The day of the final event was finally over, and Gabriel felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. It had been an intense few days, filled with excitement, cosplay, and the kind of adrenaline rush that only conventions could bring. As he stepped back into the hotel room where he and his sister, Seraphine, were staying, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment. Stripping off his cosplay felt like a small victory, but the best part was finally removing the wig. The freedom of having his scalp uncovered again was blissful—he'd been battling headaches the entire time from wearing the wig, and now, without it, he felt like a new person.
But even as he began to relax, something lingered in his mind—Ryden. He couldn't shake the memory of their unexpected encounter. The way Ryden had approached him, completely unaware that Gabriel was Angel, had thrown him off. Ryden had asked for a picture, and Gabriel hadn't expected him to focus on him specifically—he barely seemed to notice the other cosplayers around them. That little moment replayed in his mind, and Gabriel couldn't stop wondering what it meant.
"Man, these three days were crazy," Seraphine said as she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the bed, clearly still buzzing from the event.
Gabriel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Tell me about it," he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.
A moment of silence passed before Gabriel decided to finally spill what was on his mind. "Remember the guy I gave the tie to?" he asked, watching his sister's face for any sign of recognition.
Seraphine sat up, nodding. "Yeah"
"That's him," Gabriel confirmed. "He came to see me last Saturday, but he didn't know I was Angel. He said we'd already met, but I don't remember meeting him in any conventions. I didn't expect him to be... well," he paused, making air quotes, "'a fan.'"
Seraphine's eyes widened. "No way," she gasped.
"Yes way," Gabriel sighed again, this time in exasperation.
Gabriel buried his face in his hands for a moment. "What do I tell him now? What if he finds out I'm Angel? Will we still be friends?" He groaned, flopping back on the bed dramatically. "I really want to stay friends with him—or more, if possible." He whispered the last part, not entirely sure why he'd said it aloud.
Seraphine sat back, folding her arms and leaning against the headboard. "Let me see what he looks like," she said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.
Gabriel hesitated, then pulled out his phone and tossed it lightly in her direction. "You're about to become a professional stalker," he warned, a grin tugging at his lips.
Seraphine caught the phone easily and immediately started scrolling through Ryden's Instagram. She tilted her head at the photos—mostly food and the occasional book or drink shot. Nothing out of the ordinary. But then, one post caught her eye. "Wait a second... Gabriel, look at this!" she said, her voice rising with excitement.
Gabriel blinked, leaning over to see. It was a picture of a book cover, and on the cover was a familiar face—his face. He froze, recognition dawning on him. "Oh, crap," he muttered. "I totally forgot about that."
Seraphine was already tapping at the screen. "This is you," she said, pointing at the image. "Remember the time you got asked to be the cover model for that book? You barely even talked about it."
Gabriel rubbed his temples, remembering. He'd been asked a while ago to pose for the cover of an indie novel, but it had been such a strange request that he hadn't really thought much of it. And now Ryden, who was apparently an avid reader, had posted it. The thought swirled in Gabriel's head: why did Ryden go to conventions? Was he really just a fan of Angel? The realization made him pause. He had only ever been Angel in real life at anime or gaming events, did Angel really brought Ryden into this world?
As Gabriel mused on this, Seraphine continued scrolling, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, look at this," she said, laughing softly. "He's a bit of a lurker, isn't he? He follows your account."
Gabriel felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "I don't know if I want to know," he muttered, trying to ignore the strange fluttering feeling in his chest.
Seraphine raised an eyebrow. "Well, if he's a fan of Angel, then you might have a shot at something more than just friendship," she teased, nudging him with her elbow.
Gabriel groaned, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't know what to think. I just... I'm not sure how to deal with any of this right now." He leaned back against the bed, running a hand through his hair. "Give me back my phone," he said, unable to keep the frustration from his voice.
Before Seraphine could respond, Gabriel's phone pinged with a new message notification. He jumped slightly, eyes flicking to the screen.
"Speak of the devil," he muttered, recognizing Ryden's name.
Seraphine perked up immediately. "What is it?" she asked, her interest piqued.
Gabriel hesitated before showing her the message. "He wants to meet up next weekend," he said with a shrug, trying to keep his cool.
Seraphine's eyes widened. "Oh wow. Go for it!" she exclaimed.
Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, thinking for a moment. The idea of meeting Ryden in person again was both exciting and terrifying, especially after everything that had happened. He quickly typed a reply, deciding to put off any concerns about Angel for now. "I'll think about the Angel thing next time," he muttered, hitting 'send.' "Right now, I just want to relax."
As Gabriel settled back against the bed, his heart still racing, he tried to focus on the one thing that mattered most at the moment: finally having a moment to unwind. But as the evening wore on, he couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.