Third Person's POV.
Once they'd finished freshening up, Gemini and Percy made their way back to the kitchen for dinner. Made their way back, however, was putting it mildly. For Gemini, it was less a civilized exit and more a hasty bolt from the room, executed with the silent desperation of a man dodging a debt collector.
His mission was clear: avoid all possibilities of "alone time" that might somehow lead to a serious conversation with Percy. The kind with emotional depth and perhaps uncomfortable eye contact.
Percy, of course, didn't miss the change in his behavior. He watched the younger boy's hurried, almost frantic pace, amused by the little guilty glances Gemini kept shooting back over his shoulder. It was as subtle as a foghorn in a library. The look basically screamed, "I'm running from my feelings, and you're the feelings I'm running from!"
Dinner with Nana was an absolute delight. She had prepared a feast of comfort food—pot roast, mashed potatoes with too much butter, and green beans cooked exactly the way Gemini remembered. And to Gemini's astonishment, Percy blended in perfectly. He wasn't the reserved, slightly imperious Percy of the Moore family; he was simply Percy, polite, attentive, and genuinely engaged.
He complimented Nana's cooking with sincere enthusiasm and even helped her clear the table, refusing to let her lift anything heavy. He didn't dominate the conversation, but asked Nana thoughtful questions about her garden and the neighborhood, listening to her answers with focused interest. Nana, in turn, was completely charmed, her eyes sparkling with motherly warmth directed equally at both boys.
"You are such a kind young man, Percy," Nana said as she finally waved them toward the bedroom hallway, insisting they get some rest. "You take good care of my Bunny."
"I always do, Nana," Percy replied, throwing a subtle wink at Gemini, who rolled his eyes in an attempt to hide his blush.
Once the bedroom door clicked shut, the easy domesticity evaporated, replaced by immediate tension.The room felt smaller than before, dominated by the single, twin-sized bed and a couch. Gemini immediately grabbed the extra quilt from the top of his closet.
"Alright, the couch folds out easily. I'll get you a pillow."
Percy, who was busy setting his expensive travel case neatly on the floor, didn't even look up.
"Absolutely not."
"Absolutely yes, Percy," Gemini insisted, dropping the quilt on the floor. "I told you. It's a single bed. You're huge. I'm taking the couch, or you are."
Percy finally turned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We agreed on a truce for two weeks, Gemini, where I did things your way. That's over, I need sleep.The only way I sleep properly is if you're next to me. I drove four hours for this. I will not compromise the terms of our agreement."
"Sleeping together was for your king-sized bed, where we have space!" Gemini argued, throwing his hands up. "We will be fused into one body in this bed, and I will sweat! You'll be uncomfortable."
"I sleep with you every night. I know exactly what to expect," Percy countered, walking toward the bed and neatly folding back the blanket. "And you know I don't care about the size. I'll sleep where you sleep, end of discussion."
"Oh, you are unbelievable!" Gemini hissed, frustrated at his stubbornness. "You followed me all the way here, when I explicitly said there's no space for two of us. You refused to go to a hotel, and now you won't even listen to anything I have to say? I don't understand why you're acting like this!"
Percy just crossed his arms, leaning against the footboard, a slight, satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Relax. You're overthinking everything. I'm not going to do anything to you, so let's just share the bed."
The "I'm not going to do anything to you" comment hit home, and Gemini flushed crimson remembering all the things Percy usually does when they're cuddled up.
What exactly are they doing? They were bickering like two old married couples who had been arguing over the thermostat for thirty years. It was ridiculous, intense, and deeply familiar. He knew there was no winning. Percy was too stubborn, and honestly, the thought of sleeping alone suddenly felt cold and foreign.
Gemini sighed, a sound of utter resignation. He walked over, retrieved his pajamas from his bag, and threw them onto the mattress.
"Fine! But don't you dare try anything funny in your sleep or you're on the floor."
Percy's face lit up, the earlier tension dissolving into sheer triumph. "Wouldn't dream of it." He grabbed Gemini's arm, pulling him in for a hug. "Finally. Now let's get some much-needed sleep."
As Gemini settled into the warm, familiar dip of his childhood mattress, feeling Percy's large, comforting presence immediately molding to his back, he realized he hadn't created any distance at all. He had simply imported his complicated life into his simple one. And yet, for the first time since the exams ended, he felt perfectly at ease.