Chapter 41

3rd person pov:

The letter felt heavy in Gemini's hands, as if it contained the weight of everything he had feared, everything he had hoped for, and everything he had lost. He had been sitting by Fourth's side, the rhythmic beep of the monitor the only sound breaking the quiet of the room. His fingers trembled as he unfolded the paper, the ink smudged slightly, as if Fourth had written it in haste, but each word, each sentence felt deliberate, like Fourth had poured his soul onto those pages.

As he read, the world around him seemed to fall away. Every word felt like it was directed straight at his heart, each sentence chiseling away the numbness that had settled there after days of hospital visits and sleepless nights. He could feel his breath catch in his throat as the weight of Fourth's love, so quiet and unspoken, washed over him.

The first few lines took him by surprise—the way Fourth described his feelings, how Gemini's very presence had made his heart tremble. He had known, on some level, that there was something between them, something unspoken that hovered in the spaces they shared. But hearing it now, from Fourth's own hand, made it feel real in a way that nothing else could.

You brought me joy, Gemini... Those words struck deep. He had always tried to give Fourth joy, to make him happy, to take care of him. But reading them now, knowing that he had done something to make Fourth feel loved, felt like the only thing that mattered in the world.

When he read the part about Fourth's fear of causing him sadness, his heart clenched painfully. He hadn't known—he hadn't known Fourth had been carrying that burden all this time. The weight of his own feelings, unspoken and unshared, had been a weight on them both. Gemini had never realized that Fourth had kept himself silent, afraid of adding more pain to his life. How could he have missed it?

As the words continued, Gemini's chest tightened, his eyes blurring with tears he hadn't been able to shed before. Fourth's love—so quiet, so fierce, so selfless—was now laid bare in front of him, and the realization of just how much Fourth had kept to himself was almost too much to bear.

I will always love you. Always.

The final sentence hit him the hardest. He had always known that his love for Fourth was deep, but to know that Fourth had felt the same way, had loved him quietly in his own way all along, made the pain of losing him feel unbearable. How had they both been so close, yet so far apart? How had they missed all the chances to be open with each other?

He put the letter down gently, his fingers still trembling. The room felt colder now, the silence even heavier. He reached out for Fourth's hand, squeezing it gently, as if hoping for some sign that Fourth could feel him there, that somehow, despite everything, they weren't so far apart.

"Fourth..." Gemini whispered, his voice thick with emotion, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. He fought the tears that threatened to fall, but it was no use. They came anyway, hot and fast, blurring his vision as he looked down at the letter once more.

You gave me more time than I ever deserved, he thought, his mind racing with thoughts of all they had shared. The beach, their quiet days together, the joy in Fourth's eyes even when things seemed dark. I should have told you, too.

"I love you too, Fourth," Gemini choked out, his voice trembling as he held Fourth's hand, willing him to hear the words, even if he could never say them in person.

The room was still. The machines which used to hum softly in the background now silent,and Gemini knew—he knew—that time could not come back.But as he sat there,holding Fourth's hand, he felt that the love they had shared,even in silence,would never fade. It was etched into his soul, a part of him that would never leave, no matter how much time he had left.

Gemini leaned his forehead gently against Fourth's, his tears falling freely now, his heart aching with love and loss in equal measure. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He wasn't ready to lose the one person who had made his heart feel complete. But he knew, in his heart, that Fourth had given him the greatest gift of all—the knowledge that love, even in its quietest form, would always remain.