ll hate you as well,” he pointed to Odysseus. “So you need help. And thankfully,” he pushed his glasses back and flashed another grin, “I’m a great helper.”

“I…” Odysseus didn’t know what to say for a moment.

The god was offering help. Without anything in exchange? What was this god doing here? Would he genuinely help Odysseus? Why?

“Okay darling, I don’t have all day, so tell me. Do you want my help or not?” Hermes was getting impatient.

“Yes!” Odysseus said immediately, which caused the god to smile widely once again.

“Great! Here’s a root that will fix 99% of your problems!” Hermes offered a flower from his satchel, the root of it still covered in dirt.

Odysseus frowned at the flower in disgust.

“Did you… did you just pull this from the ground?”

“No…?” Hermes smiled innocently.

“You–”

“Anyway, just eat it and then your men will be safe!” the god waved his hand, dismissing Odysseus’ questions and concerns.

“Eat it?!” Odysseus asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, what did you think you needed to do?” Hermes furrowed his brows. “Plant it?”

“I don’t know! It has dirt on it still!”

“Eh, just eat it, you’ll be fine!”

“No!”

“You already took it, you can’t give it back!”

“That’s very suspicious.”

“Just eat the moly!” Hermes shouted and truly, Odysseus got so frightened by the sudden change in volume, that he just threw the flower into his mouth and swallowed it in one go.

That seemed to be a mistake as he not only choked on the size of the flower, but also gagged at the awful taste. Besides the dirt, Odysseus could taste a horrible bitterness mixed with some saltiness.

“There, there,” Hermes slapped his back (quite strongly so) a couple times until Odysseus could actually swallow the flower fully. “The effect should be imminent, so you must hurry along now.”

“Gods…” Odysseus croaked, trying to take in a full breath again. “You’ll be the death of me.”

“Hm,” the god giggled at his words. “Or it’ll be Circe. Either way, you very well may die,” he agreed. “Now. Get in there and win the fight.”

“Thank you,” Odysseus groaned as he was shoved forward, noticing that he was close to the palace of the witch.

“Good luck!” Hermes pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before he flew away, quickly disappearing from Odysseus’ view.

Odysseus could only stare after the god, feeling more tired than he has been for the past month since they were out at sea. He just desperately wanted to get home and have a good night’s sleep. Maybe a full day if he could manage. Have Penelope in his arms. Maybe even keep Telemachus close, try to be the father he never was. And Polites… he’d fit well into his little family.

Ah, a dreamlike life, truly.

“Who are you?” came a voice, and Odysseus would've been frightened if the voice wasn’t so sickly sweet. It reminded him of the cyclops’ cave.

But this time, when he looked up, he only saw a beautiful woman, long hair flowing behind her.

“Lady of the palace!” he called out, a smile pulling on his lips. The effect of the moly, surely. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, I’m looking for my men.”

“Ah, the pigs that came here to steal our peace?” Circe scoffed, looking down at the short king.

“Yeah, I heard they are just that,” Odysseus scoffed. “I’m sorry about them, they weren’t supposed to invade your place.”

“Too late for that, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Still, I ask you to release them.”

“No,” the queen of the isle said simply. No thoughts given, just plain like that. No.

“Please?” he asked again.

“No.”

Odysseus huffed, slightly annoyed. But he wasn’t without hope or tactics. He still had a few under his belt. He would just have to dig deeper and forget his tiredness for a moment.

“And if I promise they won’t harm you or your nymphs?” he tried one last time.

“My answer is still no,” she shook her head and stood from her seat. “Your men will learn their place before–”

“Circe,” a sweet, familiar voice called and soft footsteps followed. “I–” it was Polites. “Ody!” he squealed when he saw the king and quickly passed the jug that he was holding to one of the nymphs before running to him. “Oh, how I missed you!”

“It’s only been a few hours,” Odysseus murmured, but hugged back the man, drinking in his warmth and scent. “I feared you had been turned as well.”

“Oh, no–”

“I would never turn this sweetheart into a pig,” Circe chimed in from behind them. “He’s too cute for that.”

“I agree,” Odysseus murmured, pulling away from the man in question, who beamed down at him. “As for the others, I have come for them and I’ll not leave without them. You’ll give them back to me no matter what method I have to use.”

“Little mortal, you’d be done for if you took just one wrong step,” Circe hissed.

“Woah, woah, woah, hey!” Polites stepped between them. “There’s no need to get hasty, we can talk this out!” he turned toward Circe. “Could you just let them go? For me?”

“I’m sorry, but no. They invaded my land, had unsavory thoughts toward my nymphs and awful manners. They’ll stay as pigs for the rest of their lives,” Circe said, though her voice was softer when talking to Polites. “What’s more, I should turn you into a pig as well,” she looked at Odysseus. “For even bringing them here.”

“We didn’t mean to come here. Poseidon forced us here,” Odysseus rolled his eyes. “We were just trying to get home but all these gods and monsters want to keep us away,” he explained, though he himself didn’t know why. “Stupid war, I knew we shouldn’t have even fought in it.”

Circe looked at him with furrowed brows. “What?”

“What?” Odysseus looked back at her, confused.

“How did you meet Poseidon? Why did he force you here?”

“Oh, that is a fun story,” Polites smiled.

“Not really,” Odysseus sighed. “Basically, we were looking for food after we left Troy and stumbled upon a cave where this cyclops wanted to kill us for no reason. I slapped him with my sandal and he blabbed to his father, who turned out to be Poseidon and he forged a huge storm to stop us and then tried to kill us all,” he rubbed at his forehead, feeling a dull ache there. “Then I slapped him as well and we ended up here.”

Circe and her nymphs just stared at Odysseus, eyes wide with shock. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. This mortal man, shorter than most, was so strong that he beat a cyclops and a god ? Not only that, but with his sandals only?

“You…” Circe blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. “I’ll… I’ll get your men and help you get to a prophet who’ll help you get home.”

Odysseus blinked. That worked? How?

But there wasn’t any time to really ask questions, because a group of pigs were herded in by nymphs and, given the antidote, turned back to their original form. His crew.

“You lot!” Odysseus hissed when they turned to him, their wide smiles at seeing their captain come to their rescue, immediately melting off. “How idiotic can you be?!” and there was the first smack, the sandal landing between two of the men after hitting their arms. “What did I tell you? To go harass whoever lives on this island? No!” another smack landed on one of their head. “I only told you to look around and report back!”

“Ow, we’re sorry father!” some of them whined after they were slapped by Odysseus.

“Go back to the camp and don’t let me see you today!” he pointed to the door of the palace with his sandal and the men hung their heads as they headed out, all murmuring a ‘sorry father’ as they went.

Circe and the nymphs watched the scene with wide eyes, something akin to admiration shining in them.

“I see now how you handle things,” Circe hummed and followed Polites’ movements, who picked up Odysseus’ discarded sandal and gave it back to him. “I must say, I’m impressed by your parenting techniques.”

“Thank you,” Odysseus sighed, more tired than before. “And I’m sorry they caused trouble. We’ll leave your island as soon as we can.”

“No need,” Circe shook his head and a nymph went up to her, handing a scroll to her. “Stay as long as you need. This land has enough resources for you to gather your strength before you set out on your journey to the Underworld.”

“The Underworld?” the king’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, where did you think the prophet was?”

“I don’t know! Didn’t expect him to be in the Underworld!” Odysseus shrugged dramatically.

“Well, he’s there and I assume he’ll be waiting for you,” she hummed and gave the scroll to him. “Now go, your crew awaits your return.”

“Thank you,” he bowed deep in front of the queen of the isle. “For all your help. We won’t outstay your welcome, but will take time to recuperate.”

“As you should,” Circe nodded. “Be safe.”

“Thank you.”

And with that, Odysseus grabbed Polites’ hand (who waved at Circe happily) and they headed off, back to their ships. Hopefully, they would have some peace there.

Chapter Text

They stayed on Circe’s island for six months. It turned out, the sails suffered a lot in the storm and some of the ships had been damaged when they hit the island.

Through their six months, most of them stayed away from the palace, as instructed by Odysseus. There was only one who dared to approach Circe. Polites. The very same that kept Odysseus hopeful and warm during the colder days.

And now, they were sailing toward the entrance to the Underworld. Before they went, Circe warned them that they might experience a lot of discomfort once they passed the barrier. There would be souls wailing, those whom they loved and lost, it would be cold and damp and all around just not a fun time.

So imagine Odysseus’ surprise when they sailed inside the mist and saw the river, saw the souls, but there were no voices. There wasn’t any wailing. Just a gentle hum around the air.

“Oh,” Odysseus murmured. “That is interesting.”

“I can’t hear anything…” Eurylochus stepped up to him.

“The hum is a bit eerie though,” Elpenor hugged Perimedes’ arm.

“It’s like a gentle warning,” Perimedes agreed with a stern face. “Like we should turn back.”

“That’s probably its job,” the captain turned toward his crew. “After all, we’re alive and not supposed to be down here.”

“So… full speed ahead?” Eurylochus asked.

“Until we find the prophet,” he nodded.

And to be fair, it didn’t take long to find the prophet. There were mountains, cliffs, and valleys around the river, but one stood out. And not only because there was someone standing on them, but because it kind of… glowed. Though maybe glow isn’t the correct word for it. But Odysseus couldn’t explain it any other way.

“I think that’s him,” he looked at Polites, who was wiping at his forehead after his shift at rowing.

“Probably,” Polites nodded. “I mean he has a staff and is wearing a robe. So…”

“I’ll go to him and ask for his help.”

“Be careful,” he squeezed his hand as the ships docked. “And… don’t let the prophecy perturb you. Whatever it may be.”

“You think he’s going to tell me a prophecy?”

“I mean he’s called the prophet for a reason.”

“You’re right…” Odysseus sighed and pulled Polites down for a quick kiss. “I’ll be back.”

“You better.”

With that, Odysseus climbed down from the ship and started his trek up to the cliff. The Underworld was dark, but the river seemed to glow, filling the place with a light bluish color.

And up on the cliff, there stood the prophet, his back to Odysseus.

“Are you–”

“I am the prophet.”

“With–”

“With the answers you seek.”

“Oh. Okay. I kind of guessed that.”

“I know.”

Odysseus blinked and waited for a moment. Was the prophet going to tell him the answers then? But when he didn’t say anything after a minute, the king sighed.

“Are–”

“I am going to tell you the answers.”

Another minute passed.

“Do–”

“You do need to ask the question.”

“But–”

“I know them. But I need to hear it.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“You–”

“I am annoying.”

Odysseus sucked in a breath, his–

“Your patience is wearing thin.”

“Would you–”

“Stop it? No.”

Odysseus’ fists clenched. This… man was going to be the reason he lost all his remaining sanity. He sucked in another breath and breathed it out slowly, trying to calm himself.

“We’re–”

“Traveling home,” the prophet hummed, interrupting him.

“But we–”

“Keep getting chased by foes.”

Odysseus pressed his lips together, biting back a groan. “How–”

“Do you escape them? You can’t.”

“What?!”

“You can’t escape them,” the prophet said again, slower this time and articulating every word. Like he was stupid and couldn’t understand him. He was going to slap this man.

“But then–”

“How do you get home?” the prophet finished his question. “I don’t know.”

“Then why–”

“Did you come here?” the prophet shrugged again. “I don’t know.”

“What–”

“Kind of prophet I am? One who tells prophecies,” he answered simply, leaning on his staff. “Not someone who sells maps.”

“THEN TELL ME THE PROPHECY!” Odysseus yelled, finally snapping.

“Okay, gods, you don’t have to yell,” the prophet frowned. “What a barbarian…” he muttered under his breath, but Odysseus could hear him. And his eye twitched.

The next moment, Odysseus leaned down, pulled his sandal off his left foot and sent it flying toward the prophet. He honestly should’ve expected him to lean out of the way, but still, he was pushed into false hope because the prophet was blind. He could only hear the splash as his sandal got lost in the river.

There was a moment of silence.

“That won’t work,” the prophet said finally.

“You–”

“Don’t throw your other sandal, it’ll be lost like the first.”

The prophet turned around, facing the river. Then he finally started to talk. “My name is–”

“Tiresias, I know.”

“I know you know,” he turned back to face the man. “I am a prophet, I see the past and the future. Hear me, great traveler as I tell your future.”

“You don’t need to be so dramatic,” Odysseus sighed, tiredness hitting him like a brick. He just wanted to go back to his ship, guide them out of the Underworld and go home. Was that too much to ask?

“Odysseus of Ithaca!” the prophet said with such force, it made Odysseus jump. “You will be tried by the gods, suffering through many trials. There’ll be monsters you have never faced before trying your patience, taking what is most precious to you. And after it all, your home will be lost to men, who believed you’re dead.”

“What?!” Odysseus interrupted, angered by the prophecy.

“When everything is lost, Odysseus of Ithaca, you’ll no longer be the man you once were,” Tiresias’ voice lowered and the bandage covering his eyes slipped down, showing his eye, empty and glowing.

Odysseus couldn’t help but stare. It was a sight that would spell danger and uneasiness in every mortal. But all Odysseus could think was…

“What the f–”

“That is your prophecy,” Tiresias interrupted him as he straightened up again. “Now go, live it.”

“That is a horrible prophecy,” Odysseus frowned. “I don’t want this.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’re awful.”

“You know you love me,” Tiresias smirked, fixing his bandage.

“Ew. Goodbye.”

Without another word, he left the prophet there, still processing the words. He basically ran back, trying to escape the uncomfortable feeling settling in him. He needed some comfort. And he needed… they needed to get out of the Underworld.

“Captain!” he heard the first shout from his ship. “Everyone, the captain is back!”

“Father!” some of them yelled.

“Are you okay?” Polites asked as he helped him up on the ship.

“Let’s go, everyone, we’re going home,” he said, focusing on the crew for a moment. They all cheered and immediately got to work.

“Is everything okay?” Eurylochus approached him.

“Yeah, we’re heading home. Let’s get out of here and then I’ll guide us home,” he sighed and turned his back to him, letting Polites tag along with him.

They went to the captain’s small, but private room, where Odysseus collapsed onto Polites once he closed the door.

“Woah, what’s wrong Ody?”

“He was awful,” he whined.

“Who? The prophet?”

“Yeah. He was so annoying, kept interrupting me and then told me he didn’t know how we’re gonna get home.”

“But you just told Eurylochus that you’d guide us home!”

“I’ll figure it out, but Polites…” he hid his face in the other’s lap, seeking comfort. “I hated that guy.”

“Tell me what he told you,” Polites sighed and buried his fingers in Ody’s hair, untangling the strands. “What was the prophecy about?”

And Odysseus told him. About the gods, the monsters. About the men in his home. And how the prophet said that he wouldn’t be the same man he once was.

Through his tale, he calmed down, Polites keeping a steady rhythm of pulling at his hair gently and combing it.

“Alright,” Polites hummed after a moment of silence. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you figure something out.”

“Really?” he lifted his head, looking at his… lover? They still weren’t clear on the word they used for their relationship. “You’ll help?”

“Of course, Ody,” Polites smiled and cupped his face. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Odysseus’ mouth finally pulled up in a smile, leaning in to kiss the other. The soft lips on his and the way they moved helped him calm down even more and he finally sat up and slid into Polites’ lap, his arm going around the other. A sudden thought though made him pull back for a second. “Could the ‘no longer you’ comment mean that I’d change for the worse? That I’ll become a monster?”

Polites thought for a moment. This caring, rough around the edges, parentlike Odysseus becoming a monster? No, that’ll definitely not happen. Not under Polites’ watch.

“No, of course not,” Polites shook his head. “Not as long as I’m around.”

“Okay,” Odysseus melted again, letting Polites kiss all around his face and then neck. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Ody,” Polites murmured into his neck, pulling his hip closer to his own and putting his arms around him tightly. “You can relax, my love.”

Chapter Text

For the next month of careful sailing, Odysseus bullshitted his way through the route they were gonna take. From what he guessed, they were on the right track, though he couldn’t be sure. He’d need to see land for that.

But for now, he needed to focus on something else. Not far from their ship, there stood another, completely abandoned by its crew. He wondered what happened.

“Could it be pirates?” Eurylochus asked as he stood by his side.

“I… doubt,” Odysseus hummed. “There would be damage. But see? Not a scratch on the ship.”

“So… sirens?” Polites, who stood on his other side, asked.

“Most likely,” the captain hummed. “Any other idea would mean damage to the ship.”

“But could they have died from starvation?” Eurylochus still wasn’t sure about it. “It would leave the ship unharmed.”

“There would be bodies everywhere,” Odysseus shook his head.

“Died in their sleep?”

“We can’t risk the sirens,” he looked at his second-in-command. “No matter the cause of their death, if it is sirens, then we’ll be completely vulnerable to them.”

“So… beeswax?” Polites asked and Odysseus nodded.

“Eurylochus, please go down and get the jars. We’ll fill everyone’s ears with beeswax to keep them safe,” he looked at the taller man for a second. “I refuse to let anyone jump to their death.”

“Okay.”

As Eurylochus left, Odysseus sighed. They were probably on the right track toward Ithaca if they were encountering sirens. Many sailors spoke of them, half fish beings that had the ability to turn into your beloved. Their songs would lure sailors and travelers to their death.

“Are you alright?” Polites put a hand on his arm gently.

“Not really,” Odysseus looked at him. “We’ve dealt with larger foes, yet this one is the one that I feel like we’re gonna lose to.”

“Why do you feel that way?” Polites pulled him in for a hug. “We’ll fill everyone’s ears and then get through this little obstacle. We’ll be home soon.”

“It’s been almost twelve years…” he hid his face in his lover’s shoulder. “I… don’t know how long I can hold on.”

“It’s been less than a year since we started from Troy.”

“But we should’ve been home seven months ago.”

“Well… we’ll get home before we hit two years of travel,” Polites leaned back to look him in the eyes. “I promise you.”

“Oh, Polites. I sure hope you’re right,” he sighed and let Polites kiss him hard, making him forget his worries.

“Friends,” Odysseus addressed his crew, “we have reached a dangerous territory. In these waters there are sirens hiding, waiting for you to approach,” he looked at them. “They are able to turn into your most beloved and tempt you into jumping to your death,” there was a rumble of voices spreading through the crowd. “For that,” he continued, “we’re going to fill our ears with beeswax, every one of us. That way, we won’t hear their songs.”

“You mean there are women here?” a sudden voice shouted.

“We haven’t seen women in like… forever!”

“We want to hear them!”

“And die?” Odysseus asked incredulously. “No! If you do jump in, don’t come crying to me when you drown!”

“But dad!” someone whined.

“No and that’s final!” he pointed at them sternly. “Eurylochus, Polites and Perimedes will go around and pass beeswax to each of you. Put them in your ears. And if I see you leering at those women, I’ll lock you below deck!”

The crew looked positively fearful at that and did as they were told without another word.

Odysseus was right. There were sirens.

And one was trying to seduce him right at this moment.

“Hey handsome,” purred the siren, looking like Penelope.

“Ooh, it’s mom!” Odysseus heard a man shout in excitement, even through all the beeswax in his ear.

“Get back!” he yelled, whacking the man who stood by his side. He couldn’t be sure that the man heard him, but he sure as Hades felt the whack of his sandal. “I told you to do your job!”

With that, the man headed off, pouting, and Odysseus turned back to the siren.

“I’m sorry, where were we?”

“You were just about to jump in the water, my love,” the siren, slightly confused by what she just saw, tried to snap back into her role.

“Oh really? Interesting…” Odysseus hummed.

Siren-Penelope watched with big eyes. She was absolutely confused. This man, Odysseus of Ithaca, wasn’t supposed to react like this. They were meant to playfully flirt, she was meant to convince him to get in the water. And yet…

“So… are you gonna jump into the water?” she asked.

“Oh, no. Not yet, my dear,” Odysseus smiled sweetly, though there was something mocking about that smile.

“Why not? My love, we could be truly happy here,” the siren looked up at him from underneath her lashes. “Look, even your daughter is waiting for you!”

Odysseus watched as a small siren appeared next to Siren-Penelope. He blinked twice. What was even happening?

“Ah, yes. My daughter. How I missed you both,” he laughed quietly. “Still, you know that I’m afraid of the water.”

“With me you wouldn’t have to suffer!” Siren-Penelope jumped on that, swimming closer.

“But I’d be wet.”

“I would make sure you’re safe and dry!” she swam even closer. “Please, my love, it’s been so long!” she extended her hands toward Odysseus, inviting him.

“Fine…” Odysseus hummed. “But could you answer a question for me first?”

“Of course!”

“Okay, so… we’ve been sailing for a long time now, but I’m not sure which way we should go. You know, I’m a great navigator, and this is really embarrassing, but I’m kind of lost,” Odysseus leaned on the ship’s railing. “So tell me, my darling, which route is the safest for us?”

“Hmm,” Siren-Penelope hummed. “Well you have wandered quite far. You could go back the way you came and circle around the cyclops’ island there and head straight to Ithaca…”

“Or?”

“Or…” the siren looked at him. “You could go the quick way and sail through Scylla. There, you’d be safe from Poseidon, the cyclops and other gods.”

“But we’d get eaten by Scylla…” Odysseus furrowed his brows. "How's that a good route?"

“Well, you can choose. Either get home late and suffer through the cyclops, Poseidon and other gods again, or get home early and suffer through Scylla.”

“Well, that’s just perfect…” Odysseus murmured. It was a tough choice. “Fine. Thanks, Penelope-but-not-Penelope. Don’t wait up.”

And with that, he left the siren there, turned his back and headed to his crew, who have been sitting around mostly. He gestured to them to head toward Scylla’s lair.

The siren was too stunned to speak. She couldn’t even move as she watched the ships leave toward Scylla’s lair. And as her companions swam to her, she couldn’t even imagine. How did she fail? What happened?