Third Person's POV.
Percy and Penelope settled into a quiet, sunlit booth at a ridiculously expensive Italian restaurant downtown—the kind of place where the silence cost more than the appetizers and the air felt thick with exclusivity. The cold, familiar tension from facing their mother had thankfully dissipated, replaced by the easy intimacy of twins plotting their separate, yet connected, rebellious futures.
"So, tell me what's been going on with you, Pen," Percy prompted, stirring the dark, rich contents of his coffee cup, his eyes focused and sympathetic. "We haven't really talked much beyond those quick texts these days. How are you holding up in your last year? Are the classes brutal?"
Penelope sighed, a long, weary sound that felt too heavy for her years. She ran a hand through her sleek long hair, not bothering to plaster on her usual confident facade for him.
"Classes are fine. Honestly, they're the easy part. It's the rest of the life stuff that's brutal."
She brought up the painful, year-old scar of Daphne and Cole. The wound still felt fresh, a constant, dull ache in her chest. "It's insane to think it's been a whole year since we gathered in the same place, seen together." Penelope sighed, her fingers fiddling nervously with the crisp linen napkin. "Since Daphne confessed to you, and since I realized she played a part in scaring Gemini off. The worst part is, she left town before we had a chance to talk. No explanations, no apologies, just gone. She really did it. And Cole, bless his lovesick heart, went with her."
She looked up at Percy, her vulnerability rare and absolute. "I always pictured our lives running parallel, Percy. I thought when you finally moved out after school, Daphne and I would move in together. Now? We haven't exchanged a single word in over a year. It's a huge, gaping hole. You don't just lose your closest friend; you lose the entire future you built around them. It's like a chapter was ripped out of my life, pages and all."
Percy listened intently, his gaze unwavering and deeply sympathetic. He understood the profound loss of a chosen family member. Same thing happened to him when Gemini broke up with him.
"I'm sorry, Pen. Truly. But look at me," he commanded softly. "She made a choice that severed years of loyalties. That was on her, not you. You deserve better than a friend who would choose silence over accountability."
He then shifted the conversation, injecting it with an energizing adrenaline that broke the heavy atmosphere.
"Right, enough sadness. You needa distraction. I have news that will not just make our Mother's head spin—it will make her absolutely detonate."
Penelope braced herself, a sharp thrill of rebellion running through her veins. "Lay it on me. I need some drama."
"That architecture firm I co-founded with Alexis? It's finally going public. And they want me to step up to the role of CEO."
Penelope's eyes went wide, the previous sadness completely forgotten, replaced by sheer pride. "The Aethel Design?" She asked, almost a gasp, and Percy nodded, a genuine grin lighting his face. "Percy! That's incredible! You've been building that from scratch for years, sneaking calls and meetings while Mother thought you were 'networking' for her. This is... everything."
She immediately sobered, the reality of their family dynamic crashing down. "But... Mother. She will never let you leave the company quietly. She's counted on you being her successor since you could walk. This will be an outright war, Percy. You know she already sees your relationship with Gemini as a direct attack on her legacy right?"
"I know," Percy replied, his jaw setting hard, the pleasant smile gone, replaced by the familiar look of steely resolve. "I'm done managing her fragile ego," he repeated, louder now, a vow. "Gemini needs stability here, and I need a career that isn't tethered to her strings. I'm taking the job. I will build something for myself and Gemini. And you, my dear sister, don't need to worry about anything. I'll handle the fallout with our mother. You focus your career and school."
After lunch with Penelope, Percy drove directly to campus, his mind still buzzing with the excitement of his own professional freedom, yet heavy with the anticipation of the coming fight with his mother. The moment he spotted Gemini, however, his focus snapped immediately back to his boyfriend.
Something was visibly off. Gemini was walking with a slight slump, his shoulders tight with unspoken stress, and his usual bright, hopeful blue eyes were clouded. He looked fragile again, and the fierce, protective instinct flared in Percy's chest, overriding all other thoughts.
"Hey, Bunny," Percy greeted him warmly, pulling him into a tight hug. "How was your day? Everything okay?"
Gemini pulled away, his movements subtly stiff. "Hi. Everything's fine. Just tired from lectures. Long day." The words were automatic, practiced, and unconvincing.
"Long days have never made you look like this," Percy countered softly, taking Gemini's hand and studying the tension in his face. "You're hiding something. You're upset. What is it?"
"Nothing, Percy, honestly. Everything is fine," Gemini insisted, fiddling with his seatbelt, not meeting Percy's gaze.
Percy didn't push in the car, respecting Gemini's evident need for space, but he kept watching. When they reached the apartment, Percy made a few obligatory work calls while Gemini rested, staring at his phone. Afterwards, Percy started cooking a comforting meal—Gemini's favorite. He worked slowly, patiently waiting for the moment when Gemini's emotional dam would break.
Before serving the meal, Percy walked over to the couch. Gemini was sitting there, staring blankly at the cityscape outside the huge window instead of studying like he had said he wanted to. Percy walked up behind him, paused for a moment to just be there, and then pulled him gently onto his lap, savoring the familiar weight and warmth of his body. He kissed his forehead, then traced the curve of his mouth with a feather-light touch, holding him close until he felt Gemini's tense frame finally melt against his chest.
"Please, tell me what's wrong, Bunny," Percy murmured into his ear, his voice a deep, resonant rumble of affection. "Whatever it is, I can fix it. Just tell me what's put that dark cloud over your beautiful eyes."
The soft, insistent affection, the absolute confidence in his voice, finally broke Gemini's silence. He sighed heavily, a sound of surrender.
Gemini knows it's stupid to feel this way. So childish. He knows his position in Percy's life, he knows Percy loves him. But the moment the whispers started again—about him and her—he felt that old, familiar fear, that awful feeling of being the second choice, the temporary one. He can't handle the thought of losing Percy, not after everything. It's not about trusting him; it's about trusting the world not to take him away. He knows he can fix it, but he doesn't want to sound like a possessive fool.
"Bunny? Talk to me, please." Percy urged him gently.
"It's just... everyone is talking," Gemini started, looking down at his hands clasped in his lap, the shame of his jealousy evident. "About you being back in town. The gossip is wild."
Percy frowned, confused and slightly annoyed by the typical campus chatter. "And that upsets you? Because people are gossiping about me again?"
"No," Gemini clarified, forcing himself to meet Percy's earnest gaze. "It's because they're saying your ex is back in town, too. And that you're working closely with her, spending time with her."
Percy immediately realized the source of Gemini's anxiety, the cloudiness in his eyes, the stiffness in his shoulders. Ah. He's jealous. He smiled gently, a hint of warmth softening his expression, and cupped Gemini's cheek with his palm, turning his head back toward him.
"Ah, so you've heard about Renee," Percy said, "Renee and I dated briefly back when I was doing my first degree, yes. It lasted less than a semester because there was no real emotional connection. I didn't feel anything for her—not the way I feel everything for you. You're the first and only person I ever truly wanted. No one else will ever matter."
He continued, his voice lowering to explain the reason behind her recent return to the city. "There's a reason she's here now, and it has nothing to do with us."
"There is?" Gemini asked, his curiosity momentarily overcoming his fear. Percy nodded gently.
"You remember the architecture company I mentioned investing in a while back?"
"Yeah." Gemini replied, focusing now on the steady rhythm of Percy's heartbeat beneath his ear.
"Well, I'm actually more than just an investor. I co-founded the company with Alexis, my cousin. Mark's older sister." Percy filled in the gaps gently, and Gemini gasped softly when Percy's teeth gently grazed the sensitive skin at the back of his neck.
"Mark has an older sister?"
Percy chuckled quietly before replying, "And a younger brother, too. But we're not talking about him right now. The company is going public, and they want me to step up as CEO."
"Really? That's huge, Percy. Congrats," Gemini said genuinely, his mind already spinning with the magnitude of the news.
"Thank you, bunny," Percy replied with a relieved smile before speaking again, returning to the Renee issue. "Since I'm considering stepping up for the role of CEO at Aethel Design, I need a clean exit plan from my Mother's company." Percy explained his strategic move: "I want Renee to take over from me as Creative Director at my mother's company. She's incredibly talented, and putting her there ensures Mother has a competent creative director, which will keep her busy, and most importantly—off our backs."
Gemini still looked slightly uneasy, Percy's arms tightened around his waist. "But you're still talking to someone you dated. It makes me feel—"
"Jealous?" Percy finished softly, his tone completely without judgment. He tilted Gemini's chin up. "Never. You have no reason to feel that way. She is just one of the means to secure my independence—my freedom to be with you without my mother's interference. I am all yours, bunny. I only love you, okay? You are the only person I want in my life, and that will never change."
He looked into Gemini's eyes, and this time, Gemini looked relieved. The honesty and the sheer logic of the explanation—a means to finally get free of his mother melted Gemini's lingering fear. He leaned in, allowing Percy to kiss him deeply, a kiss of reassurance, commitment, and utter relief. They ate their dinner, the quiet apartment once again feeling like the safest, warmest place in the world.