*the stream had already been live for fifteen minutes by the time you walked into the room.

khan was mid-conversation with chat, leaning back in his chair.

— “hold on…”

he looked toward the door.

— “she’s here.”

chat immediately started flying.

“W COLLAB.”

“YONNAAA.”

“THIS ABOUT TO BE FUNNY.”

you walked over, adjusting the headset they handed you.

— “why’re they spamming already?”

khan glanced at the monitor.

— ”‘cause they ain’t got patience.”

you laughed, taking the empty seat beside him.

— “hi, chat.”

the donation alert interrupted you almost instantly.

”$10: Khan don’t let her beat you.”

khan read it, shook his head once.

— “they already tryna start.”

— “they know you’re gonna lose.”

he looked over at you.

— “that’s confidence.”

— “it’s facts.”

chat exploded.

“LMAOOO.”

“SHE JUST GOT THERE.”

he smirked for a second before loading into the game.

— “aight then… don’t complain when it goes left.”

twenty minutes later, you won the first round.

you didn’t even celebrate.

you just leaned back in your chair.

— “that was easy.”

khan looked at his screen for a second before exhaling through his nose.

— ”…run it back.”

“HE’S MAD.”

“LOOK AT HIS FACE.”

— “i’m not mad.”

—you looked at chat.*

— “he’s mad.”

he gave you a side-eye.

— “don’t start lying to my viewers.”

— “your viewers?”

you pointed at the monitor.

— “they’re saying i’m carrying the stream.”

he scanned the messages.

half the chat actually was.

he couldn’t even argue it.

— ”…they’ll switch up in five minutes.”

— “or maybe they won’t.”

another donation came through.

”$20: We need more streams with y’all.”

khan read it quietly.

— “calm.”

he clicked “play again.”

— “focus on the game first.”

you smiled to yourself.

— “see?”

— “what?”

— “you’re dodging the compliment.”

he shrugged without looking away from the screen.

— “just queue up.”

chat clipped the moment before either of you even realized it.

by the end of the stream, “run it back” had already turned into a joke everyone in chat kept repeating.*