Gideon was anxious, he had not anticipated that his audience with his Uncle would have Laric tagging along. But when his friend had been unexpectedly free for the day, he could not think of how to dissuade him without it being obvious that he didn't want the other Warrior there. He didn't want to give him the wrong idea, when he was doing this for his sake after all.

Finally Lord Damien finished with the Shadow Demon he had been speaking with and it was just the three of them, plus the usual guards. Taking a breath, Gideon walked up to his Uncle with Laric a half step behind and to his left.

Lord Damien sagged back into his favorite chair, crossing one ankle over the other out in front of him.

"Please tell me you don't have more bad news nephew. I've had about all I want to hear for the day."

Gideon swallowed, his throat tight with anxiety. His grey eyes flicked towards Laric, who was standing silently, waiting for Gideon to speak. He took a deep breath before speaking, hoping his nervousness would go unnoticed by Laric.

"No Uncle. I actually need to discuss my Heirship duties, and get you to take back the ones that I know are actually Lordship duties."

Damien looked amused, light grey eyes glinting as he looked up at the two Warriors in front of him. He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head slightly as he looked at his nephew.

"This is new. You usually drop by with reports about training or complaints about something I've done. But you barely ever object to the duties I've given you. I wonder..." Damien tapped his lips with one finger thoughtfully, and then his eyes widened in delight and he sat forward quickly.

"Please tell me you are finally going to Court someone!"

Gideon resisted the urge to cringe at his Uncle's excitement, and he firmly kept his gaze away from Laric whom he felt stiffen in surprise.

"Yes Uncle. I... I would like very much to Court someone. But between my duties as your Heir, my duties as a Warrior, and these murders..." He trailed off and spread his hands.

Damien's amusement seemed to only heighten at Gideon's confession.

"Wonderful! It's too bad that adorable boy is already taken. Unless of course, you plan on joining his mateship?" He glanced slyly between Gideon and Laric, watching as his nephew blushed and looked slightly horrified.

"UNCLE! I keep telling you, you are not allowed to meddle in Courtships! Mine or anyone elses!" Resisting the urge to either clap a hand over his face, or look at Laric, Gideon settled for glaring at his Uncle.

The Lord of the Shadow ignored him, clapping his hands excitedly, wings twitching in and out of the chair, putting the intangibility charms in danger of snapping from how excited he was. Completely ignoring his nephew's words, he started talking quickly and delightedly.

"That would be perfect! You would have multiple mates, and I would be able to invite the adorable boy over when you refuse to see me. Let's see, I suppose I could take back that one, and maybe, no. I never did like that duty. Hmmm... What about..."

He could feel Laric trying to suppress his laughter beside him, and deliberately knocked into him as his Uncle was lost in his own world of trying to decide which duties to take back off Gideon's shoulders.

"All right! I'll send you the list of duties I'm willing to take back temporarily later. But you have to promise to bring whomever you are Courting by to meet me. And soon." Damien wagged a finger sternly in Gideon's direction.

Repressing the urge to sigh, Gideon looked back at his Uncle.

"I promise to bring them to see you, if they accept the Courtship, and after we have been Courting a while. I have no wish for you to scare them off with your antics." Seeing Damien about to object, he quickly shook his head and spoke over him. "No Uncle. I don't even know if I will be accepted, the last thing I need is your 'help.'"

Sighing dramatically, Damien leaned back in his chair again and pouted.

"Oh fine! But you have nothing to worry about. You are a Warrior and the Heir to the Shadow. Who would refuse to Court you? No, don't answer that. Just hurry up and go find this person and start your Courtship. Go on now! Shoo!"

As he turned and left his Uncle's rooms with Laric, Gideon realized the hardest part was yet to come. How exactly do you tell one of your best friends, someone you've fought beside and trained with, that you were in love with them? He tugged lightly on one of his purple braids as he walked down the stairs lost in thought. A throat clearing beside him jerked him back to the present.

Laric, taller than him by just a few inches, looked down at him with a teasing smile.

"So who is the lucky one to have finally caught your eye?"

Gideon froze mid-step, his breath hitching in his chest. His grey eyes darted to Laric's amused face then back to the stone staircase before them.

"I... Ah..." The words wouldn't come. He had gotten this far, actually gotten his Uncle to take duties back, which was a miracle in itself. And he couldn't think what to say.

Laric had stopped when he did, looking at him in concern as Gideon floundered for words.

"Gid? You do not have to tell me. I am just surprised it happened now of all times."

Gideon looked at Laric, his grey eyes softening.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, Laric. It's just..." he paused again, feeling as if he was on the brink of a cliff and one more step would send him soaring into the unknown. "It's...complicated."

Laric quirked an eyebrow, a small smile still playing on his lips.

"Well, love usually is," he retorted lightly.

"Love?" Gideon jolted at the word, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

Laric gave him a thoughtful look, his ice-blue eyes serious. "That is what it is, is it not? You are not going to court someone out of obligation or duty."

"No," Gideon admitted softly. It was true; he wouldn't have approached his Uncle otherwise. He wouldn't have even thought about Courting if it wasn't for the undeniable feelings he had for Laric, and to a lesser extent, Harry and Fionn. Though the feelings he had for Harry and Fionn were only lesser because he had not known them as long. He could tell, now that his eyes were open to it, that he would fall for them just as hard as for Laric if he was given the chance to know them better.

Laric had always been patient, attentive and a good listener. It was part of what made him such a good friend, and part of why Gideon had fallen in love with him. Though it took way too long for him to have realized it. Now that it was time, he didn't know how he was going to tell him. But he wanted to, and if Laric was in love with him as he hoped, the Storm Demon deserved to know. Even if Laric didn't love him, he had to tell him. He had no idea how the other Warrior had been able to not tell the person he loved so long ago, it would eat Gideon up inside.

Before he could think too much, and before Laric started to really worry about his lack of words, Gideon turned fully towards his friend and reached out. Running his fingertips along Laric's cheek lightly, his hand slid into the fall of black braids behind Laric's head and tugged him forward into the lightest brush of lips.

He heard the sharp inhale of shock, felt the way Laric stiffened. But the softness of the Storm Demon's lips, and the hope he had that he had read everything right made him continue. Pulling back just enough so his words made his lips brush against Laric's with every word, he whispered:

"Allow me to Court you. All three of you. Please."

For a moment, Laric merely blinked in surprise, as if trying to process the words that had been whispered against his lips. Gideon held Laric's gaze, his gray eyes swirling with an admixture of apprehension and hope, his hand still cradling the side of Laric's face. He watched for any sign within Laric's eyes that might indicate what he was feeling. But the other demon remained beautifully unreadable, well-practiced at keeping his emotions hidden beneath the surface.

Then slowly, a smile spread across his face, causing Gideon's heart to pound more rapidly than before.

"I..." Laric began, his ice-blue eyes finally mirroring the emotions swirling within him. "I never thought I would hear those words from you."

Gideon's hand dropped from Laric's cheek to hold his shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. His heart clenched at the vulnerability he saw in Laric's gaze. He had known there was something more between them; he just hadn't fully understood until now.

"Neither did I," Gideon admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He wished he could take back all the years they had lost because of his obliviousness. But time was relentless. They could only move forward.

"It took me far too long to understand my own heart."

Laric remained quiet for a moment, his gaze intense and thoughtful.

"You are not doing this just because you see that I am happy with Harry and Fionn, right? You are not known for acting impulsively, Gideon."

The words were understandably unsure, the question careful. And Gideon couldn't fault him. He had watched Laric fall in love and start a life with two others while he himself was blinded by his own feelings. Suddenly revealing them now could seem like an act of jealousy or fear of being left alone.

However, Laric deserved an honest answer. And that's what Gideon would give him.

"No," he said, shaking his head firmly. "I'm not doing this out of envy or feeling alone." Pausing to gather his thoughts, he looked directly into Laric's eyes, trying to convey all the sincerity he felt.

"I'm doing this because... because I love you," he confessed hesitantly.

The words hovered in the air between them, a tangible admission, raw and real. Gideon watched as Laric's eyes widened slightly, the surprise evident on his face. The silence that followed was deafening.

"You... what?" Laric stammered, his voice breaking through the uncomfortable quiet. Gideon couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle at his friend's reaction. Of all the things he had expected, disbelief was not one of them.

"I love you," he repeated more confidently this time, hoping to the Gods it didn't sound as foolish out loud as it did in his head. "I care a great deal for all three of you. I admit that this is sudden, and I understand your surprise."

He lifted his hand to brush against Laric's cheek, fingertips stopping just below his ear. Wanting to pull the Storm Demon in for another kiss, a real kiss. But knowing he was already pressing his luck, no acceptance or rejection of his Courtship request having been given, he dropped his hand to his side and waited.

Laric swallowed, his gaze never leaving Gideon's. The silence hung between them, heavy with unspoken words and newfound revelations. It was an entirely new side of his friend, one he had long dreamed of and had thought never to see directed at himself.

"Gideon..." he began cautiously, his eyes softening, "Are you certain?"

The vulnerability in his tone was a surprise. Strong, steadfast Laric rarely showed such uncertainty. Gideon felt a pang in his heart at the thought that he had ignored his own feelings so well, and so long, that the Storm Demon - who already had two mates who adored him - could believe that Gideon might still be unsure of his feelings.

"I am." Gideon's response came without hesitation. His grey eyes were unwavering as they met Laric's ice blue. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life," Gideon continued, his voice low but strong, echoing the conviction in his heart. "I may have been a fool for not realizing it sooner. But I can't deny it now. My feelings for you...for Harry and Fionn too...they're real."

Laric's expression remained unreadable, a mix of confusion and gentle surprise. But there was also something else there, underlying it all - hope. Gideon's heart leapt at the sight of it. It was so small, so fragile, yet it was there.

"Laric," he began again, taking hold of the Storm Demon's hand. His grey eyes flicked down to their intertwined fingers before meeting Laric's gaze again. "I know this is sudden. And I don't expect an immediate answer from you. Take your time..."

Before Gideon could finish, a soft chuckle escaped Laric and he shook his head slightly.

"Alright," he said softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Alright." The single word echoed between them like a promise. "I must speak with Harry and Fionn first. If they agree, you must ask all of us and not just me."

Gideon blinked, relief washing over him like a sudden wave. That wasn't a rejection. That was more than he had dared to hope for after the way their conversation had gone. His grip on Laric's hand tightened momentarily before he quickly released it, a soft smile tugging at his own lips.

"Of course," he responded, his voice not as steady as he would've liked. "I would expect nothing less."

For the first time since he had voiced his wish to Court them, Gideon found himself able to breathe more easily. He watched as Laric turned to leave, his own gaze following the Storm Demon's retreating form. He would prove to all three of them that he was sincere.