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The basement door closes.
Mike walks into the kitchen, wiping away the tears falling from his eyes. This was the end. It really was. The Party had just finished their last D&D campaign, they had just graduated high school. Dustin had been accepted into MIT, Lucas and Max were moving to California together and Will was going to New York. They had really figured everything out. All of them except Mike.
He looks up to see the Party sitting together.
One last time.
Will looks up from his plate and waves Mike over to the empty seat beside him. Mike hesitates, fingers curling into the hem of his shirt. It was times like this where he felt like crawling back into the basement–his safe place. But Will is looking at him, a small, patient smile on his face
So Mike walks over.
The chair scrapes lightly against the floor as he sits. It feels strange.
“Last campaign,” Dustin says. “Kind of wild, right?”
“Yeah,” Lucas adds. “Feels fake.”
Max nods. “Like we're supposed to wake up any second.”
Mike swallowed. He stares down at his lasagna, untouched, feeling the weight of it all pressed in on his chest–goodbyes they hadn't said yet, the miles that were about to stretch between them.
Will leans a little closer. Not enough for anyone else to notice. Just enough for Mike.
“It's okay,” Will quietly says. “You don't need to have it all figured out.”
Mike lets out a breath. ”Everyone else does.”
Will shakes his head, gentle but certain. “No one really does. We're all just… going away.”
This time Mike looks at him. Really looks. The familiar curve of Will's smile, the way his eyes soften like he's trying to memorize this moment too.
Mike stands up. He raises his glass and takes Dustin's spoon right from his mouth. “A toast,” he starts, already feeling the tears welling up in the back of his eyes. “A toast to the best Party I could've ever met. Will, who taught me that it's okay to care too much. Who never stopped believing in us–even when it was hard. Especially then,”
Will's smile falters a bit, like the words hit him somewhere deep. His eyes shine, but he doesn't look away.
Mike turns slightly. “Dustin, who somehow always knew exactly what to say and exactly how to annoy me at the same time. Lucas, who kept us grounded when things got crazy. Max–who showed up and changed everything just by being herself.”
Dustin raises his cup dramatically. "Finally, the respect I deserve.”
Mike lets out a laugh, then continues, softer now. “This is the end, the end of our neverending story. The beginning of something new. So, here's to late nights in the basement. To saving the world, to growing up--even if we're not ready to,”
His eyes flick back to Will, just for a second.
“And to the Party,” Mike finishes. “Always.”