It's finished. I had other ideas to the epilogue, but I stuck with this one. One day, maybe, I'll update this story with deleted scenes and the other alternate endings I had in mind. But otherwise, this is it. Thanks so much for sticking with me.

Epilogue

"Happy birthday!"

I blink in surprise. "It's… not my birthday?"

"We know." I'm not sure whether to throw something at all of them for their stupidity or to wait for the punch line, but for the moment I settle with stepping inside my house and closing the door behind me. Sparky barks loudly at all the strangers in the house, and I have the feeling that if I were a dog I'd be doing the same thing.

"We were trying to think of a way to pull of a surprise party," Wendy explains, stepping forth from the crowd of people. "And we decided the best way to do it would be to throw it on any day except your birthday."

"It was my idea," I hear Kyle mumble, but Kenny nudges him in the side and silences him.

I laugh. "Well you certainly got me."

"Surprise!" Kenny yells again, and everyone joins in after him, reciting the Happy Birthday song. And though I shake my head the entire time, I find myself in uncontrollable laughter. And even if my birthday's still in two weeks, I have the feeling I might actually enjoy this.

As the excitement dies down and everyone starts scrambling to get food, Kyle comes up to me.

"Hey birthday boy."

"It isn't my birthday."

He nods. "I'm aware. For all intensive purposes of this party, however—"

"Fine, fine." Kenny and Wendy are still the only two who know about everything between Kyle and me, and so even though I feel like swiping a kiss from him instead I just pat his back and squeeze his shoulder affectionately.

"You like this?" Kyle said, turning around to the decorations. "All me."

"No surprise," I say with a laugh. I'm not really sure why the decorations are red and blue in color, except maybe that they're my favorite colors. There isn't anything special about the decorations either, but for the sake of Kyle I compliment his taste.

"You don't have to lie," he says slowly. "Wendy kept insisting I change the decorations, so that's why it looks like that."

"Oh I see." I laugh. "In that case, they look hideous!"

"I heard that!" her voice suddenly booms from behind, and with horror upon my face I find an enraged Wendy glaring at me.

"Oh hey… it's Wends! Come to say happy birthday to—?"

"It isn't even your birthday!" she shrieks, and she storms over to me. I shut my eyes expecting the worst, perhaps a slap to the face—but no, because she's a girl and thus unpredictable, instead I find her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Happy birthday," she whispers, and my eyes grow wide. Something's… bugging her. In truth, I've always known something's been bugging her, since the day Kyle and I started going out. And truth be told I know exactly what it is that's bugging her—but whether I'm willing to admit to her that the realization came to me in a dream….

"I'll let you two have your moment," she says after a while, pulling back and meeting me in the eye—and whether it's really tears or just the light, her eyes are indeed glazed. "Once the festivities start I'm sure you won't get the chance."

"Festivities?" I call after her once she leaves, but she gives no response. Hoping for an answer I turn to Kyle—but he's also disappeared.

And so I'm left alone.

-

As the night goes on I feel like it's become more of a party for everyone else than a party for myself. Video game matches on every TV, groups of gossip and other forms of socializing scattered all around… it's slightly overwhelming. But what's even more overwhelming is how many people are currently in my house—apparently I'm more popular than I realized.

As I walk around my house trying to find Kyle or Kenny or Wendy, I'm suddenly hit over the head by something particularly heavy, and by the impact I fall to the ground.

"What the—?" I begin, but I find myself not finishing the sentence. "Oh. Of course it's you."

"You're growing old," the girl in front of me says with a grin, and she laughs as she pulls me back to my feet. "Mom's gonna kill you for this, you know. Especially since it's not even your birthday."

"Nor is it my party," I reply with a shrug. "But mom and dad were downstairs when I walked in, so I have the feeling they already know about this."

"If you put it that way, then obviously." She laughs. "I can't believe mom would put up for this…."

"I know, right? I guess people change."

"Speaking of which,"—I don't like the sudden change of tone in her voice—"I see you and Kyle have taken a new outlook on things?"

"H-how'd you figure that?" I sputter in shock, turning to my sister with wide eyes. "D-don't tell anyone!"

"You're such a pussy," she scoffs, scuffing my hair; "but I won't. Not that it's a big deal. It's pretty obvious though, Stan. You were basically gay before, but now that you aren't avoiding each other or at each other's throats, you basically look like fags. No offense."

"People usually only use the word fag with offense intended, Shelley."

She gives a shrug. "Whatever. I'm happy for you, kid."

"Thanks." There's an awkward silence as I try to take in her kind words. To think, she used to beat up as a kid…. "That reminds me, why the purse?"

"Oh, this?" she raises the bag in her hand curiously. "It was my birthday present for you."

"Oh… never mind, then."

-

By the time I find Kenny, he only has one question to ask me.

"Who's the bottom in your relationship, Stan?"

"Why do you care?" I snap, looking around the room in an attempt to find Kyle or Wendy.

"I need to know so I can write it in the birthday card I'm giving you."

"Then your answer is we don't know. We haven't exactly thought about sex yet, Ken."

"I see. I think you'd be top though, because you'd be too much of a pussy to take eight inches up your ass."

An unsettling feeling courses through the lower half of my body. "…don't remind me, Kenny. Now can we drop the subject?"

-

I finally find Kyle and Wendy talking to each other near the front door. It surprises me to think that it's taken me this long to find them, since one would only think that the front door would be the first place I'd look. But apparently….

When Kyle sees me he gives Wendy a courteous bow before walking over to me. He greets me with a smile, which I return willingly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, Wendy?" Kyle looks over his shoulder. "Basically congratulating me and telling me she'll win valedictorian to get even with me."

"I see." At that moment a bunch of cheering comes from the living room, and both of us turn to find Craig celebrating his perfect score at karaoke. In the corner I catch Tweek eyeing him carefully, and watching his face feels like a stone being dug into my insides.

"Who brought the karaoke?" I ask Kyle, giving him a curious look.

"Pip."

"Ah." I look over Kyle's shoulder, and my eyes immediately meet Wendy's. She gives me a weak smile before going out the front door, and I frown at the empty space she once occupied.

Kyle seems to have noticed my stray glance. "You wanna talk to her?"

I nod. "Thanks, Kyle." And without his response I chase after her. She isn't really trying hard though, as if she wants me to catch up to her—but I'm not complaining. When I catch up to her, I hold her shoulder gently and turn her around to face me.

"Hi Stan," she says with another smile. "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Wendy." I give her a concerned look, but I don't think she picks up on it.

"The stars seem brighter tonight. And it's a new moon too!"

"Wendy," I repeat, and my grip on her shoulder tightens. "I appreciate the support you've given me, but… if that's not how you feel, you shouldn't burden yourself by making me believe it. I know…"—I close my eyes, guilt setting in—"…I'm sorry. I dunno how to put it. But if you really liked me, which I know you did, and if you still feel that way… you don't have to hide it. I mean I guess I'm not your boyfriend anymore, but if you're not so happy about me and Kyle then you don't have to pretend you do. I still love you Wends, even if you don't approve of where I am."

I look to her, expecting a sad or understanding face; but what I don't expect to see is her face in near laughter. "Stan… you're really silly, you know that?"

"…what?"

"You over-think things too much!" She gives me a tight embrace, and I feel like I'm going to die from her grip. "Of course I support your decision, and of course I know things won't change! It's kinda cute how you go out of your way all the time, thinking you've done something wrong…."

"But…." I hang my head. Did I do it again? Was this a repeat of the airport?—no, wait, was she doing exactly what I was accusing her of right now, just to get me off her back? "What… about earlier? You were definitely crying, Wends."

"Oh… that?" She laughs nervously to herself. "That's… nothing to do with you. I'd just come from watching that new movie, see…."

Oh.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled," I mumble, scratching my head and turning my back to her nervously. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course not." A silence once more, and in the silence I turn my head to the sky. It really is a new moon, and the stars really do seem brighter—not that I thought she had been lying or anything….

"Remember some time ago?" Wendy cuts in, slowly making her way back to my house. "Remember when I said you had to choose between Kyle and me?"

I nod, following after her. "And that I couldn't choose either."

Now it's her turn to nod. "I think I can understand why you made that choice now. You can't really… rank friends, I guess. They're all important in their own ways, right?

"—but I was thinking," she continues, even before I can give her a response. "If instead I had asked… if instead I had you choose between the perfect best friend and the perfect boyfriend…."

I laugh at the thought. "Wends, you know I'm much better at being the better best friend."

"I know… you're terrible at romance."

"Hey!" I snap at her, feeling hurt.

"But anyway," she continues, ignoring my pang of hurt; "if you had to choose? In all seriously."

"You aren't really making me go through this again, are you?" I ask in disbelief, hanging my head. "Back then, I wouldn't know. It's really the same question as the other, Wends, just instead of names you're using titles. But now, I guess I'd like to be both… for obvious reasons. I mean I'm no good at being the perfect boyfriend, but for Kyle I'd like to be both."

Wendy smiles at my answer, as expected—but what I don't expect is her backhand connecting with my cheek.

"Shit, that hurts!" I yell at her, sporting my cheek. And really, it's like everyone wants to hit me tonight….

"Wrong answer," she says simply. "I may have been blind to it, but… back then you did choose. It's not that you couldn't choose between us, it's that… you chose both of us."

"But choosing between things means… choosing that one or this one… doesn't it?" Wendy gives me a smug smile and doesn't give an immediate response. Instead she opens the door to my house for me, and I laugh at my own conscience, stepping inside.

"You were the perfect boyfriend," she whispers, "besides being his perfect best friend."

"Even if you broke up with me more than twenty-five times?"

Wendy chooses to ignore my comment, and she visually points at Kyle. "You were both back then, and I'm sure you can be both now."

"You think so?"

Wendy nods. "Give yourself some credit, Stan. But really, don't mind me. I'll be fine without you. But that's only because of you, right?" Kyle catches our presence, and it's with no doubt he also realizes we're talking about him. But he doesn't move toward us; he simply stands and watches us.

"Wends—"

"Go get him."

"—what?"

Wendy clears her throat, making obvious motions towards Kyle. "I said, go get him." And though I really don't know what she means by that, I find my body instinctively moving forward to meet Kyle.

He gives me a smile, I return it, and placing an arm around him we look towards what's to come. Whether it's excelling at a karaoke duet, slaving over college applications, watching the flowers bloom in spring, or even everything we can't predict thereafter… the road ahead is still bright.

- FIN -

Project started: August 17th, 2007.
Project finished: August 17th, 2009.

Again, thanks to everyone for sticking with me for this long. You've all made me so happy, and I hope I've done the same by writing this story. I'd say it all again here, but I think you already know how I feel already, so I'll refrain.

I purposely left a particular aspect of Stan and Kyle's relationship unanswered in order to leave an opening for a possible sequel. But whether I'll write one depends on reader demand I guess.

As for where to go from here, I think I've found inspiration in the Harry Potter genre. Is anyone a fan of Ron/Draco? I was considering the pairing, but after looking around it doesn't seem to be that popular. Maybe Harry/Ron or Harry/Draco? I did post a mystery/angst/drama/romance story that hints at Al/Scor slash, so take a look at that if you're interested.

So, 500 reviews? Not going to happen. Worth a shot, though.

Please, if you have the time, review or leave a comment. Especially since this is the last time you can show appreciation or hatred to me, I'd be thrilled to hear what you have to say.

- G. A.