It started with a single kiss at breakfast. Then another in the hallway. Then one in the car. Before Fourth even realized what was happening, it had become a pattern.

A routine.

One he sure he could handle.

At first, Fourth thought Gemini was teasing him, enjoying how easy it was to fluster him. But when the kisses continued—soft, absentminded, natural—he realized something much, much worse.

Gemini wasn’t doing it for anyone else’s amusement. He wasn’t doing it to prove a point. He wasn’t even thinking about it.

It had just become second nature to him.

And that scared Fourth more than anything.

—

“Morning,” Gemini murmured, pressing a quick kiss to Fourth’s cheek as he walked past him in the living room.

Fourth nearly dropped his phone. “Wha—”

Gemini was already halfway to the kitchen, acting like nothing had happened.

“Did he just—” Tu started, pointing at Gemini, but Phuwin cut him off.

“He did.”

“I can’t believe this is real,” Prim whispered, clutching her chest like she was witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“I can,” Pond deadpanned. “Gemini’s always been a freak. This is just another layer.”

Fourth, still recovering, threw a pillow at him, which Pond dodged with an infuriating grin.

—

It only got worse.

At lunch, Gemini leaned over while Fourth was mid-bite, kissing his temple before grabbing a napkin and casually wiping sauce off his lip. Fourth nearly choked.

During a meeting with their families, Gemini draped an arm over Fourth’s shoulders and idly played with his hair as if he’d been doing it for years.

At night, as they sat on the couch watching a movie, Gemini’s fingers brushed against Fourth’s before lacing them together.

It wasn’t for show. It wasn’t exaggerated. It was just… him.

And the family? Oh, they were losing their minds.

“Okay, what the hell is happening?” Phuwin finally snapped one evening. “Gemini, do you need to tell us something?”

Gemini, who had just kissed Fourth’s forehead for the fourth time that day, raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tu drawled, smirking. “Maybe why you’re acting like a lovesick fool?”

“I’m not.”

Prim snorted. “That’s a lie.”

Pond grinned. “A bold-faced one, too.”

Fourth groaned, face burning as he buried it in his hands. “Can you all just shut up?”

“No way.” Tu crossed her arms. “Not when you’ve been receiving a record-breaking amount of kisses per day.”

Fourth threw a glare at Gemini, silently pleading for help, but Gemini…

Gemini was smirking.

Oh, that bastard was enjoying this.

“Since when did you become so affectionate?” Mix asked, genuinely curious. “You weren’t like this before.”

Silence fell over the room.

Fourth turned his head slightly, watching as Gemini’s smirk faded. His gaze lowered, his fingers tapping against his knee.

Then, after a long pause, Gemini spoke.

“I don’t know when it happened,” he admitted, voice softer than usual. “Maybe it was gradual. Maybe I just got tired of pretending I didn’t care.”

The teasing atmosphere shifted instantly.

Fourth’s breath hitched.

Gemini turned toward him, and for the first time, he didn’t look like the cold, untouchable mafia heir everyone had known for years. He looked… real.

“I tried to keep my distance at first,” he continued. “Tried to convince myself this marriage didn’t mean anything.”

Fourth swallowed hard. He couldn’t look away.

“But then I saw you,” Gemini murmured. “Really saw you. And I realized… I didn’t want to pretend anymore.”

Silence.

Heavy, thick, suffocating silence.

Until Pond, the menace, whistled lowly. “Well, damn.”

Tu smacked her arm, hissing, “Not the time!”

But Gemini wasn’t listening. He was still looking at Fourth, waiting.

And Fourth—

Fourth felt something inside him crack.

Because despite everything, despite his fears, despite the messiness of their relationship, there was one undeniable truth staring him in the face:

Gemini wasn’t pretending.

Not anymore.

And neither was he.

_____

The confession hung in the air, heavy and unshakable, leaving the room in stunned silence. Fourth’s heart pounded so loudly in his chest he was sure everyone could hear it.

Gemini had just admitted it.

He had confessed, in front of everyone, that his affection wasn’t just some fleeting habit. It was real.

And Fourth… didn’t know how to process it.

The teasing had stopped, the playful jabs dying down as everyone else realized the weight of the moment. Prim, Tu, Pond, and Phuwin were still sitting there, mouths slightly open, their amusement replaced by quiet anticipation.

Fourth’s hands trembled slightly as he curled them into fists on his lap. “You…” he started but stopped, his throat suddenly dry. He looked up at Gemini, who was watching him with an expression Fourth couldn’t quite decipher.

Gemini wasn’t smirking anymore. He wasn’t playing around.

He was serious.

“Say something,” Gemini said, his voice lower, rougher.

Fourth swallowed. His mind raced, battling between his heart that wanted to believe in this and the fear that had kept him guarded for so long. But before he could think of what to say, his body moved on its own.

He stood up.

The air shifted.

Gemini straightened slightly as Fourth took a shaky step closer. Then another. And another.

Until he was right in front of him.

Fourth sucked in a breath. He had spent so much time convincing himself that Gemini’s kindness was temporary, that this marriage was nothing more than a convenience for their families. But then Gemini had ruined everything—by making him feel safe. By making him feel seen. By making him want more.

Fourth lifted his hand, hesitating for a brief second before resting it lightly on Gemini’s chest. His heart was racing too. Just like his.

“…You’re an idiot,” Fourth whispered, his voice barely audible.

Gemini exhaled a quiet laugh. “I know.”

Another pause. Another heartbeat.

Then, in a moment that surprised even himself, Fourth leaned forward and rested his forehead against Gemini’s shoulder, his grip tightening in the fabric of his shirt.

A breath of relief ghosted against his skin as Gemini’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer, grounding him.

The others erupted into chaos immediately.

“Oh my GOD.” Tu’s screech was the first thing Fourth heard.

“HE DIDN’T RUN?!” Pond gasped.

Prim clapped her hands together like she had just witnessed her favorite romance novel come to life. “Finally!”

Phuwin just sat there, stunned. “I… I don’t even know what to say.”

Gemini, ignoring all of them, shifted slightly so he could murmur close to Fourth’s ear. “Are you okay?”

Fourth squeezed his eyes shut, nodding.

For the first time in a long time, he thought he might be.

—