“You know that you look like someone trying desperately to hide the fact that you look like a zombie, right?” Iraklis eventually asked me while we were putting some of his old Hero and Power Wrestling merch in boxes.

“What?” I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

“Sleep,” said Iraklis slowly. “You clearly haven’t had it.”

“It was hot and I couldn’t sleep. I also drank more water than I probably should have and spent a lot of time in the bathroom.” I barely kept myself from sighing as the words escaped my mouth. It was the same explanation I used on my parents. I didn’t want to worry them without reason, and Iraklis was about to begin his journey as a hero. I couldn’t add another thing to his plate.

Seemingly satisfied by my explanation, Iraklis nodded. “Just make sure you get enough sleep these days. Your entrance exams are up soon, and I wouldn’t want you to fail because you didn’t sleep properly,” he said, his tone managing to sound both lighthearted and deadly serious at the same time.

I let out a chuckle at that. I closed up the box I was packing, resting my gloved hands on top of it, just looking at them and fiddling with the seams of my gloves. This was a good change but I still found it hard to swallow.

So much had changed this summer, and I still couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that we–that I–would be actually applying to a hero university. It just felt like too much. Especially today.

Even if I did manage to push down the parts of myself that believed I didn’t deserve it or that I couldn’t make it–for everyone else’s sake more than for my own–it was a surreal experience. I looked behind me to see that Iraklis was done packing as well, choosing instead to look at me softly.

“This is all pretty insane, huh?” he said with clearly forced nonchalance.

“Well, we always knew you were going to go to big places,” I said with a nervous chuckle.

“I always pictured us together though. I always thought I’d have you by my side. That we’d make it together.”

“I didn’t,” I said before I could stop myself. Iraklis looked confused at my words, almost hurt, and I felt bad almost immediately.

“What do you mean?”

“Because we always knew I wouldn’t,” I said, trying to keep any bitterness out of my voice. “I told you at the start of the summer that you had the luxure to say no to Jensen’s offer. That I didn’t. What, did you think I was joking?”

“Of course not,” said Iraklis with a frantic wave of his hands. “I just never thought you’d fail.”

I let out a long sigh in response. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. Iraklis’ final day here. And if I responded honestly–if I told him that I believed the exact opposite, but had to constantly suppress it–then we’d never stop talking about it. And this wasn’t the kind of thing you talked about in situations like this.

“You don’t know how much that means to me,” I said. And it was true. It still baffled me that so many people believed in me. Hell, it almost felt like a bubble that was going to burst any minute now. “But today isn’t about that. Today is about you and me.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Iraklis’ eyes seemed to almost instantly fill up with unshed tears and, before I could say anything, he had tackled me into a bone crushing hug. Aside from sparring matches, or when he chased me around for training and/or fun, we weren’t the touchy feely sort of friends. Still, I reciprocated the hug, letting Iraklis bury his head in my shoulders before letting go.

After a moment of silence, he wiped his tears and smirked at me. “You better not tell anyone this happened, or I will bring down the wrath of a thousand suns on you.”

“And I’m pretty sure next time we fight, I will be victorious.”

“And I’m pretty sure you’ve said that half a dozen times,” shot back Iraklis, flicking my forehead with his index finger. “Although, I expect you to at least be a tough opponent next time we fight. Don’t go slacking off while in Atlantis.”

“Based on what we know, do you think they’ll let me slack off?” I chuckled at him. “But enough about that, I do declare that I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” It was admittedly hard not to laugh at his reaction. His eyes widened almost comically, and his mouth was seemingly stuck as an O shape. “What is it?”

“Well, I managed to pull some strings and get you an original WPW championship belt, signed by three champions–admittedly, I don’t know which champions, but still, it will definitely be signed,” I said quickly. I was also unable to keep the fanboy-ness out of my own voice, but it was difficult.

“Really? You’re not shitting me? What kind of ‘strings’ did you ‘pull’?” asked Iraklis with thinly veiled excitement.

“Don’t worry about that. It’ll arrive in about half an hour, that’s what’s important here. Just thank Birgit the next time you see her,” I said dismissively.

Alright, if I were to be honest, the reality of it all was less than glamorous or cool. I had to bug Birgit until she almost froze my head off in order to get her to ask her mom. Hell, the only reason she agreed was because apparently Lady Flame got upset when anything related to WPW was mentioned and wanted to get rid of the belt anyways.

“Really?” he asked once more, this time not even bothering to hide his excitement.

Before I could respond, a couple of strong vibrations sounded from my phone, which was on Iraklis’ bed. I clenched my fists before stomping over there and picking it up.

“A car is waiting outside your friend’s house. Important Atlantis business-Jensen.”

I let out a long sigh as I read and reread the message. Jensen never called unless something crucial was happening. Still, the car being already outside was a bit creepy and over the top, but I really didn’t have much choice.

“I hate this but I have to go,” I said to Iraklis. “Apparently Jensen needs to tell me something really important regarding Atlantis. I’m really sorry.”

He waved my apologies away. “It’s alright,” he said dismissively. “I’m just sorry we couldn’t celebrate properly.”

Huh? Did he have a going away party or something planned for himself and not tell me? Nah, that didn’t really sound like Iraklis. Or maybe our schoolmates planned something for him. I knew for a fact that Iraklis would want me there if that was the case, even after everything that had happened.

“What am I missing here?” I asked eventually.

“Dude.” Iraklis looked at me like he thought I was trying to pull a fast one on him.

“What?” I asked, this time more irritated. I had to consciously control myself.

“Dude, it’s your birthday,” he said in a matter of fact way, and I almost slapped my face with the information. I had been so preoccupied with everything–Iraklis leaving as well as the stress and training for Atlantis–that I forgot my own birthday.

And yet Iraklis remembered. He always did, but this year was unique. He had so much going on–hell he had so much going on today and he still remembered.

Fuck it all.

I messed with my gloves slightly while trying to think of a response, but only a simple ‘Oh’ was able to escape my lips.

“I hope that this means you finish early, although I highly doubt it,” said Iraklis before his face softened. “Happy Birthday, hero-in-training.”