{Continued}

... Days passed in a blur of work, brief encounters with friends, and quiet moments alone. Both Gemini and Fourth struggled with the growing distance between them, even though neither had taken the first step to bridge the gap. The emotional tension between them was palpable, but neither knew how to fix what had been broken.

Gemini spent his mornings going through the motions, waking up at his usual time, preparing a cup of coffee, and sitting down to work. He'd glance at his phone occasionally, hoping for a message from Fourth, but it never came. Each time he felt his heart flutter in anticipation, only to be left with disappointment. The emptiness left in Fourth's absence was suffocating. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his own company; he just felt incomplete without him.

Avery had been a steady presence throughout the week, offering him advice when he needed it and listening when he needed to vent. But even she could see how much Gemini was struggling. He was caught between the urge to reach out to Fourth and the fear of what would happen if he did.

"You're never going to move forward if you keep avoiding this," Avery said one evening, watching Gemini pace around his apartment. "I can tell you're thinking about him every second."

Gemini stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just... hard. I don't even know what I want anymore. I feel like I'm drowning in my own indecision. What if... What if Fourth is better off without me?"

Avery gave him a look that was both concerned and amused. "Gem, you're not going to know unless you talk to him. The worst thing you can do is keep hiding from your feelings. You need to figure out whether you really want this or if you're just afraid."

"But what if it's too late? What if he's already moved on?" Gemini asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Avery's expression softened, and she reached out to touch his arm. "If you don't take the leap, you'll never know. You can't keep second-guessing yourself."

Meanwhile, Fourth sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. He had drafted several messages to Gemini, but each time he hesitated and deleted them. What could he possibly say that would fix the mess they were in? How could he explain that he just wanted to talk, to understand what went wrong?

His friends had been on him to reach out, but part of him felt like he was being too pushy. He didn't want to overwhelm Gemini. He understood that he had been intense at times, but wasn't that what relationships required? He had so much to say, but every message felt wrong, as if he was about to cross a line that could make things worse.

Maya had made it clear that he needed to be more patient, but it wasn't easy. He missed Gemini's laugh, his smile, the way his eyes seemed to light up when they were together. The silence between them felt unnatural, like a hole in his chest that he couldn't fill.

"Come on, man, you've got to do something," Liam urged from the kitchen, poking his head into the room where Fourth sat lost in thought. "You've been staring at that phone for hours. Just text him. At least do something."

"I can't just text him, Liam," Fourth replied, rubbing his temples. "It's not that simple. What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he's done?"

"You're not going to know until you ask, are you?" Liam shot back, walking over to him with a smirk. "Look, just be honest. If it's meant to work out, it will. But you can't just sit here and wait. You've got to put yourself out there."

Fourth sighed heavily and looked at his phone again, his finger hovering over the screen. He could feel his heart racing, his palms slightly sweaty. What was it about this that made him feel so vulnerable? He wasn't used to this kind of uncertainty.

"I don't know if I can do this," Fourth muttered, still looking at the blank screen.

Maya came up behind him and nudged his shoulder. "You can. You just have to stop overthinking it."

Gemini's thoughts were no better than Fourth's. He had spent the last few days replaying their time together—everything from their first meeting to their heated argument—and wondering where it had all gone wrong. He had convinced himself that maybe he wasn't cut out for a relationship, or maybe it was just too soon for him to open up to someone else.

But deep down, he knew he was lying to himself. He missed Fourth. So much. Every quiet moment without him only made the longing worse. His phone buzzed again with a message from Noah.

"Gem, you good? I can tell something's off. Let's grab a drink tonight, yeah?"

Gemini stared at the message, unsure of what to say. He hadn't seen Noah in days, but something about the invitation felt like a lifeline. He typed back a quick response.

"Yeah, sure. I could use some company."

When they met up later that evening, Noah could immediately tell something was wrong. The weight on Gemini's shoulders was evident, and it had been growing heavier by the day. Over a couple of drinks, they talked—mostly about everything except Fourth, but Noah's knowing glances kept shifting the conversation back in that direction.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know," Noah said casually, swirling his drink in his hand. "You're still thinking about him."

Gemini chuckled bitterly. "I can't help it. Everything reminds me of him. I don't know what to do, Noah. It's like I'm caught between wanting to fix things and being afraid that fixing things means I'll just get hurt."

"Is that what you think? That it'll just end in pain?" Noah asked, leaning back in his chair. "Gem, the only way you're going to know for sure is if you take a chance. But if you keep running from this, you'll never know what could have been."

"I don't want to get hurt," Gemini admitted, his voice barely audible.

"You can't protect yourself forever," Noah said softly. "You're never going to move forward if you keep hiding. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith."

At the same time, Fourth wrestled with similar doubts. The weight of indecision had been suffocating him. He wanted to reach out to Gemini, but each time he thought about it, he feared it might be too late, that Gemini had already made up his mind.

The silence was unbearable. Fourth couldn't even recall the last time he felt this disconnected from someone he cared about. He had to do something. But what?

That night, after tossing and turning, Fourth finally made a decision. His heart told him that he couldn't let the silence stretch any longer. He needed to know if there was still a chance. He couldn't live with the regret of doing nothing.

Grabbing his phone, he quickly typed out a message to Gemini.

"Gemini, I don't know what's going on between us right now, but I can't stand this distance anymore. I miss you. Please, can we talk?"

It felt like an eternity before he hit send. His thumb hovered over the screen, waiting for a response that might never come.

The next morning, as the sun started to rise, Gemini's phone buzzed with a notification. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the message from Fourth. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened it.

"Gemini, I don't know what's going on between us right now, but I can't stand this distance anymore. I miss you. Please, can we talk?"

It was all he needed to read. The words struck him deeply, a mixture of relief and longing flooding through him. He couldn't ignore it any longer.

Gemini quickly typed back.

"I miss you too. Let's talk."

For the first time in days, he felt a flicker of hope. The space between them was still there, but now, at least, there was a chance to close it.

The decision had been made. Both Gemini and Fourth were ready to face their feelings head-on. What came next would determine whether they could rebuild what had been broken, or if the distance between them would continue to grow. But for now, the silence had been broken.

And that was all that mattered.

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❥ THE END OF CHAPTER 5 ♡