Third Person's POV.
The cab pulled up to the curb, and Gemini exchanged final goodbyes with Ohio, promising a full review of the massage and the new clothes later. He juggled the array of high-end shopping bags—gifts for Percy and headed toward the door.
The moment he stepped into the apartment, the sight that greeted him instantly erased the fatigue of the day: Percy was already home, standing by the kitchen island, shirtless, phone pressed to his ear. He was speaking French, his brow furrowed in concentration, the sound vibrating with authority even in the foreign language. He said a few more words, then disconnected the call and glanced up.
Gemini stopped in his tracks, a slow smile spreading across his face. He let the shopping bags drop with a soft thud near the console table and walked up to him, his eyes shining.
"Have I ever told you how good you sound when you speak French?" Gemini murmured, reaching out to trace the line of his jaw.
Percy chuckled, the sound deep and warm, before his eyes darkened with instant desire. He moved, scooping Gemini up into his arms, lifting him clean off the floor. The surprised sound that escaped Gemini's lips was halfway between a gasp and a delighted squeak.
"No, you haven't," Percy said, his voice husky, holding Gemini easily against his chest. "But I'm glad you're saying it now. Tell me, how good do I sound?" He bit Gemini's earlobe playfully, the sudden, gentle nip making Gemini let out another soft, involuntary sound.
"You sound good," Gemini managed to get out, already feeling the heat rising beneath his collar. "Like, in a very sexy way."
"Sexy, you say?" Percy's mouth found Gemini's, claiming his lips in a deep kiss, his hands and mouth already wandering, awakening every nerve ending in Gemini's body as he started walking toward the stairs. "How sexy are we talking about, Bunny?" he asked between consuming kisses.
Gemini tried to maintain his composure, tried to talk, but he was already too far gone, the sensual pleasure overriding his mental clarity. His answer was barely a coherent moan as Percy carried him upstairs.
Percy dropped him gently onto the bed, their mouths still connected in a heated kiss. The last vestiges of clothing were impatiently dispensed with, and in a second, Gemini was completely under Percy's mercy. The older boy's lips and hands moved with deliberate intensity, starting at his mouth and working their way down his body until Percy was settled between Gemini's legs.
Percy took Gemini into his warm mouth, the sudden, electric pleasure making Gemini gasp. He fisted the sheets with both hands, his back arching, his hips beginning to move instinctively as Percy took him whole, driving him mad with teasing strokes and deep absorption.
A wave of dizzying sensation washed over Gemini until he reached his peak, his entire body convulsing with release.
Percy pulled away, looking utterly satisfied and focused. He didn't allow Gemini a moment to recover, flipping him over and gently prepping him with his fingers before slowly, carefully entering him.
Gemini gasped when he felt the familiar, heavy fullness of Percy inside of him. It was the best, most complete feeling in the whole world, and his mind went blissfully blank when Percy started to move. With Percy's low, encouraging words and patient pace, Gemini was able to relax and surrender to the moment as the older boy's thrusts and strokes grew faster, deeper, and more relentlessly until they both reached their highest level of mutual satisfaction.
Percy collapsed, dropping his heavy body halfway onto Gemini, pulling him into a close hug and tenderly kissing his head.
"Are you okay, Bunny?" Percy whispered, catching his breath.
Gemini assured him he was fine, running his hand over Percy's damp back. "That was amazing. Completely amazing."
Percy agreed, his voice thick with post-coital contentment. "You were amazing, too." He shifted slightly, releasing Gemini just enough to look at him. "We should wash up. Can you walk, or do you need assistance?"
"I can," Gemini replied, already trying to roll out of bed.
Percy didn't wait to find out, simply scooping Gemini back into his arms. "Just in case," he murmured, carrying him effortlessly to the shower.
Afterward, clean, exhausted, and wrapped in fresh towels, they tumbled into bed. Percy immediately pulled Gemini into his arms, wrapping a secure arm around his waist and burying his face deep in the crook of Gemini's neck. The silence was thick, but it was a silence of peace, not tension.
Percy shifted slightly, resting his chin on the top of Gemini's head. "Hey."
"Hey," Gemini replied, his voice was soft.
"I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me," Percy began, his voice low and serious. "I've been so focused on fighting my mother, the company, that I realized I haven't really asked you how you feel about all this."
Gemini grew still within his embrace.
"I mean all of it," Percy clarified. "Our relationship, me deciding to move back and get this apartment, my mother's complete disapproval. All the conflict. How does it sit with you?"
Gemini took a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I had reservations, Percy. Right from the very first time I felt something beyond normal friendship for you. That's why I hid my feelings for so long, hoping they would just go away and prevent all this fighting from happening."
He pulled back just enough to look at Percy. "But then you told me you liked me too, and you wanted us to date. I tried my best to even accept that you actually liked me like that."
Percy nodded. "I know. I remember you asking me if I even liked guys. I understood you needed certainty."
"Yes. And we tried to be together, but before we could even start, we had to break up because I didn't want your mother to take away everything you had," Gemini continued, his voice heavy with the weight of that decision. "Not that she could do that much damage, anyway. I know that now."
Gemini sighed, the admission a small release. "That was before I knew about your financial reality. You and Penelope have trust funds from both your grandparents that were given to you on your eighteenth birthday. Your parents can't touch that. You have investments I can't even begin to count, and a company you co-founded. Financially, I have nothing to fear for you."
He paused, the core of his worry surfacing. "But I'm worried because there is conflict in the family. Take it from someone who is without his own family in this world, being the reason my boyfriend is fighting with his family doesn't sit right with me. I don't like being the cause of all this upheaval, Percy."
Percy tightened his arms, pulling Gemini close again, holding him securely. "I am so sorry, Bunny. I am truly sorry for putting you in such an awkward, stressful position. That was never my intention. It shouldn't have been this way."
He kissed the top of Gemini's head, his voice a sincere promise. "I will make this right, okay? I just need time. Time to fix everything."
Gemini felt the sincerity of Percy's embrace, and it was enough to soothe his deepest fears. But one question still lingered, a shadow cast by the Ice Queen's recent visit.
He leaned back slightly, tracing the muscle in Percy's arm with a weary finger. "Percy," he asked, his voice barely a whisper, the question heavy with vulnerability. "Do you think she... do you think your mother will ever accept us? Accept me?"
Percy looked away toward the dimly lit ceiling, a thoughtful silence settling between them. He turned the question over, examining it honestly, without the usual filter of defiance or anger.
He looked back at Gemini, his green eyes serious and unwavering. "Honestly, Bunny? I don't know," he admitted, the raw truth of it is a stark contrast to his usual confidence. "I've never seen my mother genuinely back down from a fight. Not once in my life. She may accept the company, eventually, but accepting her son choosing a life and a partner outside of her design? I don't know."
Percy shifted, pinning Gemini beneath him, his expression intensely focused. "But here is the absolute truth, and I need you to understand this completely," he said, his voice dropping to a low intensity. "I love you with the whole of my being. You are my home, my peace, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would give up everything she thinks defines me, just to be with you, without hesitation."
He leaned down and kissed Gemini—a slow, deep kiss that was more of a vow than a physical display.
"So, whatever happens, we face it together. We built this life together, and nothing is going to change that."
Gemini smiled, the last of his worries dissolving in the face of Percy's absolute commitment. He snuggled back into Percy's embrace, feeling utterly secure.
"Okay," Gemini murmured, closing his eyes. "Promise me that no matter what happens tomorrow, you won't leave this bed for at least four hours."
"Four hours minimum," Percy agreed, already drawing Gemini close and adjusting the pillows. "Power nap. We earned it."
With that, they settled in, Percy wrapping his arms around Gemini's waist, and they allowed the blissful exhaustion of the day and honest conversation to pull them under.