Breaking Boundaries

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The night was warm, the kind of night that made the city feel alive, full of energy, and brimming with possibilities. It was the kind of night where old friends gathered and new faces appeared, where the laughter was loud and the music played until the stars above seemed to hum with the beat. Gemini wasn't sure how he ended up at Avery's party—he hadn't even planned on attending. But here he was, among familiar faces, feeling oddly disconnected from the festivities around him. The air smelled of alcohol, faint perfume, and something else, something that made him more aware of his surroundings. Of the people. Of Fourth.

He hadn't expected to see him tonight.

Fourth was leaning against the door frame, his gaze sweeping across the room as he laughed at something Liam said. Gemini felt his stomach tighten at the sight, his heart skipping a beat for reasons he couldn't quite define. They hadn't spoken in days, and yet, here Fourth was, looking effortlessly perfect, his dark hair messy in a way that only made him more attractive.

There was an almost electric charge in the air whenever their eyes met, a tension that neither had been willing to address—until now.

As Gemini made his way toward the group — Avery, Liam, Maya and Noah, their gazes collided across the crowded room, and for a second, everything else seemed to blur. The music faded. The voices of their friends were drowned out by the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Fourth was smiling at him, that familiar, confident grin that Gemini knew too well. But there was something different this time—something beneath the surface that both of them could feel, but neither was ready to acknowledge.

Avery noticed them as well, her eyes darting back and forth between them with a knowing smirk. She didn't say anything, but her raised eyebrow said it all. Liam and Maya, unaware of the deeper currents running between Gemini and Fourth, continued to tease them with playful remarks about how quiet they seemed. The rest of the night passed with an air of unease for Gemini. He couldn't seem to shake the sensation that Fourth was always just a little too close, always just a little too aware of his every move.

As the evening wore on, Gemini found himself caught in the same conversations, laughing along with the others, but his attention kept drifting back to Fourth, whose every word seemed to carry more weight than it should. Each glance, each accidental touch, seemed to hold a deeper meaning. But neither of them spoke of it.

It wasn't until much later, when the party started to wind down, that the tension between them became too much to ignore.

The sound of the music and laughter was fading in the distance as Gemini stepped outside onto the balcony. The cool night air hit his face, calming his nerves, but not enough to dull the strange sense of anticipation that had been building all night.

He wasn't alone.

Fourth was standing there, staring out at the city below, his posture casual, but his tension palpable. It was as if he'd been waiting for this moment, for Gemini to join him. The two of them shared the same space, the same breath, but for a moment, neither said anything. The world felt still, suspended in time, as if everything outside of them had ceased to exist.

Gemini could feel the pull between them, stronger than ever before. He hadn't expected it to happen like this, hadn't expected it to feel like this. The closeness. The electricity. The undeniable need to close the distance between them.

"Cold out here," Gemini said, his voice too loud in the quiet night. He wasn't sure if he was trying to break the silence or just fill the space with something—anything.

Fourth turned slightly, glancing over at him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, a little." His voice was low, measured, but there was something raw in it that caught Gemini off guard. "I just needed some air."

The conversation started with small talk, the kind of trivial words that masked the truth. Neither of them could ignore the tension hanging in the air. It was there, between them—unspoken, yet so obvious. The small, lingering glances. The way their eyes kept meeting, held for a moment longer than necessary. And then the way their hands moved too close, brushed against each other by accident.

Gemini felt his heart race as the energy between them intensified. He could feel it—the weight of their connection, the undeniable pull. There was no denying it anymore. Their bodies were betraying them, reacting in ways their minds couldn't control.

It wasn't just physical attraction anymore. There was something deeper, something more complicated. It was the way Fourth's presence made his chest tighten, the way his touch made everything else fade away.

"You know," Gemini said, his voice barely a whisper, "you're always so damn... calm."

Fourth turned fully to face him now, a quiet smile playing at his lips. "I guess it's the calm before the storm," he said softly, his words almost like a dare.

Gemini didn't know how to respond to that, didn't know what to do with the sudden rush of heat that flooded his veins. He was afraid to move, afraid to close the space between them. But every instinct inside of him screamed for him to do just that.

It happened in an instant—an almost-kiss.

Their faces were so close, the air thick with the tension neither could ignore. Gemini could feel Fourth's breath against his lips, the warmth of his skin, the pull that had been building all night. It was a moment stretched too thin, a moment that hung between them like a fragile thread. They both hesitated. Neither of them moved forward.

Gemini's pulse thundered in his ears. He was afraid—afraid of how much he wanted this, how much he wanted Fourth. But there was still something holding him back, some part of him that couldn't quite let go.

Fourth's eyes searched his face, waiting, but neither of them moved.

The moment passed, and they both stepped back, as if some invisible barrier had suddenly separated them. The tension between them was now a tangible thing, a force they both could feel but didn't know how to navigate. The party was still going on in the background, but they were both worlds apart from it now.

As if by some unspoken agreement, they began to walk, aimlessly, down the street, away from the noise. The quiet was almost suffocating. It was a space between them, heavy with what had almost happened, with what they both knew they wanted but couldn't seem to admit.

"What was that?" Gemini's voice cracked, betraying the uncertainty swirling inside him.

Fourth took a breath, as if steadying himself. He glanced at Gemini, his eyes dark, filled with a rawness that Gemini hadn't seen before. "I don't know," he admitted. "I... I can't keep pretending I don't feel something for you."

Gemini felt the ground shift beneath his feet. He wasn't ready for this—wasn't prepared for the words, the vulnerability. He hadn't expected Fourth to admit it so openly, so unguarded.

But now that the words were out, there was no taking them back.

"I don't know if I can do this," Gemini said quietly, his voice shaking with the weight of his own fear. "I don't know if I can trust this... or you."

Fourth stopped walking, turning to face him completely. His expression softened, his shoulders tense with a quiet frustration. "I don't need you to trust me right away," he said, his voice steady but with an edge of desperation. "But I can't keep pretending I don't want this. Want you."

For a long moment, Gemini didn't know what to say. The words were stuck, tangled in his throat. He wanted to lean in, wanted to give in to the connection they both felt. But the fear was still there, gnawing at him, pulling him back.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered, his voice small, but loud in the quiet between them. "I'm not sure I can—"

"Just trust me," Fourth said, his hand reaching for Gemini's, his touch gentle but firm. "I'm not asking for everything. Just... for something."

Gemini closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the weight of the moment. Maybe this was the moment to let go, to stop being afraid. Maybe this was the moment to cross the boundary.

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❥TO BE CONTINUED...