Third Person's POV.
The following day dawned soft and slow, offering a welcome reprieve. With no lectures scheduled, Gemini enjoyed the rare luxury of a completely unscheduled morning. He spent it at Percy's house, a sanctuary of calm that felt a world away from the busy dorms.
They settled into a comfortable routine. Gemini curled up on the large, soft sofa, surrounded by pillows, tackling the enormous pile of reading he was behind on. Percy was at a drafting table near the window, lost in his own world of fashion and architectural designs, the soft scratch of his pencil the only sound besides the turning of Gemini's pages. It was a silence filled not with awkwardness, but with mutual, quiet companionship—the purest form of their friendship.
Around noon, Percy nudged him lightly. "Lunch. I ordered sushi."
They ate at the kitchen island, discussing Gemini's new project and Percy's latest conceptual design for a campus renovation. It was easy, mundane, and exactly what Gemini needed after the previous day's dramatic events.
After lunch, Percy drove Gemini back to campus. As they pulled up to the dorm parking lot, Gemini reluctantly gathered his belongings, including the heavy, newly fixed old laptop Mark had dropped off last night.
"You know, I still feel bad about the other thing," Gemini mumbled, gesturing toward the back seat where a large, flat box—delivered surprisingly quickly that morning—was resting. It contained the brand-new, expensive machine Percy had ordered without so much as a discussion.
Percy glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "You needed it. Stop worrying about it."
"It's not worrying, it's… a pride thing, I guess. I was saving for one," Gemini sighed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle; Percy's generosity was as immovable as bedrock.
"Then save that money for something else. A trip. New clothes. Whatever you want," Percy suggested simply. "It's done now. The more you protest, the more I'm going to do these things, you better get used to it." Percy said giving him a rare smile.
And just like that, the debate was closed. Once again, Gemini had no choice but to give in to Percy's generosity. He grabbed the large box containing the new laptop and his messenger bag.
"Thanks, Percy. See you later," Gemini said, meaning it sincerely.
"Anytime," Percy replied, leaning over to give him a brief, firm pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you later."
Gemini quickly darted into his dorm, dropping the new, sleek laptop—already set up by Percy with all the necessary programs—onto his desk. He grabbed his old messenger bag and headed straight across the quad. He couldn't go to his part-time job without debriefing Ohio first.
Ohio was sprawled across her duvet, scrolling through social media, when Gemini knocked on her open dorm room door.
"Gemini! You survived the night with your sugar daddy." she exclaimed, sitting up immediately. "Are you ready for your shift?"
Gemini walked in, tossing his bag onto her desk. "Ohio, you seriously need to stop calling him that. Also, yes, I was just on my way there. But that is the least of my problems. I have news. Huge, shocking news." He sat down heavily in her desk chair. "Okay, so remember Mark, the guy who offered to fix my laptop?"
"The ridiculously handsome Computer Science senior? Yes, the one you traded numbers with? Of course, I remember." Ohio prompted, leaning forward eagerly. "What about him?"
"He is Percy's cousin?" Gemini stated flatly, watching her face for a reaction.
Ohio's jaw dropped so low she had to physically push it back up. "Stop. Mark is… what, Percy's cousin? The one we know?"
"The one and only," Gemini confirmed, nodding slowly. "He showed up at Percy's apartment last night, minutes after I told him I was there. They started bickering immediately. Mark calls Percy 'Dom'—apparently short for his middle name, Ser Dominic which Percy hates. It was the most bizarre five minutes of my entire life."
Ohio was shaking her head, a mixture of shock and dawning realization on her face. "Holy cow. The universe is small, but this is microscopic. That explains why Mark looked vaguely… familiar and expensive," she murmured, referencing Percy's undeniable aura of wealth and polish.
"And that's not even the half of it," Gemini continued, leaning closer. "Mark fixed my laptop and then, he told me I needed a new one. And Percy, without even looking up from his phone throughout the entire conversation or asking me about it, ordered me a brand new one."
Ohio stared at him, then let out a sharp, astonished laugh.
"He what? Did you let him?"
"I tried to stop him! I literally protested, and he just said, 'The order already went through,' and walked away! It arrived this morning. It's sitting on my desk right now," Gemini admitted, a mixture of frustration and awe in his voice.
Ohio reached across and grabbed his arm, her eyes wide. "Gem, you are an absolute magnet for chaos and luxury. I can't believe you went in to get your laptop repaired and walked out with a new laptop and a hot, rich cousin-in-law! You're amazing...but, how do you feel about all this?" she asked when she noticed her friend's conflicted expression.
"I feel… guilty, mostly. And overwhelmed..." Gemini began confessing then he paused glaring at his friend. "A cousin-in-law? I seriously worry about you sometimes, and I'm not even going to dignify that with a reply." he said rolling his eyes which only made Ohio giggle.
"But back to answer your question," Gemini continued. "I'm kind of excited to use a laptop that doesn't sound like a jet engine taking off every time I open a new tab. Also, Percy said he's not going to stop doing things like anytime soon so I guess I'm just going to have to find a way to pay Percy back, somehow. Maybe I'll start by getting groceries and cooking for him, the guy orders food all the time. I'm beginning to worry about him."
Ohio laughed again, a bright, cheerful sound. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure out something, Bunny. You always don. And, you have to let me see your new laptop later. Now go! Don't be late for your shift!"
"Will do," Gemini said, grabbing his bag. "Wish me luck." He left Ohio's room, still shaking his head at the unbelievable turn of events.