Daddy (GEMINIFOURTH)

Chapter 14: The Balancing Act

Night had settled over the city, the skyline glowing through the large windows of Gemini's penthouse. Fourth was sprawled on the living room couch, watching a movie, though his focus drifted. The excitement from earlier, unwrapping each of the luxurious gifts Gemini had showered him with, had brought a smile to his face—a sense of satisfaction that washed away the soreness of the day before. One by one, he had opened the shopping bags, grinning at the designer clothes, shoes, and accessories, each one a testament to the power Gemini had over his life. He loved it.

Now, dressed in a satin singlet and matching shorts, he sat in the dim glow of the television, waiting for Gemini to come home. His phone buzzed beside him. He picked it up, seeing a message from Phuwin asking why he hadn't come to class today. With everything that had happened, Fourth hadn't even thought about school.

"Talk to you tomorrow," he replied quickly, not wanting to get into details over the phone.

Then came the missed calls and messages from Tin. Dozens of them. Fourth rolled his eyes, his finger hovering over the block button. He sighed, then pressed it, knowing Tin wouldn't take the silence well. But Tin was a problem for tomorrow. He needed to deal with him, but carefully. Maybe a kiss would calm him down, he thought, chuckling at the absurdity of his situation. Tin was furious, no doubt, but Fourth had become good at managing his emotions, keeping him just satisfied enough to prevent a meltdown.

His laughter was interrupted by the soft sound of the security pin number being entered into the keypad. His heart raced a little—Gemini was home.

Fourth quickly stood up, smoothing down his satin outfit and walking to the door to greet him, his usual routine. When Gemini stepped through the door, Fourth smiled brightly, taking Gemini's work bag as he always did and helping him out of his blazer. He moved with a practiced grace, a mixture of servant and lover, knowing how much Gemini appreciated the gesture.

"Tired, Daddy?" Fourth asked softly, hanging up the blazer and placing the work bag by the door.

Gemini didn't say much, his expression the same cool, controlled mask he always wore. He walked to the couch, sitting down heavily, the weight of his day evident in his movements. Fourth followed, immediately sliding in beside him, his small hands finding their way to Gemini's shoulders. He began to massage them, his fingers kneading into the tense muscles as Gemini talked about his day—about deals, meetings, and the pressures of running his empire.

Fourth listened carefully, nodding and murmuring in agreement, doing his best to keep Gemini relaxed. His hands worked expertly over Gemini's shoulders, his touch soft but firm, knowing just how to soothe the stress away.

But then Gemini's voice broke through the comfortable silence with an edge of warning. "I don't want anything like yesterday to happen again."

The words hit Fourth like a punch, his hands freezing for a brief moment. His heart skipped a beat, his mind immediately flashing back to last night's ordeal with Tin, and the furious look in Gemini's eyes when he had found him. He had thought they had moved past it, but clearly, it was still lingering in Gemini's mind.

Fourth swallowed, quickly regaining his composure. "Yes, Daddy," he said softly, his voice filled with obedience. He couldn't let Gemini know how tangled things had really become with Tin. He had to be more careful.

Gemini stood up, heading toward the bathroom without another word, leaving Fourth sitting alone on the couch, his mind racing. As he heard the water from the shower turn on, Fourth leaned back against the couch, running a hand through his hair. He couldn't let this happen again. He couldn't afford to have Gemini angry at him. But at the same time, cutting Tin off wasn't an option. Tin had influence over his academic success, and without Tin's help, getting through university would become far more difficult.

The delicate balance between keeping Tin happy enough to stay in his good graces and keeping Gemini unaware of the full extent of their interactions was becoming harder to maintain. One wrong move, and everything could come crashing down.

He closed his eyes, trying to think of a plan. Tomorrow, he would have to talk to Tin, make him believe that his phone was broken, or that there had been a misunderstanding. He would have to play the part of the apologetic lover, calming Tin down with a kiss or two, just enough to keep him under control. But he couldn't let Gemini find out how deeply Tin was still involved in his life. That would be disastrous.

As the thoughts churned in his head, Fourth felt a small smile creep across his lips. He was good at this. He could handle it. Tin was a problem, sure, but nothing he couldn't manage. As long as he kept his cool and played his cards right, everything would stay under his control.

He smirked to himself, satisfied with the plan forming in his mind. For now, he would rest, enjoy the quiet, and be ready to face whatever came next.

The door to the bathroom clicked open, and Fourth opened his eyes, his smirk still lingering as he heard Gemini's footsteps moving back into the living room.

Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow, I'll handle everything.