y o u t u b e. - [fierrochase]

chapter eight

"Hello guys! I'm here today with Magnus, slash magnusficent—which is a fucking lame username, don't even ask me."

In the span of almost an hour about talking about video ideas, Magnus and Alex had already made their way to Alex's apartment. It was going so fast, but neither of them really complaining about this. So after they set up the camera—and pressing some unnecessary buttons because Alex was just so thrilled about this—they started filming a video.

"Great." Magnus said with a laugh. "I knew she'll say that." He rolled his eyes and smiled to the camera. "So yeah, hi! I'm here with the all gorgeous Fierro here—"

"I think you meant fierce but okay!" Alex cut in as they both looked at the camera.

"Whatever." He said, smirking. "So, what are we doing here, Alex? Together? In a room?" He then winked at the camera, Alex didn't notice though, she just kept looking at the camera with that perfect smile and perfect face.

"Well, I was thinking about many things. But since we have just met and are eager to literally get to know each other, we're gonna do a guessing game—"

"Cue the sound effects." Silence has been shared by them. Until. They both burst out laughing.

"Cue the sound effects." Alex snickered as she gestured for a pseudo-sound effect. She looked over to Magnus. "You are so gonna do the editing on this part, you doof."

Magnus shrugged. "I mean, I'm like the greatest editor."

"Sure." Alex rolled her eyes, and faced Magnus. She took the bowl in front of them, just placed beside the camera on a tripod. "I researched some questions about getting to know each other. But with a twist! You need to guess what my answer is, and I'm gonna give choices, so chill."

"Okay?" Magnus said reluctantly. "So, guys, if ever you see us fail so much, you already know where this is going." And he winks at the camera.

Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Was that necessary?"

Magnus shrugged. "It's what they want, mate. Always give them what they want."

"If I was your subscriber, I would literally unsubscribe." Magnus only laughed at that. Instead of wallowing in his self-deprecating self and just shutting up, he actually laughed and found it funny how Alex was insulting him. Probably because this was just banter, and well, this is the first time he ever had a collaboration with anybody in his life. The thought was literally so nice.

"I would, too." He said.

Alex smiled to the camera, her features drenched with mischief and confidence Magnus never had in himself. She then looked at Magnus, with waiting seen in her eyes.

"You ready?" She asked, and Magnus nodded.

"Yeah, hit me—ow! Not literally, you dork!"

And now, it was Alex's turn to wink at the camera. "Tell me in the comments what you think about Magnus getting hit, 'cause like, I'm enjoying this so much."

"You sadist." Magnus growled jokingly as he laughed afterwards. "Let's just do this."

"Okay! First question, Magnus!" Alex said cheerfully as she pulled out one folded sheet of paper from the bowl and quickly unraveled it with only one hand. Damn, was she dexterous? 'Cause Magnus could tell. "What is my childhood nickname?"

"Okay, what?"

"I'll give you choices!" She said and smiled. "a.) Lex, b.) Death Eater, and c.) A Total Disappointment—"

"How did you know my nickname?" Alex burst out laughing at the remark. Magnus was serious though. All those times he told himself he was useless and had no apparent use in the world. All he had was self-depreciation and the whole world knew of it. Or at least, his subscribers did. Magnus was already internet famous—twitter, Instagram, tumblr. So when he started a YouTube channel, of course, his followers on those apps were already on the nose to subscribing to him.

Alex was intrigued by Magnus, if she was to be honest. She loved how Magnus was a mystery clad in awkwardness and how he would usually say things he didn't want to say—or how his lips manage a smirk without him actually knowing. She loved Magnus' physical attributes as much as she loved his personality. She couldn't predict the future, but she knew she and Magnus were meant to meet.

"So, what's your answer?"

"I'm guessing—nothing? I think this is a question with no answer. And Alex already seems like a nickname." He said and laughed awkwardly. "I mean, just a guess."

Alex only rolled her eyes at him. "You're actually right."

"Well, I am magnusficent." He said, then winked at the camera again. Alex laughed and face-palmed.

"Again, was that necessary?"

"Stop asking." He said as he just looked at the camera with a suppressed laugh. He then turned to Alex and asked. "What about me? What was my nickname in your opinion—"

"Maggie?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "I haven't even gave some choices yet! And no, it's not fucking Maggie you swine—"

"Oh Maggie boy, the pipes the pipes are calling~" she laughed to herself. "Wait, is that how the song goes? Whatever." She said as she laughed again, Magnus only looked at her as if he was done with life—which he was, but also very amused at how funny Alex was and how she enjoyed laughing to herself.

"Pretty sure that's not how it goes, and no, it's not Maggie." He said as his eyebrows furrowed. "Where did you even get that idea?"

"Well, it suits you!" She laughed at her own words, which Magnus found quite endearing. He would always look back on this day and remember how Alex Fierro made herself laugh at herself, and made him feel so much more than joy at this point of his life.

It's been rough really, even when Blitzen and Hearthstone were both there for him, he still felt so alone. Probably because the two were in a relationship, then there went losing his mother and never really meeting his father. Sometimes he wished he did, so he could ask, and finally have the answers he wanted to have, but couldn't get. Could never get. He tried venting out his anger turned to sarcasm to videos which were actually the worst videos in the world—which were filled with self-depreciation and loathing, but he always ended it with a positive note, for the people and for himself. He always ends his videos with a little speech about surviving each day of life, and really, that was what made him attached to the thought of making videos. Using his voice to make people listen about life.

Although he did have quite the trouble in his life before he started YouTube. When he was in some hospital being interrogated about having to feel depressed about everything in his life. He did have clinical depression, which was quite hard to live with, but he managed. He decided therapies didn't really help him, he needed someone to listen to him—and the Internet was somewhat so safe to him even with all the haters. He decided to make a YouTube account after being flooded with the same comment about said making.

And here he was now.

Surely, making that YouTube account 10 months ago was something he did not regret. Because 10 months later, here he was, feeling the happiest he had ever been.

"It's not Maggie, stop calling me Maggie."

"Maggie bear!"

"Oh, fuck you."