Chapter 18

(A.N: Double update as an apology🫶🏻)

3rd person pov:

This morning Gemini sat at the dining table, absentmindedly stirring his coffee. Across from him, Fourth was sketching in his notebook, his brows furrowed in concentration. The sunlight streaming through the window lit up his face, and Gemini found himself staring a little too long.

It was happening more often now—the way his gaze lingered, the way his chest tightened whenever Fourth laughed at one of his jokes, or the way his heart softened every time Fourth leaned into him for comfort. It wasn't just affection anymore. It was something deeper, something more dangerous.

And it terrified him.

Gemini snapped himself out of his thoughts, focusing on his coffee as if it held all the answers. He couldn't let these feelings show. Fourth had been through so much, and the last thing he wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

"Gemini?"

Fourth's voice pulled him back to the present. He looked up to see Fourth watching him, his head tilted slightly in curiosity.

"You okay? You've been staring at your coffee for the past five minutes," Fourth said, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

Gemini forced a chuckle, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah, just... thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing important," Gemini replied quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away. "How's your sketch coming along?"

Fourth didn't press, much to Gemini's relief. He held up his notebook, revealing a half-finished drawing of a butterfly perched on a flower.

"It's beautiful," Gemini said honestly, leaning in for a closer look.

Fourth's cheeks tinted pink at the compliment. "Thanks. I've been practicing shading. Still not perfect, though."

"It's perfect to me," Gemini murmured before he could stop himself.

The words hung in the air, and Gemini cursed internally. He quickly straightened up, clearing his throat. "I mean, it looks great. You're really talented."

Fourth blinked at him, his expression unreadable, but he didn't comment on the slip. Instead, he went back to his sketch, leaving Gemini to wrestle with his thoughts.

The tension grew in the following days. Gemini found himself hyper-aware of every little thing—how close they sat on the couch, how Fourth's smile seemed to light up the room, how his presence felt like gravity, pulling Gemini closer whether he wanted it or not.

One evening, as they sat on the porch watching the stars, Fourth leaned against Gemini's shoulder, a gesture that had become almost routine. But this time, Gemini's heart raced, his mind spinning with questions he couldn't answer.

Did Fourth feel the same pull he did? Or was this just comfort for him—an innocent reliance on someone he trusted? Gemini didn't know, and the uncertainty gnawed at him.

"Gemini?"

Fourth's voice was soft, and Gemini turned his head slightly to look at him.

"Thank you," Fourth said, his eyes fixed on the stars.

"For what?"

"For... everything. For being here. For making me feel like I'm not alone," Fourth replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Gemini's chest tightened. He wanted to say so much, to tell Fourth how much he meant to him, how he wasn't just someone to protect or take care of—he was someone Gemini wanted to be with. But he bit his tongue, forcing himself to stay quiet.

"You don't have to thank me for that," Gemini said instead, his voice steady.

Fourth shifted slightly, his head resting more comfortably against Gemini's shoulder. "Still, I mean it."

Gemini smiled faintly, though his heart ached with the weight of his unspoken feelings.

As the night wore on, Gemini sat there in silence, his mind a battlefield of longing and restraint. He didn't know how much longer he could keep his feelings hidden, but for now, he would do what he always did—be there for Fourth, even if it meant keeping his own emotions locked away.

Because more than anything, he didn't want to lose what they already had.

(A.N: Slow burn at its finest. Not to mention the readers even I,myself am feeling impatient with it lol😆)