The pictures hit Twitter before either of you had even realized someone had snapped them. Grainy at first, then sharper as different angles began to surface. There it was—Alex, better known to his fans as Quackity, leaning against a café wall in downtown Los Angeles, laughing with a man just a few years older. Then another picture, the one that spread like wildfire: you, leaning down to kiss him, his hand still holding onto your jacket sleeve like he never wanted you to leave

At first, Alex didn’t notice the sudden shift online. He was too busy texting you, telling you how your coffee order had been way too sweet, teasing you the way he always did. But once he opened his phone again, his mentions were already chaos.

“Who even is this guy??” one comment read.

“He looks way older than Alex…” another said, paired with a disappointed emoji.

But right under it, someone else wrote: “He looks so happy. Look at his smile, omg 🥺.”

The divide was sharp—some fans were excited, thrilled even, that Alex seemed genuinely happy. Others picked at every detail, from your age difference to the fact that no one had seen you before.

When Alex saw the hate, he instantly frowned, scrolling faster. His hand tightened on his phone, his jaw setting in irritation. He wasn’t used to people questioning him like this, especially about something so personal. The fact that people were picking at you made his chest burn with frustration.

That night, when you came over to his apartment, he tried to brush it off at first, acting like nothing was wrong. But when you reached for his hand, you noticed how tense he was, how quiet compared to his usual teasing self.