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Finding George was never the plan. Alex expected to settle down after university in some course to do with media like he’d always planned. He’d probably find some stable partner who liked accounting or something and they’d have 2.5 kids and a fenced back garden.
They would be the picture perfect family unit that every parent wants for their child.
Instead, Alex veers off the rails late into his teenage years. He chooses YouTube over uni, picks rooming with George in a London flat over his hypothetical accountant partner and their quaint suburban home.
He never regrets it, not for a second. Waking up every day with his best friend next to him is a joy he hopes everyone gets to experience.
Alex has someone that will listen to him waffle for hours about Star Wars or the latest TikTok drama. George has someone that will make him feel comfortable enough to do more outside his comfort zone. They’ve both constructed walls around themselves that keep them hidden from everyone except each other.
Alex never thought he would find someone who cared so deeply. He’s used to being brushed off as the talkative annoyance like he was in secondary school. He had mates who liked him, but it was obvious that even they grew tired of his mindless chatter. He never means to speak too much, but he has so much to say. It’s like if he doesn’t put the words into the space between him and other people, he will explode with thoughts and opinions. He needs to tell someone, anyone.
George slots into his life where ten people used to sit. Alex is used to having to switch between different people as they grow tired of him, but George always listens. He sits there with his mug of tea, legs curled under him, as Alex talks and talks and talks.
George rarely interjects as he often doesn’t have anything to contribute to Alex’s one-man podcast, but the fact he wants to sit and listen is enough.
Alex will often forget he said something to George during these conversations and George will bring it up later when they’re making dinner or getting ready for bed. He’s always surprised that George bothered to remember. People have listened, but they didn’t remember. George remembers everything.
He remembers in the way that he knows Alex hates when people comment on his appearance, good or not. He struggles enough with body image and even a compliment feels like a double-edged sword. George always phrases his compliments around his abilities and talents and the glow in Alex’s chest feels that much more genuine.
He remembers in the way that he knows Alex prefers wheat bread to white when he does the weekly shopping. George loves when Alex will come out with him and they bicker over the amount of junk food in the trolley and end up buying it all.
From big things to small things, Alex matters to George. It’s enough to make Alex cry thinking about it.
--
For George, it’s the way Alex makes George want to be better.
It doesn’t matter how late it is or how long Alex has been sleeping, he pops up out of their bedroom as soon as George knocks. He’s usually dead to the world when George slips out of bed at a reasonable time for reasonable humans, but he’s the most chipper person five minutes after waking up that George has ever seen.
Alex takes a minute to straighten the hoodie he slept in, runs his fingers through his fringe, and he’s ready to face the day.
George just has to gesture to his desk with the edited footage back from the Joes open on his computer and Alex lowers himself into his chair. Alex gets the final say on every video George publishes, because Alex knows what clicks with audiences. He trusts Alex’s content creation abilities more than anyone.
George secretly delights in every snort Alex lets out at his jokes and Alex has to pause the video less and less often to point out things to change as time goes on. His engagement goes up and he knows it’s because of Alex.
It’s funny he has the most subscribers, because he thinks Alex is the one who deserves it.
-
He tells Alex as much over dinner one night and Alex laughs, one of his laughs that’s a single drawn-out note.
“Mate, you’re the most subscribed because you’re the funniest. No one wants to hear me talk shit about the Hype House for the fifteenth time,” Alex remarks around a mouthful of Chinese.
“I do,” George says almost defensively as he pokes at his Mongolian beef with his chopsticks.
“Think you have to just by being my boyfriend,” Alex points out.
“Liked you before I started fucking you to be fair,” George smirks as Alex threatens to throw the half-empty container of rice at him.
“You’re disgusting.”
“You love it.”
--
Alex faces George late one night when George is about to fall asleep and Alex plans to stay up another five hours. It’s funny how their schedules work when they know most couples would not be able to operate this dysfunctionally.
It’s easy for them, though. Alex stays long enough for George to fall asleep and then he slides out to his filming space and works on his videos.
“Did you ever expect us to happen?” Alex asks, lacing his fingers with George’s.
It’s an automatic movement, taking his hand. Alex has done it for as long as he can remember. It started during horror movies with their mates and rollercoasters George dragged Alex onto.
Alex was easily spooked, although he’d never admit it to anyone. George took it in stride, squeezing Alex’s hand twice when he planned to let go. It was never a surprise when George stopped holding his hand and it was another little thing he loved about him.
“What do you mean? Like dating?” George is propped up on his elbow now. They do this a lot - conversations about deep philosophical things in bed where Alex’s day meets George’s night.
“Just us meeting in general,” Alex explains as he rubs a thumb over the back of George’s hand. It’s a soothing movement that calms Alex more than it calms George.
“I just always thought I’d go to uni and get the wife and kids unit,” Alex continues. It was strange trading childhood dreams for this reality.
“Guess I didn’t get enough GCSEs for you then, love,” George teases as he leans down to press a kiss on Alex’s forehead. It’s George’s signal that he’s falling asleep.
George is made up of little signals and reassurances that make everything so easy. Alex never has to second-guess his intentions and for someone with anxiety wrapped around his every move, it’s perfect.
“Goodnight, George,” Alex whispers. George’s eyes have already closed, but he knows he’s listening.
He always is.
After all, Alex matters to him more than anything.