Safe to say that at the current moment, Gabriel is losing his mind.

He had told his sister about his intention to come out to Ryden at the end of the convention. He wanted to come clean and admit that he was actually Angel, the cosplayer Ryden had been enthralled with. However, Gabriel had been anxious about Ryden's response. Gabriel was taken aback by his sister's recommendation, which was always practical: Why not arrive dressed as Angel?

"Ryden might not believe you just by saying it," his sister had explained. "But if you show him Angel in the flesh, then he'll have no reason to doubt you."

Gabriel considered it for a moment, and decided that it might be the only way to make his confession seem plausible. So he grudgingly agreed to do it. Shiro lolita is the name of the style that they went for, the delicate white frilly dress, the headpiece, and, of course, the signature twintails. This is the exact same outfit that he wore precisely on the photo shoot in the book Ryden picked up where he learned about Angel's existence.

The plan was simple: he would arrive at Golden Circle, dressed as Angel, and Ryden would have no choice but to see the truth for himself.

Gabriel's heart was thumping in his chest as he waited in the corner of the restaurant, killing time by browsing through his phone. The weight of the moment weighed heavily on him, and each second seemed to drag on forever. What if he was not recognized by Ryden? What if he was offended?

Then Ryden came and broke through the sea of his thoughts. Gabriel's nerves flared up again, and his breath caught in his throat. This was it—it was happening. There was no going back now.

He softened his voice out of habit dressed as Angel, the familiar tone tinged with tenderness. He said, "Come sit,"

Ryden's face flickered with confusion, which Gabriel saw. Anyone would have been confused by their current situation.

Gabriel put his phone back in his bag and smiled, his face more at ease. He released the quiet, deliberate tone he had been using and cleared his throat. Now, he thought, there is no need for that, I've changed from Angel to Gabriel. The voice that came next was more familiar, more grounded. In that moment, he was simply Gabriel—the friend, the person beyond the mask. "Hey man."

Ryden's puzzlement was palpable, "Angel?" he asked.

"No, not Angel," Gabriel replied, his voice warm but with a slight edge of reassurance. "It's Gabriel." In an attempt to lighten the tension between them, he gave a small, self-deprecating smile. Silence fell between them.

The hushed silence was broken by Ryden's laugh, but it wasn't a derisive one. It was kind, even self-deprecating, as though he couldn't contain his amazement and bewilderment. It was aimed at himself rather than Gabriel. Ryden ran a hand through his hair, he exhaled a breath he had been holding. "No way."

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When Gabriel understood Ryden's reaction wasn't one of rejection but rather shock, he laughed and felt the strain in his shoulders finally release. "Yes way," he said with a lighthearted sparkle in his eyes. Gabriel could feel his guard coming down, relieved that his friend wasn't reacting negatively, just processing the change in his own way.

"You know," Gabriel added with a more relaxed smile, "I was afraid you might be horrified, but you're handling it better than I thought." He stared at Ryden while leaning forward a little and putting his elbows on the table. "Well, I suppose it's strange, isn't it?"

"Strange is one way to put it." Ryden agreed, shaking his head with a grin.

He appreciated how Ryden was processing everything—straightforward and without any unnecessary drama. It made things easier.

"It's difficult to understand, especially if the person you've known acts and looks different. But who am I at my core? Not changed." Gabriel leaned back, giving Ryden a knowing smile.

"But you're so pretty," Ryden stared at him.

Gabriel blushed, he was caught off guard by Ryden's compliment. It was so out of the blue that it made him chuckle. "Pretty?" he repeated, his tone light and teasing to match Ryden's unexpected sincerity. "Only as Angel?" He added.

It was Ryden's turn to blush, "even without the outfit, you're pretty."

Gabriel caught the sudden flush that spread across Ryden's face, and his grin widened. It was impossible not to enjoy teasing him a little when the response was so genuine. "Even without the outfit, huh?" Gabriel repeated, eyes twinkling with amusement. "You mean... naked?" he joked, letting the playful tone linger in the air as he laughed softly.

Gabriel's smile softened as he looked at his friend, clearly flustered and at a loss for words.

Ryden's face was still hot, and Gabriel could see it. His words stammered slightly, which only made his playful side want to lean in even more. Something about the effect he was having on Ryden was thrilling, something that electrified the air between them, as if the teasing may become something more.

"I like you even as Gabriel." Ryden confessed.

Gabriel was shocked at the confession, but he assumed it's an admiration like, not like like. However he was unquestionably becoming more confident. Aware that this would either break the discomfort or push it into something deeper, he moved slightly closer, allowing the tension to build between them. Whether Ryden would lean into the flirtation or back off, he wanted to see how far he would go.

Gabriel was about to intensify his taunting when a voice cut through the tense situation. With a clipboard in hand, the waitress walked over to them, her courteous smile a sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere. "Are you ready to order?" she inquired, obviously oblivious to the exchange between Ryden and Gabriel.

The change in focus was almost startling because he had been so engrossed in the lighthearted banter and the small game of flirtation. He turned to face Ryden, who appeared to be both relieved and a little annoyed by the interruption's timing.

"I'll have a margherita." Ryden replied immediately, he seemed to snap back into his usual self.

Although Gabriel was a little let down that the moment had been cut short, there was still plenty of time for future teasing. All Gabriel could hope was that there wouldn't be as many diversions for the remainder of the evening. He gave Ryden one final look. The flirtation was still there, waiting for the ideal opportunity to resurface.