As they pulled up to Dunk's grandparents' house, the warm glow from the porch light greeted them. The door creaked open, revealing Dunk's grandfather, who peered at them with his usual calm yet observant gaze.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" his grandfather asked as they stepped inside.
Before answering, the group respectfully bowed in greeting to Dunk's grandparents, showing their gratitude for the hospitality. Without wasting time, they moved toward their assigned bedrooms, quickly packing up their belongings to return to university.
Dunk lingered behind. "Kinda," he finally replied, rubbing the back of his neck. His tone was hesitant, thoughtful. Then, glancing at his grandfather, he asked, "Do we have any sacred artifacts? Something strong—stronger than anything ordinary?"
His grandfather furrowed his brows, but before he could respond, Dunk's grandmother entered the room, having overheard the conversation. She folded her arms, eyes sharp yet kind. "What for?"
Dunk took a deep breath. He needed to be honest. "We found everything at the library—about the curse, the ritual, the price to break it. We have a way to stop it, but we need a powerful vessel to contain the curse once it's unbound. I want to help my friends."
Silence settled between them for a moment. His grandmother and grandfather exchanged glances, something unspoken passing between them.
Finally, his grandfather nodded. "There is something," he admitted. "But it's not here. I keep it somewhere safe."
Dunk's heart raced. "Can you get it?"
His grandfather gave a firm nod. "I will. Once I have it, I'll send it to you."
Relief flooded Dunk's face. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and hugged both of his grandparents tightly. "Thank you," he whispered, gratitude heavy in his voice.
His grandmother patted his back gently, her voice warm. "Anything for you and your friends."
With their support secured, the next step was clear—prepare for the ritual and face whatever consequences may come.
.
.
In their shared room, Fourth moved swiftly, folding clothes and stuffing them into their bags while Gemini sat on the edge of the bed, phone pressed tightly to his ear. The urgency in the air was undeniable—the faster they moved, the better.
Gemini's fingers tapped anxiously against his knee as he listened to the ringing on the other end. Then, his father picked up.
"Por," Gemini started, keeping his voice steady. "Do we have any family heirlooms? Something made of jade?"
There was a brief pause before his father asked, "Why all of a sudden?"
Gemini exhaled sharply. He hadn't told them anything about the curse, the past lives, or the ritual—not yet. There wasn't enough time for that now.
"It's important," Gemini said, urgency lacing his tone. "Really important. I'll explain everything when I get home, but I don't have much time right now."
A rustling sound came from the other end of the line, and then another voice joined in. His mother.
"Gemini?" she called out, sounding concerned. "What's wrong, honey? Why do you sound so serious? Don't make me worry."
Gemini shut his eyes for a moment. He hated making his mother anxious, but there was no other way. "Mae, I promise I'll explain later," he reassured her. "Not over the phone. Just—do we have anything like that or not?"
His father sighed. "We do," he admitted. "We have a family heirloom, but we never really wear it, so we put it in a safe place. We were planning to give it to you one day, but you never seemed interested in these things." There was a slight chuckle in his voice before he added, "It's a jade ring. We didn't think you'd wear something like that."
Gemini's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately turned to Fourth, his face lighting up with excitement. Fourth, already listening to the conversation through the speaker, broke into a wide smile as well.
Gemini quickly brought the phone back to his ear. "Por," he said, his voice urgent but hopeful, "can I have it? I really need it. I'll come visit you." His parents didn't hesitate. "Of course, honey," his mother said gently. "Just promise you'll explain everything when you get here." "I will," Gemini assured them. As he ended the call, he and Fourth exchanged triumphant grins. This was it. They had found the jade. Now, all that was left was retrieving it—and preparing for what came next.
.
.
Gemini didn't hesitate—he threw his arms around Fourth, pulling him close, his heart racing with joy. "Oh, Fotfot," he murmured against Fourth's hair, his voice breathless with excitement. "I'm so happy."
Fourth let out a soft laugh, his own emotions bubbling over. He rested his face against Gemini's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I'm so overwhelmed right now," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Gemini tightened his hold, gently swaying them side to side, as if grounding them both in this moment. Then, Fourth tilted his head up just slightly, his gaze locking onto Gemini's without breaking their embrace. Gemini's eyes were shining, filled with so much love, so much adoration, it made Fourth's heart ache in the best way.
And then, with a quiet, tender smile, Fourth whispered, "I love you, Gem. I love you so much."
The words hit Gemini like a tidal wave. His breath caught in his throat, and almost instantly, his cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. Fourth giggled at the sight, utterly enchanted by Gemini's flustered expression.
Gemini swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure, but his voice still wavered when he finally responded. "I love you more," he declared, and then, with a dramatic pout, he added, "And it's so unfair—how can you say that with such an adorable face and not expect me to kiss you right now?"
Fourth's eyes sparkled mischievously, and without missing a beat, he tilted his head slightly and teased, "What's stopping you?"
Gemini froze, completely thrown off by the sudden flirty attitude. His brain short-circuited for a second before he let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable," he whispered, but his voice was warm, affectionate.
Without another word, he cupped Fourth's face gently, his thumbs brushing over the soft skin of his cheeks. He took his time, drinking in every detail—the way Fourth's lips curved into a small smile, the way his eyes fluttered slightly in anticipation. Slowly, ever so slowly, Gemini leaned in, closing the distance between them.
And then their lips met.
The kiss was slow, unhurried, filled with so much tenderness that it felt like time had stopped around them. Gemini kissed him as if he were memorizing him, as if he wanted to pour every ounce of his feelings into this one moment. His hands slid from Fourth's cheeks to the back of his neck, pulling him in just a little closer, deepening the warmth between them.
Fourth melted into him completely, his arms wrapping around Gemini's waist as he sighed softly against his lips. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't desperate—it was simply them, wrapped in a bubble of love and quiet devotion. Every brush of their lips, every shared breath, spoke louder than words ever could.
When they finally pulled away, their foreheads rested against each other's, both of them breathless, both of them smiling like fools.
Fourth chuckled softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "That was nice."
Gemini let out a soft laugh, his fingers tracing gentle patterns against Fourth's back. "Nice?" he repeated, feigning offense. "That was perfect."
Fourth grinned. "Then let's do it again."
Gemini didn't need to be told twice.
.
.
Just as Gemini and Fourth were still basking in the afterglow of their sweet moment, a sudden ping echoed through the room, snapping them back to reality. Both of their phones lit up at the same time—it was a message from their group chat.
Dunk: After packing everything, meet at the living room to get ready to go back to university.
Fourth sighed dramatically, flopping back onto the bed for a second. "I guess our moment has to be cut short," he pouted, looking up at Gemini with playful disappointment.
Gemini groaned, throwing his head back. "Urghh, it seems so. Why does the universe always interrupt us at the best moments?" he complained, making Fourth giggle.
Reluctantly, they both got up, about to leave the room when, out of nowhere, Fourth suddenly spun around, tiptoed close to Gemini, and pecked his lips—quick, light, and mischievous.
Before Gemini could even process what just happened, Fourth flashed the most innocent, radiant smile, as if he hadn't just made Gemini's heart explode. And then—before Gemini could react—Fourth bolted out of the room, giggling as he ran.
Gemini stood there, frozen. His brain short-circuited.
Did... did Fourth just—?!
His hands instinctively shot up to his lips, his cheeks burning. A delayed reaction hit him as he let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle, shaking his head. "This guy..." he muttered under his breath, smiling so shyly to himself.
Fourth was going to be the death of him.
With his heart still doing little flips in his chest, Gemini finally stepped out of the room, still grinning like a lovesick fool.
.
.
The living room was already filled with chatter as everyone gathered, making final checks on their belongings. Gemini and Fourth sat close together, their hands casually brushing against each other, still riding the high of their little moment from earlier.
Just then, Pond and Phuwin walked in—the last ones to arrive.
Joong, always quick to stir the pot, smirked and leaned back against the couch. "Wow, even Gemini and Fourth—who have been lost in their own world—managed to get here before you two. What were you guys doing in there, huh?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Everyone immediately turned to Pond and Phuwin, eyes glinting with curiosity.
Without missing a beat, Pond smirked, lifted their intertwined hands up proudly, and declared, "We're officially together."
The room erupted.
"FINALLY!"
"About time!"
"Seriously, what took you so long?!"
"I knew it!" Fourth exclaimed, crossing his arms triumphantly.
Phuwin, caught between laughing and blushing furiously, tried to hide his face against Pond's shoulder. "Oh my god, stoppp," he groaned, but the wide smile on his face betrayed how happy he was.
Joong dramatically clutched his chest. "This is an emotional moment. We've all witnessed history being made," he said, pretending to wipe a fake tear away.
Dunk shook his head with a grin. "I had a feeling, but man, you two were taking your sweet time."
Gemini chuckled, nudging Fourth. "Looks like we weren't the only ones keeping secrets."
Pond grinned and slung an arm around Phuwin. "Well, good things take time," he said smugly.
Phuwin elbowed him, but his face was still red as he laughed. "You were literally the one who took forever to confess."
Everyone laughed, teasing and celebrating the new couple while Phuwin continued to blush under all the attention. The group's energy was electric—lighthearted, full of love, and stronger than ever.
.
(a/n: I can't wait to write more fluff and sorry for the lame ass title, I can't think of any better one)