Theo walked out of class gleefully. It was Friday, and like most students, he was ready for the weekend. However, today was extra special. It was his partner Casey’s birthday, and he was ecstatic to celebrate it with him. Theo had ordered him the perfect gift: a pair of miniature figurines. But these weren’t any normal figurines. They were custom-made, based on the characters Theo and Casey played in the tabletop role-playing game campaign they were a part of. Right now, he was on his way to the post office to pick them up.
He exited the building he was in. Then, his phone vibrated, a text message illuminating his screen. He glanced at it and quietly gasped; the package containing Casey’s gift was delayed until Monday.
Theo couldn’t believe his eyes. He made sure to purchase the figurines in advance, and even paid for fast shipping. He was relying on this gift to arrive on time. He sighed and rubbed his temples.
“What do I do now?” he asked himself.
Then, an idea came to mind. Casey liked dice; he often fiddled with them while playing tabletop games. He didn’t have his own set and often borrowed dice sets from Theo or their friends for certain games. And while nobody was bothered by Casey borrowing, Theo was sure he’d love having his own dice. Luckily, he knew there was a game store nearby that sold dice sets. He had to hurry, however. It was 3:00 and the store closed at 4. If he left now, he’d arrive with plenty of time.
Theo dashed across the parking lot and frantically started his car. He glanced towards the nearest road, only to find a line of cars snaking through the entire lot, boxing him in. He looked around some more, searching for another way out. Then, in the corner of his eye, towards his left, he caught a glimpse of a short, blue wall. It was part of a bus stop. He turned off his car, opened the door, and walked towards it.
He weaved through the parking lot, avoiding cars and people alike. He looked up ahead and saw the bus pulling up to its destination. He quickened his pace, his brisk walk morphing into a jog, then a sprint. He grew increasingly worried as he saw the line near the bus shorten. Then, the last person hopped on, and the vehicle left without him. Theo skid to a halt, then crouched down to catch his breath.
Once he regained his stamina, Theo turned around and began to jog once more. The store was about an hour away on foot, but he knew of a few shortcuts that would save him time. He travelled straight for some time, then turned right into a bike path through the woods. After continuing down this path, he made another right turn, then a left. The bike path then led to the small plaza where the game store was at.
Upon seeing the area, Theo broke into a full-on sprint. He hopped onto the concrete sidewalk, and turned to his right, arriving at the store after a few more steps. He had arrived just in the nick of time, five minutes before closing. Quickly opening the door, he sped towards the front counter.
“Hi,” he panted, “Sorry for coming in so late. Where are your dice?”
“Follow me, please,” the woman at the counter stepped to the side and led Theo through the store.
They passed a pair of aisles and stopped at a shelf near the wall. On this shelf were boxes, each containing various dice in matching colors. Theo glanced over them, and then picked a set of cyan dice.Theo opened the door to his and Casey’s dorm. Inside, his partner sat at his desk, listening to music and sketching a picture of an elf. He stepped forward and laid a hand on his partner’s shoulder.
“Happy birthday, Casey,” Theo smiled.
“Aw, thanks, dude,” Casey smiled back.
“I got you some dice,” Theo handed him a small satchel, the plastic dice inside rattling quietly.
“Oh wow, thanks,” Casey took the satchel from his partner’s hands, and opened it up.
“Listen…” Theo looked down slightly. “I wanted to give you some figurines of our characters. They were supposed to be here by today. But the package got delayed, and I would’ve felt awful if I didn’t get you anything-”
“Dude, Theo,” Casey looked him in the eyes. “These dice are really nice. And those figurines? They sound so cool. But spending time with you? That’s the best gift of them all.”
“I know, I know, but-”
Casey stood up, and stepped forward. “I love playing tabletop games with you. I love going to the movies, and driving around town, and going shopping with you. I love just living with you. You make everything better, and I love that.”
“Wow… I…” Theo stood still.
Casey laughed. “Dude, you’re so red right now!”
Theo shrunk slightly. Casey laughed some more and wrapped his arms around Theo. Theo smiled and gave his partner a hug in return.