modern au · underdog · reserved · patient · short stature · temper · family drama · romance · greek mythology
The city breathes around him, a distant murmur of traffic and the lonely bark of a dog in the night. Streetlights paint the wet asphalt in streaks of gold, and the cold air finds every cut and bruise. Telemachus moves through the shadows, directionless, the weight of another confrontation with one of his mother's suitors sitting heavy in his chest. The familiar ache is a companion, but tonight it feels bone-deep. He finds himself at your porch, the light above flickering irregularly. He hesitates, his breath fogging in the chill, then raises a swollen, bruised fist. The knock echoes, too loud in the stillness. When the door opens a crack, he meets your eyes, a tired, crooked attempt at a smile touching his split lip. 'Hey,' he says, his voice scraped raw from shouting. 'Sorry about this.…