He managed to calm himself down from the moment he had from almost falling onto the ground and running into the wheel chair. Matt sighed, opening his mouth to speak.

Until Alexei spoke with that ominous tone. He never said his name. Just a nickname.

"Okay...? Why here and now, though?" he asked, trying to laugh off his nerves. "Why do you sound so serious?" he asked.

Oh. He was really serious then. Matt gave him a look before leaning against one of the buildings, crossing his arms around his chest. Maybe a form of defense because honestly?

He wasn't sure where this was going.

"What do you mean, this? I'm not tracking. Did I do something wrong?"

Game of chicken? What the hell was he-

The hot springs and the weird dream were mentioned, and it seemed to click for Matt, who immediately turned red and looked away from him like a child who got caught doing something bad. Because it was embarrassing, and now he was cornered with no where to go because he couldn't leave Alexei stranded on the street.

He got him good this time.

Matt stood there quietly for several moments, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "Because it's weird, liking your best friend, isn't it?" he said, his voice coming out a bit harshly. "What if you do something and you lose what you had before you made the move? Didn't you think about that?"

So, in short, he was scared to ruin a friendship. "We've been friends for a decade, and now feelings are thrown into the mix. What if our friendship doesn't survive it?"

There were people before Alexei, but Matt never had a real relationship before. "Sure, there were some flings and shit, but I never had a real relationship. I don't want my own inability to control myself ruin my friendship with you," he repeated himself.

But, there he was, getting out of the wheelchair and standing above him. Damn the man being taller than he was.

Matt tried to hold his ground, but he couldn't help but feel pinned against the wall as Alexei walked over. He swallowed hard, looking at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Fine, Alexei! I'm scared, alright?" he said, finally looking up at him. "I doesn't matter how long we've been friends. Little things can ruin any relationship, and you know it!" He didn't mean to be so intense about it, but he couldn't help but think about his family and Lavaridge.

How they were forcing him to be someone he wasn't. How his first non-female romantic partner and his relationship ended.

"I don't want something like this to ruin what good I already have."

Matt was even more confused, because while Alexei did imply that he liked him, he hadn't outright said it like he had. So, why was he acting like he was about to cry? He wasn't sure.

"What are you wrong about? You haven't even really told me explicitly about your feelings in this. I don't even know where you stand in this. I can't just... believe you feel the same way I do."

Matt sighed, covering his face with his hands. "I didn't want to talk about this because I didn't want to argue about it and make things awkward." It was more of a comment to himself.

Maybe I shouldn't have ever done anything. Or come back. Maybe he'd be happier without me here.

Matt stood there with an equally unhappy look on his face, his eyebrows narrowed as he listened to Alexei yell back at him. Was the hot spring incident his fault? He didn't think so, because he thought that Alex had riled him up in turn.

But they were both too heated to actually get the point across.

However, it was what a few key things that he said that sent Matt over the edge. That he liked it, and it wasn't a one time thing. Because it seemed to just click in that moment for him. That it just made sense.

Mattis didn't say a word. He instead took a quick step forward, reached up to grab Alexei's face and pull it to his, smothering his mouth in a hard kiss that was probably borderline painful if they hadn't been so amped up on what ever emotions they had been on before.

He bit Alexei's lower lip, gently to not make him bleed, but to remind him that this was real.

Matt grunted in an annoyed manner when Alexei slapped at his neck, letting go of him and giving him a look. "Was that real enough for you? No dreams or anything." He couldn't hide the redness on his face, even though he had initiated the kiss.

Proof, huh?

Matt snorted. "I don't know. What kind of proof are you talking about?" His looked turned into something more evil, more dangerous than before.