Chapter 80 - 79

"So how did the date go?" Alexander whom Gideon had not seen for a while decided to drop by.

It was a pleasant surprise since the last time he saw him was when he drove him home. He felt a little guilty because he had been using Alexander as a private service shuttle when he could have just driven using the family car. 

"It wasn't a date!" Gideon placed down his plate. The two of them had been eating some light snacks that he prepared in a rush.

"I mean you just told me that the prince confessed to you and you agreed to "hang out" just the two of you. Hell I'm even surprised that Ms. Theo allowed you to go out with him"

The flow of events dawned upon Gideon who had been having a lot of fun lately around Kaiden. Even the bold confessions and flirting that Kaiden had been doing were getting to him. He really had no idea what dating is to the point he wasn't aware until Alex here pointed it out several times.

"We have done this several times in the past already. It doesn't mean anything..." Gideon tried to refute Alexander but the guy raised an eyebrow.

"You have gone on a date with his highness in the past as well? and not only that but several times?"

"We're not dating!"

"I pity his highness suddenly" Alexander side commented and Gideon couldn't have helped it and made a weird expression.

"Just whose side are you on?"

"Well I can't exactly answer that since I'll hurt both of your feelings" Alexander answered truthfully and Gideon sank in his seat.

Yeah, he'd be charged with treason if he openly declared that he was against the prince. He already did that once in the past but the king overlooked it because he had no interest in me.

But it was a little different now since Kaiden was now actively putting everything off because of Gideon. To the point, Luciel got intrigued. What was special about an old friend from a shabby orphanage.

"But don't you have some feelings for his highness? I mean if you really disliked him then you could have just refused these things"

Alex had a point. Kaiden did also mention that he could reject his advances and draw a line between them that they are nothing more than friends. But it was also Gideon who allowed Kaiden to step over that line from time to time.

Did he have such feelings for him?

Seeing Gideon was taken aback and was now heavily brooding, Alexander sighed.

'These kids... '

"I-if I did..." Gideon started to speak and Alexander was surprised at what he was looking at.

Gideon had his eyebrows furrowed together as if he was deep in thought, maybe even confused, with a blush spread out on his face as he averted his gaze to the side. He was stuttering his words as if he was nervous.

"If I did develop a little... feeling...h-how could I be sure it's that?"

'Oh. My. Gosh...

GIDEON IS SUCH A CLUELESS IDIOT'

Alexander was a little frustrated at how his friend was lost with his feelings. He couldn't help but while mentally on how Gideon literally grew up with one of the most known lovers in the army. Those two were well known to the soldiers with how sticky everyone would feel just by looking at them gushing about how they love each other from their hair strands to their toenails.

He had to chant that he shouldn't disrespect the dead inside his head just now and apologized over and over to Stephen.

'I'll pay respects to you Sir Stephen'

Alexander coughed a little and took a deep breath.

"Well... Hmm..." he thought about it for a little while "When you see him, how do you feel?"

"Normal?" Gideon answers and Alexander facepalms himself.

"Is it wrong? Am I supposed to feel something?" Gideon panicked seeing Alexander suddenly facepalm himself.

"No no, my question was too vague. Um... when you don't see him, how do you feel?"

"When I don't see him?" Gideon repeated the question and Alexander looked up at him and nodded.

"Well, I don't see him all the time anyway since he is the prince but..."

"But?"

"Sometimes I miss him?"

It seems like Gideon does have some sort of feelings but it's not all there yet.

"When you two went on a da-" Alexander saw Gideon's expression and immediately changed his words "went out, did anything in particular happen? I mean you won't beat yourself up if there wasn't. Do you mind telling me what you two did?"

Gideon spoke about the events of the date. From the surprise meeting with Eliam to the Karaoke and to the trip home. He didn't explain everything in detail since it would be too much. Just where they ate, if they talked, and what they did. No more than that.

"You said that the prince said something and it made your chest hurt?"

"Ah yeah"

"Hurt how? Did he say something terrible?"

"Not really- I just remembered something he said to me in the past as well about me. It wasn't bad but I felt like my heart stopped for a moment. Like there's something tingly as well"

"Have you felt like this in the past as well?"

"I have... Is it something serious?" Gideon showed a horrified face and Alexander pursed his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. He took in a breath and asked again.

"I can't exactly say what it is unless you let me know what he said. Is it ok for you to share the details of at least one time where you experienced this tingly sensation?"

"It was also from our hangout the other day..."

"Oh, it wasn't just one time that day?"

"Let me finish!" Gideon scolded Alexander and he nodded as he showed an ok hand sign.

"h-he" a blush crept up his face again as he recalled that moment when he finished singing.

.

.

Gideon noticed that Kaiden had been staring at him and suddenly asked him why he sang a sad song. It was strange however, others won't notice it was a sad song since Gideon would put emphasis on the happy parts of the song. And when others sang it, it was also the same feeling. But Kaiden noticed the sad part more. He was about to ask more about why Kaiden thought it was sad until:

"But it was beautiful. I felt as if I was listening to a story rather than a song. I honestly think that the machine is broken because you should have scored higher"

Those words made his heart stop again. And something was tingly. He was unfamiliar with this so he suddenly laughed it off and went out of the booth.

He was going to calm himself for a quick second before retorting it with:

"Haha I knew I was better at something"

But

"It was beautiful"

Those words echoed in his head. Now his heart didn't stop for a moment, instead, it started to beat faster.

.

.

"It's nothing serious, it's..." should he say it directly? But if he did then Gideon will probably feel awkward since he just rejected Kaiden and suddenly he's into him?

"It's?"

Well, nothing good will come out of it if they continue to beat around the bush.

"You're developing some feelings for him."

Oh...

Gideon lowered his head and placed his hands together.

'I'm so fucking stupid'

"G-Gideon?" Alexander was shocked by the sudden shift in the mood. Wasn't it good that Gideon had feelings for the prince as well? Why is he like this then?!

"Hmm?" Gideon didn't raise his head.

"Isn't it good that the feeling is mutual?"

"It's not that Alex"

"What is it then?"

Gideon raised his head and he was crying. Alexander made a squeak and panicked even more.

"Have I truly gone insane? Last time I just told him that I had no feelings whatsoever but now you tell me I do"

Alexander coughed and corrected Gideon "I said you were developing feelings for him. There might be some now, yes but you should know that these things change from time to time. Sometimes you may like a person but over time those feelings would either get stronger or weaker. So in your case, it got stronger. There isn't particularly any wrong with liking someone so you shouldn't beat yourself up like this"

"But how will I face Kaiden now?" and besides that, how was Kaiden able to show his face around Gideon without feeling embarrassed or flustered.

"Just face him normally. Don't you miss him from time to time?"

Alexander was right, Gideon did miss Kaiden a little bit.

"You don't have to tell him that you like him anything immediately. Even if the feeling is mutual, it's still bad to rush into these things. Just take your time and tell him once you're ready" Alexander took the tissues from the table and handed them to Gideon as he patted his back to comfort him.

"When will that be?" Gideon wiped away his tears using the tissue that Alexander handed him.

"Nobody truly knows. It'll just be a feeling" Alexander smiled at him and Gideon sniffled a little.

"How do you know so much about these things?"

"I- uh..." Alexander blushed a little bit before clearing his throat.

"I actually have a person that I like myself. But I haven't introduced them to my family so it's not official yet"

"I see... I hope things go well between the two of you though"

"Yes thank you but! Going back to our topic, just continue spending time with the prince. You don't have to do anything except be yourself"

Alexander's visits were always helpful to the clueless Gideon. He should really visit Mrs.. Lianna in the future to thank her for raising his good friend.