Page 15 of Now Streaming

Min loved conventions, loved being surrounded by the people who followed all the same things she did. The first time she had attended Kickoff five years ago, she felt like she had finally come home. That feeling returned every time she walked into the Kimball Convention Center. She looked forward to this every year, and even knowing Alex was there wasn’t going to ruin it for her.

After a quick shower, Min threw on her oldest and most comfortable jeans, a plain white V-neck shirt, and her walking shoes. After some light makeup, she drew her auburn curls up into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, grabbed her small backpack with sunscreen and hand sanitizer, and headed out for the day, eager to walk the floor of the exhibition hall.

She was practically bouncing on her heels when the elevator stopped at the lobby, and she took a left to follow the signs for the breakfast buffet. It was early enough that she was hoping to beat the crowd, her inner dream of French toast making her mouth water and her stomach growl. If there was anything Min loved, it was a solid breakfast.

There weren’t many people up yet, and she strode immediately to the end of the buffet, grabbing a plate, filling it up with eggs and bacon until she got to the French toast. A man was already there, apparently trying to decide between French toast and waffles. As she approached his eyes lifted to hers, and she could’ve kicked herself.

Of course, DeathsHead would hit the breakfast buffet. Of course he’d be up just as early as her for the convention. She should’ve anticipated this inevitability.

They stared at each other for a moment in surprise. Not sure what to say, she glanced down at his plate, the tongs still in his hand, and realized he had taken the last French toast. Her heart dropped right to the floor. When she looked back up at him, her glare was cold.

“How. Could. You?”

He was clearly confused, both by her words and her cutting tone, until he finally followed her eyes to where the French toast lay on his plate, looking delicious and ready to be eaten. Min saw the moment it dawned on him why she was mad, and the amusement that invaded his eyes.

“You mean, how could I get up earlier than you, get ready faster than you, and get to the buffet long before you did only to take the sad dregs of the mediocre hotel French toast?”

She huffed at that. Min knew she was being ridiculous, but she took breakfast very, very seriously. It set the tone for the entire day, a day that she desperately needed to go extremely well.

And he was ruining it.

“However mediocre the French toast may be, if you aren’t going to appreciate it then you should’ve left it for someone who would.”

He smiled at that, a real smile, not just the quirk of his lips that she had grown used to, and somehow it made her more tense. It was unfair that he could have real human feelings and look so good while doing it.

“What’ll you give me for it?” His voice was deeper now as he leaned toward her, the tongs still held in one hand. She rolled her eyes.

“The satisfaction of knowing you didn’t ruin my day.”

“French toast does not have the power to ruin your day.”

“It does if you continue on this destructive path you’re on.”

“If that were actually true and not just a manifestation of your insanity, then you should really be a lot more motivated to make a trade.”

She eyed him warily, knowing he was enjoying this far too much.

“What do you want?”

He thought about it for a moment, his eyes perusing her face.

“A favor. To be named at a later date.”

She narrowed her gaze, glaring. “I’m not throwing the tournament for French toast.”

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. “Good, because I wasn’t asking, babe. I think we both know I can beat you fair and square.”

It took a moment for Min to realize they were in some sort of staring contest, that the seconds were ticking by as they just stared at each other over the breakfast buffet. How did her life come to this?

“What kind of favor?” The question erupted from her abruptly, and she did her best not to wince at how inadvertently loud it had come out.

Min was wary. In the past, DeathsHead had offered her deals in-game, but half the time he had been lying to her, killing her character with a swift betrayal that she could only respect. She had learned he was unpredictable that way, so she made it a rule to never trust him, especially when he offered a trade.

But a real-life favor… that felt different. More serious. More intimate.

As if he was reading her mind, he lowered his voice, glancing around the rest of the room to be sure they weren’t overheard.

“Nothing dirty. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

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