Third Person's POV.
Before their sudden, unplanned road trip to Gemini's hometown, Percy insisted on a quick stop.
"You're not going on a two-hour train journey, and I certainly can't sit in a car for four hours, without proper hydration and provisions," Percy stated, pulling his Bentley into the parking lot of a large, high-end convenience store.
Gemini watched, bewildered, as Percy systematically raided the snack aisles. He didn't just grab a bag of chips; he purchased noise-canceling headphones, a neck pillow, a gourmet coffee flask, three different brands of imported sparkling water, and enough specialized, high-protein snacks to fuel a marathon runner.
"Percy, it's a four-hour drive, not an expedition across the Sahara," Gemini muttered, pushing the cart.
"Efficiency, Gemini," Percy replied, examining a box of gluten-free granola bars. "We optimize comfort. Besides, you look terrible. You need emergency comfort food."
Percy seemed to be enjoying himself, treating the impromptu shopping trip like a squad operation. Once they were back on the road, the mood shifted. Percy was relaxed, the tension from their earlier argument replaced by a quiet, determined focus on the highway. He even smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he watched Gemini chew thoughtfully on a ridiculously expensive artisanal beef jerky.
"You really didn't have to follow me, you know?" Gemini said softly, breaking the comfortable silence.
"I know," Percy replied, his eyes briefly meeting Gemini's in the rearview mirror. "But as I explained, I need you to sleep. And besides," he added, a playful light entering his eyes, "I've been looking at books for two weeks. I deserve a break, even if that break is going home with someone who's trying their very best to not share the same space with me."
He turned the car into a lane, merging smoothly. "Tell me why you don't want me at your Nana's, Gemini. Is her place haunted?"
Gemini couldn't help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from a place he thought had been sealed off by exam stress.
"No, it's not haunted. It's just...small. And cozy. And full of Nana's love."
They arrived at Nana's doorstep later that evening. The neighborhood was quiet, the houses small and well-kept, with neat lawns and the scent of freshly cut grass hanging in the air. The contrast to Percy's sleek, towering apartment building couldn't have been starker.
As Percy parked the Bentley—which looked comically large and out of place on the street—Gemini suddenly remembered his colossal oversight.
He forgot to tell Nana Percy was coming too.
He froze with his hand on the door handle. "Percy, wait. I didn't—I didn't tell her you were coming. I just said I'm coming home."
Percy merely raised an eyebrow. "Relax. I'm charming. She already loves me." He opened his door. "Besides, I was a perfect gentleman when she came over last time. That gives me leverage."
Before Gemini could formulate a plan, the front door swung open, and Nana stood silhouetted in the frame. Her face broke into a wide, joyous smile.
"Bunny! You're finally here!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to hug Gemini tight. "Oh, you look thin! Didn't you eat properly during exams? Of course you didn't! You're home now, your Nana is going to feed you!"
She then peered past Gemini, spotting the tall, blonde figure retrieving two travel bags from the trunk. Nana's smile didn't falter; it simply widened with a knowing warmth.
"And look who you brought with you!" she chirped, walking toward Percy. "Hello, dear. It's so good to see you again."
Percy smoothly took her hand, inclining his head with impeccable manners. "Hello, Nana. It's so good to see you again, too. I hope you don't mind the intrusion. Gemini was a bit exhausted from exams, and I offered to drive him."
Nana patted Percy's arm. "Nonsense, dear. Any good friend of my Bunny's is welcome to my home anytime. We have plenty of love to go around, if not much space!" She waved them toward the door. "Now, both of you, quickly! Freshen up. I've got dinner ready, and you both look like you haven't eaten in weeks."
Gemini was mortified, pulling Percy toward his small bedroom. "I told you not to come. This place is small! You'll be sleeping on the couch, Percy, it folds out. Either that or you're going to a hotel."
"I'll sleep wherever you're sleeping," Percy murmured, dropping his expensive leather bag onto the foot of the bed. He immediately turned his attention to the walls of the room, which were wallpapered with faded memories.
"This must be your childhood bedroom," Percy said, running a finger along a dusty bookshelf crammed with textbooks and childhood knick-knacks.
Gemini's heart sank as Percy's gaze landed on a shelf above the desk, adorned with a few framed photographs. There, tucked between a second-grade class picture and a photo of Gemini's parents, was a truly atrocious picture of seven-year-old Gemini, dressed in a faded Halloween costume, missing his two front teeth, with his hair sticking up like a frantic dandelion.
Percy picked up the picture, turning it over in his hand, a slow, mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Oh, no," Gemini groaned, lunging for the photo.
Percy deftly held it out of reach. "Oh, wow! Look at this. The sheer tragedy of the costume. I'm guessing this was 'Cabbage Patch Kid Zombie.' How old were you? Six?"
"Give me that!" Gemini demanded, his cheeks flaming. "That was supposed to be a pirate costume, and I was eight, not six!"
Percy moved closer, his free hand settling lightly on Gemini's waist to keep him at bay, the intimacy of the touch completely undermining the teasing. He lowered the photo so Gemini could see it.
"You were still very adorable, even with a gap where your teeth should be," Percy whispered, the teasing suddenly infused with warm intimacy. He kissed Gemini briefly on the forehead, right above the embarrassment line before replacing the photo carefully, then stepping back.
"I'll use the washroom first. I wouldn't want to monopolize the shower and risk starvation. Nana's food smells incredible."
Gemini watched him go, his heart doing a frantic dance. Adorable. He felt the soft, electric charge of the kiss on his skin. He was meant to be creating distance, but here, in his childhood bedroom, surrounded by proof of his modest life, Percy was simply acting like they belonged together. The situation was impossible, but Gemini couldn't deny that, despite the chaos, he was exactly where he wanted to be.