Ah, freshman year.
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Who could have blamed them for being nervous about it? With so many new people to meet, fitting in became a major concern, and anyone would have been scared of what happened if they didn’t. Or, well, anyone other than Victor Wexler, apparently, because he sure as heck didn’t even bother with considering something like this.
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It didn’t even cross his mind, honestly! He was nervous too, sure, but it was the kind of nerves that was equally matched by his excitement; the kind that came with being at an unfamiliar place with so many new things to see and so many new people to meet! Would they be nice? Would they be fun? Probably, because Vic’s standards when it came to those things weren’t at all high.
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He had always found it easy to find reasons to like people. He liked everyone he had gone to middle school with, and in the same manner, it wasn’t at all hard for him to immediately begin making friends among his new classmates. That was just the kind of person Vic had always been; the kind of person that always found a way to fit in no matter where he was or who with.
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He wanted to meet all of his new classmates and become friends with them, and by ‘all of them’, he really meant all of them.
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”Oh, hey!” It was with a bright smile that he greeted one of the boys in his class when he found himself in front of him. They hadn’t spoken yet, and naturally, Vic thought that had to be fixed!

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+ Alexei Ivanov

As if it wasn’t obvious, Vic here had never really dealt with people being rude to him, much less trying to pick on him. Well, some sure had tried, specially out of jealousy and things like that, but it all went right over his head, and the few times he had felt like someone didn’t like him, of course he had tried to make amends! He was always willing to be the one to take the first step.
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Just like in this case.
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So, of course, when his classmate asked if he wanted something from him, the boy of cotton candy-coloured hair could do no more than tilt his head, the question confusing and startling him for short moment. Of course he wanted something from him! He wanted to meet him!
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”Just saying hi... I don’t think we've met. I’m Vic!” He introduced himself, his tone as cheerful and full of energy as his whole demeanor. And, while the other boy wasn’t really looking at him, his own gaze fell on him – his smile always reaching those lavender eyes of his.
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He should have probably realized that maybe he was making his classmate nervous, but, well… Let’s just say that at such a young age, Vic was even more unaware of those things than what he’d be in later years.

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+ Alexei Ivanov

For a second, the thought that maybe he was being a bit too pushy did cross Vic’s mind. The last thing he wanted was for his classmate (who still hadn’t introduced himself for some reason?) to be uncomfortable, but the problem was that this was exactly how he was with everyone. How was he supposed to act any differently from what he did?!
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’Think, Vic, think…’
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He didn’t come up with an answer by the time the other boy addressed him again, distracting him. The other greeted him, which made Vic grin, but then instead of introducing himself, he pointed out something about how their eye colour was the same…
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”Oh… Really?!” Being that he was a bit taller, he leaned in ever-so-slightly so he could be at eye level; his eyes meeting lilac ones and holding the other’s gaze for a few long seconds. ”Hah… I guess we do. That’s cool! I’ve never met someone with my eye colour outside of my family.” He laughed, because it was the truth, and even then not all the Wexler children had inherited his mum’s violet eyes – unlike the pink hair from his dad.
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”Maybe that means we’re meant to be friends, huh?”
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What kind of logic was that?!
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Still, how could anyone possibly say no to that smile?

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+ Alexei Ivanov

In a way, Vic could understand it. After all, his own little brother was really shy and quiet, but he was also hardly more than a toddler at the time, and in his case, all Vic needed to do was take his hand and tell him everything would be alright.
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For some reason, he really didn’t think something like that would do much good with the boy in front of him…
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Alexei! His name was Alexei!
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”Ah-le-xei...” The taller youth repeated slowly, his brow just barely furrowing. ”Hmm… Alex it is! Nice to meet you too, Alex." He then beamed, chuckling.
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Vic didn’t think of asking why he had such a “weird” name or where it was from, because really, to him that wasn’t that mattered. What did matter was the boy in front of him for just who he was – as a person, one could say. And, so far, he seemed really nice! Shy and a bit nervous, sure, but nice.
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”But, yeah, I do think so! Wanna grab lunch together?” It was an spontaneous decision, an offer made easily and without a second of hesitation. Because, really, why wouldn’t Vic want to spend time with Alex? It was that simple!
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+ Alexei Ivanov

Okay, that one was on him. He should have probably phrased things a bit better, huh? He would have, if he hadn’t been so prone to being impulsive and saying the first thing that came to mind – never bothering to take the time to consider how his words could confuse someone.
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’Whoops!’
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“Oh! That’s okay, I do too, but we could still eat together, right? Come on.” Once again, he grinned, not even waiting for the other boy to give him a proper reply before he began walking. And, honestly, he just assumed Alex would follow him, because why wouldn’t he? It was the way things had always been with Vic: he came up with ideas and got his friends to tag along, even if those ideas were something as simple as having lunch together.
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See, for all Vic knew, Alex may have felt lonely because all of his friends had gone to different schools and that was why he was all on his own. It was what he had assumed, at least, and it was also part of why he had decided to go say hello. After all, it probably wasn’t nice to be alone around so many people he didn’t know, right? So, now he didn’t have to be! Now he had a new friend to hangout with!

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+ Alexei Ivanov

”Outside!”
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Yes, that was the only reply Alex was going to get. For, see, Vic just didn’t think having lunch indoors was much fun, but that may have been because he had never been the kind of kid who liked staying inside. Being outdoors, running around, playing sports; that was his sort of thing. And honestly, he would have probably ran right to the nearest exit had it not been for the fact that Alex was with him.
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Instead of doing as much, he simply shrugged at the question as they walked, skillfully navigating through the crowd without a problem at all. ”Uhmmm… Dunno! My mum usually makes it and I grab it on the way out. I forgot to ask her what she had made… Guess we’ll see!” This was not unusual for Vic. His mum had always talked about how unhealthy the stuff they sold at school was, so she made a point to make lunch for her kids every morning before they left for school. Some people would have thought that was kind of lame, but Vic… he always said his mum’s cooking was so much better than anything he could have bought. It was the best! That’s what he firmly believed. And, how could it not be, when she got up so early to make lunch for him and his sister?
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Once outside, it was at a nice spot in the shade that they sat to eat, Vic stretching his arms up with a ”Aaah, I’m starving!” before reaching into his backpack to grab a nice lunch box that was almost completely covered in cute stickers, inside awaiting him a carefully arranged meal with rice shaped into smiling Pikachu, of all things. ”Oh. There’s omelette, awesome!” He exclaimed, so used to his mum’s artistic and adorable lunch arrangements that he didn’t even comment on it.


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+ Alexei Ivanov (Lunch pic!)

”Oh, I think so! Niiice.” Some kids out there would have probably been embarrassed by the fact that their mum shaped their food items into cute things like pokémon and stars, specially being that they were at the age when they all started to want to act like they were all grown up. But, Vic had always thought it was nice, and he would have probably been a little sad if his mum stopped doing stuff like that. Back in elementary school, his lunches had even been the envy of his whole class!
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Yet, usually, he didn’t care much about things like what other people brought to school for lunch. This time, though, he watched Alex, tilting his head slightly at the sight of the plain metal box. He was right; it was very different from Vic’s own, and so was the food that awaited him inside.
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”Hmm…”
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Without saying anything, Vic reached for the sticker-covered lid that he had set aside, inspecting it in search for one of the ones that had been most recently added by either his sister or his mum. Soon enough, he settled for one of an Audino, removing it as carefully as he could before unceremoniously sticking it on the metallic lid of Alex’ own lunch box. ”Here! Now it’s not so plain.” He said with a short laugh, and aside from some small wrinkles and creases in the corner where the sticker had been pulled out, it did look perfectly fine.
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Should he have considered that maybe Alex’ family didn’t let him put things like stickers on his stuff for whatever reason? Maybe, but that didn’t even cross Vic’s mind, and as if nothing had just happened, he began eating without even waiting for the other to react or even reply.


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+ Alexei Ivanov