Third Person's POV.
The campus café was a blur of fluorescent lights and clattering trays—a bustling, familiar environment that did nothing to quell the anxious energy buzzing beneath Gemini's skin. He was meeting Ohio for a quick lunch, but the drama consumed Percy's life—the corporate maneuvering, the threat of disinheritance—felt too large for the casual setting.
Gemini stared down at his iced tea, stirring the contents with a small spoon until the ice was practically pulverized, his shoulders rigid with worry.
"Okay, please stop doing that," Ohio commanded, reaching across the small table to gently cover his hand, stilling the restless motion. "You're going to melt the ice and dilute your tea into sadness." She studied him, her brow furrowed. "Seriously, you look like you need a week in a lightless cave."
Gemini finally lifted his gaze, his eyes shadowed. "I just feel so responsible, Ohio. He's fighting his mother, threatening to upend his entire identity... all because of me. He insists I'm not the reason he chose independence, but I know it is. And I never wanted it to cost him his family, or his fortune."
Ohio, ever the pragmatic voice of reason, leaned in and firmly squeezed his hand—a physical anchor.
"Stop. Just stop that thought right now," Ohio commanded, her voice low but serious. "Percy's entire life was already boxed up and tied with a suffocating silk ribbon. You didn't force him to do anything. You were the catalyst he needed to finally make the choice he was already desperate to make. Think of it like this: Percy had the blueprint for his new life—Aethel Designs—and you were the missing piece that gave him the actual courage to start building it."
Ohio leaned back, taking a crunchy bite of her sandwich. "And listen to me closely: that win against Nexus Labs? That was brilliant. And you gave him the idea, remember? You guys beat his mother at her own game by being smarter, not nastier. Trust Percy. He knows exactly how to deal with his mother; he's literally her clone, just with a better moral compass. His priority is to shield you, and it's working. Your focus should be on your education, and let the corporate gladiators handle the corporate arena."
Gemini listened, allowing the solid, irrefutable logic to slowly seep in, replacing the anxious swirl of guilt. Ohio's perspective was precisely the external validation he needed.
"Anyway," Ohio continued, gesturing with a fry, "Percy must be elated about the big win. Did you two actually manage to have a proper dinner to celebrate last night?"
Gemini managed a small, sheepish smile. "We did, actually. After the win. It was kinda... intense."
"I bet," Ohio said, taking a long sip of her soda. "So, the big takeaway in all of this is that Percy is madly in love with you, and his Uncle Philip, the his Godfather, finally stepped in and told the great Genevieve Sinclair Moore to back off Aethel Designs."
"Basically," Gemini confirmed, leaning closer, feeling the tension finally dissipate from his shoulders. "It feels good that the company is safe. But I can't shake the feeling that I'm the reason everything got so complicated. I was terrified of this scale of drama from the beginning, and now that it's here, I feel kinda responsible."
Ohio rolled her eyes heavenward. "Oh, honey. My sweet bunny. You don't have to feel responsible for anything; you're the prize, and Percy knows that. You're the key to his happiness. He was miserable being controlled by his mother, and you gave him the push he needed to fight for his freedom. He needed a lightning strike to ignite his own life, and you were it. Stop making yourself the villain in your own love story. Percy adores you."
The tightness in Gemini's chest eased completely. "You're right. He was going to be miserable no matter what. We were apart for a whole year, and it felt like the end of the world. I don't want to be apart from him anymore."
"And you won't be," Ohio said, giving him a comforting pat. " I'm genuinely happy for you both."
"Thank you, Ohio. Really."
"Right, new topic," Ohio announced, clapping her hands and changing the subject abruptly. "We need to go shopping."
"Shopping? Suddenly? Why?" Gemini asked, amused by the quick shift in focus.
"I'm going out with this guy," she explained, leaning in conspiratorially with a grin that made Gemini chuckle. "I need something... normal. Something subtly romantic. This date has to be perfect."
"Okay, now I'm interested. Tell me more about him."
"I would love to tell you, but first, you have to satisfy my curiosity. I'm dying to know—now that you and Percy are officially together and living in this domestic bliss, are things still as intense as before? Have you guys actually gotten around to the actual deed, or is he still just staring longingly at you over blueprints and schematics?"
Gemini instantly felt heat rush to his ears, the blush spreading across his cheeks.
"Ohio! That's so personal!"
"Yes, and I'm your best friend, which means I'm professionally nosy, so spill," Ohio pressed, grinning. "You've only talked about you two kissing. So, details. Your first time. Was it magical? Was it awkward? Was he as bossy and controlling in bed as he is with everything else?"
Gemini hesitated, then laughed softly, a memory of that night surfacing. "It was... not awkward," he admitted, lowering his voice to a near whisper, leaning in across the table. "It was the night we moved in together. I was so overwhelmed by everything—Nana, the move, the drama—I felt like I couldn't hold back. I thought I was just trying to escape the stress, but it turned out I'd been thinking about it for a while."
He remembered the intensity, the way Percy looked at him—so focused, so in love. "It wasn't about fireworks right away. It was about releasing everything I'd been holding in. It was... the best feeling ever. And no, Percy was not bossy. He was incredibly gentle. So focused on making sure I was okay, and happy, and completely into it too."
Ohio gave a happy, dramatic giggle, wiggling her eyebrows. "Go, Bunny! I didn't think you'd be the one to make the first move!"
"What? No, don't say it like that!" Gemini protested, mortified, making Ohio laugh with a satisfied sigh.
"I'm relieved he's gentle with you. I've heard Percy is ruthless in the corporate world; if he were a selfish jerk in bed too, I would have had to make my own threat to him."
They spent the rest of the lunch talking about silly campus gossip, upcoming exams, and Ohio's disastrous attempt to bake bread last weekend for her new boyfriend, successfully pushing the Moore family drama firmly to the back burner.
When Gemini finally returned home later that evening, the apartment smelled amazing. The rich scent of basil and simmering tomatoes was pure comfort, a sharp, delightful contrast to the air of the campus café.
He found Percy in the kitchen, casually dressed in jeans and a simple gray T-shirt, already stirring a deep red sauce on the stovetop.
Gemini leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold. He looks so normal, he thought, a slow, deep wave of love and peace washing over him. The man who just won a multi-million-dollar contract is making him pasta. This is his actual life now.
Percy glanced up, and their eyes met. The quiet concentration instantly fell away, replaced by a sudden, intense heat that made Gemini's breath hitch. Percy's eyes traveled over him slowly, lingering just long enough to make Gemini feel utterly consumed and desired.
"You," Percy murmured, his voice rough, putting the wooden spoon down with a soft, careful clack. "You're back. How did your day go?"
"My day was great. How about yours? Ohio sends her regards," Gemini replied with a genuine smile.
Percy moved, closing the distance quickly and pulling Gemini into a tight hug. "My day was boring without you," he admitted, inhaling Gemini's scent deeply. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," Gemini whispered back, tilting his head back as Percy kissed him, a kiss that instantly became deeper than a mere greeting.
Percy only pulled back to speak, his voice a low rumble vibrating against Gemini's ear. "Dinner can wait a bit. Let's go upstairs."
Gemini immediately wiggled, trying weakly to protest, though his body was already responding to the suggestion.
"But... the sauce," he protested, tilting his head back as Percy kissed down his neck.
Percy was not paying attention to the simmering pot. He only pulled back to speak, his voice intense. "The sauce can wait. I looked at you making coffee this morning, and all I could think about was dragging you back to bed. You've been on my mind all day."
He swept Gemini up into his arms, carrying him easily against his chest. Gemini laughed breathlessly into his shoulder, clinging tight.
"A different kind of dinner, then?" Gemini teased, trailing soft kisses along Percy's neck as they climbed the stairs.
"More like an appetizer," Percy suggested, his green eyes dark with desire and anticipation.
Upstairs, they made love. It was a physical release that burned away every form of stress and lingering anxiety, replacing it with the warm, heavy exhaustion of intimacy, as passionate, tender, and intensely focused on each other as always.
When they finally returned to the kitchen, famished and utterly relaxed, the pasta was perfectly ready. Percy plated the food, and they settled down to eat. Gemini took a bite, savoring the rich flavor, and moaned in satisfaction.
"I had my doubts, but the main course is delicious, Chef," Gemini whispered, nudging Percy's foot playfully under the table, a wide, satisfied smile on his face.
"You're getting quite naughty, aren't you?" Percy asked with a smirk that made Gemini blush immediately, though his satisfied smile never wavered. Percy took a bite of his own, confirming that the younger man was right—dinner was indeed delicious.