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“Do you really think that’s going to work?”
Gemini looks up from the book and video he had been following along with to see Phuwin standing in the doorway to his room with a smile on his face.
“I’ve been practicing on Fourth for the last few weeks, I think I’ve finally got the hang of it!” Gemini exclaims as his face lights up with excitement. He turns back to the book, picking up where he left off on the steps of hypnosis.
“Well, good luck to the both of you, at least get whatever you do to him on video so we can show Pond.” Phuwin laughs and turns to leave, mentioning something about his aunt–Gemini’s mom–making dinner soon.
Gemini is completely focused on the step-by-step video and book of learning how to hypnotize someone. He has been studying hypnotism for weeks now along with other types of magic tricks. Gemini has been intrigued by the idea of magicians and hypnotists since he was young. He always used his cousin, Phuwin, as a test dummy until he met his best friend, Fourth, in high school.
Now at the age of twenty-one, Gemini has been doing magic tricks for years, and in the last few weeks, he has taken to learning about hypnotism. It was always just for fun, a cool party trick whenever they go to parties or bars with their friends.
Gemini lets out a sigh and closes his book for the night. He's finally figured out what exactly he did wrong last week so he can try again when Fourth comes over tomorrow. He shuts off the video and makes his way out of his room and towards the kitchen where his mom and Phuwin are waiting for him with dinner set at the table.
~
The next day, Fourth walks into Gemini’s room and plops down on his bed like he owns the place. He practically does with how often he is over here. Gemini looks up from his desk and smiles widely. “Fot!” he exclaims and moves quickly to tackle Fourth against the mattress.
Smiling until his cheeks feel like they might rip off, Fourth wraps his arms around Gemini, hugging him close to his chest. “Hey, Gemi!” he exclaims, rubbing his fingers through Gemini’s hair until he messes it all up.
Gemini whines and tries escaping Fourth’s hold, struggling until Fourth finally lets him go. He sits up with a pout and flicks Fourth in the forehead. “Asshole,” he scoffs.
Fourth sits up, laughing loudly until both of them are sitting on Gemini’s bed with their legs crossed. He reaches up to fix Gemini’s messy hair until it’s all back in place and so is the smile on Gemini’s lips.
“Ready to be hypnotized today, Nong Fotfot?” Gemini straightens his back up in excitement and gets up to close his door. He grabs the guide book from his desk then sits back down next to Fourth on the bed.
“Are you ready to hypnotize me?” Fourth raises an eyebrow and dodges Gemini’s hand as it raises to whack him in the shoulder.
Gemini gestures to his comfy chair across from the end of his bed, “Please sit in the chair so we can start.”
Fourth gets up and settles into the chair as Gemini moves to sit at the end of his bed, his book open and in his lap. They discuss what the plans are for the hypnotism and Gemini explains to Fourth what he thinks went wrong last week. He figured out he missed a step and they will take their time today to hopefully have a successful try this time.
Gemini’s voice drops slightly to a softer and more soothing tone, his sentences drawn out as he speaks slower. “Let my words wash over you. Everything here is safe, calm, and peaceful.”
“Let yourself sink into the chair as you relax deeply.”
Fourth focuses on Gemini’s face as he glances between the book and Fourth’s face.
Gemini guides Fourth through some breathing exercises, taking the same deep breaths along with him.
“I want you to focus on the space right between my eyebrows.” Gemini points to his own forehead and Fourth’s eyes fixate on that spot. “Let your eyes and eyelids relax, growing heavy.”
Gemini glances back at the book then to Fourth, watching as his body language begins to shift and he seems to be getting more relaxed in the chair.
Next he guides Fourth to relax his body piece by piece, starting with his feet, to his ankles, then his calves, to his thighs, until they reach his shoulders and neck. Lastly they relax Fourth’s face muscles all while he continues to focus on the spot between Gemini’s eyebrows, a tingle shooting up his spine as he stares.
“You can feel yourself relaxing now. You can feel a heavy, relaxing feeling coming over you. And as I continue to talk, that heavy relaxed feeling will get stronger and stronger until it carries you into a deep, peaceful state of relaxation.”
Gemini studies Fourth’s body as his eyelashes begin to flutter slower with each blink, his shoulders sag back into the chair, hands limp on his thighs. Holy shit, I think it’s really working this time. Gemini holds back his excitement as he takes a look at the next steps.
He repeats the suggestions to Fourth a few more times, making sure he lulls him into a deep relaxing state of mind before continuing to the next step which should get Fourth fully immersed into it.
“Take the first step down and feel yourself sinking deeper into relaxation. Each step is a step further into your subconscious. Take another step down, feel yourself getting calmer and calmer. Now at the next step down, your body feels as if it is floating blissfully…” Gemini continues on, watching as Fourth’s eyes finally close, his body relaxed and limp in the chair.
He moves closer to Fourth now, excitement and nervousness coursing through his body. Gemini really can’t believe he was successful in hypnotizing Fourth. There are so many things he wants to do.
“Fourth, when I count to three and snap my fingers, I want you to open your eyes and stand up while raising your right hand.” Gemini’s voice remains soft and soothing.
Gemini counts to three and snaps his fingers once. He holds in a gasp as Fourth’s eyes open and he stands, raising his right hand.
Fuck. I actually did it.
A giddy laugh escapes Gemini’s lips and he bites his bottom lip, eyes raking over Fourth standing obediently with his hand raised. Gemini snaps his fingers and Fourth’s head and hand drop at the same time, his eyes closed once more.
“Okay, let’s try another one… Fourth, when I count to three and snap my fingers, I want you to hop around me two times like a bunny.” Gemini counts and snaps his fingers again, eyes wide as Fourth follows his command once more, ending up standing only a few inches from Gemini’s face.
The gulp from Gemini is audible and he quickly snaps his fingers, Fourth’s head dropping down again. You can do this, Gem. It can’t hurt to try… right?
“Okay, last one… I’m going to count from one to five, and at the count of five you will feel wide awake, fully alert, and once I say the word ‘serendipity’, you will begin to fall in love with me… also, you will start calling me ‘P’Gem’. Once you wake from this, you will have no recollection of being hypnotized.” Gemini takes a deep breath, his voice still soft even though it shakes.
“You will be released from this only if I speak the word ‘pernicious’ and you still will not remember any of this. Now it’s time to drift back with the sound of my voice. One… two… three… four… five.” Gemini snaps his fingers and Fourth’s eyes instantly meet his with a look he can’t decipher.
“So that is why ‘Serendipity’ is my favorite song by Jimin.” Gemini watches Fourth, biting down harshly on his bottom lip as his eyes stay locked on Fourth’s face.
Nothing happens immediately, Fourth just blinks at him with a slight pink tinge on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. “Okay, got it… well? Did it work?” he asks.
Tilting his head as he studies Fourth’s body language, Gemini moves to sit on the bed again. “I’m not sure, what is the last thing you remember?”
“Um, when you said my body was floating, it was really relaxing, I feel like I may have fallen asleep.”
Gemini nods, a nervous smile takes over and he closes his book in his lap. “I think you may have fallen asleep, you didn’t do anything else and I basically just yapped about BTS trying to convince you to sing their songs. Maybe we should try again next week.” he rambles on, avoiding eye contact with Fourth as he picks at the cover of the book.
Fourth gets up and moves to sit next to Gemini, taking his hand and holding it between both of his. “It’s okay, P’Gem. You’ll get it one day, I know it. You are so talented and smart and amazing. You already know the magic tricks, hypnotism will be next! Sorry I fell asleep when you were trying so hard.”
A shiver travels through Gemini’s body the moment he hears “P’Gem” from Fourth’s lips. Fourth never calls him that. Could it be? Did I really? No fucking way. Gemini really did it, he’s actually hypnotized Fourth.
“P’Gem?” Gemini repeats, barely above a whisper. He glances down to his hand, held tightly in Fourth’s. “Um, yes. Thank you, Fot. I um, I don’t know what I would do without my best friend by my side to help me with my practice. I appreciate you so much.”
One of Fourth’s hands reaches up to caress Gemini’s cheek, his thumb brushing underneath Gemini’s bottom lip. “Best friend?” he asks, tilting his head with the hint of a smirk on his lips.
“Is that really all I am to you, P’Gem?”
Gemini is stunned. His body feels like it is frozen stiff, his eyes are about to pop out of his head as his jaw drops slightly from Fourth’s words. What the fuck?
“Well… I mean… Fourth…” Gemini’s words die on his lips as he continues to stare at Fourth in front of him. So close. Barely a few inches apart, their knees knocking, thighs almost pressed together.
Fourth’s hand moves from Gemini’s face to rest on his thigh. “What if I want to be more? Could we be more than best friends?” he asks, eyes tracing every feature on Gemini’s face.
Gemini’s breath hitches as he sits there speechless, mouth opening and closing similar to a fish out of water. Fourth reaches back up, pushing his chin up until his lips close.
“How about this; will you go on a date with me tomorrow night? I know you don’t have uni too late on Fridays. I want to take you out to dinner and a movie.” Fourth’s face is nothing but smiles as he waits for Gemini’s response.
Subconsciously, Gemini nods his head, a yes barely above a whisper escapes his lips. He places his hand over Fourth’s still resting on his jaw. “Do you mean it? You really want to go on a date with me?”
“Of course I do, P’Gem. Let me take you out, we can see where this thing goes, hmm?” Fourth moves to hold Gemini’s hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss on the back of it.
Gemini is in a trance, nodding, dumbfounded. He feels like he’s on cloud nine. “Okay. Yes, I want to go on a date with you. Let’s do it.”
~
Gemini fidgets with the collar of his black shirt for the hundredth time as he looks at himself in the mirror. It’s just Fourth—why is he getting so overworked about this? But, this time it’s not just Fourth. It's the Fourth who has been hypnotized to fall in love with him. It’s the Fourth who asked him out on a date. He’s no longer just a best friend, he’s almost something… more.
He smooths out his white jeans and checks the clock on his wall that says it’s currently 4:30 p.m. Fourth should be here any second. He grabs his wallet and phone before heading to the front door, slipping on his shoes before he waits outside.
Fourth pulls up a moment later and gets out of the car. He’s wearing a black collared shirt as well but has dark gray pants on instead. He reaches up to adjust the glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose before he opens up the passenger door the moment Gemini reaches the car.
“After you.” Fourth gestures into the car and waits for Gemini to settle, smirking at the blush that creeps up to his ears. He shuts the door before getting in on the driver's side. They both buckle their seatbelts and Fourth turns up the volume on the radio a bit until the music fills the space quietly.
Gemini spends the car ride sneaking glances at Fourth as he drives, squirming in his seat as he takes in Fourth’s hand gripping the wheel, his sharp jawline, the glasses on his face. He’s so fucking hot. How the fuck did I hypnotize him to fall in love with me? Please, if I’m dreaming, don’t let me wake up.
Fourth glances at Gemini when they stop at a red light, they’re only down the street from the hotpot restaurant they will eat at before their movie later tonight. He reaches over and takes hold of Gemini’s hand that was resting on his thigh, lacing their fingers together. “Is this okay?” he asks.
Gemini lets out a soft gasp, startled from Fourth’s movements but nods his head timidly. “Yeah, more than okay,” he whispers, turning to look out the window as his face burns the color of a tomato. Gemini curses himself in his mind, he needs to get a grip.
They pull into the parking lot of the restaurant and Fourth tells Gemini to wait after he shuts off the car. He gets out and runs to Gemini’s door, opening it for him. Gemini steps out and Fourth grabs onto his hand, leading him towards the door. Letting himself be led into the restaurant, Gemini is just a blushing mess as they are guided to a table in a corner.
Gemini sits down first and is shocked for a moment when Fourth chooses to sit in the booth next to him instead of across. After a moment they settle into their usual behaviors, but there is still a hint of awkwardness at these new emotions sparking between them. Gone is their usual dynamic of sassy Gemini and sweet-nerdy Fourth, now Gemini is so much more shy and Fourth is so much more confident.
Their knees bump into each other as the night goes on, they order all their favorites and enjoy the hotpot, occasionally feeding each other pieces of meat or vegetables with shy smiles on their faces. They talk about uni and their classes they had today, just catching up like they would on any normal day with the addition of flirting now. Whenever Gemini gets nervous during their conversation he brings out a magic trick, the coin behind the ear, the tissue out of thin air, anything he can to make Fourth smile at him.
Fourth looks at his watch when they are done eating and gestures behind himself, “We should get going, the movie starts in about thirty minutes.”
Gemini nods and gets out his wallet as the waiter stops in front of their table with the bill. He’s just pulling out his half in cash when Fourth places a hand over his, the waiter already walking away with Fourth’s money.
“Hey, I would have paid for my half.”
“I know, but I want this to be my treat for finally getting you to go out on a date with me.” Fourth wiggles his eyebrows playfully then gets up and holds his hand out to Gemini.
“Finally…?” Gemini places his hand in Fourth’s as he gets out of the booth then tilts his head in confusion. Before he can question him any further, Fourth tugs Gemini out the door and back to the car.
They drive to the movie theater, their favorite songs blasting the whole way. Once they get inside the building, Fourth sends Gemini to pick up the tickets he prepaid for while he gets the popcorn and drinks. They meet in the middle and start walking towards the door that leads to their theater.
They sit all the way at the back row and towards the middle, Fourth has always claimed these to be the best seats to watch from. Gemini holds onto the popcorn and they take turns dipping their hands in to eat it as the trailers for other movies show.
Fourth settles back into his chair and Gemini does the same once the lights shut off and the opening credits begin for the movie. They’re both silent, paying attention intently as the movie plays.
At some point the popcorn is done and Gemini places the bucket in the empty seat next to them. He rests his hands on the arm rests and smiles at the scene currently on the screen. Fourth peeks over at Gemini completely entranced in the movie then down at his hand. He places his own hand on the arm rest between the two, the skin of their arms barely brushing.
Fourth’s pinky finger slides along Gemini’s until they lock together. Gemini breaks his gaze from the screen to glance down at their hands and moves his until their hands are interlocked instead. He looks up to Fourth’s eyes, smiling shyly before looking back to the movie.
Too soon the movie’s ending credits are rolling up the screen as the lights begin to brighten the room once more. Fourth and Gemini remain seated as everyone else clears out of the room first. They stand, hands still clasped together once everyone else has already left. Fourth leads Gemini out of the theater and they walk towards the exit.
”So what did you think of the movie?” Fourth asks, holding the door open for Gemini then following him out, never letting go of his hand.
”I loved it so much, do you think they’re going to make another one? I mean I know this is already the third movie, but I think they could continue with more and this did have a very open ending so the possibilities could be endless.” Gemini’s eyes shine as he talks at length about the movie.
Fourth slows their pace down so it takes longer for them to get back to the car, smiling as he listens to Gemini explaining about the themes he noticed throughout the movie.
They are standing in front of Fourth’s car and he leans against the hood, pulling Gemini to stand between his legs as he continues on about what he thinks the next movie should be about. Gemini realizes that he hasn’t shut up for the last 10 minutes and snaps his mouth shut, looking at Fourth bashfully.
“Why didn’t you tell me to shut up?” his voice borders on a whine, a blush across his cheeks.
Fourth sighs happily, pulling Gemini closer to hug him tightly while still leaning against his car. “I could listen to you talk forever. I’ll never tell you to shut up, P’Gem.” his words are muffled into Gemini’s shoulder.
Gemini wiggles closer in Fourth’s arms, his heart beginning to beat faster. “You’re driving me crazy tonight, Fourth. My face hurts from smiling so much.” he pulls back after a while, shy eyes searching Fourth’s curious ones.
“If this is all a dream, I don’t want to go to sleep. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and this will all be gone.”
“Oh, Gem… this isn’t a dream, I want this too. I promise you, this is real.” Fourth whispers, his fingers brush along Gemini’s jaw, tucking his hair behind his ear.
A twinge in Gemini’s chest causes a frown to appear for a moment before he hides it quickly. Fourth sees it but doesn’t make a comment. He just brings Gemini’s hand up to his lips to press a soft kiss to his fingers.
“Let’s get you home, hmm?” Fourth moves towards the passenger door after unlocking the car and opens it, waiting for Gemini to settle in, then he shuts the door before getting in on the driver’s side. They buckle up, then they are on their way back to Gemini’s house.
~
When they arrive outside Gemini’s house, Fourth gets out to open his door and walk him to his front door. They stop and Gemini reaches in his pocket for his keys.
Turning to Fourth with a shy smile, Gemini fidgets with the keys hoping to delay their parting. “I had a really great time tonight, Fourth. I’m still kind of in shock that we actually just went on a date.”
Fourth steps closer, invading Gemini’s space. He brushes the hair away from Gemini’s forehead, letting his hand settle on the side of his neck. “I had a great time too, P’Gem. I’d like to do this again… soon if you’d like to?
Pressing his lips together to hide his smile, Gemini nods. “I would really, really like to do this again.”
His breath hitches as Fourth’s hand on his neck pulls him closer, he feels Fourth’s soft lips press into his cheek, the corner of them just barely touching Gemini’s. They linger for a moment then he pulls back, eyes sparkling as they trace over Gemini’s face. “Goodnight, Gemi.”
Gemini wants to respond; he wants to say something, anything, but the words won’t leave his lips. He’s rooted to the spot as Fourth turns around and walks to his car with a triumphant smile on his face. Gemini’s heart is beating rapidly in his chest.
I’m absolutely fucked.
~
Over the next week Gemini and Fourth are even more inseparable than they were before. Their flirting has reached a whole new level. They go on lunch dates or dinner dates almost every day. Everything feels so new and full of love as happiness radiates between them. They have a case of puppy love—completely overwhelming and all encompassing—they are filled to the brim with love for each other.
As best friends they were always teasing each other, they would laugh and joke and flirt but it didn’t mean anything. At least not that either of them truly realized.
No one bats an eye to see them being touchy and flirty. No one, except Phuwin.
Phuwin catches on quickly to the subtle shift between the two of them and he decides to mention something to his cousin after observing them for a few days.
“So you and Fourth?”
Gemini, who has been lying on Phuwin’s bed reading a book, looks up at his cousin sitting at his desk playing a video game.
“What about me and Fourth?” Gemini asks, a tingle of nerves shoots up his spine and his fingers grip onto the book tightly.
“When did you guys become a thing? Did you finally confess your undying love for him?” Phuwin spins in the chair after pausing his game and raises an eyebrow at Gemini’s nervous body language.
“We’re just seeing where things go… it’s still new.” Gemini fidgets with the corner of his book, picking at the seam as he avoids direct eye contact with Phuwin.
Phuwin laughs and shakes his head. “Fucking finally! I have to say I was a bit shocked at how quickly I saw the change in Fourth’s behavior. It’s like a flip switched in him and suddenly he was in love with you.” Phuwin pauses, a thought like a light bulb moment goes off in his mind and his eyes quickly look back to Gemini’s guilty face and fidgeting body.
“You didn’t… tell me you didn’t do what I think you did, Gem.”
Like a deer caught in headlights, Gemini looks up to Phuwin’s eyes finally. “I-“
“Did you fucking hypnotize him to fall in love with you?” Phuwin exclaims, eyes wide with shock.
Tears pool in Gemini’s eyes and he bites down on his lip harshly to stop them from spilling. “Yes,” he whispers, looking down at his hands in his lap.
“I didn’t think it would work! I thought I was going to fail and we’d just laugh about it. I didn’t expect for it to work and for him to instantly be all in love with me!”
Gemini wipes his eyes in frustration and looks up to Phuwin’s eyes that are looking at him free of judgement, just looking at him gently with a level of understanding in them. Phuwin sighs, his voice gentle, “Gem, you can’t keep him like this forever. It’s not fair to him. It’s not fair to you. He deserves to love you of his own free will.”
“I know. I know. I’ll break it, I promise. I just got caught up in what it could be like to be loved by him… please don’t say anything. He’s not going to remember and I’d rather just break the hypnotism and have him completely forget everything about this.” Gemini’s eyes are pleading, a pout on his lips.
“Fine. I won’t say anything, just do it soon. The longer you wait the more it’s going to hurt you, Gem. He won’t even know what he did to you.” Phuwin turns back to his game with a sigh and Gemini lays back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
I’m not prepared to give him up…
~
The very next day, Gemini and Fourth are walking around a park close to Gemini’s house. After uni they ended up at Gemini’s to eat dinner and Fourth suggested a night walk.
Their hands are locked together, swinging between them as the cool air blows around gently. The park is vacant and peaceful, lit up by lamps around the perimeter. Fourth is telling Gemini about a project he had been working on for one of his professors.
Fourth stops once they get close to the small pond then leads Gemini over to a bench that faces the water. They don’t sit down, but Fourth rests against the back of it, facing away from the water. He spreads his legs a bit, sliding his finger in Gemini’s belt loop to pull him between his legs.
Gemini stumbles as he moves closer, his hands reaching up to rest on Fourth’s shoulders. Fourth’s hands settle on Gemini’s waist. “Hi there,” Fourth smiles cheekily, his thumbs rubbing against the fabric of Gemini’s shirt.
“Hi,” Gemini giggles, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of Fourth’s neck.
It’s silent for a minute, not awkward, but comfortable. Fourth sticks out his tongue and crosses his eyes until Gemini starts laughing loudly, throwing his head back. Fourth smiles proudly and waits patiently for Gemini to stop laughing.
As he calms down to just soft giggles, Gemini tilts his head forward to look at Fourth again and he sighs. “These last few days have been so incredible. I can’t even begin to tell you how it has felt to be loved by you, Fourth.” He pushes a strand of hair off Fourth’s forehead with a sad smile.
Gemini can feel his throat getting tight, his eyes start to burn with the urge to cry. The guilt of the last few days has been consuming him slowly. Now that he knows Fourth’s love, he doesn’t know how he can go back to living without it.
This love isn’t the same as his friendship love. This love devours him. It makes him feel whole. Fourth’s love feels like a warm hug after coming inside on a cold and snowy day. It feels like being seen and heard every day. How is he supposed to just forget Fourth can love him like this?
“I hope you’ll forgive me. I hope I can forgive myself.” Gemini’s voice is barely a whisper now. He sees a flash of panic in Fourth’s eyes before they shift to confusion.
Gemini’s hands move from Fourth’s neck to his face, thumbs caressing his cheeks. He leans forward, pressing their foreheads together, closing his eyes as he lets out a deep breath. He counts quietly to five, pushing his nose gently into Fourth’s. “Pernicious,” he whispers.
Gemini’s fingers begin to slide away from Fourth’s cheeks as he leans back, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He opens his eyes to see Fourth’s are closed, his eyebrows furrowed. Before Gemini’s fingers can fully leave Fourth’s face, Fourth grabs hold of his wrists, keeping them where they were. “Fourth?”
Fourth blinks slowly, his eyes meeting Gemini’s with confusion written all over them. “P’Gem, what nonsense are you talking about right now?” he bursts out laughing, holding Gemini’s hands in his, pressing kisses to his knuckles. “Did you drink something tonight without me knowing, are you a little drunk?” he teases Gemini, holding his hands to his chest.
Gemini blinks rapidly, his brain malfunctioning. Did I get it wrong? He begins to panic, pulling his hands away and placing them on Fourth’s shoulders. He looks him intently in the eyes.
“Pernicious,” he repeats.
Nothing happens again. Fourth continues to look at him amused before his puppy love eyes return and he’s smiling widely at Gemini. “What does that word even mean, P’Gem?”
“Shit.”
Gemini steps back, his hands grip onto his hair. Fuck. What should I do? I fucked up. Do I need to hypnotize him again? No, I can’t do that. Do I try pronouncing the word another way? No, I know I said it exactly the same. Do I tell Fourth the truth? No, he would have no recollection of it anyways. FUCK!
Without realizing it, Gemini is muttering the words under his breath as he paced back and forth in front of Fourth. Fourth chuckles softly and rolls his eyes playfully. He stops Gemini from pacing and pulls him into his arms. “Gem. Stop pacing, please.”
Gemini looks at him completely panicked. “I fucked up, Fourth, I really, really fucked up.” Tears well in his eyes and Fourth reaches up to wipe them away.
“Gem. It’s okay, I know,” he whispers, leaning in to press a kiss to each of Gemini’s teary eyes.
“You know?” Gemini asks. He pauses then leans back to look at Fourth, completely confused. “What do you mean, you know?”
“Did you really think you hypnotized me?” Fourth raises an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips.
Gemini’s whole body goes rigid. He’s going to be sick. Oh no. He swallows the lump in his throat, guilt and shame consume him. “Fourth… I-”
“It’s okay, P’Gem,” there is a hint of teasing behind Fourth’s words and Gemini wants the ground to swallow him right this very moment.
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to love you out loud?” Fourth asks. He caresses Gemini’s cheek slowly, following the trail of his fingers with his eyes until they meet Gemini’s again.
Gemini thinks he might be in another universe because what?! “Um… What?”
Fourth laughs loudly now, the biggest smile on his face. “Gemini, you silly, silly boy. Did you think I didn’t love you too?”
“I- You- We- You- What?!” Gemini exclaims. His chest is heaving and his thoughts are running a million miles a minute. “You love me?!”
“Took you long enough.” Fourth sighs, cupping Gemini’s cheeks and forcing him to look in his eyes. “Gemini, I’ve loved you since the moment I met you. I’ve just been waiting for you to be ready to love me back.”
“I’ve always loved you, Fourth. I was just too scared that I would lose you. I was afraid you’d never speak to me again because I’m just supposed to be your best friend.”
Fourth’s thumb brushes across Gemini’s cheek slowly, “I’m not just your best friend, Gem. Haven’t you realized that by now? What more can I do for you to believe me?”
Gemini’s patience is wearing thin, every nerve in his body feels like it’s on fire with each touch from Fourth. They both have been holding back for far too long.
“Kiss me.”
“You have no idea how much I’ve been holding back just waiting to hear those words.” Fourth leans his forehead against Gemini’s, nudging their noses together. He tilts his head slightly, inching closer, they are both holding their breath.
Their lips brush, testing for a moment, before Fourth’s hands that hold Gemini’s face pull him closer into a consuming kiss. It’s as if breath has been restored to them and they are suddenly breathing each other in for the first time.
Gemini’s hands grip onto the hem of Fourth’s shirt, an attempt to pull him closer. Fourth pulls back for a moment and Gemini chases his lips. Chuckling quietly, Fourth leans back in, pressing their lips together again. This time Gemini parts his lips just enough for Fourth’s tongue to tease its way in.
Letting out a content sigh, Gemini melts like putty in Fourth’s arms. Fourth pulls back again, a small strand of saliva attaching their lips. He smiles and pecks Gemini’s lips a few times before moving to his cheek, then his forehead, and finally one last kiss to the tip of his nose.
“Can I love you out loud now, Gemini?”
“Please. I want nothing more.” Gemini pulls Fourth’s hands from his face, pressing kisses against his palms.
They wrap their arms around each other, hugging tightly with cheek-aching smiles and hearts beating at the same rhythm. Soon enough Fourth is chasing Gemini around the park trying to kiss his entire face and Gemini is running away shrieking happily before letting himself get caught in Fourth’s arms. This is the love they both have been yearning for.
.
.
.
.
.
“So… you hopped around like a bunny because you love me?”
“Yes, Gemini. I love you enough to go along with all your crazy ideas. Just… let’s leave hypnotism to the professionals, yeah?”
“Hey! Get back here, I’m gonna beat your-”