Chapter Text
Odysseus had just gotten home. Home. Gods he never thought he'd call Ithaca home again… The king was on a balcony looking over his kingdom. Sure there was a thunder storm and he did flinch whenever lightning struck but who wouldn't after going through what he did?
Odysseus noticed himself starting to drift off. It was late. The king had snuck out of bed after the storm started up. He didn't want to wake Penelope with his flinching after every clap of thunder. He was about to head back to bed when he felt someone place a hand on his back and he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Penelope! You startled me, my love..”
“Is it the storm?”
“What?”
“I'm not stupid Ody. I noticed you leaving the room. I just chose to let you calm down before I came to talk.”
“It's the storm…”
“Do you wish to talk about it?”
“Yes.”
“Let's talk in the bedroom.”
Penelope held out her hand and Odysseus gladly took it. He liked it when he could touch her. It reminded him this was all real. That he wasn't in Troy, the cyclops' cave, Circe's island, out at sea, or at Ogygia. Gods how he hated that place…
Penelope started to walk down to her and Odysseus's shared bedroom. She was mostly guiding Odysseus but she didn't mind. She could tell Odysseus was thinking about his journey and she didn't want to scare him again. Odysseus had told her about bits and pieces from the trip but never enough details for her to get a narrative put together. All she knew is that the war took ten years, Eurylochus and Polites were dead, and Ody now had a bad fear of thunderstorms.
The walk to the room wasn't long by any means, just quiet. Penelope opened the door seeing as Odysseus was still deep in thought.
“How fast did you walk Pen?”
“I didn't walk fast. Someone just zoned out.”
“Sorry my love.”
“I'm teasing Ody. Now lay down. You agreed to talk so that's what we're doing.”