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“I’m just saying I think we should do it! Just one time why not!” Logan prods and Alex rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
“Mate I do enough cardio without it.” He sighs when Daniel makes his way over on the truck they’re using for the driver parade, Charles is tailing close behind almost too busy watching his boyfriend’s ass to realize he’s stopped.
“Without what?” Daniel asks wide eyed and curious, Alex sees Logan preen a little at the attention and laments that he is definitely not immune to the Danny Ric effect.
“A 5K! I think it would be fun but Alex doesn’t wanna, how about you guys?” Logan’s excitement is palpable and Alex turns to see Daniel and Charles turn to each other and then back to them looking equally confused and worried.
“A 5K marathon? Mate are you trying to kill yourself?”
“Wha, huh?” Logan stutters and Alex frowns, what on earth.
“Are you feeling alright? You know people train a long time for those,” Charles fills in seriously and Alex is definitely missing something.
“Guys it’s a 5K it’s not like it’s a 10K now that would be kinda crazy,” he jokes and tries to lighten the mood. Logan smiles gratefully but Charles and Daniel look very alarmed.
“I thought that was bullshit, they actually do those? Fuck me,” Daniel exclaims and Charles shakes his head like he refuses to believe it.
“People would die for sure they cannot be doing that.”
“Yeah I mean the American system is weird already but 5 thousand-” Hold up.
"5 thousand- what?” Alex blurts out before his self preservation can kick in and both of them turn towards him, Logan steps a little closer too clearly thinking he heard wrong.
“5 thousand miles! It’s insanity!” Charles replies concerned and Daniel nods and snaps his fingers.
“Exactly! It’s bad enough a mile is not a mile in the proper sense but to then make it 5 thousand? That’s like-” Daniel pauses and Alex sees him try to do the math.
“-a fuck ton of kilometers okay nobody should put themselves through that.” he finishes and Alex can’t tell what face he’s making but for his sake he hopes it’s true to the distraught horror that pours through him.
“Wait what? 5K is 5 kilometers!” Logan jumps in like heaven sent and rather loudly as Alex struggles to decide whether this is in fact hysterically funny or just hysterical.
“It’s how long?” Daniel asks and looks far too confused to be faking this, Alex’ body makes the decision for him when the giggles start pouring out, he tries to hide it in his elbow but sees Oscar take notice not too far away and make his way towards them no doubt intrigued.
“5 kilometers! Why else would it be called a 5k?” Logan is starting to look pained now and Alex would help, he would but it’s hard to breathe without making noise he might actually be starting to wheeze here. This is just too good.
Alex watches as Daniel slowly processes, he can practically see the wheels turning while Charles looks on still clueless and brows furrowed.
“Becauuuse it’s 5 … kiles?” Daniel flushes and grins sheepishly and Charles pats his shoulder and nods like he is completely aboard his train of thought- Alex doesn’t doubt for a second that he is.
“What the fuck is a kile?” Logan -- the fool – prods him further and Charles shrugs and answers “A thousand miles,” without missing a beat.
Alex fumbles for the railing trying his best not to let the ground get him, at least his struggle for composure isn’t being acknowledged by the trio being so immersed in their discussion.
Oscar finally comes close enough and gives him a much needed hand and Alex gasps between his silent laughter just pointing at Daniel and Charles in lieu of explanation for his current state.
“A thousand-” Logan pauses and turns around, he sees Alex wheezing and holding onto Oscar like a lifeline while his friend looks on amused and confused.
“What’s going on here?” Oscar asks carefully and Daniel and Charles spin to look at him.
“Oscar! What is a 5k marathon?”
“Uh, a five kilometer run?” He answers hesitantly and they both groan in defeat.
“Our answer makes more sense.” Charles huffs and Logan makes a noise like he’s dying.
“Wha-” before he can ask Alex jabs Oscar in the ribs, he can’t survive that explanation again and their time is running out here.
“Americans are weird,” Logan raises an eyebrow at Charles who gestures pointlessly with his hands and continues.
“I mean a 5K is a kilometer but kilo means thousand so that would be thousand miles since they like their American system and all. If it is supposed to be just 5 kilometers they should switch to our system already and we will know!” He argues and Daniel nods along gravely.
“Exactly!! It makes no sense!”
Oscar frowns at them both and Alex has barely composed himself but feels pretty frail in the face of the two idiots he calls friends right now.
“You mean the imperial system?”
“The what?”
“Well you said the American system but Americans use the imperial system while we use the metric.” Oscar finishes and Logan smiles relieved at him.
“Ah potato tomato,” Charles waves off as the truck halts, Alex sees Charles grab Daniel’s hand sneakily in the crowd and forces himself to stay behind when he hears them continue their reasoning for why their answer makes the most sense. He needs his ability to walk, thank you.
He checks back to see Logan shake his head and huff out a laugh in disbelief before he follows Alex and Oscar.
“I can’t believe I wasn’t the dumbest one in that conversation,” he mumbles and Oscar snorts along with Alex as they make their way off towards the paddock. If only he knew.