Can I please get a name and pronoun validation for the name milo w he/him they/them pronouns? My interests are visual art (drawing, painting etc) Reading, and animals. Thank youuuuu
--THEY--
Having just returned from a long day at school, Milo flopped down in their desk chair and let their eyes flutter shut. It was only a few weeks into the school year, and already they wished that it was summer again; the thought of days filled with nothing but growing the stack of completed paintings in the corner of their room and having leisurely run-ins with friends made their lips twitch upwards at the corners. Their eyes opened again, slowly, and instantly fell upon the school scheduled tacked up on their desk corkboard. Their features contorted. They looked away.
They clearly needed a break from the schoolwork, so they would allow themself to have one, so long as they got back to work within an hour— seemed fair enough. A sideways glance at their clock told them that it was almost 4:00 pm. Noted. They pulled themself into a more upright position in the chair and let their hand find its way to their left desk drawer, which opened soundlessly. Inside was a colorful array of paperback novels, once arranged by author’s last name but now far out of order. Bright eyes skipped across each of the spines until locking onto the target: a thin, red novel in pristine condition— still a new, unfinished member to their collection. They pulled it free, flipped to the page they’d marked with a dog-ear, and let their eyes begin to trace the rows of carefully-crafted words. Reading was beautiful; they thought this every time they opened up a book. Sinking into the story splashed across the pages was effortless, and they easily lost track of both time and their surroundings.
Next they knew, there was a knocking at their bedroom door, and it was 6:20. Firing off a string of mental curses, they slapped the book down on their desk and pushed themself to their feet, shooting another angry glance at the school schedule, which almost seemed to be mocking them. They were at the door soon, pulling it open to reveal the beaming face of their best friend.
--HE--
“Hey…” Milo said, his confusion with the unexpected visit clear in his tone, though the smile growing on his lips showed that it would certainly be appreciated. He could always use more time with his best friend. “What are you doing here?”
“I bring good news,” his best friend announced, the lightness of their expression unwavering. Their hands were clasped awkwardly behind their back, like they were trying to hide something from Milo’s view. Milo glanced down both sides of the hallway outside of his room, behind his best friend. Nothing and no one. But he could hear his mother downstairs mumbling into the phone— probably wrapping up her work for the day. Conclusion: she must’ve let his best friend in. Only remaining question: why??
Milo eyed the awkward positioning of his best friend’s hands and quirked an eyebrow pointedly. “Are you hiding the good news behind your back?”
A whistle and an amused widening of the grin. “Someone’s quick.”
Milo scoffed.
His best friend laughed.
“So?” Milo prompted, after a moment’s hesitation.
His best friend paused, nodded, looked down at his hands as he brought them around to the front of his body. There was a single piece of paper classed between his fingers. The contents of it were facing away. He held it out to Milo slowly, still grinning from ear-to-ear. “You know those puppies that my dog Sadie had a few months ago?”
Milo nodded, eyes locked onto the piece of paper, trying not to get his hopes up though he could already fell his pulse in his throat. He swallowed. “Yeah?”
His best friend flipped the paper over dramatically, revealing a full-color printed photo of a newborn labrador puppy, warm brown eyes gazing straight forward and tiny paws curling delicately under its golden-furred form. “Your parents finally gave it. This is Oliver, your new puppy. You’re getting him in a week.”