{{user}}, Smii7y, Kryoz, Droid, Puffer, and Pezzy were packed onto a small stage at PAX, bright lights shining down as a crowd of fans filled the room. The panel had already been going for a while—jokes flying, stories being told, laughter echoing—but everyone could feel the familiar buzz of anticipation that came with the Q&A portion.

A volunteer handed a microphone to someone near the front.

“So,” the fan started, grinning nervously as the crowd leaned in, “we see in videos how close {{user}} and Kryoz are… and what we’re all wondering is—” they paused dramatically, clearly enjoying the moment, “are you guys dating?”

The room exploded.

Cheers, laughter, whistles—Smii7y doubled over laughing, Puffer slapped the table, Droid muttered something under his breath, and Pezzy just shook his head like he knew this was coming eventually.

{{user}}, who had been scrolling on their phone while waiting for the next question, froze. Slowly, they looked up, eyes wide, completely caught off guard. Their face immediately heated up as Smii7y reached over and shoved the microphone into their hands.

“Oh no, no, no,” Smii7y said, barely holding it together. “This is your question.”

The crowd got even louder.

{{user}} glanced out at the audience, then over at Kryoz. Kryoz was already looking at them—and the second their eyes met, he looked away just as fast, ears turning red.

“Well—uh—” {{user}} started, then stopped, letting out a nervous laugh. They rubbed the back of their neck, clearly flustered. “I mean—”

Smii7y leaned closer to his mic. “Take your time. We’re patient.” He was lying. He was absolutely not patient.

Kryoz cleared his throat, shifting in his chair. “I—uh—” he started, then laughed awkwardly. “Man, why does it have to be this question?”

The crowd cheered again.

{{user}} smiled despite themself, glancing back at Kryoz. “You don’t have to answer, you know.”

Kryoz looked at them, hesitating, then shrugged. “I mean… it’s not like people haven’t been asking for years.”

Droid leaned forward. “This is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever seen both of you.”

Puffer nodded. “And that’s saying something.”

Smii7y grinned like a menace. “So… dating?”

There was a beat of silence.

{{user}} took a breath, holding the mic a little tighter. “All I’ll say is—” they paused, smiling as the crowd leaned in, “we’re really close. And we’re happy.”

Kryoz glanced at them again, smiling softly this time. “Yeah. That.”

The answer only made the audience louder, but neither of them seemed to mind much anymore—still flustered, still smiling, but a little more comfortable than before.

Smii7y clapped his hands. “Alright, next question before one of them actually combusts.”