Gemini stirred awake to the sound of hushed giggles and the faint clicking of a camera. His brows furrowed as his senses slowly registered his surroundings. Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t alone. And there was an odd warmth pressed against him.

Slowly cracking one eye open, he blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. As his vision adjusted, the first thing he saw was Prim’s gleeful expression hovering over him, her phone raised in the air, snapping pictures at an alarming rate.

“The hell?” His voice came out hoarse from sleep.

A chorus of muffled snickers echoed around the room.

“Morning, lovebirds,” Tu teased, barely holding back her laughter.

Gemini groggily turned his head—and promptly froze.

Fourth was curled up against him, his face buried in Gemini’s chest, fingers loosely clutching onto his shirt. Their legs were tangled together in a way that made it seem like they had been like this for hours. The soft rise and fall of Fourth’s breath was steady, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around them.

Gemini’s brain short-circuited.

Pond let out an exaggerated sigh. “Such a peaceful sight first thing in the morning. Warms my heart.”

Phuwin smirked. “I told you guys they were getting comfortable with each other.”

Prim, still snapping photos, grinned wickedly. “Oh, this is going in the collection.”

Gemini finally snapped out of his daze, his face heating up. “What the actual hell are you all doing in my room?”

Fourth stirred at his sudden outburst, shifting slightly before his eyes fluttered open. For a moment, he seemed confused, still lost in sleep, until realization struck him like lightning. His eyes widened, darting between Gemini and the group standing over them.

He tensed. “W-What’s happening?”

Tu snorted. “Oh, nothing. Just documenting proof of how much you love snuggling up to Gemini.”

Fourth’s face turned bright red. “I—I wasn’t snuggling!” He tried to pull away, but Gemini’s arm was still draped loosely around him, making escape impossible.

“Oh, really?” Pond drawled, holding up Prim’s phone to show the numerous pictures taken. “Because this says otherwise.”

Fourth let out a mortified groan and buried his face in Gemini’s chest again, this time out of sheer embarrassment. Gemini, for all his usual confidence, was at a loss for words.

He wanted to be mad. He wanted to kick them all out and delete the photos. But the truth was—he hadn’t minded waking up like this.

And that was the real problem.

“Alright, enough,” Gemini finally huffed, reaching for a pillow and chucking it at Tu. “Get out before I make you regret it.”

Tu dodged easily, grinning. “Oh, we’re going, but just so you know—this moment is officially immortalized.”

With a final round of giggles and teasing remarks, the group finally retreated, leaving Gemini and Fourth alone.

Fourth hesitated before slowly pulling away, his face still flushed. “Um… sorry?”

Gemini ran a hand down his face, sighing. “Just go back to sleep, Fourth.”

Fourth blinked. “You’re not mad?”

Gemini glanced at him, then at the door where their nosy friends had disappeared. A smirk played on his lips as he leaned back against the pillows. “Not at you.”

Fourth stared for a second longer before lying back down, still flustered but secretly relieved.

And for the first time, waking up next to someone didn’t feel so bad.

____

After the morning’s chaotic wake-up call, Gemini found himself unusually restless. The teasing from his siblings and friends still rang in his ears, but what bothered him more was the lingering warmth on his skin where Fourth had been nestled against him.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Shaking off the thought, he stepped into the living room where the rest of the group was lounging. Fourth was seated beside Prim, his face still faintly pink as he avoided everyone’s knowing glances.

“Ah, look who finally decided to show his face,” Tu smirked as she sipped her coffee. “Sleep well, lover boy?”

Gemini shot him a deadpan glare. “Do you have a death wish?”

Pond grinned. “You’re acting extra defensive, which means it hit a nerve.”

Phuwin nodded sagely. “Very telling.”

Fourth fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly wanting the conversation to die, but Prim wasn’t about to let the moment slip away. “Gemini, why don’t you just admit that you like Fourth?” she asked sweetly, her eyes full of mischief.

Gemini scoffed, crossing his arms. “I don’t ‘like’ anyone. I tolerate all of you at best.”

Fourth finally looked up, frowning. “Oh.”

The simple reaction made something twist uncomfortably in Gemini’s chest, but before he could say anything, Prim nudged Fourth’s side. “Don’t mind him. He’s just in denial.”

“I am not,” Gemini shot back, then sighed. “Enough with the matchmaking, alright?”

Tu leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “If you say so. But actions speak louder than words, Gemini.”

Gemini clicked his tongue in annoyance, but his attention wavered when Fourth absentmindedly licked his lips before taking a sip of his drink. It was a small, fleeting motion, but Gemini caught himself staring.

Why had he been doing that lately? His gaze would always drift to Fourth’s lips—when he was talking, when he was chewing at them nervously, even when he was just sitting there in quiet thought. It was distracting, annoying even, because now it felt like his mind was betraying him, stirring thoughts he had no business having.

He wasn’t sure if it was because Fourth had always been softer than the rest of them, or if it was something else entirely, but Gemini found himself growing frustrated. Every little thing Fourth did suddenly seemed to demand his attention, and the worst part? It was starting to feel normal.

“Gemini?” Fourth’s voice pulled him out of his trance, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you okay?”

Gemini blinked, realizing he had been staring again. He scoffed, turning away. “Tch. Just lost in thought.”

Prim smirked, watching the exchange like a hawk. “You sure you weren’t lost somewhere else?”

“Shut up, Prim.”

The room filled with snickers, but Gemini ignored them, scowling as he rubbed his temple. He needed to get a grip. Whatever this was, it wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.

And yet, as Fourth smiled softly at something Phuwin said, Gemini’s eyes betrayed him once again, lingering on the curve of his lips.

For the rest of the day, he found himself catching those moments more often—Fourth biting his lip when he was deep in thought, Fourth running his tongue over his lips after taking a sip of his drink, Fourth nervously pressing his lips together when he felt flustered. Each time, Gemini would feel his stomach twist uncomfortably, a foreign feeling he didn’t want to name.

When evening came, and everyone was settling in for the night, Gemini sat in his room alone, trying to make sense of it all. He wasn’t the type to dwell on emotions. He didn’t have time for feelings. But the way Fourth had started invading his thoughts was making it impossible to ignore.

With a frustrated sigh, he flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had always been in control of his emotions. He prided himself on it. So why, for the first time in his life, did it feel like he was losing that control over something as stupid as a pair of lips?

_____