Chapter Text
The alarm clock on the nightstand rang with a gentle piano melody, but it only managed to play a few notes before being decisively silenced by a large, firm hand.
Gemini opened his eyes. The first thing he did was not check his phone or think about his work schedule, as he had done for the past ten years. The first thing he did was listen.
Silence filled the space. No static crackling from bodyguard radios reporting the security situation. No sharp gunshots or the sound of shattering glass. No haunting, pungent smell of antiseptic. There was only the soft hum of the air conditioner, the chirping of magpie-robins on the balcony, and the sound of the automatic coffee machine working in the kitchen – the sound of coffee beans being crushed, strangely familiar and peaceful.
He turned to his side. Fourth’s spot was empty. The blanket was folded neatly, squarely in military style – an old habit hard to break for someone who had lived in harsh training camps. Gemini reached out to touch the bedsheet where Fourth had lain. Warmth still lingered, proving he hadn't been up for long.
Gemini smiled, the lazy, satisfied smile of an unencumbered Sunday morning. He stretched, joints cracking, feeling relaxation spread through every fiber of his being. He stepped out of bed, walking barefoot on the cool wooden floor, enjoying the feeling of freedom in his own home – something he had never had in his father's magnificent but cold mansion.
He walked down the spiral staircase leading to the ground floor. The aroma of toasted bread mixed with rich coffee hit his nose, awakening his drowsy senses.
In the kitchen, Fourth was standing at the sink. He wore a white cotton t-shirt with a slightly frayed collar and baggy shorts. Sunlight shone on his lean but toned back, highlighting the lines of his muscles as he moved.
Fourth was washing dishes. He did it so slowly and meticulously that an outsider looking in might get annoyed. His left hand – the hand that had been severely injured – still moved somewhat stiffly and lacked dexterity. He used his left hand to grip the slippery ceramic plate tightly, while his right hand held the sponge, scrubbing gently. The cast on his right arm had been removed last month, but his wrist still had to wear a black elastic support band to stabilize the not-fully-healed joint.
Clatter.
A spoon slipped from Fourth's left hand, falling into the stainless steel sink with a jarring noise.
Gemini saw Fourth's shoulders jerk slightly – an unconditional defensive reflex of a soldier. But immediately after, he relaxed his shoulders, clicked his tongue in annoyance at his own clumsiness, then bent down to pick up the spoon and wash it again. There was no panic, no wary eyes scanning around for attacking enemies.
Gemini leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, silently watching the scene. To him, this was the most beautiful picture on earth.
"Good morning," Gemini spoke up, his voice raspy and deep.
Fourth didn't turn around, still focused on rinsing the dishes with hot water. "Coffee is in the pot. Bread is in the toaster. Be careful, it's hot. Eat quickly so we can take Front to her extra class."
"Today is Sunday, isn't it?" Gemini raised an eyebrow, walking closer to the kitchen island, pouring himself a cup of black coffee, no sugar.
"She insisted on going to drawing class." Fourth turned off the tap, reaching for a towel to dry each bowl.
"She said she wants to draw your portrait to hang in the corporate lobby instead of that stiff photo portrait you're using. She criticized that photo, saying you look like... a wax figure in a museum."
Gemini laughed, almost choking on his coffee. He set the cup down, stepped forward to hug Fourth's waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. The warmth from Fourth's body transferred to him, comfortable and solid.
"You think I look stiff?" Gemini whispered, his breath hitting Fourth's sensitive ear.
"A little bit. Especially when you meet with those old men on the Board of Directors. Your face then looks like you want to eat people alive," Fourth tilted his head slightly to make room for Gemini, but didn't push him away. He was used to these sudden intimate gestures.
"How is your hand? It rained heavily last night; does the old wound on your ribs hurt?"
"A bit achy when I turn over. But I have medicine," Gemini kissed lightly on the faint scar on the back of Fourth's neck – the scar caused by a glass shard in the explosion at the riverside villa.
"What medicine? I remember you didn't take painkillers yesterday?" Fourth turned around, frowning suspiciously.
"You," Gemini smiled slyly. "Hugging you makes the pain go away instantly."
Fourth rolled his eyes, nudging his elbow lightly into Gemini's stomach.
"You talk too much. Move aside so I can set the table. Front is about to wake up."
Their lives had passed like this for the last six months. Quiet, simple, and sometimes a bit mundane. No more breathless chases on the streets of Bangkok, no more bloody takeover schemes, no more sleepless nights guarding each other's sleep.
Only petty daily worries remained; Front getting a bad grade in Math because she was busy drawing, the dishwasher breaking because Fourth accidentally pressed the wrong button, or debating whether to have steamed fish or braised pork for dinner.
This normality, for others, might be boring, but for Gemini and Fourth – people who had stepped across the line of life and death – it was the most luxurious, precious thing they had exchanged blood and tears to obtain.
[...]
The VIP elevator opened on the sixtieth floor; Gemini and Fourth stepped out simultaneously. Administrative staff bowed respectfully.
Fourth walked straight to his desk, placed opposite the CEO's desk in the same spacious office. He no longer had to stand guard at the door or in the corner. He had a comfortable leather chair, a high-spec computer, and a towering stack of files needing approval.
The title "Director of Internal Control" wasn't an empty title that Gemini gave his lover for show. Fourth did real work, and he worked extremely seriously. He used the meticulousness, suspicion, and detailed observation skills of a former high-level bodyguard to scrutinize every number in financial reports, every clause in contracts.
"Gemini... ah, I mean, Boss," Fourth called, habitually unable to fully correct his form of address at the company. His left hand held a red pen, underlining a data line on the operating cost report.
"The Southern branch reported transportation costs increased by fifteen percent last quarter due to escalating fuel prices. But according to the chart I tracked, the average oil price over the last three months decreased by two percent. There is an unreasonable discrepancy."
Gemini looked up from his computer screen, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses to massage the bridge of his nose. He looked at Fourth with eyes both tired and proud.
"Again? We just fired two sales managers last month for inflating material prices, and they're still not afraid?"
"Greed has no bottom, Boss," Fourth closed the file, his voice cold.
"They think you are busy with macro projects, so you won't notice these small numbers. Let me handle it. I'll send a team down for a surprise inspection tomorrow. If I find violations, I'll transfer the file straight to the legal department."
"Don't go too hard. Scaring them is enough; good personnel are hard to find these days," Gemini advised, knowing Fourth's personality all too well. He knew Fourth was sometimes still accustomed to the "heavy-handed" and "thorough" habits of the underworld.
"We are businessmen, Fourth, not mafia collecting debts."
"I know. I'll use labor laws and company regulations, not fists," Fourth winked playfully, raising his right hand still wearing the elastic band and shaking it.
"Besides, even if I wanted to use fists, I couldn't."
He stood up, tucking the file under his arm and walking out to meet with the audit department. His gait was still straight, military-like, but no longer stiff like a compressed spring ready to snap at any moment.
Employees passing in the hallway bowed to him.
No more contemptuous looks, curiosity, or whispers about "the boss's lover" like in the beginning. Only respect – or at least wariness and awe – for a cold, quiet man who worked with ruthless efficiency and was the irreplaceable "right hand" of the CEO. They knew that deceiving Gemini might be possible, but getting past Fourth's eyes was nearly impossible.
Gemini watched Fourth's back disappear behind the glass door, his heart silently swelling with pride.
[...]
Late afternoon.
Gemini personally drove Fourth to the outskirts of Samut Prakan. The high-clearance SUV rolled onto the red dirt road, dust billowing behind.
They stopped in front of a simple wooden welcome gate, engraved with carefully carved letters: “Children's Village.”
Fourth's passion project – built with the compensation money from Chairman Titicharoenrak – had completed phase one. Rows of bright red-tiled houses nestled under the shade of mango and tamarind trees. The sound of children laughing and joking echoed across the playground, drowning out the car engine noise.
This was home to fifty orphans and street children sponsored by Fourth and Gemini. They were fed, educated, taught trades, and most importantly, kept safe.
Fourth stepped out of the car. Immediately, a group of children from the soccer field rushed out, surrounding him like a flock of young birds.
"P'Fourth! P'Fourth is here!" "P', did you bring candy today?" "P'Fourth, watch me kick the ball!"
Fourth smiled – a radiant, carefree smile he rarely showed at the company. He crouched down, using his right arm, though still a bit weak, to pat the head of a skinny, tanned boy with a long scar on his forehead – just like him in the past. The boy's name was Keng, rescued by Fourth from a child labor sweatshop.
"Was N'Keng good today? Did you fight with your friends?" Fourth asked, his voice stern but his eyes overflowing with gentleness.
"No! I was very good! I memorized the multiplication table of five!" The boy boasted, eyes sparkling.
"Very good. I'll hand out rewards later."
Gemini leaned against the car door, arms crossed, watching Fourth being "attacked" by the kids. He didn't feel jealous; he only felt peace.
"Aren't you coming in?" Fourth turned to call, picking up a tiny girl in his arms.
"I'll just stand here and watch," Gemini teased.
Fourth walked over, using his free hand to pull Gemini's hand.
"Come in. The kids keep asking ‘where is the handsome uncle who goes with P'Fourth'. Today, you have to be the goalie for them."
They strolled together around the Children's Village campus. Gemini looked at the lush green vegetable patches planted by the children themselves, looked at the small library full of storybooks, and looked at the clean medical room.
"Do you see?" Gemini said, his voice contemplative.
"My father's money, originally stained with calculation and sin, has now bloomed here. The old man probably wouldn't have expected his 'legacy' to turn into these smiles."
"Money is not at fault, Gemini. The fault lies in how people use it," Fourth replied, looking into the distance.
"Thank you. For not forcing me to use that money to buy supercars, yachts, or villas."
"I have enough supercars. I need this more," Gemini pointed to his chest, where his heart was beating rhythmically.
"Serenity. Seeing you smile here, I feel like my family's sins are somewhat washed away."
[...]
That evening, at their home, dinner was simple with soy sauce steamed sea bass, mustard greens soup with minced meat, and fried eggs. Front sat between her two brothers, chattering about the drawing of Gemini, which, according to him, looked more like a potato growing hair than a portrait of a powerful CEO.
"P'Fourth, today in class, my friend Ton asked if P'Gemini is my dad," Front said while shoveling rice, her mouth covered in grains.
Fourth almost choked on his soup. He coughed repeatedly, face turning red. Gemini maintained a calm expression, picking a piece of fish, meticulously removing all the small bones before placing it in Front's bowl.
"So how did you answer?" Gemini asked, his tone as if asking about the weather.
"I said no. P'Gemini is... my brother-in-law," Front said nonchalantly, blinking her innocent eyes.
This time, Fourth truly choked. He hurriedly drank a large gulp of water. Gemini patted his back gently, smiling smugly.
"Brother-in-law? Sounds reasonable," Gemini winked at Front.
[...]
After the meal, Front went to bed early for school the next day. The house returned to silence.
Gemini and Fourth went out to the balcony to enjoy the breeze. The Bangkok night wind blew coolly, carrying the moisture of an approaching rain. Fourth pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, brought it to his mouth for a long drag, then stubbed it out immediately in the ashtray.
"What's wrong?" Gemini asked, observing his strange behavior.
"Quitting gradually. Front said she hates the smell of cigarettes. Besides... I want to live a bit longer to take care of her," Fourth replied, looking at the glowing red ember fading away.
Gemini smiled. He reached into his trouser pocket, took something out, and placed it in Fourth's calloused palm.
A lemon candy. The cheap kind, with crinkled lemon-yellow wrappers, exactly like the candy Front had given Fourth in the first chapter – the candy that had salvaged his soul in the darkest night of despair.
Fourth looked at the candy, stunned. Memories rushed back like a waterfall.
"Where did you get this?"
"In Front's backpack. I asked her for it. I had to trade a box of chocolates," Gemini said.
"Eat it. Sweeten your voice."
Fourth peeled the crinkling wrapper, popping the candy into his mouth. The artificial sweet and sour taste dissolved on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't as delicious as expensive chocolate; it was a bit harsh, but it tasted of memories, tasted of life.
"That year," Fourth spoke slowly, eyes gazing toward the distant skyscrapers.
"When you reached out to pull me up from the mud in the slums, I thought you were a stupid rich kid who liked playing hero to satisfy his ego."
"And I thought you were a wild beast needing taming, a sharp tool," Gemini laughed, leaning back against the railing.
"Turns out both were wrong. I am not a hero, and you are not a wild beast or a tool."
"Do you regret it?" Fourth turned to ask the question that had always weighed on his mind.
"Regret what?"
"Choosing a difficult path. Loving a man who is your bodyguard, someone with a dark past. Having to confront your family, social opinion. If you had chosen the Minister's daughter, your life would have been paved with roses; you would have political power, children all around."
Gemini turned to look at Fourth. His gaze no longer held the fiery passion of new love, but the stability, depth, and steadfastness of a life partner who had weathered storms together.
"Roses are beautiful but have thorns, Fourth. They need careful tending in a greenhouse. But you..." Gemini took Fourth's scarred left hand, interlacing their fingers tightly.
"You are a cactus. Thorny, rough, rugged, but inside full of water and intense vitality. I don't like roses. They wither too fast. I prefer cacti. They can live in the desert; they can survive storms."
"Terrible metaphor," Fourth chuckled, eyes reddening with emotion.
"You compare your lover to a cactus?"
"I mean," Gemini turned serious, his voice deepening.
"I didn't choose the easy path. I chose the path with you. Because only on that path can I be myself – a normal man who is loved and knows how to love."
He leaned down, kissing the back of Fourth's hand gently, where the calluses still remained.
"And you know what? This path, though bumpy and rocky, is much more beautiful. Because you are walking it with me."
[...]
It was late at night. The city lights began to thin out.
They turned off the balcony lights, going inside. The glass door closed, shutting out the noisy world outside.
The bedroom was immersed in the pleasant darkness of the dim yellow night light. They lay down next to each other on the large bed, as familiar as breathing.
Gemini wrapped his arm around Fourth's waist, pulling him close to his chest, letting Fourth's back touch his chest. Fourth found a comfortable position, resting his head on Gemini's arm as a pillow.
"Tomorrow you have a strategy meeting at eight," Fourth reminded, his voice starting to sound sleepy.
"Mhm. Remember to wake me up. Don't turn off the alarm for me anymore."
"Gemini."
"What is it?"
"We're out of lemon candy. Buy more tomorrow. The cheap kind."
"Okay. Tomorrow I'll buy a huge bag."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight... Fourth."
End.