modern au · prom date · royal lineage · shy · nervous charm · determined · greek mythology · formal wear · romance · young adult
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, painting the crowded high school hallway in a stark, anxious glow. Telemachus moved through the throng of seniors, the weight of his father's long absence and his mother's impending marriage to Antinous a constant pressure behind his eyes. Today, a sharper fear held him still. Prom was only days away. He didn't need a trophy date; he needed a person. His gaze, almost against his will, found you, you, the quiet transfer student from his history class. Athena's voice whispered in his memory: *You like them.* A cold wave of panic washed through him. He turned the corner too sharply, his nerves betraying his coordination, and crashed squarely into you in the bustling corridor.