It's Us Crew Oneshots

Forever

     Dashlie was never good at saying goodbye. It hurt. And for what felt like eternity, she assumed she would never have to say goodbye. But of course, fate had a way of creeping up on her. Good things must come to an end, nothing lasts forever, and every story has an ending.

     This was their ending.

    She stood at the boardwalk, feeling the beach breeze kiss her skin. The sun bathed the world in a soft light, the waves of the ocean lapping at the shore. It was peaceful and perfect, the distant calling of seagulls filling the air. She never thought she'd see this picture quite like how it was. All her life, she was fighting to stay alive and kept getting pushed down. Now, she could rest. She could finally rest.

     For the longest time, she'd hoped to share this ending with her friends, and she did, but even they had to say goodbye. When Don had first told her, she thought he was joking. But then she saw his face, saw how serious he was, and it took everything in her at that moment not to cry. Thinking about it now, her throat tightened and her eyes welled up with tears, but she sniffed and forced it down. She was good at bottling things up. She had centuries of practice, after all.

     Despite everything, they survived. Together. It was always them. Them against the world, for the world seriously was against them. Now that it was working with them, allowing them to finally get their happy ending once and for all, Don and Richard were ready to move on.

     "I still don't understand why," Dashlie said as the two walked up behind her. She turned to them, this image snapshotting in her mind for all eternity. At that moment, it was almost impossible to not break down. Suddenly, reality focused in, and this was truly happening. She was saying goodbye.

     "You don't have to understand," Don said as they approached. "And that's okay. Richard and I made this decision on our own."

     She shook her head, sniffing. "I could never do what you guys are doing. I mean, why leave? We have everything," she said, and Richard gave her a smile.

     "Hey, loser, it's just how we are. You aren't like that, and that's fine," he said, taking her hand. Dashlie silently choked back her tears, but she was pretty sure both her friends could see her face getting red and eyes blurring with tears. She and Dick had been through so much together; she'd grown to see him as her little brother. Now he was leaving her. He was moving on.

     "I don't like change," Dashlie said, her voice shaking as her eyes became unable to hold her tears any longer. She still refused to break down.

     Don sighed, giving her a nod as he looked off over the sea. "You do like change, you just don't realize it. Moving on is the best option," he said softly.

    Dashlie stared at him. A moment surfaced in her mind, one where Don had been younger and worn. She never thought she'd see the day where he'd still be standing beside her, eyes bright yet still holding an ounce of that old melancholy.

     "If you're sure," she started, "that this will make you both happy, I'll be happy. It'll hurt for a long time, but I'll be okay. I've made it this far, haven't I?" She unintentionally let out a sob at that, and once she got started it was hard to stop crying. Richard gently pulled her into a hug, and Don soon joined. This would be the last hug they ever shared together.

     "There is more of this world to see, Dashlie," Richard said, pulling away. "We have to get away, I'm sorry. I just... I can't stay here another day." He looked around, as if recalling every moment he shared with everyone he's ever met in his lifetime. His eyes were a thousand years old, yet they held so much prospect for the future. Dashlie had never seen that look in his eyes before, but it was as clear as day. She wondered what else she didn't know about Richard. What else she failed to learn in the millions of days she's spent with him. There would always be something she wouldn't know, and it took her this long to accept that.