The Ice-Cream Incident

The next afternoon was unbearably hot—one of those summer days where the air felt thick and unmoving, and even the slightest breeze was a blessing.

Gemini had spent most of the morning helping Fourth at the café, wiping down tables, restocking supplies, and—mostly—getting in the way.

"You're terrible at this," Fourth had muttered when Gemini nearly knocked over a tray of glasses.

"And yet, you still let me help," Gemini had shot back with a grin.

Now, with the café closed for the afternoon break, they sat outside under the shade of a tree, each holding an ice cream cone. The sun reflected off the pavement, heat shimmering in waves.

Gemini took a big bite of his ice cream and groaned dramatically. "This is the best thing ever."

Fourth glanced at him, unimpressed. "You act like you've never had ice cream before."

"Not like this." Gemini licked at the melting edges. "Something about eating it in summer makes it taste better."

Fourth rolled his eyes but looked amused, taking a small bite of his own.

They sat in comfortable silence, watching a group of kids chase each other down the street, their laughter echoing through the air. A faint breeze finally stirred, offering momentary relief from the heat.

Just as Gemini was about to take another bite, he felt something cold drip onto his fingers.

He looked down.

A thin trail of ice cream had started melting down his hand.

"Ah, crap," he muttered, shifting awkwardly to avoid making a bigger mess.

Before he could reach for a napkin, Fourth moved without thinking.

With a quick, effortless motion, he grabbed a napkin and wiped the sticky ice cream off Gemini's hand.

It happened so fast that it took Gemini a second to process it.

Fourth, meanwhile, blinked as if just realizing what he had done. His hand lingered for a fraction of a second before he quickly pulled away, clearing his throat.

"Oh."

Their eyes met.

The world around them seemed to quiet, the noise of passing cars and distant conversations fading into the background.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Gemini, ever the troublemaker, was the first to break the silence. His lips curved into a smirk as he tilted his head playfully.

"นายเช็ดมือให้ฉันเหมือนเป็นแฟนที่แสนเอาใจเลยนะ (Nai chet mue hai chan muean pen faen thi saen aojai loey na.) - You just wiped my hand like a doting boyfriend."

Fourth's entire body stiffened.

His scowl was immediate. "I take it back."

Gemini burst into laughter, the sound light and teasing as he licked his ice cream again. "Too late. I'll remember this forever."

Fourth groaned, turning his head away, but Gemini didn't miss the way the tips of his ears turned red.

Gemini grinned, taking full advantage of the moment. "You know, Fourth, if you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just asked."

Fourth shot him a glare. "I swear to—"

Before he could finish, Gemini suddenly reached forward, swiping a finger through his own ice cream and tapping it onto Fourth's nose.

The reaction was instant.

Fourth recoiled slightly, eyes widening as the cold sensation hit him. He blinked, clearly in disbelief, before his gaze slowly darkened.

Gemini, realizing what he had just done, immediately scooted back. "Wait, wait, Fourth—"

But it was too late.

With a swift movement, Fourth lifted his own cone and smudged a streak of ice cream across Gemini's cheek.

Gemini gasped. "You did not just—"

Fourth, now wearing the faintest hint of a victorious smirk, simply took another bite of his ice cream as if nothing had happened.

Gemini wiped at his cheek, still in shock. "I can't believe you retaliated."

"You started it," Fourth said, voice calm but eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You weren't supposed to fight back!"

Fourth huffed a quiet laugh. "Then you clearly don't know me well enough."

Gemini stared at him for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle. "Okay, fine. I'll admit it. That was impressive."

Fourth shrugged, taking another bite of his now dangerously melting ice cream. "I know."

Gemini sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk, his cheek still slightly sticky but his heart oddly light.

The summer heat still clung to the air, but the moment felt cool and easy—like the kind of memory that would linger long after the season ended.

Maybe summer really was full of surprises.

And maybe, just maybe, Fourth was the best one yet.

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