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Gemini was halfway through regretting agreeing to meet Avery at the quaint café tucked away on a quiet street corner. The place was charming—wooden beams, soft ambient lighting, and the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee—but it wasn't his scene. He preferred quieter escapes, ones where he could sink into the background unnoticed.
Yet, as the bell over the door chimed to announce his arrival, Gemini immediately noticed the figure seated by the large rain-speckled window.
Fourth.
The sight caught him off guard, but he managed to school his features into nonchalance before Fourth looked up. The younger man's amber eyes sparkled with recognition, and a knowing smirk curved his lips.
"Well, if it isn't the rain magnet himself," Fourth greeted, leaning back in his chair with an ease that Gemini couldn't help but envy.
Gemini raised an eyebrow, slipping into his usual mask of indifference. "Didn't realize you'd be here. Should I assume you're stalking me now?"
Fourth laughed, a warm sound that cut through the café's hum of quiet chatter. "If I were, I'd be much more subtle than this.
Gemini rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched in amusement as he slid into the seat across from Fourth. He hadn't planned on staying long—just a quick hello to Avery and an equally quick escape—but Fourth's presence shifted something in the atmosphere.
Before Gemini could decide whether to find it irritating or intriguing, Avery appeared with a tray of drinks. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she set the cups down.
"I see you two found each other already," she said, her tone light. "You're welcome, by the way. I figured you'd get along."
"Getting along might be a stretch," Gemini replied dryly, though his gaze flicked to Fourth, who was watching him with that maddeningly calm expression.
Fourth tilted his head, his smirk softening into something almost thoughtful. "I'd call it a work in progress."
The conversation flowed easily after that, aided by Avery's natural gift for lighthearted chatter. But as the rain outside grew heavier, Avery excused herself, leaving Gemini and Fourth alone at the table.
"So," Fourth began, swirling the last of his drink in his cup. "What's your take on all this?"
Gemini raised an eyebrow. "All what?"
Fourth gestured vaguely toward the window, where the rain blurred the world beyond the glass. "This—life, moments like this. Do you ever stop to think about it, or are you too busy trying to stay ahead of the storm?"
Gemini hesitated, caught off guard by the question's weight. He wasn't used to casual conversations veering into deeper territory, especially with someone he barely knew.
"I try not to overthink it," he said finally, keeping his tone deliberately light. "Doesn't do much good, does it?"
Fourth studied him for a moment, his amber eyes sharp but not unkind. "Maybe not. But sometimes it's worth slowing down to see what you might be missing."
Gemini wasn't sure if Fourth was referring to the rain outside, their unexpected encounter, or something else entirely. Either way, the words struck a chord he wasn't ready to acknowledge.
Before he could formulate a response, Avery returned, breaking the moment. But the conversation lingered in Gemini's mind long after they left the café.
As Avery returned, her laughter and energy filled the space, temporarily breaking the stillness that had settled between Gemini and Fourth. She plopped down in her seat and began animatedly recounting a story about a recent mishap at work. Gemini listened with half an ear, nodding at the right moments, but his thoughts remained tethered to Fourth's words.
"Sometimes it's worth slowing down to see what you might be missing."
It wasn't like him to linger on someone's passing remark, but there was something about the way Fourth had said it—calm yet pointed, as though he knew Gemini carried something heavy but chose not to pry.
Fourth, for his part, seemed content to let the moment pass. He listened to Avery's story with an amused expression, occasionally chiming in with a witty comment that made her laugh. He was at ease, as though this casual gathering was exactly where he was meant to be.
When Avery's story finally wound down, she glanced at her watch and let out a dramatic groan. "Ugh, I'm late for a meeting. You two should stay, though—bond over... whatever it is you guys bond over. Rain, apparently."
Gemini shot her a sharp look, but Avery merely winked at him before grabbing her bag and rushing out.
For a moment, silence settled over the table.
"Well," Fourth said, breaking it, "looks like it's just us now."
Gemini leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't sound so thrilled."
Fourth chuckled, shaking his head. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"And yet, here you are," Gemini shot back, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.
Fourth leaned forward slightly, his expression shifting from amused to curious. "Why do you always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Deflect," Fourth said simply, his amber eyes steady. "Whenever someone gets too close to a real answer, you throw out a sarcastic comment or change the subject."
Gemini's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered. "Maybe I just like keeping people on their toes."
"Or maybe," Fourth countered, his voice soft but pointed, "you're afraid of letting anyone see what's underneath."
The words landed like a well-aimed dart, and for a brief moment, Gemini felt exposed in a way he hadn't anticipated. He opened his mouth to reply but found himself at a loss for words.
Just as he was about to recover, a voice interrupted the quiet moment.
"Hey, you two still at it?"
Gemini looked up to see Noah Sukprasert standing at the entrance, a playful grin on his face. He had clearly been listening for a while, his arms casually crossed over his chest.
Noah was a long-time friend of both Gemini and Avery, and though he wasn't one to show vulnerability, his carefree attitude always seemed to pull everyone out of their introspective moments.
"I'm not interrupting anything, right?" Noah added, stepping closer to their table, his voice teasing but genuine.
Gemini blinked, momentarily grateful for the interruption. "No, just... having a chat," he said, giving Noah a pointed look.
"Well, looks like I came at the right time," Noah remarked, pulling up a chair without waiting for an invitation. "You two look like you're about to start a therapy session."
Fourth chuckled, easing the tension. "If this was therapy, I'd be charging by the hour."
Noah shrugged casually. "Hey, if the rain makes you guys talk about feelings, I'm here for it."
Gemini glanced at Noah, a slight smile pulling at his lips. "You would be."
"Always." Noah gave a playful wink, his easy confidence a contrast to the more introspective atmosphere between Gemini and Fourth.
The conversation soon shifted to lighter banter, with Noah keeping things casual and easy. But as they spoke, Gemini couldn't help but notice the subtle shifts between him and Fourth—an unspoken understanding quietly building in the background.
Fourth didn't push further. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Gemini's. "Don't worry. I'm not asking for answers. Just... something to think about."
Gemini let out a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "You're surprisingly good at reading people, you know that?"
"Occupational hazard," Fourth said with a shrug, though he didn't elaborate.
The rain outside had lightened to a soft drizzle, the world beyond the window now bathed in muted shades of gray.
"You know," Fourth said after a pause, his tone lighter, "Avery's right about one thing."
Gemini raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Fourth's lips curved into a playful smirk. "We do bond over rain. Might even call it our thing."
Gemini couldn't help but laugh, the tension between them easing. "Well, it's not the worst thing to bond over."
They stayed a little longer, the conversation drifting back to lighter topics. But beneath the banter, an unspoken understanding lingered—a tentative connection neither was ready to acknowledge, but both couldn't ignore.
When they finally parted ways, Gemini found himself replaying the afternoon in his mind. The quiet moments and unexpected words stuck with him, like drops of rain clinging to his skin.
And as he walked home under the soft drizzle, he couldn't help but wonder what it was about Fourth that made him feel so... seen.
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♤to be continued...