Disclaimer: "Liv and Heart" should be read before this one
Date
“Hey, what was that about, man?” Heart jumped down from the foliage to a suspension bridge, landing in front of Gabriel.
“‘Good morning, Your Grace’” Gabriel corrected him, as he didn’t quite appreciate that sudden appearance, nor the miffed tone - not to mention that bridge-cutting scene from yesterday.
“To you, too,” Heart replied, as if Gabriel was the one greeting him. The other gave him a slightly annoyed look; he knew that the other lordling didn’t correct his behavior on purpose, but he was used to it by now. “Were you two on a date or not? With Liv, yesterday”
“I don’t think we were”
“I saw you play the flute for her”
“So? I’ve played the flute for you guys before too. Would you like me to play it now?”
“No, but it felt like a date when I saw you two by the lake!”
“You’re projecting”
“Bro, you two almost KISSED??”
Gabriel now gave Heart a piercing glare, and Heart immediately lowered his voice. Dating wasn’t a topic one should shout around, especially when it involves the future Lord of the village.
Gabriel turned around and walked in a more secluded direction; he knew he wouldn't escape Heart, but at least they should keep this conversation private.
“Why didn’t you go in?” Heart went after him.
“Go in?”
“For the kiss?”
“I wasn’t planning on kissing her. We were just close, and then it shifted a little in that direction. Mostly by her, though. Even if I hesitated for a second, I wasn’t planning on kissing her originally. But now I’m most certain that she has feelings for me...” he sighed.
“She seems like she likes you, yeah-” Heart kept the fact that he knew for certain hidden. He wasn’t going to tell a girl’s secret. “So if you love her too, why didn’t you?”
“Love is a strong word, Heart. I don’t throw that word around mindlessly”
“...” Heart stayed silent for a split second, with an unreadable expression on his face. “So you don’t?”
Gabriel sat down on the planks and started tinkering with some weird objects from his satchel.
“I like her as a friend; maybe I like her differently too, a bit”
“Is that not love?”
“Heart, you have a lot of emotions, you know. One can only focus on a few, usually. But you feel everything intensely, I think. I know you made it your life’s mission to deny that, but you know that I can see it”
Heart stayed silent again for a bit. He hates it every time.
“Are you not the same? You just have a straighter face. And a gaze that can shut people up if the conversation goes in a direction you don’t want.”
Gabriel’s hands stopped whatever he was doing, but he didn’t look at the other.
“You’re good at reading people too. You should show this true self to Liv, and maybe she’d like you back.”
“The heck are you saying?”
“Your future problem,” Gabriel continued with the tinkering, now with another artifact added.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
“Nah. Do you know what your problem is, Your Grace? It’s not just me; you have a lot of emotions too, but you use them all up on one person.”
“That being...?”
“The one you’re making whatever that is for. Even as we speak about your date.”
Silence followed again, this time longer…
“Is that the reason? Hm?”
“...”
“Is that Jinhai the reason you’re not dating Liv?”
Gabriel stood up and, with his head tilted up, looked sharply into Heart’s eyes.
“That look’s not shutting me up now…” whispered Heart confidently as he gazed back. He needed answers about Liv, now.
“Yes”
“Do you love him?” Heart asked.
“Yes”
The fae’s eyes widened.
“Love is a strong word, Heart, and it is not always romantic. It is strong, regardless”
“If you keep this up, everyone’s gonna think it is romantic, though”
“It is not. But I don’t mind if you don’t believe me”
“You’re insane”
Gabriel smiled at Heart.
“Maybe. But I’m also a romantic. I will not date someone unless I can love them more than anyone else in the world. And for now... even if I like Liv a little, there is no space.”
Heart listened carefully... and, as always, Gabriel managed to amaze him. Even if he didn’t agree with sacrificing romance because of it... he could not help but wonder how lucky the girl will be, the one who Gabriel will end up loving, when he will “have the space” in his heart.
“You know what..? If, let’s assume, Liv is actually in love… She deserves to be number one in her man’s eyes too…” Heart said unusually quietly.
“Yes.” This is what the lordling was trying to say. He was glad that Heart understood. But he knew he would.
Heart was looking at the ground with a face way more honest than how he liked to come across. Now that he understood, he was so, so thankful… that Gabriel gave the chance for that girl to have a love that he himself wouldn't be able to provide right now. For some reason, Heart felt so strongly - that whoever it may be, he wants Liv to have the best person.
He sighed.
“If you decided that you can not give your love to Liv… then please stop showing signs that can confuse her”
“That was my bad. I thought about it for a long time and ended up halfway in. It was my bad”
This was another thing Heart felt like he had to learn from him. To man up and own up to one’s mistakes. He knew he lacked that. And now... somehow came back around to Liv in his head. If Gabriel, the most perfect person he knows, was not good enough to be with her. How would someone, like..
“I have to be honest, I do not know how to fix this, though. I won’t be unfriendly on purpose; that is for sure. I wish to stay friends too, like we always were,” said Gabriel, seemingly deep in thought.