The Jade Oath

Chapter Fourtheen: Preparation

As the morning light filtered through the dorm room window, Gemini stirred awake first. The warmth of Fourth's body was still pressed close to him, their limbs tangled from the night before. But what caught Gemini's attention wasn't just the peaceful rise and fall of Fourth's chest—it was the silent tears escaping from the corners of his closed eyes. Even in sleep, the pain lingered.

A pang of sorrow hit Gemini's heart. Gently, he reached out, brushing his thumb across Fourth's cheek, wiping away the stray tears. At his touch, Fourth stirred, his lashes fluttering open. Sleepy brown eyes met Gemini's, and despite the fatigue, Fourth's lips curled into a soft smile.

"Morning, Gem," he murmured, voice still laced with drowsiness.

Gemini's expression softened, his heart swelling with love. "Morning, love," he whispered back, pressing a tender kiss to Fourth's forehead. His lips lingered there for a second longer, as if trying to pour all his warmth into that single touch. "How are you feeling?"

Fourth sighed, shifting slightly under the blankets. "Bad... but not terrible."

Gemini nodded, gently running his fingers through Fourth's hair. "Of course, it feels like that after last night," he murmured, a trace of sorrow in his voice. "You went through hell."

Fourth only hummed in response, letting Gemini's presence soothe him. For a moment, they just lay there in comfortable silence, wrapped up in the warmth of each other. But soon, duty called. Gemini had a morning class to attend, while Fourth's schedule didn't start until the afternoon.

With a reluctant sigh, Gemini finally pulled away, hugging Fourth one last time before slipping out of bed. He grabbed one of his shirts from Fourth's wardrobe—because at this point, he had unofficially moved some of his clothes there for convenience, given how often he stayed over. As he got dressed, he glanced back at the bed to see Fourth still curled up, already dozing off again.

A soft chuckle escaped Gemini's lips. He couldn't help it—Fourth was just too cute.

Quietly, he walked back to the bed, crouching beside it as he leaned in close. His lips brushed against Fourth's temple in a featherlight kiss, and then, in a hushed whisper, he murmured against his ear, "I'm going to class first, okay, Fotfot?"

Fourth barely responded, just a soft, sleepy "Mmm" leaving his lips, his eyes still shut.

Gemini smiled adoringly, watching Fourth sink deeper into the blankets. His heart ached in the best way possible, filled with nothing but love for the boy in front of him. With one last lingering look, he finally stood up and left for class, already counting down the hours until he could return.

.

.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of purple and gold, Gemini wasted no time heading straight to Fourth's dorm the moment his class ended. His heart thrummed with anticipation—he had only been apart from Fourth for a few hours, but it still felt too long.

The second he knocked, the door swung open, revealing Fourth with a bright smile plastered across his fair skin, his eyes crinkling at the corners. That was all it took for Gemini to melt. Without a second thought, he reached out, squeezing Fourth's cheeks before pulling him into a tight embrace, burying his face into his boyfriend's shoulder.

"I missed you, Fotfot," Gemini mumbled, his voice muffled against Fourth's shirt.

Fourth chuckled, patting Gemini's back with amusement. "Dude, we were only apart for like... nine hours."

Gemini gasped dramatically, pulling back to look at Fourth with an exaggerated pout, his lower lip jutting out. "Dude? Am I just a dude to you?" His expression was so heartbreakingly sad—like a kicked puppy—that Fourth couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay," Fourth relented, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He reached up, gently cupping Gemini's face before cooing in the softest, cutest voice he could muster, "We were only apart for nine hours, teerak~"

The moment the word slipped out, Gemini froze. His entire body tensed as if he had just short-circuited. Then, almost instantly, his ears turned bright red, the blush creeping down to his neck.

Fourth almost never used pet names. He was always too shy, too flustered. Gemini was the one who constantly called him baby, love, sweetheart. But now? Now Fourth had the audacity to use teerak in that sugary-sweet voice?

Gemini let out the softest giggle—one so lovesick and utterly smitten that it barely sounded like him. His arms immediately tightened around Fourth, hugging him so tight that the smaller boy squeaked in surprise.

"Say it again," Gemini whispered, burying his burning face into Fourth's neck.

Fourth laughed, gently patting Gemini's back. "What, teerak?"

Gemini groaned dramatically. "Oh my god, you're so cute, I can't—"

Fourth giggled, feeling proud of himself for once. He playfully ruffled Gemini's hair, letting him cling like a koala. "What's wrong, teerak? Cat got your tongue?"

Gemini whined, squeezing him even tighter. "I swear, if you keep calling me that, I'm never letting you go."

"Hmm... that doesn't sound so bad," Fourth teased, his voice filled with warmth.

And just like that, Gemini knew—he was so gone for this boy.

.

.

As Gemini and Fourth settled comfortably on the bed, their peaceful moment was interrupted by the familiar ping of notifications from their phones. Both reached for their devices at the same time, their screens lighting up with messages from their group chat.

Dunk had sent a message: "Meet at the usual place at 10 PM. We're doing the ritual under the moonlight. Be prepared."

A heavy silence filled the room as the weight of the night's event settled on their shoulders. This was it. The night they had been waiting for—the night that could finally end Fourth's suffering.

Finding a place for the ritual hadn't been difficult; they had decided on the nearest temple, a sacred and secluded spot where they wouldn't be disturbed. But before heading there, they all agreed to meet at their usual spot—the café.

By 10 PM, everyone had arrived, the tension palpable in the air. Dunk, ever the meticulous planner, laid everything out on the table, double-checking the items they needed.

"Alright," Dunk said, his voice steady. "Do we have everything? The jade stone?"

Gemini reached into his bag and pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal the jade stone glistening under the dim café lights.

Dunk nodded in approval. "Good. And the sacred artifact?"

Joong held up a carefully wrapped cloth bundle, its contents hidden but radiating an air of importance. (a/n: yup, Joong hold the artifact, dunk gave it to him to hold)

"Perfect," Dunk exhaled. "Let's go."

With that, they piled into their cars, driving towards the temple. The journey was filled with a tense silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

By the time they arrived, it was 10:50 PM.

The temple stood before them, its grand structure bathed in moonlight, but the surrounding darkness made the atmosphere eerier than they had expected. The wind howled softly, rustling the trees, and the distant sound of a bell echoed from deep within the temple grounds.

A shiver ran down Fourth's spine as he clutched Gemini's hand a little tighter.

"We're really doing this," Phuwin whispered, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness.

Gemini took a deep breath, his grip on the jade stone tightening. "Yeah... we are."

And with that, they stepped forward into the night, ready to face whatever fate had in store for them.