“Next year, organise yourself and sign up,” says Tyler, pointing at the latest cosplayer striking poses on stage. The troll we saw earlier throws himself further into his role and I smile at the dedication of those we’ve seen. Seated near the back, midway along a row, I’m squashed between Aaron and Erin. Unfortunately, his large frame spills across to my seat and I spend ten distracted minutes debating whether I should allow our legs to touch, or if that’s inappropriate, or if it would send the wrong signal, or if… shut the hell up, Evie. Crossing my legs away from him isn’t an option in this costume, the split in the robe would reveal way too much leg and he might think it’s deliberate.

Will you stop bloody overthinking everything?

Five minutes of my knee touching his and the accompanying arousal, and I give in, crossing my legs. Even then, the hyperawareness and strange energy lingering between us doesn’t stop. Aaron has to change for the party, we all will, and with that he’ll leave his embodiment of my girlish fantasy—and my not so-girlish reaction—behind. Then I’ll calm down. Surely.

“You have a tattoo.” Aaron leans across, breath touching my cheek as he whispers below the MC’s introduction of the next entrant.

I look down at tiny unicorn on my upper thigh. “I have a few.”

“I’d love to see them,” he says, matter of fact. “Unless they’re places you don’t want to show me.”

His bite down on the corner of his lip hits me. Aaron knows how I’m reacting, of course he bloody does; guys who look like him witness tongue-tied girls around them all the time.

What did I expect from the man who’s Thorsday? I uncross my legs and the tattoo disappears beneath the robe. “I have elven runes on my shoulders. Most people have seen them.”

“I look forward to that.” He looks ahead and a muscle twitches in his cheek.

“See you in the summer, then.”

“Maybe.”

“How about you? Any tattoos?”

“On my legs, and my back too.” He turns his eyes back to mine. “I’ll happily show you. That’s if you can cope with me without my shirt on.”

I open my mouth to retort, then bite the inside of my cheek instead, tempering my reaction. “I’m sure, as with everything you say about yourself, what lies under your shirt is unparalleled by anybody else.”

“More than most of the guys here, yeah.”

I take the chance to see what body language accompanies the comments, exactly like those I’ve heard over the last few weeks. He props his chin beneath his hands, elbows on knees, and his face is as inscrutable as his online character.

“Is he serious?” Erin whisper in my ear. “I mean, he’s hot but arrogant much?”

The taut, powerful shoulders can’t be hidden beneath his armour and my eyes jump from man to man around us. Many are younger and skinnier, I haven’t figured Aaron’s age yet but he’s a few years older than us. How old? Late twenties? The times we’ve spoken through the day have stuck to the topics from the game. I’m not brave enough to pry, but there’re so many things I want to know about him.

“I need the bathroom,” I whisper to Erin and stand.

Heading left, I avoid any further physical contact with Aaron and squeeze past my long-term friends, with mutterings about blocking their view of the character on stage. Cole is particularly glued to the girl dressed as Sailor Moon.

I readjust my ears and costume in the bathroom’s full-length mirror. My bright green eyes burn due to the coloured lenses; do I take them out and spoil the effect? After turning around to check the back of my robe, admiring yet again how beautiful the costume is, I weave past the queue waiting for the bathroom stalls and walk back out into the Con. The hallway between the bathrooms and the main area brings welcome quiet, and I pause. Return to the cosplay competition or avoid? And if I avoid, excuse needed?

Earlier, I spotted a stall selling huge strands of liquorice in varying flavours and my sweet tooth ached as I passed. I’m a sugar addict and anything unusual hits the spot with me. Not that I’m the only one; the people queuing aren’t kids. Selecting a bagful, I pay and immediately shove the bright green, apple-flavoured, sticky badness into my mouth.

The number crowding stalls lessened when the cosplay started, and I expand my avoidance technique with the excuse I’m taking a closer look at the merchandise. One stall in particular sells badges, and the die-cut pink unicorns beckon me.

I stare at the artwork prints on the wall behind the stall, and the artwork folio in front of me. There’s an ethereal style to the watercolour fantasy creatures, and a strange innocence in the human faces in fantasy worlds. Sucking on my liquorice, I weigh up between buying unicorn artwork or the badge.

“There’re some amazing images here.” I turn to the voice; Aaron smiles at the girl sitting behind the desk, who’s drawing outlines of a new work. She looks up and her reaction mirrored mine earlier. God-like man talking to her. Complimenting.

“Thanks.” A pink colour, matching the unicorn badge currently stabbing my palm, spreads across her cheeks.

He smiles and turns to the folio of work in front of him, as I stand, green liquorice gluing my teeth together.

“Candy and unicorns, huh?” he asks, not looking up. “I learn more about you every day.”

I proffer the bag and he shakes his head. “Not a fan.”

At least my full mouth excuses my inability to respond.

“You missed the end of the cosplay competition.”

I swallow. “Who won?”

“Not sure. I missed it too.”

Aaron turns to me and takes the badge from my hands. His warm, soft fingers set an electric charge I swear matches the thunderbolts Sinestre used on him when we duelled. The touch jolts my heart because it’s beating a hell of a lot quicker than before.

No, please. I don’t need this.

“Sinestre, the pink unicorn girl. That doesn’t add up.” He turns the badge over in his broad palm. “Not very kickass.”

I pull the liquorice between my teeth and it snaps. His eyes focus on my lips as I lick the escaping part into my mouth, and they darken.

No. Double no.

I pay, and the stall holder tucks the badge into a paper bag. She watches Aaron as I attempt to ignore the fact his large frame overshadows everything right now.

“Why did you miss the end of the competition?” I ask and step to the next stall. Jewellery, the cogs and clock faces intricately set into bronze settings on long chains. Black and gold letters above the guy in a top hat and a cog-like monocle.

Steampunk. Not my thing. I sidestep to the next stall.

“I wanted to find you.”

The paper bag creases as I grip it tightly. What the hell? “I told everyone I was going to the bathroom.”

“But you’re not in the bathroom anymore.”

“Astute. Why look for me?” His intimidating effect on my senses needs dealing with as I focus on his eyes, searching for any hints something lies beneath—which I’m a hundred percent sure does.

“I wanted to take a photo with the guild before we all go our separate ways; I think Erin and Cole are leaving soon, so we need you to come back to the group.”

“Aren’t you coming to the party?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Aaron crosses his arms over his chest, which is no mean feat considering how much extra the armour adds to his body.

“You should. Tyler will be upset if you don’t. I swear he’s hero-worshipping you.”

The smile reappears. “You mean he wants to be me when he grows up?”

“How old are you?” I blurt.

“You want to start with the personal questions now?”

“Your age is hardly a big thing. Or is it? You don’t have to tell me.”

Aaron sighs and gestures towards a quieter corner. He rests against the wall, voices echoing around us still, but somehow locked in our own space.

“The thing is, Evie, I could tell you anything and it could be a lie. I could catfish you all.”

“You’re Tyler’s cousin’s friend. His cousin must know you.”

“Not really. We’re from the same guild—well, we were—I’d never met him in person either. He knows nothing about me.”

“Apart from what you share in game?”

“Yep.”

I smooth my robe with perspiring palms. “Tell me one true thing about yourself, then. And one lie.”

He rubs his long fingers across his mouth, those gorgeous blue eyes drawing me into trusting him. I’m such a sucker for men’s eyes and look where I usually end up—their bed. “And I don’t have to tell you which is a lie?”

“No. As long as one is true.”

“Hmm. I was arrested once, and I’ve never been in love.”

“Wow, okay, I didn’t expect things that personal.”

“Go hard or go home, you know me.”

“Right.”

“Your turn.”

I run my tongue along my bottom lip. “I never said I’d…” I sigh. “Okay, but it’s not fair because you can ask Tyler.”

“There has to be things he doesn’t know about you, Sin.”

I clear my throat. “I cheated in my Year 12 finals, and my first kiss was a girl.”

Aaron splutters out a laugh. “I’m not sure I want either of those to be true.”

“I guess you’ll never know.” I stand, relieved we’re talking the way we do online, but mind blown by the conversation. Sure, we have these strange chats online, but face to face? Weird. Does he read me? “Why aren’t you coming to the party? Scared you’ll get drunk and reveal too much of yourself?”

“Ah. I don’t know. Maybe I will. Wasn’t planning on, but you’re tempting.”

“Tempting?”

“The guild. Spending some reality with you all.”

My spirits drop. But did I really want to tempt him? And I don’t care what he says, the glint in his eyes is telling me temptation isn’t far.

“You can talk game, no need to talk Aaron.”

He pulls himself from the wall and nods at me. “But if I want to talk to Evie, I’ll need to talk Aaron, won’t I?”