“Oh my god, I can’t believe this!” Victor repeated several times while he gawked around the room and took in students, alumni, and roster members alike. He also made an effort to point out to everyone that it certainly wasn’t his 50th birthday; with each mention of it, the number dwindled further and further, until he reached Mitch.

“Happy 40th birthday, Victor,” Mitch offered before Victor could even start with him.

“My sweet, sweet boy! Thank you!” Victor planted a kiss on each of Mitch’s cheeks, then threw an arm around him. This way of greeting started when he learned that Mitch was a fellow immigrant, albeit from a different part of the globe. “Glad that you get it, unlike a certain someone.”

“Of course.” He was released from the hug, but Victor’s hand hovered above Mitch’s right arm.

“So tell me about this. Jodie said you got hurt. And…some other stuff.” Brow furrowed, Victor’s tone turned serious.

“We’ll talk about it later. It’s your birthday, and, like. C’mon. A party’s not the best place for it,” Mitch dismissed, and was relieved when Victor didn’t protest.

“Later,” he agreed. “At the after party?”  

“There’s an after party?” laughed Mitch. 

“We are the after party,” Victor heartily laughed back. Once he settled down, he offered, “I’m gonna go get a beer. You want one?” 

“All set, but thanks,” replied Mitch, distracted by Jodie looming at the edge of his peripheral. When Victor departed, she sidled up to him. “Hey, sorry that I forgot to lock the front door,” he apologized before she could say anything.

“Don’t worry about it, you did great.” She reached up and ruffled his hair, and his face scrunched. “Y’know, I give you a lot of shit, but I really appreciate all of your help this past week. This-” she motioned to the room, “-means a lot to me. I’m sure it does to Dad as well, but I really wanted to do this for him.”

“Just…sorry I couldn’t do more. Be a decent errand boy or whatever.”

“Come help me bring the cake out, and we’ll call it even on your servitude.” Tugging at his shirt sleeve, he put up no resistance while she led them both to the other side of the building, where there was a breakroom with a kitchenette. As she dug through the fridge and cursed about the overwhelming amount of half-empty water bottles and old takeout containers, she asked, “Remind me again why I made you errand boy?”

“Payment for shelter.” He held back from pointing out the irony of her gripes, considering the state of the fridge back at the house. Instead, he busied himself by grabbing paper plates and cutlery from various cabinets, capable of at least that much.

“That tracks.” Some of the containers were pulled out and slammed onto the counter with a huff. “So listen, forget what I said a moment ago. I do need to ask you for another favor.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Ingrid can’t do commentary this week. Would you be comfortable with giving it a shot?”

“I…” Mitch swallowed hard. “I’ve never done it. You sure you want me to?”

“You’re more familiar with a microphone than most people here. You’re the ideal guy,” she retorted. “Besides, I want you involved. Fans have taken a shine to you recently, and frankly, it’d be stupid to not capitalize on that. You don’t need to do play-by-plays, just be Zevon and talk mad shit about everyone that he’s feuding with or whatever.”

“Guess that wouldn’t be too hard,” he warily agreed.

Turning around with a large sheetcake between her hands, Jodie lit up when she spotted Mitch holding the diningware. “Aw, so helpful!”

“I know, I’m the best,” he teased. “By the way, Victor called me his ‘sweet, sweet boy’. Sounds like he wants me.”

“Great,” Jodie shook her head. She shut the fridge door with her hip, and as she was about to leave the room, paused at the exit.

“Hey, could you grab Avi’s cupcake for me? Since you’re the best and all that?” She took off before Mitch could deny the request.

“For fuck’s…I only have the one hand.” He set everything down onto the flimsy folding table in the corner of the room, and grabbed the elaborately packaged dessert from off of the fridge’s top shelf. With some finagling and plenty of griping, he managed to gather it all up, and returned to the training area.