One thing Aleks was good at was making strong internet friendships. He couldn't really explain why, but he knew how to form a bond with just about anyone. Maybe it was the fact that he could just be 100% himself on the internet. Maybe it was the fact that the screen and mic was easier to talk to then a person in the flesh. Who said internet relationships weren't real? Most of Aleks' closest friends were from the internet; friends he could count on and would do anything for.
Which is why Aleks should not have been surprised when he found himself head over heals for a tall boy who lived in Seattle.
The way Aleks fell in love with Kevin was different then any other. It was less of a fall and more of a realization. Between shared laughs and butt jokes, between recording sessions and rounds of late night League, it dawned on Aleks that he was in love. Instead of slowly creeping up on him and catching the Russian off guard, this love seemed to have been there from the very start, dormant but still very there, waiting for Aleks to come to this conclusion on his own, like a light bulb in a dark room.
This love was not sudden, it didn't punch him in the gut and leave him breathless. It was more of an 'Oh damn. I'm in love with this man", and then he went along with his day like any other, heart a bit warmer.
Aleks would like to come off as the type of person who was direct, and he was, in some respects, but he couldn't being himself to tell Kevin. He didn't even drop hints (that shits cheesy, yo) that he had discovered this love, his days went on as normal (although he cursed distance more often) and he lost no sleep (how could he, with nightly recording sessions and extra work at the Creature House?).
None of these things happened, but just as Aleks realized his love, he told Kevin of it just as casually. In an act of utter bro-man-ship he choked on the words, "I love you, man" through loud laughs and explosions. Without missing a beat Kevin whispered an, "I love you too, dude" as his body was overcome with laughter. Aleks couldn't tell if it was from the lack of oxygen going to his head or from the returned laughter-filled words that his face turned red and made him feel breathless.
Yeah, he was probably dying (what a way to go), but he couldn't bring himself to care at that moment.
They ended the recording with their trailing laughs and didn't speak for a long time, catching their breaths, remembering what happened, bursting into laughter once again, and trying to start the process over again. Once they sobered up from their drunk-like laughs Kevin cleared his throat once and gave a quite cough.
"So are we keeping that in the video, or…"
"What the fuck of course we are. You fucking exploded the fucking plane in the air from a car on the top of the fucking roof. That's some serious shit, man." Aleks shrugged, stretching his arms and folding them behind his head.
"Nah, dude, of course. I was talking about the part where we were totally gay"
Aleks swallowed and squinted his eyes, "Yeah, dude… Is that a problem."
Kevin snorted, "Oh man. I knew you were gay for me, dude. Gimme that Immortalanex"
"What the fuck is Immortalanex, you've been spending too much time with Sly."
"Dude" Kevin started, mock-hurt echoing through the mic, "It's our ship name, the fans are gonna go wild."
Ship name?
Of course it was.
Aleks couldn't figure out if the fact that other people had pictured him and Kevin together was flattering or a little creepy. In the end he decided it didn't matter much to him at all.
Besides.
Immortalanex?
It had sort of a ring to it.
"Immortalanex, huh" Aleks huffed in a nonchalant matter.
"You should look at the tag sometime. Cutest shit ever."
"Should I be worried that you seem so invested in 'Immortalanex'?"
"Nope. Just bros being bros, bro. Plus I'm pretty sure you were the one to confess your undying love to me first."
"Yeah? Well so did you"
"And?"
Aleks frowned, eyebrows furrowing, "…And nothing, I guess"
"Love you dude"
Aleks choked and his face twisted into the most incredulous expressions. Why couldn't he do that? Fuck Kevin.
"Aren't you gonna tell me you love me, too?", came Kevins innocent voice after a beat of silence.
Aleks took his time gathering courage (fuck Kevin, I can do this all on my fucking own) and finally mumbled, "Fuck. I love you too, dude"
