#based on modern family

[lyculuscaelus]

So lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts asking people to stop trying to make Odysseus look nice in their works cuz he’s a “messed-up person in the mythology”. Your opinion is valid however I have but one thing to point out:

You want to know who started all this? Who started to “make Odysseus look nice” in the first place?

It’s Homer. It’s nobody else but Homer himself.

A non-Homeric Odysseus would try to murder people out of his own interests. He’d murder Palamedes without remorse (and we’d be cheering over this but it’s a murder after all), he’d attempt to murder Diomedes just to get the Palladium himself, he’d volunteer to kill Astyanax…meanwhile you wouldn’t find any mention of either Palamedes or Nauplius in Homer’s poems, neither did he mention anything abt the Palladium heist (and Diomedes necessity did not happen until Conon’s version), the death of Astyanax, the distribution of war prizes, etc. And all the details in the Odyssey seemed to deny the existence of Nauplius’s vengeance at all, so Odysseus would not take any of the blame.

A non-Homeric Odysseus would be depicted as “cruel, treacherous”, meanwhile in book 10 of the Iliad Odysseus was not mentioned to have killed anyone during the marauding, neither did he promise Dolan anything at all. The negative interpretations are denied by these details subtly put by Homer.

A non-Homeric Odysseus would be widely known as a “coward” for only shooting arrows from afar. But Homer gave him a spear and had him absolutely slaying in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. That part of Ajax’s speech was invalid already.

Most importantly—a non-Homeric Odysseus would be having kids everywhere else, and the loyalty to his own wife as seen in the Odyssey is no where to be found. Meanwhile his lineage was a single-son line made by Zeus in the Odyssey, and his love for Penelope was one of his main drives, especially seen in book 5 of the Odyssey. He loved his family as a loving parent—something you don’t get to see in most of the non-Homeric writings—for most of the time they followed a different tradition indeed, in which Odysseus wasn’t half as nice as in the Odyssey.

TL;DR: in case you haven’t noticed, the characterization of the Homeric Odysseus was quite different from a non-Homeric version of Odysseus. It’s not that Homer didn’t know of the existence of other versions—he knew them too well, which is why in his version of the story, you don’t get to see any mention of them.

[bnnywngs]

modern mdzs au where lan xichen and lan wangji treat their father as if he's dead because they haven't seen him since they were kids and have no idea where he is, and lan qiren does nothing and says nothing so people believe qingheng-jun is dead.

then suddenly, he reappears looking all sad and remorseful asking for forgiveness and that he wants to get closer to his kids. everyone else is just so shocked to see him alive, while lan xichen looks and feels troubled (he doesn't want to, but filial piety... but he don't want to even look at this man, but filial piety.... but this man is but a stranger to him, not a father at all, but filial piety...) and lan wangji gives him a dirty look, a firm no and walks away (like the petty bitch he is).

lan wangji somehow convinces his brother to make the man go away and to not forgive him, because he does not deserve it.

"abandon him as he abandoned us." he says.

"no pretty words and ugly faces can erase those years, xichen, he's never been a father to you." nie mingjue says.

"i know it's hard, but you should face your own heart, xichen-ge. if you wanted to forgive him, you would've done it already. he's a stranger, as you say, and you don't owe him anything." wei wuxian said.

in the end, lan xichen asks his uncle (who he always secretly thought as his father) to send his progenitor away.

"what do you feel?" lan wangji asked.

"relieved." lan xichen smiled "sad, but still... i'm glad i don't have to deal with that again."

[navstuffs]

Her Old Man

Pairing: Revelations!Ezio x F!Reader

Warnings: harassment, some violence (some slaps), ezio gets called old, protective!ezio, angry!reader, non-canon compliance with revelations

Summary: Someone decides to harass you and insult your husband - without realizing who he is.

Author's Notes: heeey! i love me some protective trope so here it is. i have not played revelations but i have watched the video of Duccio hitting on Sofia (the idiot) 😂 so this fanfic is sorta based on that. enjoy your read!

requests for ezio are still open!

You loved shopping with Ezio: he always got the best discounts and treatment from merchants in town. Your husband never rushed you or sounded uninterested in the shops. To be honest, you were a little worried about Ezio's spending. Ezio liked to gift you everything you showed a slight hint of interest in it.

"I want you to have everything you want," Ezio argued every time you opened your mouth to complain.

That warm afternoon, you casually stroll between the shops with Ezio behind you. When the vendors recognize you, they announce their products, excited. Most to you than to Ezio. You end up buying two new paints at the Art Shop. Next, Ezio decides to check the Weapon Shop. While your husband checks the new arrivals, you check a small dress shop just in front.

You are amazed by the dresses on display: they all look like expensive pieces of art. You look behind your shoulder, and Ezio still looks focused, so you touch a red dress with black details.

"Interested in the dress?"

You turn around, facing the happy face of a young man dressed in a very fancy outfit. Judging him to be the seller, you smile and nod.

"They are so pretty! But I am just admiring that is all."

The young seller smiles back at you. You turn back to the dress, admiring how rich the fabric is. You thank mentally Ezio has yet to notice you. If he saw you like this, he would already have bought it.

"Money is the problem?"

"Not exactly," Which isn't an actual lie.

"I could give him to you. For a very low price."

You turn to the seller and notice he has gotten closer to you. You shake your head, smiling politely and deciding to leave.

"I have too many dresses already. "

"Come on, no woman has too many dresses. I can give you an excellent deal! I could put two or three of those dresses on it for you for the price of one."

You shake your head, starting to get away from the young seller in Ezio's direction. He decides to follow you, grabbing your wrist. With your heart pumping, you try to pull away from him, but the man squeezes you harder.

"You haven't even seen all dresses yet!"

"Any problem here?"

A wave of relief washes over your body. Ezio. He had kept his eye on you since you left his presence, and when the young seller started following you, he made his way toward you. Ezio's eyes darken when he sees the hand on your wrist.

"I suggest you let go of her."

"Or what? What are you going to do exactly, Old man?"

You blink, confused. Did you just hear that idiot call your husband "Old Man"? Didn't he have any sense of danger? Did he have any idea who Ezio was? Ezio could have some gray spots, but he was still a very attractive man. He got hit on everywhere you went! With the anger boiling inside your stomach, you breathe heavily to calm yourself. You don't want to put Ezio into trouble in your peaceful shopping afternoon.

"This is your last warning," Ezio warns, his voice a falsely calming tone.

"Do whatever you want, Granpa-OW!"

Before Ezio could even move, you lost your temper. Turning with your hand open, you hit the man across the face with all your strength, attracting everyone's stares.

"You do NOT insult my husband like that!"

Too shocked to react at first, the young seller lets go of your arm. His expression becomes enraged as he pulls out a small knife. Ezio instantly brings you behind him, his whole body hiding you from the young seller, ready to protect you.

Before things get uglier, an older man runs in front of the younger man, his posture apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Signore Ezio!"

After hearing this, the young man's eyes go wide. His eyes go from the older man's back to Ezio, finally recognizing who he is. He lets his knife fall to the ground, hiding behind the older man.

"Ezio, please forgive my son! I will be sure to teach him a proper lesson after this," The father says while the son looks down, embarrassed. Or afraid.

"I will be happier if he apologizes to my Signora."

After the younger man apologizes to you profusely, without looking up, that he was an idiot and that he would never harass anyone ever again, his father still offers you three dresses of your choice for free. You insist on paying, the owner insists on not receiving, and you stay on this back and forth until you finally announce you can't accept the son's apology if he doesn't take the payment.

Finally, walking away from the store, you sigh while Ezio carries the perfectly packed dresses. Ezio is the first one to break up the silence, concerned.

"Are you hurt, tesoro?""

"I am fine, Ezio."

Ezio gently grabs your wrist, his eyes scanning it. When he finds nothing worrisome, he takes your palms to his mouth, giving a gentle kiss.

"That slap was rather impressive."

"I mean, how dare he call you Grandpa? Old man? He deserved even worse!" You declare, the anger coming back. When you hear Ezio's laugh, you cross your arms "What is so funny?"

"Nothing. I didn't care about the insult, mia cara. I was more worried he was going to hurt you."

"He wasn't going to," You reply, confident, and Ezio smiles back, satisfied. No other word needed to be said: You knew Ezio would never let anyone hurt you. You interlock your fingers with him, a sense of safety inside your chest.

MASTERLIST | EZIO'S MASTELIST

[internetwerewolf]

Hiiii finally nailing down my general Frankenstein designs!! Lizzie Vic and Henry to start :D Really wanted to do my best designing historically accurate clothes while maintaining individual silhouettes and them being simplified enough to work in an animated sense

[here-comes-the-moose]

*incorrect quote for @callme-xo Modern Batch AU*

Echo: Yeah, the vet thinks Gonky has anxiety.

Crosshair, turning to Gonky: You and me both, buddy.

[halles-comet]

tony soprano voice: oh my god does it have to be like a fucking cancer hospital in here

[fefyla]

NEW BUILD!!!

TRAY FILE ON MY BLOG

[tragedyandterror]

ive made some playlists i thought i would share if anyone might like some bjr tunes! i have a serious one, a silly one, and one for the nebulous modern au tht lives in my brain

the last two i'll most likely still be adding songs here and there, but the 1st playlist is complete! i'll add the 1st playlist's tracklist+some lyric excerpts in the read more

black black heart - david usher

Something ugly this way comes Through my fingers sliding inside All these blessings all these burns I'm godless underneath your cover Search for pleasure search for pain In this world now I am undying I unfurl my flag my nation helpless Black black heart why would you offer more Why would you make it easier on me to satisfy I'm on fire I'm rotting to the core I'm eating all your Kings and Queens

dark entries - bauhaus

I came upon your room, it stuck into my head We leapt into the bed, degrading even lice You took delight in taking down my shielded pride Until exposed became my darker side

dissolved girl - massive attack

Shame, such a shame I think I kind of lost myself again Day, yesterday Really should be leaving, but I stay Say, say my name I need a little love to ease the pain Need a little love to ease the pain It's easy to remember, when it came

on the bound - fiona apple

You're all I need And maybe some faith would do me good I don't know what I'm doing Don't know, should I change my mind? I can't decide, there's too many variations to consider No thing I do don't do no thing but bring me more to do It's true, I do imbue my blue unto myself, I make it bitter

i think i'm paranoid - garbage

I think I'm paranoid And complicated I think I'm paranoid Manipulate it Bend me, break me anyway you need me All I want is you Bend me, break me, breaking down is easy All I want is you

symphony - dorian electra

Something's funny when I grab my guitar Feeling lonely like a dead shooting star I'm not the only one who's crashing your car (crashing your car) Need something louder just to drown out the scars (Make some fucking noise) Come on, baby, can't you see? (Can't you see?) I'm gonna need a symphony (symphony) And I'm gonna need to hear you scream

lecher bitch - genitorturers

I am the Lecher Bitch and I call on all who feed on danger Taste of the whore. Suffer my seed Crawl with the heretic and the world outside gets a little bit stranger

the bondage song - london after midnight

Innocent child, how you thought you knew me Understood my ways, my dark needs The hunt is not the thrill I'm after I want the kill, the conquest, to be your master Wrap your arms around my pale skin, it's too late to back out you're in On your knees and praise your new lord, deeper now And here's your reward, take me to bed and rip me apart

mercy - hurts

Fill me with rage And bleed me dry And feed me your hate In the echoing silence I shiver each time that you say Don't cry mercy There's too much pain to come

touch myself - genitorturers

I love myself, I want you to love me When I feel down, I want you above me I'll search myself, I want you to find me Forget myself, I want you to remind me I don't want anybody else When I think about you, I touch myself

nihil - 3teeth

Bound by flesh Freed by blood

this s*it will fcuk you up - combichrist

I am a bitch How do you want me? From behind Or on my knees? I am a slut Please hold me down I'll be your noise This shit will fuck you up

you spin me round - 3teeth

I set my sights on you And no one else will do And I I've got to have my way now, baby All I know is that to me You look like you're havin' fun Open up your lovin' arms Watch out, here I come

closer - nine inch nails

(Help me) I broke apart my insides (Help me) I've got no soul to sell (Help me) the only thing that works for me Help me get away from myself

you've seen the butcher - deftones

I wanna watch the way You creep across my skull You slowly enter 'Cause you know my room And then you crawl your knees off Before you shake my tomb

hey - pixies

Hey, must be a devil between us Or whores in my head Whores at the door Whore in my bed But hey! Where have you been? If you go, I will surely die

And the whores like a choir: Uh-uh All night And Mary, ain't you tired of this? Uh, is the sound That the mother makes when the baby breaks

hail mary - skating polly

She got hit so hard she just got up from the ground If she ever hits back, I won't tell Hey Mary, follow me out and we'll never walk back Hey Mary, tell me honestly you'd never want that Hail Mary, trust me, don't look back or it's gonna end badly

if you really love nothing - interpol

When I find my home The next artery Splendid I bled my whole life So it's probably a kiss Goodbye then

tangled up in plaid - queens of the stone age

Come, lets play along And let each other lose A win would cause an alarm Don't matter to me, don't matter to you

spaceboy - smashing pumpkins

And spaceboy, they'll kill me Before I'm dead and gone And any way you choose me It won't be wrong And any way you choose me We won't belong

[sukunasdirtylaugh]

a/n: I’ve had this AU in my mind for too long (months) so forgive me for the messy thoughts as this is unedited and written in like 10/15 minutes

tags: gojo x f!reader, 3 pink roses AU, readers mother has passed so now she’s a guardian to her younger brother, first date(s) with satoru, character development(?)

plagued with the idea of meeting satoru through a “lonely” phone service dating line. It’s similar to kento’s dating web match program, but more direct. You’re barely starting off as a caller going by a cover name to ensure your privacy, and you think you probably shouldn’t be this drunk answering a call. Until you happen to match with Satoru.

Several phone calls later, he asks you out. You’re at a restaurant wearing a tight black dress your friend was kind enough to let you borrow and you fear he’s going to ask you for something all men do in exchange for the bare minimum, but he doesn’t.

A second date happens, and the same thing happens. By the third date, he kisses you. It’s soft, you feel, and the excitement rushing through your veins feel so unfamiliar it nearly frightens you.

A week after your third date is when Satoru offers to pick you up from your apartment, which you only accept as you’re outside your building. He doesn’t have to know you have a (younger) brother and that your life isn’t as composed as you make it out to be. You’d rather drown than see anyone, especially him see you with pity.

It isn’t until your heel breaks on your way back to Satoru’s car (after another successful date), your ankle bends inwards causing you to wince. Luckily, Satoru is there to catch you. “Let me walk you to your door this time,” he tells you gently.

You really think you can make it on your own, but the flight of stairs to your apartment and the long walk with nothing to hold on to followed by the elevator lead you to hesitantly accept. You couldn’t make it even if you tried.

So now you’re walking inside your building with this insanely handsomely rich ‘stranger’ arm around his shoulders as you walk towards your door. Surely the look one of your neighbors gives you as they leave gives you the impression that they will in fact talk about this with others within the unit or worse, ask you directly. You’re only thankful Satoru doesn’t notice as he’s too busy guiding you through the door of the elevator.

“You didn’t have to do all that,” you breathe, catching your breath as you’re now at your door leaning against the wall.

“Sure I did,” his smile makes your heart flutter, “I can’t possibly let my date walk with a bad ankle at this hour. What kind of man would I be?” And yet again his million dollar smile makes you playfully roll your eyes.

“You’re probably going to look for another date with better ankles than mine at this rate.” You grin and Satoru laughs at your comparison.

“Believe me, I don’t mind having to walk you up and down your place. It gives me a better excuse to visit you up here. Besides,” he takes a step towards you, placing a strand of hair behind your ear that it feels so intimate.

“I happen to like your ankle-”

“sister!” you hear a voice shout your name, causing you to shove Satoru away, “you’re back!”

You don’t know who to look at, so you awkwardly smile at your brother and then at Satoru, giving them your best ‘keep down and carry on’ look.

Thankfully, your brother pays no mind to the man in front of you who just pushed a strand of hair behind your ear, and instead he wraps his arms around your waist and tells you, “can we get McDonald’s? Auntie Utahime said we can but only if you return and said yes,” and for some reason, you turn to Satoru wondering if he’s still here and not scrambled away.

“I...” you’re puzzled for a split second, “I don’t know-“

“I think he’s been good,” Satoru says, and your younger brother nods. “He’s been waiting for you since you’ve been gone, so maybe it’s only fair to get him something , yeah? Only if you don’t mind.” He adds towards the end, eyes and voice slightly cautious. “I’ll pay.”

“I...” the encounter leaves you wordless, struggling to make a decision.

“I’ll just order him what he wants through the app,” he clarifies, pulling out his phone to show you, “I won’t even go inside your home if that’s what you’re worried about.” He tells you, and you can only nod slowly as a smile follows his features. “What would you like?” He smiles, bending down to bring his phone to your brother’s height. Your brother, being raised by you, turns to you for guidance.

“Be fair.” You give him a look so as to not overdo anything.

“Nonsense,” the man smiles, “let him get what he wants. It’s only once in a lifetime when a kid gets this offer, yeah?”

You’re relieved to see he only picks out his usual order along with two other items he’s always wanted to try. Relieved with this, you instruct him to wait inside while you and Satoru finish talking.

“She’s right,” he nods, “your mom is probably waiting to pick you up too.” And your brother turns to you with a look you can only dismiss as you tell him ‘we’ll talk later’ as he closes the door and you turn to Satoru.

“He, um...” you find the words as your hands fidget behind your back, “he stays with me.”

“Oh.” It’s a quiet silent moment after his realization. “I’m sorry, I-”

“-His mom passed away 8 months ago, so...” your eyes look away for a moment, “he’s with me.”

“I didn’t know you were raising a 10 year old.”

“He’s starting middle school next year,” you tell him, “I... his dad isn’t involved.”

“He’s your dad too, right?”

You shake your head.

“No. Same mom, different dads.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” you chuckle dryly, “not exactly the story I was hoping to tell either.”

He remains quiet for a minute as you grow slightly anxious at his silence.

“I-I’m sorry,” you say, “I...” you sigh, “I didn’t mean to make this awkward.”

“You didn’t.” He gives you a look, “I just... I didn’t think you had so much on your plate.”

“I...” you breathe, “I understand if you want to stop seeing me after this...”

“Why would I do that?” His question makes your shoulders tense, “it’s not your fault, things happen. Besides, you’re giving me way too little credit for walking you up here with a twisted ankle.” He chuckles, “you should get that check out by the way, and... I don’t mind it. It’s okay, we’re...” he corrects himself , “we’re good. I still want to see you.”

“Oh.”

“Is that... okay?”

“yeah,” you nod, slightly breathless. You’re only glad the doorsdasher comes in before handing the bag of McDonald’s to Satoru who hands it to you.

“You should probably hand these to the little guy before they get cold.” He tells you, “get some ice and rest, call me if you need anything okay? even if it’s just to walk your room, I’m here.”

And suddenly, he leaves without a further word. Leaving you with a full, confused and fluttering heart.

[blackbeardsheartbreak]

You know how the core problem in most shows is that people just need to communicate?

What I love about OFMD is that the terrible communication makes perfect sense. It’s not just a plot device, it’s real and relatable and painful and endearing. You see them fail and grow and learn like the messy people they are.

[here-for-a-good-time-hopefully]

James: I told him you have a crush on him

Remus: why would you do that

James: I had no choice

Remus: So, you trick me into coming here, you made me gay, and now I have a boyfriend. All these lies just to win a trophy?

James: Yes!

Remus: I respect that

[loki-ioki]

Melli mlp version: an Ancient Unicorn named "Toxic Camellia"

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads / storygraph

Sheiné łénde

prequel to Elatsoe, following her grandmother as a teen in the 1970s

after a devastating flood and loss of family members & their traditional home, she works with her mother & their ghost dogs, tracking down missing people

when a local boy goes missing - and her mother, when trying to find him - strange fairy rings (not the usual, reliable ones used for transport) might be to blame, and she and her friends, brother, and lone (unreliable) grandfather have to try find them

friendship, family, ecology, no romance, ghost bugs :)

(title pronounciation: Sheh-ee-neh lehneh)

arc from netgalley, out 16 April 2024!

[parkitaco]

hey if you're still doing the kiss prompts -> #11? maybe? it would be super sweet and your writing is so cool (no pressure tho!!!!)

Will is asleep when Mike gets home.

Mike discovers this almost immediately, when he opens the door to a darkened hallway and bangs his shin on the shoe rack. Almost all the lights are off, with the exception of the soft glow coming from the fairy lights in their bedroom, the ones they leave on at night because even after nearly a decade since the days of, as Will likes to call it, “the horrors”, neither of them are very fond of the dark. 

Mike hisses out a quiet curse, rubbing at his leg where it smacked into the metal rack as he fumbles for the light switch, turning on the hallway light long enough to shrug off his jacket and set his keys on the table. He’s a little tipsy, courtesy of some assorted booze he’d confiscated from his students, who are generally very sweet people but tend to be a bit stupid and unsubtle where alcohol is involved - not that he hadn't been the same way, but then again, he'd been stupid and unsubtle about most things as a teenager.

Prom, he thinks bitterly, huffing out a breath as he kicks off his shoes and nudges them aggressively in the direction of the offending shoe rack. He and Will had skipped out on their own, back in the day, under the excuse of the fact that school dances were “lame and unnecessary”, which isn't untrue, but had served as a somewhat weak cover for the real reason. They hadn’t been able to dance together like they wanted, then.

They can now, though, Mike thinks triumphantly, as he heads toward their bedroom and the promise of his sleeping boyfriend. Suck it, Hawkins bigots.

Just as Mike suspected, Will is asleep, his form visible from where Mike stands in the doorway, the door thoughtfully left ajar for him. He leans against the wall, smiling a little to himself as he watches Will’s chest rise and fall softly against the pillows. His back is to him, hair spilling softly over the pillows, and he’s a beautiful sight, bathed in the golden glow of the lights strung across the ceiling. Mike loves him.

He shifts, carefully slipping into the room and shutting the door softly behind him. He casts another fond glance at Will, still dead to the world on his side of the bed, as he slips off his jeans and dress shirt and exchanges them for his sweats. Will’s usually a fairly light sleeper, but Mike supposes that these days he’s well enough accustomed to Mike’s presence, routine and constant in the apartment they’ve shared since college, that it doesn’t disturb him. Either that, or he’s faking sleep just to annoy Mike, which is entirely possible.

Mike flops onto the bed beside Will, propping himself up on one arm as he snakes the other around Will’s midsection, leaning over to press a kiss to the side of his jaw, just below his ear. “Will,” he prods in a soft, teasing lilt, lips still pressed to his skin, and Will shifts a little under him. “Are you awake?”

“No,” Will huffs, wriggling in Mike’s arms and shoving his face into his pillow. “Go away.”

Mike laughs softly, entirely ignoring this request in favor of rolling further on top of Will, hooking one leg over his waist and pressing a series of overexaggerated kisses to his cheek. “Didn’t you miss me, though?” he asks, as Will whines in protest under his unrelenting embrace.

“I saw you this morning, asshole,” he grunts, shoving uselessly at Mike’s arms and trying in vain to roll out from under him. “Go to sleep.”

Mike rolls his eyes and again refuses to meet this request, resting his chin on Will’s shoulder instead and staring imploringly down at him even as Will refuses to open his eyes. Sleepy Will usually goes one of two ways - either Will is soft and sweet and pliant when Mike drags him off the couch after a movie night and guides him to bed, or he’s grumpy and scowling and his eyebrows knit together in disapproval whenever he’s asked to do something. Mike finds both of these options endlessly adorable. 

"This morning was, like, seventeen hours ago, though," he points out, reaching up with one hand to poke Will's cheek, right over the freckle under his eye. "That's, like, forever."

Will's nose wrinkles in fake annoyance, and Mike moves his finger away in favor of kissing the same spot on Will's face. Then again, and again, until Will huffs out breath and bats at him, placing his entire palm over Mike's entire face and giving it a gentle shove. "You're so dramatic," he says, but the protest is blurred around the edges, softened by sleep and Mike's kisses.

Mike grins. “So mean to me,” he murmurs, and Will opens one eye to glare at him even as his mouth twitches, like he’s fighting a smile. Mike leans down to kiss it, lips glancing lightly over the corner of Will’s mouth, and for all of Will’s griping, he doesn’t pull away. “You don’t want to hear about prom?”

“Not unless it’s to tell me that I was right about chaperoning being a dumb idea,” Will says flatly.

“It was not!” Mike protests, and as retaliation squirms closer, face centimeters from Will’s even as Will stubbornly closes his eyes again. “It was- nice.”

Will’s mouth twitches again. “I bet it was,” he says dubiously, shifting and pulling the blankets further over them both, “You smell like cheap vodka, by the way.”

Mike squawks indignantly, releasing his grip on Will just long enough to flick his forehead. “It was only a little. Those kids are idiots, bringing that stuff in.”

“They take after you,” Will mumbles, giving up on trying to wriggle his way out of Mike’s grasp and instead lifting a gentle hand to rest against his arms where they’re wrapped across his chest.

“What, because of the booze?” Mike asks absently, smiling to himself as Will’s thumb brushes gently back and forth over his skin. 

“No, because of the idiocy,” Will replies, and Mike laughs, dropping his head into the crook of Will’s neck. “I still love you, though," he adds, as an afterthought, his other hand coming up to brush through Mike's hair.

Mike smiles against Will's skin, and Will rolls onto his back, hand pressing into Mike's spine and pulling him in closer. "You just told me to go away."

"Yeah, well," Will hums, tapping a fingertip against Mike's nose, "I'm also an idiot, so."

He wraps a hand in the front of Mike's shirt, drawing him down closer, and Mike smiles into it when their lips meet in a proper kiss. Will is warm, soft and hazy with interrupted sleep, and Mike can feel him smiling back as he wraps his arms around Mike's waist. Mike loves him like this, the traces of Will's feigned irritation fading away entirely as he lazily traces his tongue over Mike's lip. Mike shivers, humming happily as he wriggles closer to Will, as close as he can physically get as he presses him gently into the pillows.

"Knew you missed me," Mike mumbles against Will's lips, and Will laughs, breaking the kiss as he presses his forehead against Mike's.

"Maybe a little," he admits, voice laced with amusement as his lips brush Mike's another time. "Dork."

"Knew it," Mike says, grinning triumphantly and finally deeming it appropriate to free Will from his crushing embrace as he flops over onto his back, head lolling to the side to smile lazily at his boyfriend. Will rolls his eyes but stays close anyway, scooting under Mike's outstretched arm and resting his head on his shoulder. He hums softly, reaching up to card a hand through Will's hair and pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.

"So how was prom, anyway?" Will asks quietly, fingers tracing a gentle pattern over Mike's chest. "Besides it being boring and lame and full of drunk teenagers?"

Mike laughs. "I didn't say it was boring. Or lame."

"I know," Will hums, "I'm saying it. Boring and lame and definitely not worth missing precious hours with your boyfriend."

"For sure," Mike agrees, which is entirely true, because as much as he had enjoyed watching the kids dance together and definitely not feeling at all bitter about never going to his own, he'd mostly spent the whole time thinking about Will. Which was maybe a given, considering the specifically engineered romantic environment, and Mike thinks about Will all the time even in normal environments, but still. "It was sweet," he says thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling and feeling the soft motion of Will's breathing against him. "The kids were happy."

Will grunts noncommittally. "It's all fake."

"I know, but they're- it's just nice," Mike huffs, and Will tucks a smirk away against his neck, "I know you agree with me."

"No," Will huffs immediately, and then, almost immediately, "Well. Maybe."

As much fun as goading Will is, Mike knows where the resistance comes from, and a bittersweet sort of feeling settles in his gut as he presses another kiss to Will's forehead. "Hey, are you free tomorrow night?" he asks, nudging Will's chest with his shoulder.

Will tilts his head back to look at him, frowning. "Um. Thought we were watching Star Wars again?"

Mike laughs. "Sure, we can still do that. But I was wondering if you wanted to have- a make-up prom."

Will stares at him for a solid thirty seconds. Then he coughs, blushes, and looks away. "You're an idiot," he says, which means I love you more than life itself, and Mike grins, tucking his face in beside Will's. "Go to sleep already."

"Oh-kay," Mike hums teasingly, kissing his temple gently, "The offer stands, though. Eight PM. Living room. Whatever dumb music you want."

"Sleep, Michael," Will repeats, voice muffled as he talks into Mike's t-shirt. Then, quieter, low enough to give the impression that he thinks Mike can't hear even though they both know he can, "I'll be there."

Mike smiles.

[nico-di-genova]

“Tech giant, ENCOM has recently come under new management.

As the saying goes: out with the old and in with the new. Sam Flynn isn’t the only new addition to the company. Meet three ENCOM employees who are pushing big tech forward into the digitized future.”

“New Kids on the…Grid?”

- Wired Magazine