Stargazing and Secrets

The night stretched on, the sky an endless canvas of stars, scattered like tiny lanterns against the vast darkness. A salty breeze drifted in from the ocean, cool against their skin, carrying the soft lull of waves breaking on the shore.

Gemini and Fourth lay side by side on the sand, their arms brushing occasionally as they stared up at the cosmos above. It was quiet—just the distant hum of crickets and the rhythmic whispers of the sea.

Fourth let out a slow sigh, the sound barely audible over the waves. "I don't usually do this."

Gemini turned his head slightly, watching the way the moonlight softened Fourth's expression. "What? Look at the stars?"

Fourth hummed in response. "Stay out late. Just… lying around, doing nothing."

Gemini smiled at that, letting his fingers curl into the cool sand beneath him. "It's not nothing," he said. "It's nice."

The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was full—of the ocean's steady song, of the gentle rustle of palm leaves in the distance, of thoughts neither of them spoke aloud.

After a while, Fourth spoke again, his voice quieter this time. "I used to dream of leaving this town."

Gemini turned his head, watching him carefully. "And now?"

Fourth hesitated. "I don't know."

Gemini didn't push. He just let the words settle between them, like footprints in the sand—temporary, but real.

Instead, he reached out, his pinky lightly brushing against Fourth's. It was barely a touch. A fleeting thing. But Fourth didn't pull away.

And in the quiet of the night, that said enough.

The stars blinked above them, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

Fourth exhaled, tilting his head toward Gemini. "Do you ever think about the future?"

Gemini let out a breathy laugh. "All the time."

Fourth turned his head slightly, his gaze flickering over Gemini's profile. "And? What do you see?"

Gemini thought for a moment, his eyes tracing the constellations above. "I see a lot of things," he admitted. "Some are clear, others… not so much."

Fourth hummed. "Like what?"

Gemini shifted, resting his hands behind his head. "I don't know. I guess I've always pictured myself traveling, meeting new people, chasing experiences. But lately…" He trailed off, his voice softer now.

Fourth waited, watching him. "Lately?"

Gemini turned his head to meet Fourth's eyes. "Lately, I feel like some things—some people—are worth staying for."

A flicker of something passed through Fourth's expression, quick as a shooting star. He looked away first, his fingers idly drawing patterns in the sand.

"That's dangerous," Fourth murmured.

Gemini frowned. "Why?"

Fourth's lips pressed together for a moment. "Because staying means caring. And caring means you have something to lose."

The words hung between them, heavy in the night air.

Gemini let out a slow breath. "Maybe. But it also means you have something worth holding onto."

Fourth didn't say anything for a long time. The waves rolled in, then out again, leaving patterns in the sand—just like the thoughts circling his mind, unspoken but undeniable.

Then, so quietly that Gemini almost missed it, Fourth whispered, "Yeah. Maybe."

A gentle breeze swept past them, ruffling their hair, carrying with it the scent of salt and something unspoken. Gemini turned his gaze back to the sky, watching as a lone shooting star streaked across the darkness.

"Make a wish," he said.

Fourth huffed a quiet laugh. "That's childish."

Gemini smirked. "Come on. Humor me."

Fourth sighed but closed his eyes for a brief second.

Gemini watched him, the soft glow of the moon casting silver highlights over his skin, the gentle furrow of his brows as if he were truly making a wish.

When Fourth opened his eyes again, Gemini asked, "What did you wish for?"

Fourth shook his head. "If I tell you, it won't come true."

Gemini rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

Fourth chuckled, the sound soft, almost teasing. "You're the one who told me to do it."

"Fine, fine," Gemini relented, sighing dramatically. "But if it does come true, you owe me."

Fourth raised a brow. "Owe you what?"

Gemini thought for a moment before grinning. "Another late-night stroll."

Fourth scoffed but didn't argue.

They lay there a while longer, the world around them fading into quiet. Maybe in the morning, everything would return to normal. Maybe nothing would change.

But for now, under the endless sky, it felt like this moment—this night—belonged only to them.

And that was enough.

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