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“If a lover is like a day, what would yours be?”
From Alex's perspective, Vedal is akin to a birthday.
“Isn’t it too much to assume your lover is your birthday?” Vedal would probably ask if Alex voiced that thought, his face scrunching up in confusion. Just imagining Vedal’s stupid expression makes Alex want to laugh out loud.
Well, he just thinks that Vedal and birthdays have a lot in common.
Both come once a year, bringing either joy or exhaustion to the special person—in this case, Alex. Both are cherished, and people eagerly anticipate their arrival. And both create a spotlight that makes individuals feel precious, showcasing their best sides to everyone.
Vedal entered Alex's life like a sudden storm, turning everything upside down.
During their early coding sessions, Vedal engaged with Alex far more than he had anticipated. He assumed Vedal was an introverted, quiet person who spoke only when necessary before, so that was surprising.
Then they began to grow closer offline, meeting in person and occasionally drinking at Vedal’s apartment. Vedal opened up to Alex more, which made Alex feel special, given that Vedal rarely talked about his emotions.
Life with Vedal is unexpectedly hectic. Alex met the chaotic twins, Anny and Camila, and even became a streamer himself. Happiness bloomed inside him like a flower, and alongside it, new feelings began to develop.
Alex remembers every late-night coding session, every argument they had when things went wrong, and every time they both got utterly drunk. Throughout all this, he discovered more of Vedal’s different sides.
Vedal may be slow to act, but he always keeps his promises.
He’s a perfectionist, obsessively focused on latency, tweaking, and fixing every minor detail.
He rarely laughs, but when he does, it warms Alex’s heart.
He’s a genius, a perfectionist, an alcoholic, and a genuinely caring person.
And then came that night.
A rare, drunken evening when Vedal, without warning, told Alex that he trusted him. No qualifiers. No hesitation. Just those words— raw and stripped down.
That was the moment Alex fell for him.
Alex never expected to fall in love so quickly; his heart raced, and his stomach churned with butterflies. He became acutely aware of himself whenever they stood next to each other, often finding himself staring at Vedal for longer than he considered normal.
What is he, a teenager?
He would never admit this to Vedal’s face, but his presence feels like a precious gift, a wrapped present that was handed to him without explanation.
He planned to keep those feelings buried, hidden away forever. Why ruin a good thing?
Vedal already had too much on his shoulders. He was the quiet genius behind it all, the one who worked tirelessly to hold things together. Why would he ever choose someone like Alex, an extra in someone else’s film?
And yet, he did.
He chose to hold his hand and squeeze it lovingly. Chose to fall asleep during their calls, listening to Alex’s steady breathing. They go on dates where Vedal rambles about work, about people, and spend quiet nights drinking or standing side by side, observing the people strolling past, the flickering glow of some streetlights from Vedal’s balcony.
Though this attention makes Alex anxious, he is also incredibly grateful.
Loving Vedal is awkward, surprising, and tender.
Vedal isn’t an expressive person; he usually communicates through actions rather than words. His demeanor is often reserved, preferring to let his deeds speak for him.
Alex was genuinely shocked when Vedal came to his house after Alex mentioned he was sick. Despite Alex's reassurances that he would be fine, Vedal grumbled and stayed with him until he got better, dozing off beside him.
Birthdays can be joyful celebrations. They can also be deeply melancholic— lonely, complicated, heavy with expectations.
Loving Vedal means recognizing that he has darker moments, times he buries deep inside his mind. He tends to overwork himself, often neglecting his own needs. When Alex expresses concern, Vedal simply shrugs it off as a normal occurrence.
They have fought about this before. Can you imagine what happens when two usually composed and level-headed people argue?
When two usually calm people fight, it’s not loud at first, but when it breaks, it breaks . Shouting, cruel words, silence that lasts too long. That fight showed Alex a part of Vedal he hadn’t fully seen— his deep insecurities, how easily he accepted the hurt, how he didn’t even defend himself.
Like he believed every horrible word said to him.
Looking back, the signs had been there. The jokes Vedal made about being “ just the coder,” “ not entertaining,” “ not enough.” Alex had dismissed them, thinking it was Vedal’s dry humor. But they weren’t jokes, were they?
They were truths Vedal believed.
After the fight, they entered a period of silence. They continued working together but stopped communicating. Alex wanted to say something—anything—to break the rigid, uncomfortable silence.
Eventually, he did. They had a long discussion about the fight, their relationship, and their feelings. Vedal apologized first and admitted his mistakes, even though Alex felt responsible for some of the hurtful things he had said as well.
They fell back into their normal rhythm again, as if nothing had happened. Vedal still joked around in his monotonous voice, and Alex responded in kind.
But Alex never forgot that hint of Vedal’s self-destructive tendencies.
Things didn’t go back to perfect. But they didn’t need to. They learned. They adjusted.
They loved.
Alex understands that they are both incredibly busy people; still, he tries to spend as much time as possible with Vedal.
Many would call their relationship “cold” and “distant,” but he doesn’t see it that way.
They might not interact much, but the little time they have is spent playing games, drinking together, or simply lying in the dark of Vedal’s bedroom, cuddling. They share chaste kisses whenever they meet and then call each other “cringeworthy,” laughing it off together.
The limitation of time makes every moment with Vedal—every small message he receives, every interaction—far more precious.
So maybe it’s sappy. Maybe he sounds like a fool. But Alex doesn’t care.
Lover is a day, and his lover is the day he was born, wrapping Alex in a cellophane of epiphany.
His presence is a gift wrapped in layers of silence, warmth, genius, and guarded affection.
Lover is a day, and Vedal is the reminder of his existence and emotions, reminding Alex that he's loved, even in imperfection.
His gift.
His beloved lover.