"Evan! Over here!"

He heard his name being called in the crowd and he stood on his toes until he saw Craig's face smiling back at him. Evan waved and made his way over to the group of guys that had formed for the fan meet. The wind gave a cold gust and he shivered underneath both of his jackets. It was still nothing compared to Canada but it bit at his face just the same.

"Hey guys." Evan smiled and gave everyone a nod as they formed a small circle. "What's up?"

"Just hanging around until the fan meet." Craig said and moved back and forth on his feet to keep warm.

"Where's your friend?" Tyler asked him and Evan looked around half expecting, secretly hoping, that the guy was around but he wasn't.

"He said he'd stop by later after we tweet it out." He said and Luke caught his eye.

"Do we know this friend of yours?" Cartoonz asked and Evan shook his head.

"No, I just met him like two hours ago. He's uh, pretty cool though." Evan said trying to play it off and for the next twenty minutes he tried not to crane his neck every five seconds looking around for him.

He didn't usually get attached to anyone an particular when he met new people, but the guy was very familiar and he could relate to him. That made it easier to talk to him and in an industry such as this it was hard to find someone who he could get along with so easily. Most people he met liked to talk videos and numbers when all he really wanted to do was find someone that didn't like to talk about that at all. He wanted someone to just simply talk to him about . . . everything. He wanted someone to talk to him like he was a normal guy. And Liam did.

Lui and the guys tweeted out the location and pretty soon a number of people started to gather to talk and take pictures with them. Evan shook hands and smiled at numerous people but he wasn't feeling it. To be honest, he was tired already and it was only day one. Their panel was tomorrow and he wasn't particularly looking forward to that either. He didn't like being social, but being who he was it was kind of called for.

Evan stood off to the side and sighed against the cold air thinking about a hot shower and some peace and quiet.

"You look like you're having so much fun." A familiar sarcastic voice said from behind him and he turned to find Liam grinning at him.

"Hey." He smiled, feeling his uneasiness fade. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show."

Liam raised his brows in mock surprise, "Me? Stand you up? Never."

The guy broke into a pretty smile and Evan couldn't break his gaze from it or his eyes that were just as blue as his jacket that was pulled tight around his fit body. Liam was pretty. Very pretty and he couldn't deny how attracted to him he'd been when he first saw him. It usually didn't hit him that hard, but the guy was extremely down to earth and that made it worse.

"So." Liam interrupted his thoughts. "How's everything going?"

Evan shrugged, "It's going fine. Just a lot of picture taking and talking. We're about to wrap it up though."

"Oh, well that's cool." Liam said and Evan could tell he felt out of place standing there with him. He kept glancing at everyone else. It was cute how uncertain he was.

"Come on." Evan said and tugged at his arm. Liam swallowed nervously. "Guys. This is Liam."

Tyler and Lui broke through and gave him a hand shake and a small hug immediately. "Hey, man! You made it."

Jonathan finally relaxed and laughed, "Yeah, I told you I'd stop by. Sign my shirt?"

"Hell yeah." Lui said and pulled a marker from his jacket. Once he was done he passed the marker around until he had eight more signatures on his VG shirt. He grinned at them as they chatted and joked. He caught Luke's eye and gave him a wink, which he knew was setting his friend on fire by the glare he was discreetly giving him behind the guys' backs.

Evan answered the phone that was buzzing in his pocket and he felt blue eyes watching him. "Hello? Hey, man. No, that's fine, I'll meet you there. See you in a few."

"Mini, Tyler, Lui." Evan said, catching their attention. "Hey, the guys for the panel want to meet up and discuss it for tomorrow."

"Alright." The three guys said their goodbyes to the others before moving through the crowd.

Evan turned and caught Liam's eye before pulling him to the side. "Listen, I don't mean to keep leaving you hanging like this."

"It's fine." Liam brushed it off. "You do what you gotta do. It's not like I'm here with you or anything. You don't have to feel obligated to drag me around."

Evan felt something flutter in his stomach. He took a leap of faith, "Come to the panel tomorrow?"

"Only if you want me to."

"I do." Evan swallowed. "I hope this isn't weird or anything. I just . . . . you're not like everyone else here."

"That is a little weird. Considering we've never met before today." Liam said before grinning again. "But since I'm just as weird as you are, I think I can make some time to come see you. Totally wasn't gonna do that anyway."

Evan watched him bite at his lower lip. Jesus, was he fucking flirting?

Evan smiled at him before giving him a good look from head to toe again, appreciating the fit of his jeans and how good his shirt looked on him. "Good. I'll see you then . . . Liam."

The guy gave him a subtle wink and then backed himself into the crowd, the smile never fading from his lips. Evan was left standing there looking at the space he had occupied with a the small tingling feeling of flustered nerves. The ones that got riled up when he got excited or when he saw something he really liked.

And he really liked this guy. He reminded him of someone he'd probably never get to meet.

The rest of the night went by without a hitch. Jonathan tagged along with Luke, Brock, and the others, playing games, and meeting up with even more people. Until the sun started to fade and he started to get outrageously hungry.

"Luke, I'm starving." He said once it was just the two of them.

"I don't care."

"Wow, what crawled up your ass?" Jonathan huffed and kept walking ahead of him towards the hotel.

"I fucking told you not to get close and you fucking did it anyway." Luke pulled at his hair. "What is wrong with you?"

Jonathan spun on him, "Me? What's wrong with me? Not a God damn thing. I'm actually having a really good time, thank you for asking. They still don't know who I am, so why the fuck are you freaking out?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, Evan seems to like you a whole lot."

"So what if he likes me? I may never get the chance to do this, to get to know him, to be around him. I only have two more days to soak it in, so get off my fucking case."

His best friend stopped and sighed, running a hand over his face. "Fine, I'm sorry. Alright? I just don't want you to do something you'll regret."

Jonathan looked around for an answer to his question, "What could possibly happen?"

It was Saturday and Jonathan was up before the sun once again. He showered, trying to control the nerves that had worked themselves into another knot in his stomach. He couldn't stop thinking about Evan or the way he'd looked at him, the way he'd smiled. It was everything he wanted and that was for Evan to like him . . . . in person. Not just as a friend to play games with on the internet. In all honesty that's why he hadn't shown his face yet, because of Evan. It was always Evan. Evan, Evan, Evan. Evan made him nervous when no one else did.

Once he was out and drying his hair with his towel, Jonathan swiped at his phone and opened his last message to Evan before typing up a new one.

J-I forgot to ask you yesterday how the con was going. So, how's it going?

He threw his phone down on the bed, not expecting it go off for another few hours because it was five in the morning. So when his message tone went off a minute later he brushed the hair off his forehead and joined the phone on the bed, swiping it open again.

E-It's going really good. Met a bunch of cool people. Why are you awake?

J-Can't sleep. These cool people you speak of, are they cooler than me?

E-Everyone is cooler than you, Delirious.

Jonathan grinned as he lay in the dark.

E-I can't sleep either.

J-What's up?

E-Nothing, I just get overwhelmed with all the publicity stuff. You know.

J-I know. Why don't you just go out by yourself tomorrow after the panel? Get lost somewhere, have fun.

E-Yeah, that sounds like fun but you know the guys probably won't let me.

J-Just tell them you have plans or that you're meeting someone somewhere.

Jonathan was letting his heart run off and he took a breath. Evan was quiet for a minute before he finally replied.

E-Yeah, I might do that. I actually met someone that I want to hang out with without everyone breathing down my neck.

J-That's cool. You should do that. Go get some pizza and chill out. :)

E-Don't say pizza. It's only 5am.

J-PIZZAAAA! FOOOOOOD!

E-Fuck you. Now I'm hungry, thank you.

J-You're welcome.

E-Dick. We haven't played together in a while. I'm having withdrawals.

Jonathan felt the heat run through him at Evan's words.

J-Awwww :')

E-Shut up. I miss you, man. We should definitely play some FarCry 4 when I get home.

J-Yeah I guess I miss you, too. :P Sounds like a plan. Get some sleep, Evan. Have fun today, I'll be watching your panel.

E-Alright, I'll try. Text you later, loser.

J-Peace.

Jonathan stretched out across his bed with a smile plastered to his face. He'd talked Evan into maybe going out with him later and he didn't even know it yet. Was he an asshole for that?

Nah.

"Hashtag friendship."

The crowd laughed lightly. Christ, these people were so not into it and neither was he. Evan was searching everyone's face while he wasn't talking or laughing at one of the guys. It was so awkward and he was ready to get the hell out to be honest. Delirious' advice had been on his brain ever since he said to get lost somewhere and have fun. But he had to find the guy he wanted to get lost with first.

He scanned the crowd again and in the very back he finally caught sight of a pretty smile and blue eyes that were burning holes into his. Evan smiled against his will and lifted two fingers in a wave that Liam returned. The butterflies were doing aerial stunts in his gut and the panel wouldn't finish up fast enough. He damn near avoided his own friends when it was over just to slide through the crowd and find the guy that was giving his nerves a run for their money.

Why was he so attractive? Why was he so nice? Why was he turning out to be all the things he wanted in a guy?

"Hey." Liam said, tucking his hands nervously into his pockets. Evan noted the Delirious shirt he was sporting as he looked him up and down, soaking up the sight of him. Liam realized and looked down before breaking into a grin.

He held up a hand, "Don't worry, Delirious is only second on my list of man crushes."

Evan laughed and slipped his fingers around his smooth forearm, "Weird. He's second on mine too."

"Only second?" Liam raised a brow teasingly as he let Evan lead him through the crowd and out into the building's lobby.

"Well, you can say it's a tie right now between him and someone else."

"Oh? Am I gonna get to find out who? I won't spread the word, I promise." Liam said and made a motion of zipping his lips with his fingers.

"I might let you know. I'll have to think about it." Evan grinned and pulled his jacket on as they stepped outside into the cold. "Wanna get out of here for a while?"

Liam bit at his lip in thought, "What would we do? I don't know anything about Boston."

"Neither do I. Let's just go."

Liam laughed and shook his head at him, "You don't even know me and you want to just go get lost?"

Evan looked down at his feet, thinking about the possible consequences of what this night could end up bringing him. Then he looked back up at Liam and whatever he came up with left his brain and he smiled instead. "I'd like to get to know you. And I don't want to get to know most people. So, get lost with me please."

Liam tilted his head, "Okay. As long as neither of us end up dead in an alleyway or wasted in someone else's hotel room."

"Deal."

"Favorite platform?" Evan asked as they waited for their drinks in the pizzeria they'd happened upon.

"Xbox."

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Favorite food?"

"Pizza." Liam smirked and Evan was chewing at the inside of cheek, curling his fingers into a fist beneath the table.

"Favorite thing to do?"

"Stare at the ceiling and listen to music. You know, daydreaming." Liam sipped at his drink when their waitress sat them on the table. "If I'm not working, or gaming, I'm lying in bed just thinking with headphones on. I'm wasting my life away."

Evan stared at him for a moment trying to comprehend the fact that the guy just described his own favorite thing to do. It was fucking ridiculous. Liam was getting better and better and Evan really wished he would stop. He wished he would stop brushing his hair back with one hand, stop fucking with the condensation on his glass with his slim fingers, stop running his blue eyes over him.

"What's your middle name?"

Liam grinned slowly. "Liam is my middle name."

Evan sat up straighter, "Oh. Well, you just got ten times more interesting. So how bad is your first name that you go by your middle one instead?"

Liam shook his head, "It's a very basic normal name. My middle name just stuck better I guess."

Evan was waiting for a name to leave his lips but it never did, he just sat there with a smug look. "So you're not going to tell me?"

"I'm not. Sorry."

Evan leaned forward placing his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his hands. "It's fine. I won't tell you who's tied for first place."

"Well, that's disappointing. I was dying to know." Liam said nonchalantly, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips.

Stop it.

Evan felt the heat on the back of his neck. His lips were even pretty. The way he ate his pizza was pretty. The way he swallowed.

"You know, I've never done this." Jonathan said and he couldn't stop his shoulder from brushing Evan's as they walked down a busy street in the dark. Headlights occasionally illuminated everything around them, showing them the historic buildings surrounding them in all their dark glory. "With anyone."

"Neither have I." Evan responded softly, letting his step fall an inch closer to him until their arms were flush against each other.

"This is all extremely surreal right now." Jonathan sighed and looked up at the night sky.

"Why?"

Jonathan gave a small laugh and looked over at him. "Because I'm walking the streets of Boston, lost, with a guy that I've admired for years and never thought I'd get to meet. I'm the kind of guy that's always wanted to meet some of the people that have had a huge impact on my life, but I'm also the kind of guy that would rather stay home than bother with it. Because I'm just one person in a massive group of other people that want the same thing. So the fact that I'm here right now with you is a fucking dream. It could have been anyone, but it's me." He shrugged. "Pretty surreal."

Evan looked at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I don't really know what it is about you . . . . I come to these cons and I leave without meeting anyone worth staying friends with, but I meet you and I feel like I know you and I know that's weird. You just have this familiar vibe and I never feel that with anyone. You're easy to talk to, you're fun. I can relate to you on an unbelievable level and it's kind of scary because I just fucking met you. I've never met a fan and actually remembered their name and their face and what color their eyes were."

Jonathan felt his heart trying to punch it's way through his chest. "So what you're saying is that I'm special?"

Evan laughed and nodded, "Yeah. I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable."

"Not at all." Jonathan looked around, starting to feel uneasy. He wanted to feel uncomfortable with the fact that he was lying to his face. That he was lying to him yet keeping his arm pressed firmly against his. Even as they crammed into a cab together once they had wandered too far into a dark quiet area with suspicious noises. He wanted to feel uncomfortable with the fact that Evan wanted to walk him down to his hotel to say goodbye. And he wanted to feel it more than anything when Evan's breath ran across his face with the cold night air as they stood close for warmth.

He wanted to be so fucking uncomfortable with it but he wasn't.

"Goodnight, Liam." Evan smiled at him and for a moment Jonathan thought he was leaning in. For a moment he felt his own body moving towards his, but he blinked and fell back onto the balls of his feet, taking a step back. He cut his gaze away from Evan's deep brown eyes and licked his lips, telling himself that it was for the best not to. It would be wrong to and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let it happen. If he let this go any further.

"Goodnight, Evan." He said and took another step back.

"Meet me tomorrow night?"

"Where?"

"Dave and Buster's with the guys. Seven o'clock."

Jonathan nodded, "I'll be there."

Evan gave him one more smile and hopped into the next cab. He watched him fade around the next corner then he let out a groan of frustration. "Holy fuck."

He turned and made his way into the hotel to find Luke fast asleep. The sheets beckoned him and he fell asleep within minutes of falling into them. It didn't last long though and soon he was lying awake on his phone trying not to hit send on the message he'd typed up for the only person he seemed to text the last few months. But he hit it anyway.

J-Soooo, what did you have for dinner?

E-It's two in the morning. Why are you awake? Again.

J-Dude, you should know by now that I hardly ever sleep.

E-That's very true.

J-Why are you awake?

E-I don't know.

J-Was dinner that bad?

E-Lol. No, we had pizza.

J-Nice! I had pizza, too. Great minds think alike.

E-I have a question for you.

J-Yeah?

E-Okay. You like a person, but you just met them and you only have one more day to spend with them before you go home. What the fuck do you do?

J-Wow. Dinner must have been awesome then. Lol, um. I have no idea. Let them know? Keep in touch when you leave? Have you considered a long distance relationship?

E-No, I haven't. This literally happened all within 24 hours and I have no idea how to handle it.

J-I don't know what to tell you, Evan. Just have fun with them on your last day and when the time comes you can talk about it. Don't worry about it until then.

E-Okay. I'm still not going to be able to sleep.

J-Put your headphones on and close your eyes.

E-Oh yeah. I forgot that works, lol. That's what you should do, too, then.

J-I will. Goodnight, Evan. Or morning. Whatever.

E-Goodnightmorning, Delirious.

Jonathan sighed and grabbed his headphones, slipping them over his ears and pressing play on his phone. Every song that filtered through his ears conjured up an image of Evan in his head and it pulled him into a light sleep that consisted of his friend's lips and his fingers and his smile as he pulled him by the hand into a crowd of faceless people. When he woke the next morning and stepped into the scalding water of his shower that's all that was on his mind.

Evan fucking Fong.

Maybe he had gotten just a little in over his head.

How was he supposed to say goodbye?