Being part of the Dream SMP circle had never really felt real.

Not at the beginning. Not when you were just another streamer with a small audience and shaky confidence, trying to keep up with people who seemed larger than life even behind a screen.

But somehow, somewhere between late-night Discord calls, chaotic streams, inside jokes that spiraled out of control, and millions of viewers watching your every move—

you became one of them.

You were known now.

Recognized.

Loved, even.

But you were also the youngest.

And the one who felt everything a little too much.

The pressure. The expectations. The constant noise of being perceived.

Most days you handled it.

Some days… you really didn’t.

And Alex knew.

Quackity had always been the one who noticed when your energy dipped just a little too low, when your voice got quieter on call, when your jokes stopped landing because you didn’t have the strength to keep them going.

He never made it a big thing.

He just stayed.

Which is how you ended up here.

IRL stream.

Together.

The camera was already live.

The chat was flying by so fast it was almost unreadable, messages stacking over each other in a blur of excitement, usernames, and caps lock spam.

You were sitting side by side on the couch, a shared mic set up in front of you, your knees pulled slightly closer to yourself than usual, fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of your hoodie.

Alex, on the other hand, looked completely at ease.

Of course he did.

“Alright, alright— relax, chat, I can’t read that fast,” he said, leaning forward slightly with a grin, squinting at the screen as if that would somehow help him process the flood of messages.

You let out a small, quiet laugh beside him.

“They’re excited,” you murmured, your voice softer but still picked up clearly by the mic.

He glanced at you immediately.

There it was again — that quick check-in.

That subtle shift in his expression.

“You good?” he asked under his breath, his tone dropping just enough that it felt like it was meant only for you, even though thousands of people were watching.

You nodded quickly.

“Yeah, yeah— I’m okay,” you replied, giving a small smile as you tried to shake off the tight feeling in your chest.

He didn’t look fully convinced.

But he didn’t push.

“Okay!” he clapped his hands once, louder now, energy snapping back into place as he turned toward the camera again. “Today we’re doing a Q&A because you guys have been begging for it— and because I forced—”

He gestured toward you dramatically.

“—this one to finally go outside.”

You nudged him lightly with your shoulder.

“I go outside,” you protested, a hint of laughter in your voice.

“When?” he shot back instantly, turning his head toward you with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile.

You opened your mouth— then paused.

“…sometimes,” you finished weakly, and he burst out laughing.

The chat exploded even more.

“Okay, first question—” he leaned forward, reading off the screen before pausing, a grin spreading slowly across his face. “Oh, this is a good one.”