Third Person's POV.
The drive back from the Morre family mansion was utterly silent, heavy with the collective weight of the failed intervention. As Penelope dropped Percy off at his apartment building, she simply squeezed his arm—a silent acknowledgment of the battle won.
"Mother should have known that asking you to give Gemini up was never going to work, Percy," she said quietly, her voice laced with a weary admiration. "You were right to stand your ground. You're free now, and they all saw you mean business. Don't worry about me; just make sure Gemini is happy and safe."
Percy nodded, a deep weariness settling into his bones. The fight had cost him, but the core foundation was intact. "Thank you, Pen. Tell Dad I appreciate the effort. And thanks for the drag-and-drop service."
"No worries, big bro. Kiss Gemini good night for me."
"Will do."
He took the elevator up, deliberately shedding the heavy feeling of the family confrontation with every floor ascended. The moment the door sighed open onto his own apartment, the corporate tension began to melt away. The lights were low, the air smelled like the faint, familiar scent of their home, and Gemini was exactly where he was supposed to be: safe and waiting.
Gemini looked up from the couch, his expression an instant mixture of relief and concern. He immediately closed his laptop and rushed over, pulling Percy into a tight, anchoring hug.
"You look tired. It must have been brutal," Gemini murmured, feeling the residual, knotting tension in Percy's shoulders beneath his coat.
"It was exactly as brutal and performative as I expected," Percy confirmed, leaning his full weight against Gemini, allowing himself to be supported. "Mother pulled out the wounded mother act for Uncle Phillip, and I refused to take the bait. I stood my ground. The name change threat is now very, very real to her."
He pulled away just enough to look at Gemini, searching his eyes for reassurance. "You didn't answer any calls, right? She didn't try to contact you?"
"Nothing," Gemini promised, pulling him closer. "Total silence. I stayed away from my phone after I saw a couple of aggressive-looking texts from Mark asking what exactly happened, but I ignored him too. He can wait."
Percy quickly changed into a soft t-shirt and sweats, a physical transition that moved him from the cold, formal world of Morre Holdings to their warm, shared reality. They settled onto the large, plush couch, Gemini instinctively tucking himself under Percy's arm, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces.
"What did your Uncle Phillip say?" Gemini asked, gently rubbing slow circles on Percy's hand, soothing the raw edges of the encounter.
"He tried the 'family unity' approach, but I had to explain that unity means respecting my choice, not forcing me back into the fold," Percy recounted, his voice low and tired, the effort of articulating the drama almost too much. "It was exhausting. It's the emotional manipulation that drains you, not the logic. They try to make you feel guilty for simply being happy."
"You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about," Gemini said gently, looking up at him with fierce loyalty. "You deserve to be happy. And honestly, I don't care if you have to legally change your name to mine, if that's what it takes to stop her from hurting you."
Percy laughed, the sound rusty but genuinely breaking through the last of his stress. "I love your last name, but I think 'Perseus Moore' will suffice for now. But thank you for the confidence boost, Bunny."
He pulled Gemini closer, savoring the intimacy of their quiet apartment. The magnitude of the confrontation finally hit him, and he closed his eyes, resting his chin on Gemini's head, anchoring himself in the present.
Tonight was the last formal concession I will ever make to that family dynamic, Percy thought. The intervention was their last, desperate hope to salvage the status quo. Now, the battle will move into the marketplace—business threats and corporate maneuvers—but emotionally, I'm done. I have Gemini, I have Aethel Designs, and I have our future to plan for.
"I don't wanna think about them right now," Percy murmured, tightening his hold. "Let's focus on something real. We need to start looking at tickets."
"Tickets for what?" Gemini asked, looking confused, the topic shift jarring but welcome.
"Santorini, Bunny. I don't have access to the private jet right now." Percy reminded him, a genuine smile finally returning to his face. "We need tickets for our trip. You'll need a sun-soaked break after finals, and I definitely need a holiday. We need to decide: should we go for a small, quiet village on the North side, or the famous, cliffside views near Oia?"
Gemini's face instantly lit up, his mind happily abandoning the darkness of the Morre family drama for the brilliant blues and whites of the Greek Islands.
"Oia," Gemini decided immediately, his excitement contagious. "The cliffside views. I heard they're to die for."
"You're absolutely right," Percy agreed, his lips finding Gemini's temple. "We'll book the trip tomorrow. Then we'll start shopping whenever you're free. Penelope wants to come along, you can invite Ohio."
They settled further into the couch, wrapped in the quiet warmth of their apartment, planning a future that was blissfully free of manipulation and power struggles.